High Intensity Interval Training and Compound Exercises – Great Exercises For Fat Loss

There are amazing exercises for fat loss that allow you to get fit and firm in as little as 15 minutes a day. It’s best to focus on exercises that maximize the body’s ability to build muscle, such as compound exercises. Compound exercises are exercises that move the body through more than one joint movement.

Squats – These are without a doubt the best fat burning exercises imaginable. Heavy leg work causes a surge in the release of your growth hormones like no other exercise can.

Dead lifts – The dead lift is an incredible tool because it is a compound exercise that works a lot of muscle groups at the same time making it perfect for both fat loss and muscle building programs.

Lunges (with dumbbells) – Lunge forward with one leg and then stand at that new spot. Lunge forward with the opposite leg and stand at that spot. Go 30-50 yards; stop for 30 seconds and continue for 30-50 yards.
Upright Rows – This is a great exercise for the deltoids. If you are looking for that perfect body then do 5 sets of 12.

Pushups – Try slow steady repetitions instead of the pumping version that you’re used to. Each rep should take about 30 seconds to complete. Use proper form for each rep.

Chin up – This is the best way to achieve a strong looking back, shapely deltoids, and even works your chest. The proof that this exercise is awesome is the fact that most people cannot do it well.

Bicycle floor ab crunch – The top compound exercise for abs takes a variety of muscles to accomplish the task of working the entire length of the abdominals along with the surrounding and competing muscles.

Overhead Press – You’ll have to start by evaluating your ability to handle weights. You figure out your one rep max (let’s say you could do one rep at 50 lbs) then you do one set to failure at 80% of that max (so it would be 40 lbs. in this example) The workout doesn’t take long at all, but is very intense. You’re resting for 30 – 45  seconds between sets for five to eight sets.

HIIT Training – The next step is high intensity interval training. This is the ultimate fat burning routine in which you work the hardest you’ve ever done for 30 seconds. After you rest for about 30 to 90 seconds, start again to even more intensity. Get ready for more.

Cycling – Warm up for five minutes and start pedaling fast for 30 seconds. Rest or coast for 30 – 90 seconds then take it up again; go for 30 seconds. Repeat the process again. You should be able get about eight or more sets out of this one.

Jump Rope – Try this one for the same reasons that boxers do; you’ll be building endurance and stamina. Go ahead and use the same strategy as before.

Sprints – If you like running for pleasure, keep doing it. If you want to get the fat burning benefits of running without the time investment.

Eliptical – This is the way to get cross country skiing and stair climbing benefits in one. Use the above routine; going from 0 – 80 rpms or more.

You can use these exercises to craft a well toned body. The most efficient way to burn body fat is to build muscle through resistance training. The more muscle you have, the more fat your body will burn at rest. This kind of training allows you to have a life while staying fit. Give it a try and share the exercises for weight loss results.

Get Trim And Fit With A Great Fat Loss Program

If you’ve been struggling with your weight and are now determined to do something about it, you may have heard or seen reviews about fat loss programs. These systems take a unique approach to weight loss by focusing on increasing your metabolism and burning fat while still keeping your calorie count at or slightly below the level your body needs for daily maintenance.

The emphasis is placed on physical activity not necessarily calorie restriction. It may take you an hour to burn 600 calories but you can replace those calories in 15 minutes with two slices of pizza and a supersized soda. The goal of fat burning physical activity is to increase your muscle density which increases your ability to burn fat throughout the day and even while you’re sleeping.

The reason why some Olympic athletes can easily consume and use 6000 calories a day is because their bodies require an enormous amount of fuel to function at optimal capacity. Their muscles demand and use up its energy stores on a daily basis. The activity level of the average person doesn’t require that much fuel.

If you follow the fitness blogs or participate in training symposiums, you’ll hear a lot of commotion over the difference between low intensity fat burning routines and high intensity training systems. There are raging debates that actually keep people awake at night arguing over which is better. Before I get into the controversy, let me give you a brief overview of how fat burning routines work.

The body runs on fuel. It likes sugar, fat and protein; in that order. Our marvelous bio system turns everything into the type of fuel that makes our body go. The truth is; our bodies don’t really switch on and off from one energy source to another; but instead use a combination of fuels; the goal of fat burning workouts is to help your body focus on reducing your fat cells more efficiently. Read the rest of this entry »

5 Most Outrageous Weight Fat Loss Myths…Busted

Lose Belly Fat in 30 Days with These Simple Steps

Have you been looking for an easy and dependable way to build muscle and lose belly fat?    There have been many fitness coaches who have prompted their students to use a variety of simple exercises in combination with a low calorie diet as a way of rapidly building up strength and flexibility while burning fat.

There are a few essential things that you need to be aware of before you embark on a program to lose belly fat. When you’re considering weight loss, the first thing that comes to mind is calorie reduction. The problem is calories, though important is just one part of the story.

The battle of the bulge is different for everyone but the common denominator is the equation; calories invested must be less than calories spent at the end of the day. There are a few caveats to this equation, the human body is a very complex organism; one that constantly adjusts to its environment.

If you attempt to deprive it of calories for too long you begin to slow down essential services to conserve power. This process is counterproductive to your weight loss plan because the kind of low calorie that will shed pounds very quickly will allow those pounds come back just as fast.

There are 3,500 calories in one pound of fat. If you are able to use 3,500 calories throughout your daily activity, you will lose an entire pound. Where it becomes speculative is in the nature of the pound you’ve just lost. That pound is more likely to be composed of water, protein, and fat.

Another thing to keep in mind when looking at bodyweight versus body fat is the varying levels of water that you may retain. Water retention is responsible for the day to day fluctuation in weight on your scale. Ask anyone who has eaten several slices of pepperoni pizza and a bag of potato chips to get on the scale the next day.

Excess salt in your diet will cause you to retain fluids. Many of the astonishing accounts of rapid weight loss through Atkins and other diets in the first week can be attributed to the diuretic effect of some of these programs.

It is recommended by most medical experts that you try to keep your weight loss at or around two pounds a week. The best way to get results is through a combination of aerobic, resistance training along with high and low level fat intensity workouts.

Here are a few ideas that will help you to shed one to two pounds of fat a week like clockwork.

1. Establish a base number of calories that you will need when you’re active and subtract 500 calories from that number. That’s your new baseline.
2. Remove highly processed foods, sugar and any product that comes in a box from your diet for at least 3 to 4 weeks.
3. Establish a workout schedule with the following items:

• Day one. Strength training – depending on your level of fitness, this can be mild basic exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, leg raises, squats and lunges.
• Day two. This is a fat burning day. Choose from high intensity workouts like boxing, jump rope, sprinting, or circuit training.
• Day three. Back to strength and fitness training.
• Day four. Repeat day two.
• Day five. More strength training.
• Day six.  Fat burning walk.
• Day seven. Rest.

By reducing your calorie intake and increasing your activity level, you’ll be burning fat at about two pounds a week. Stay focused, you’ll lose belly fat in no time!

Factors That Make Fat Loss Exercises Successful

As you go about your weight loss program, it’s important to understand the main factors that make fat loss exercises successful.  Those who are using proper weight loss programs will see much faster results than those that aren’t, so before you go off dedicating hours each week to the gym, it’s vital that you take this into account so you can be sure that you start off on the right food.

Let’s have a quick look at the main factors that will determine whether or not your fat loss exercises are successful.

How Many Muscles Are Utilized

The very first factor to consider is how many muscles you’re going to be working at once while doing the exercise.

For example, with the bench press exercise you are going to be working the chest, the triceps, the shoulders, and even the biceps to a small extent since they will act as dynamic stabilization muscles.

Now compare this to a bicep curl instead.

Which do you think is going to burn more calories and be a better fat loss exercise? If you said the bench press, you’d be entirely correct.

Generally speaking, compound exercises, that is, any form of exercise that has you lifting and using as many muscles at once will have a much faster fat burning effect than an isolated exercise where you’re only targeting a single muscle group at a time.

If you use only isolated exercises in your workout program, you’re going to be in there performing exercises for a very long period of time.

Instead, turn to compound exercises only.  These will really give you more bang for your buck.

How Heavy Of A Weight Are You Lifting

Second, the next thing to think about when assessing whether you’re doing the right fat loss exercises is how heavy of a weight you are able to lift.

When placing two exercises side by side, the exercise that allows you to lift the most weight is almost always going to be the more effective exercise for producing fat loss than the one that doesn’t.

Why?

Greater muscle activation.  Again, the more weight you can lift, the more muscle fibers that will be called into play to hoist that weight and the faster progress you’re going to make.

Only in specific cases where you’re really focusing on high rep lifting and including multiple supersets or other advanced protocols in your program will lighter weight exercises be necessary.

How High Is Your Heart Rate

Finally, the third thing to look for when assessing the effectiveness of your fat loss exercises is what they are going to do to your heart rate. An exercise that does create a much higher heart rate while performing it will also burn off more calories minute per minute therefore allowing you to see much better results.

What’s more is that the faster you can move from exercise to exercise in your workout session while still ensuring that you are recovering so that you can maintain that heavy weight, the better off that overall fat burning program will be.

So keep all these three points in mind when assessing your fat loss exercises.  If you have a number of exercises that don’t include these factors in your program, it may be time to make some changes.

For more information about the Express Fat Loss System Click Here

Your Fitness Goals and The Missing Link for Your Motivation

5 Really Good Side Effects From Exercise

What You Need To Know About Quick Weight Loss

If you’re like most people, when you set out on a diet and workout program, you’re looking for quick weight loss. Most of us don’t want to waste time spending weeks if not months getting down to our goal weight.

No, we want to lose weight fast and effectively so we can reach our ideal weight and start living the life we desire.

But, before you jump on the latest quick weight loss quick-fix, it is important that you take some time to understand a few things about quick weight loss strategies.  While there definitely are ways that you can see quick weight loss that stays off for good, more often than not, this isn’t quite how it plays out.

Let’s take a quick look at the main factors to consider.

Quick Weight Loss and Water Weight

So the very first thing that you must take into account is the fact that on many of those quick weight loss diets, much of the weight you are going to lose is going to be pure water weight.  When you instantly see the scale drop by a good 5-10 pounds over the course of 3-5 days, you know something is up here.

Since it takes 3500 calories to burn off a single pound, you can clearly see how impossible it would be to burn off 35,000 calories in just a week.  Even if you ate absolutely no food at all and exercised for three or four hours a day, you still would never accomplish this feat.

So if you’re losing weight this quickly, it’s important that you come to realize that it isn’t pure fat loss that you’re experiencing.  Failing to realize this could lead to disappointment down the road.

Quick Weight Loss and Muscle Mass Loss

Second, the next important thing that you need to remember when it comes to quick weight loss is that you’re not setting yourself up for muscle mass loss.   When you go on an extreme diet that contains very few calories and if this is coupled with lots of exercise, the chances of losing lean muscle mass are incredibly high and this will only come back to hurt you in the long run.

The problem with losing lean muscle mass is the fact that it’s going to mean a significantly slowed metabolic rate which then only makes it that much harder to continue to lose body fat.

Remember that your lean muscle mass is the calorie burning ‘engine’ of the body so if you’re not maintaining it while you diet, you’re going to really struggle in the long run.

Quick Weight Loss and Adherence

Now, the third bit thing that you must also take into considering is the impact of quick weight loss on your adherence rates.  Any time you go making dramatic changes to your eating habits it’s going to be hard to stick with and quick weight loss diets really amplify this factor.

Of you’re cutting out entire food groups on these quick weight loss diets or you’re eating such little food that hunger is always present in extreme amounts.

As you can imagine this becomes incredibly difficult to stick with and before you know it you’ve abandoned the program altogether.

This doesn’t bode well for long term fat loss so another reason why you really have to assess the quick weight loss method you’re using carefully. If it doesn’t seem like something you could follow for even a modest amount of time, you’re better off looking for a different approach instead.

Your Best Bet For Maintaining Quick Weight Loss

So what’s your best bet when it comes to maintaining a quick weight loss? Your best bet is finding a diet that does provide sufficient calories that you do feel like you could stick with over the course of time.

Try and find a diet plan that offers quite a bit of protein content in the day since this is the one macronutrient that is going to help save your lean muscle mass the most as well.

If you’re getting enough protein, the chances of you seeing that decreased metabolic rate will be much lower so this will have a huge influence on the results you get.

Finally, try and find a quick weight loss diet that also includes plenty of vegetables with modest amounts of fruit.  These are also very important for the nutrients and antioxidants they provide so are something that you absolutely do not want to exclude from your day.

If you can focus on all of these factors, then you can have successful quick weight loss that will stay off over the long term.  Focusing on wholesome foods as much as possible will always be the best quick weight loss strategy for not only good health but the best success as well.

21 Rewards From the Express Fat Loss System

The number one reason that most people are out-of-shape is that they don’t exercise enough.

I’ve often wished that I could give each and every one of you a personalized pep talk to get you up off the couch and into the gym, day after day. So here’s my pep talk in bullet form – 21 rewards that you will gain from regular exercise.

Photo: Getty

Do yourself a favor and print this list and post it where you’ll see it every day. When you need motivation or encouragement simply read over this list and feel your motivation soar.

1. You’ll reset your body: Exercise has been described as a giant reset button. A good workout will block appetite swings, improve your mood and even help you sleep.
2. Your clothes will fit better: Consistent exercise will tone and tighten your body, causing your clothes to not only fit better but to also look nicer. Also exercise ensures that soon you’ll be trading your clothes in for smaller sizes.
3. You’ll be less stressed: You have enough stress in your life – it’s time for a break. A good workout invigorates your muscles, leaving you relaxed and less stressed.
4. You’ll have more energy: WebMD tallied research studies and concluded that 90% of them prove exercise increases energy levels in sedentary patients. Next time you feel fatigued, fight it will the most powerful tool available: exercise.
5. You’ll be stronger: Exercise improves muscle strength and endurance, two things that you use throughout each day. When you exercise consistently you’ll be pleasantly surprised when difficult tasks begin to seem easy.
6. You’ll be less likely to binge: Exercise has a powerful anti-binge effect on the body. This is due in part by an increase in sensitivity to leptin, a protein hormone, which has an appetite-taming effect.
7. You’ll burn calories: You know that excess body fat is made up of stored and unused calories. Fight back by burning loads of calories with fat-blasting workouts.
8. You’ll be more confident: Who doesn’t wish they walked and talked with more confidence? A consistent exercise program will do just that. As your body becomes more fit, watch as your confidence sky-rockets.
9. You’ll have fun: Believe it or not, exercise can be extremely enjoyable. Remember how fun it was to run around as a child? Tap into your inner child as you find a mode of exercise that gets you excited.
10. You’ll reduce your blood pressure: Exercise has been proven more effective than medication in reducing blood pressure to normal levels. A single workout has been shown to reduce blood pressure for the day and regular exercise reduces overall blood pressure in the long run.
11. You’ll lose the jiggles: Regular exercise tightens flabby arms, legs and waistlines. So wave goodbye to the jiggles with a solid exercise program.
12. You’ll increase insulin sensitivity: Researchers at Laval University in Quebec discovered that exercise improved insulin sensitivity dramatically. Peak after-meal insulin levels dropped by more than 20 percent after as little as 3 weeks of consistent exercise.
13. You’ll sleep better: Do you toss and turn for hours before falling asleep? Exercise is a powerful sleep aid. Your tired muscles encourage your body to quickly fall asleep so they can get their overnight repair work done.
14. You’ll lower your risk of heart disease: Regular exercise strengthens your heart and makes it more resilient against disease. A sedentary lifestyle is a major risk factor for heart disease, so rest assured that consistent exercise is your ally against disease.
15. You’ll feel great: Vigorous exercise releases natural endorphins (happy hormones) into your blood stream that dissolve pain and anxiety. You’ve probably heard of ‘runner’s high’, this can be achieved by any great workout.
16. You’ll lower your risk of diabetes: Studies show that exercising as little as half an hour each day can dramatically reduce your risk of diabetes. If you are at risk of diabetes, or already have diabetes, regular exercise is the most effective treatment for reversing the disease.
17. You’ll meet cool people: You could benefit from a group of new, energetic friends, right? Gyms, bootcamps, workout centers and even the jogging trail are all great places to connect with fun new friends.
18. You’ll improve your BMI: You know that maintaining a healthy BMI is key in disease prevention. Exercise is the best way to keep your BMI under control.
19. You’ll increase your endurance: Do you ever get out of breath when walking up stairs or through the mall? Regular exercise builds your endurance for everyday activities.
20. Your doctor will be impressed: How many times has your doctor given you the lecture about losing weight and exercising more? Exercise regularly and get your MD off your back!
21. You’ll look amazing: Are you happy with the shape and size of your body? Regular exercise works wonders on your physique. Within a few weeks you’ll see shape and tone in all the right places.

What are you waiting for? Lace up your shoes and get moving!

Fat Loss exercises and Tips for Flat Tummy and Tight Abs

Getting a flat midsection really boils down to two things: 1) Getting rid of the fatty layer that is covering your abdominal muscles; and 2) Tightening and toning your abdominal muscles.

The following 7 Fat Loss Exercises and Tips are your Fast-Track ticket to getting a flat, attractive midsection this summer.

Tight Abs Tip #1: Perform challenging strength training abdominal exercises at least three times each week. Your abs are like any other muscle in your body—they need to be consistently challenged in order to become stronger and tighter.

Tight Abs Tip #2: Stop eating junk. Processed foods, refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup do NOT belong in your diet if, especially if you want tight abs. Cutting these items from your diet will allow your body to maintain stable blood sugar levels, alleviating your body’s need to store excess sugar away in fat cells.

The fat stores created by excess sugar intake most often accumulate around your waist, covering up your abdominal muscles. Cut these items from your diet and replace them with real whole foods such as lean meats, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and fruits.

Tight Abs Tip #3: Stop doing long and slow cardio workouts. Instead, use HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) for your cardio workouts. HIIT training uses intense bursts of cardio peppered throughout your workout. This is a sure-fire way to rev up your metabolism and to get your fat stores to shrink.

Tight Abs Tip #4: Use resistance with your abdominal exercises. Crunches are great, but your body quickly becomes accustomed to the motion, rendering it less effective. Hold a medicine ball or dumbbell at your chest as you perform your crunches—this will force your abs to work harder, and will achieve better results.

Tight Abs Tip #5: Don’t be fooled. The market is flooded with ‘lose weight’ products and products that claim to flatten your stomach. Never waste your time or money on:

1. So-called packaged health food that comes with weight loss claims. If it’s processed in a package with a bunch of chemical additives then it will not help you achieve flat abs.
2. Abdominal exercise gimmicks as sold on late night infomercials – all you really need is your own body weight, an exercise ball and dumbbells or a medicine ball.
3. So-called weight loss supplements. The magic pill for flat abs doesn’t exist, so you’d be wasting your health and money on a bogus product.

Tight Abs Tip #6: Target your lower abs. It’s easy to neglect the lower abs, but they are an important part of the equation. Incorporate the V-Up into your exercise routine:

Tight Abs Tips #7: Challenge your core often. Don’t limit your abdominal exercise to the gym, incorporate core strengthening during daily life and throughout each workout. A strong core is the foundation for flat, tight abs.

There you have it! Seven tips that, when diligently applied, will help you shed the fat and tighten your abs.

But, keep in mind that your results will be seriously hindered if you do the same exercise routine over and over. Your abs need a progressive challenge in order to transform. This means new exercises, different resistance and increased challenge.