6 Ways to Burn More Fat at the Gym
Sometimes performing regular workouts, counting endless calories and eating nothing but protein and vegetables still don’t make those skinny jeans fit. This can certainly be frustrating, but luckily, there are many ways to get the metabolism revving again.
Here are six awesome ways to burn more fat at the gym and get back into those skinny jeans:
1) Weight Training – Weight training can be the number-one difference in shedding more fat. Simply put, weight lifting builds muscle, which in turn burns more fat throughout the day.
For weight-training novices, trade in the cardio two days a week and focus on lifting weights. For seasoned weight lifters, add some weight to your exercises to create an overload in your training. The overload will help build more muscle and in turn burn more fat.
2) Full-Body Exercises – Another great way to shed more fat is to opt for full-body exercises such as squats, lunges, dead lifts, kettlebell swings, pushups, etc. Full-body exercises burn way more calories than exercises that isolate just one muscle group such as shoulder presses, tricep extensions, bicep curls, etc.
3) Shortened Rest Periods – Shortened rest periods are a great way to keep the intensity high throughout the workout, which keeps the calories torching. Instead of resting 60 seconds between exercises, try cutting it down to 45 seconds or even 30 seconds. By taking less rest time between each exercise, the body will have to work harder.
4) Interval Training – Interval training can be applied to either cardio or weight lifting and is one of the best ways to burn more fat. Intervals are performed by working hard for a period of time, followed by working at a lower intensity and then going back to working hard.
An example would be jumping rope for 30 seconds fast, followed by 15 seconds of slower jump rope for as many rounds as desired. An example with weight training would be performing squats for a set of 10 fast reps, followed by 5 slow reps for as many rounds as desired.
5) Morning Fasted Cardio – Performing cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach can help accelerate fat loss. After a night of sleep the body’s glycogen stores are depleted and insulin levels are low. As a result, the body turns to other energy sources for fuel, which is fat in most cases.
Exercising on an empty stomach is not for everyone and should not be done when high-intensity exercise is involved because more energy is needed. However, many people can tolerate steady-state cardio, which involves performing activities such as running, walking or biking at the same intensity for the duration of the workout.
6) Mix it Up – One of the biggest reasons why people get stuck in a weight-loss rut is because their fitness routine doesn’t change. For cardio-lovers, try some weight training. For weight trainers, try some high-intensity cardio such as interval training. Don’t get stuck doing the same workout week in and week out. Mix it up and try something new.
Photo courtesy of: vadimguzhva/bigstock.com
Written by Sophie DeHenzel
6 Ways to Burn More Fat at the Gym
You can also check out this blog article on Northern Virginia Magazine by clicking HERE!
About DeHenzel Training Systems: DeHenzel Training Systems offers In Home Personal Training services throughout Northern Virginia and Washington DC. Aside from in home, personal training is also available at the office gym or outdoors at a local park.
Within Northern Virginia, we service Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William Counties including: Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Ashburn, Burke, Centreville, Chantilly, Fairfax, Falls Church, Great Falls, Herndon, Lansdowne, Leesburg, Lorton, McLean, Oakton, Reston, Springfield, Sterling, Tyson’s Corner, Vienna and Woodbridge.
