How to Get Results with your Cardio Routine. Crank Up the Intensity - Reduce the Time This is your formula for maximum fat loss. Trouble is, we start OFF doing this and slowly but surely, our results seem harder to attain. You've embraced the idea that Long, Boring, Steady State Cardio is just not going to cut it when real world fat loss is your goal.
You changed your cardio routine up and are trying the interval style routine - something like this... 1 minute high, 1-2 minutes low. Perform for 10-15-20 minutes. However, as human nature will have it, we ALL tend to take the path of Least Resistance. This leaves us with a Less than Effective interval routine that can impact the length of time it takes for us to see results.
It's time to break out of your "Cardio Comfort Zone" and challenge yourself to see faster fat loss results. Signs you are In Your Cardio Comfort Zone:
You can hold a conversation. You enjoy the show that is on TV. You are reading a book or magazine. 20 minutes has passed and you could go for 20 more.
When it comes to Cardio and Fat Loss - Intensity is the Secret Ingredient. It takes intensity in EVERYTHING you do to lose weight, lose inches and burn fat. When your intervals are performed at an intense level, your body will spend the rest of the day expending energy to recover from the challenge you have given it. This is referred to as EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) and it means that you consume a great deal more oxygen recovering from the exercise bout than you would have if you'd just done a steady-state workout - this in turn allows you to burn more fat and calories for the rest of the day.
However, our amazing body quickly adapts to any exercise routine we out it through, and each time we repeat a particular workout, our body has changed to meet the demands, becomes more EFFICIENT at performing the workout and thus ends up burning LESS fat and calories.
Therefore it is important to recognize that with each and every workout you perform, whether it be your intervals or your resistance training routine - you must find a way to change it up and keep yourself challenged. Training in your comfort zone is useless. Your metabolism will increase only when your body is forced to change.
Get Ready to Challenge your Body!
It can be as simple as the next time you perform your interval routine, check your previous session and stretch yourself just a tad to beat it. Either go a little longer, a little further, a little faster, etc.
I personally found that switching my "go to" interval routine on the treadmill from the 1 minute high at 7.5, 1 minute low at 3.5 - TO 30 second high, 30 seconds low allowed me to push myself even harder during this short burst of intensity...I was able to sprint at an 8.5 - something I could not accomplish for an entire minute in my regular "go to" interval routine. In just 8 minutes I was questioning whether I could complete the 10 I had scheduled for my routine that day. This is true challenge and true intensity and what it takes to bust through plateaus and see amazing results. (FYI: As always, if you are new to this style of exercise, do not begin without first consulting with your physician)
This week, take your cardio routine Up a notch or two and see how much more you can accomplish in Less time!
Holly Rigsby, CPT, MAT America's #1 Fat Loss Expert for Busy Moms and the author of Fit Yummy Mummy Lifestyle System - http://www.club-fym.com
She has helped well over 500 Mom's lose the stubborn baby fat and get their pre-baby body back. Get Holly's Slim Sexy Abs Workout and the Summer Bootcamp Workout absolutely FREE at http://www.efit-today.com
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