Top 5 fitness tips

Do you want to lose weight? No you don’t!

Even though I can’t see you right know my guess is that if you’re a little soft around the edges you probably don’t actually need to lose weight. It’s FAT you really need to give the old heave ho. Now, this might seem ridiculously obvious but you need to get really clear about your goals if they’re to be in reach.

Now, cardio is a great way to lean down, we all know that, but it’s barely half the exercise equation! You need weight training people.

But why would I need weight training if I want to lose weight?

You’re right, you wouldn’t. But if you want to lose FAT it’s a different story. See losing “weight” often means losing not just body fat but also fluid and extremely important lean muscle tissue which weighs MORE than fat. This, in turn, leads to a reduction in metabolic rates and puts you into the highly unsought-after category of the “skinny fat” people!

An increase in muscle tone has been shown to increase basal metabolic rates. Some recent studies have shown that this is not quite as high as once thought, although still significant. The real kicker here is that while weight training, you’re breaking down muscle fibres, which means your body works hard to resynthesise this lean muscle tissue, eating up excess calories in the process. Plus you get a nicely toned physique to boot!

So, turn your body into a fat-burning furnace and add some weight training!

 

Here’s one of the most common and controversial questions I get asked: “I want to lose body fat, what type of cardio do I do?”

Well, you have two basic options here: long low-intensity cardio vs short high-intensity cardio. So here’s the long and short of it, so to speak.

Low intensity CV has you working at an intensity where your heart rate is slightly raised – you’re breaking a sweat, but not huffing and puffing. At this intensity you are using fat primarily as a source of fuel. Hence it’s referred to as the “fat burning zone”.

High-intensity CV (often interval type training) gets your heart rate sky rocketing, and, as athletes term it, has you blowing hard! As this requires short bursts of exertion, glycogen is your body’s choice of fuel. This is basically the sugar stores (glucose) in your body, a very easily accessible and fast acting energy source.

So the answer to the big question? Must be the former right? I mean, I want to be burning FAT so why bust my behind if I can just walk and get in the “fat burning zone,” right?

Wrong! What’s the biggest factor when it comes to weight loss? METABOLISM. Studies show that low-intensity CV will burn fat, but does very little to increase your metabolic rate after exercise. Whereas high-intensity workouts can have your metabolic rate increased for up to 48 hours after you’ve stopped exercising! So you’re burning more calories for the next two days. The term is EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption).

So, if it’s within your ability, try to up the intensity even if you have to reduce the time at first. The harder you’re puffing the more calories to be burnt throughout the day and maybe the next. 

If you’ve logged onto hilifehealth.com.au then you are one of the minority who really care about their fitness goals, and we’re proud of you.

But a very important and yet simple aspect of reaching your goals is accountability. And what’s an easy way of staying accountable? Setting small goals and monitoring your progress.

Here are some easy suggestions for record keeping:

Stay ACCOUNTABLE people!

 

There’s nothing harder than sticking to a fitness plan when your worst enemy is YOU! Be your own best friend, because at the end of the day mummy’s not always going to be there to help you. Your partner would probably like an extra half hour of snuggle time in the morning rather than you leaving to pound the pavement, and your friends would much rather unwind at the end of the day with a few drinks and have you as their sounding board than for you to be taking charge at the gym.

It’s all up to you, my friend.

So, help yourself and be organised for success.

What small changes can you make to be your own best friend today? 

WHAT?!

Find yourself a real role model. If you’re follow advice from someone who’s fatter than you are and gets breathless demonstrating your next exercise, WAKE UP!

Learning through someone else’s experience who has achieved the results you want is a way to fast-track your results 10 fold!

Who’s your role model?

At hilifehealth.com.au we have the people who walk the walk not just talkers! Stick with us my friend and we’ll get you there. 

Storm de Smeth