You see people like this in the gym, well actually on the treadmill and stationary bikes.
They enter the ‘Fat Burning Zone’!
Is it some sort of fat cell abduction where you feel a stone lighter after an hour on the treadmill or bike?!
Well, sort of, but I’m being a little facetious! There is actually a ‘Fat Burning Zone’ on the treadmill dial – it usually states what percentage of your maximum heart rate you should be working at.
It can get complicated, can’t it? I mean, you’re running (or walking), getting sweaty and out of breath yet you somehow have to ‘work out’ your maximum and current heart rate! You then have to maintain your work rate to keep within the % range.
Yes, you can hold onto those heart rate sensors to get your heart rate but how accurate are those things?
I suggest you FORGET about all that – well, only if you actually want to lose body fat.
That is your main aim in the gym isn’t it – not weight loss?
Also, running at a steady pace on the treadmill for too long can backfire and will work against you and your efforts to burn body fat.
So what are the 3 things you need to do to lose body fat?
If you ignore these 3 things, you may well be wasting precious time and effort in the gym and I don’t want you to do that.
Here they are…
#1 is to get out of breath.
This will trigger an after-burn and is the key to unleashing your metabolism’s ability to burn fat and tone your muscles. That means you need to do enough to activate your heart and lungs.
When you get breathless (or start to pant), hormones are released that instruct your body to break down stored body fat and burn it for energy. You can elevate your metabolic rate for up to 24-48 hours after the workout.
#2 is to create that burning sensation in your muscles during your workout (you know, when your calves are burning when lifting your heels a few times?!).
This burning sensation is a metabolic signal that triggers fat loss and muscle growth [Research: July 2009 British Journal of Sports Medicine].
Your body releases HGH (Human Growth Hormone), the hormone responsible for increased energy, strong bones, great skin and longevity.
“GH starts to decline in the body as we grow older. After the age of 30 it declines by 25 percent every decade, so by the time you hit 60 you are operating at 25 percent of original capacity. If HGH was present in the same amount throughout our lives, we’d easily live to be 140, several inches taller, and a lot more muscular.” [Source: bodybuilding.com]
Effective, short workouts cause a surge in HGH so don’t spend too long in the gym.
#3 is to lift heavy!
That’s right, you heard me correctly. Lifting weights activates your Type II muscle fibres, which then triggers testosterone production – important for women as well as men!
Testosterone helps women strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis, while also providing a big lift to mood by relieving stress and anxiety.
So, there you have it. Get breathless, feel the burn and lift heavy!
The 3 things you need to do to lose body fat – effectively.
You may now be asking what the heck do you do in the gym now that will tick all 3 boxes?
This is where I come in!
I teach women to tick all 3 boxes so that they start to burn the body fat and get the shape they really want.
That’s what I teach in my 28-Day Weight Training Challenge. In fact, I’m thinking of running another Weight Training Challenge in February. I will be looking for 15 women looking for real change. Is that you?
Let me know if it is.