Are your fat burning workouts really helping you to burn calories and shed the extra pounds that you may have put on since the holidays?
Or, are you just spinning your wheels with programs that don't work and might never work?
For years, I've seen men and women who truly do want to get in shape waste their time with programs like these.
It's this group that's already taken the initial steps toward health and fitness that are sometimes the most discouraged by their lack of progress. This is the group that goes to the gym consistently, does the cardio (sometimes too much), and does some weightlifting (maybe not enough), yet still see very little in the way of measureable results.
Here's How We Fix This...
If going to the gym for you means that you'll be spending most of your time attached to a treadmill or elliptical trainer, you might already be on the losing end. That is, unless you're training for some sort of cardiovascular event.
If you want real fat loss, then you NEED to dedicate more time to building and adding lean muscle to your frame - AND, you NEED to do your weightlifting before your cardio.
Did you get that? Weights before cardio.
There's nothing wrong with getting a good sweat and putting in some work to help train your heart. And, doing some cardio is better than doing none (especially if you are getting specific by using your Target Heart Rate Zone).
So, here's some simple science behind why your weight training workouts should be first in line.
Your body uses Fats and Carbohydrates for energy. We like energy.
When you lift weights, you burn some carbs and you burn some fat. We like that, too.
By finishing your weight training routine first, you'll have burned through some carbohydrate stores and will ultimately force your body to use fats during your cardiovascular exercise. We like this alot.
If you tried it the other way around, you'd complete your cardio while burning carbs and fats, but you'd have a sluggish weight training workout without the availability of some of those carbs.
A Little Weightlifting Story...
Let's say you had an identical twin - same body type, same lifestyle, different workouts.
You'll each be working out consistently for one year.
Except that one twin will do only cardio and the other twin will only lift weights.
If I were a gambling man, I'd put all my money on the twin who is only lifting weights having better fat burning workouts throughout the entire year and seeing the looking in the mirror results that both twins wanted at the beginning.
I can't tell you what each twin would end up weighing at the end of the year, but remember scale weight doesn't reflect accurately the amount of fat you may have lost and the muscle you've gained.
Oh yeah, another little tip - muscle gained doesn't have to equal bulky!
I hope that puts your workouts in a little bit better perspective.
Now go hit the weights!!!
In health,
Boh
David I. Bohmiller, BS, NSCA-CSCS
President/Owner
My Personal Trainer School LLC
