Shedding extra pounds of fat is often a challenge, even for people who manage to fit regular workouts into their busy schedules. If you are hitting the gym several times a week or even working out at home, but aren’t seeing the results you’d like to see, try these fit tips that optimize fat loss from Highland Park Personal Trainer at SWEAT Gym, Mike Reil.
Exercise Tips for Maximum Fat Burn
1. Mix cardio and strength. Mix high intensity cardio exercises into your routine between resistance exercises to keep heart rate elevated. A few examples of high intensity exercises include: burpees, mountain climbers, and squat jumps.
2. Up the intensity. Perform high intensity intervals during cardio sessions. For example: work for 30 seconds at a challenging cardio pace and then take 10 seconds of rest.
3. Resistance first. To burn fat, you need a mix of cardio and resistance training, but do your resistance training first, followed by about 20 minutes of cardio. Getting your cardio in first can exhaust your muscles and inhibit the intensity of your strength training.
4. Increase activity during the day. Find those little ways you can get a bit more activity in your day. For example: always take the stairs, opt for a standing desk, and park in the last spot in the parking lot so you’ll get in some extra steps.
Nutrition Tips for Maximum Fat Burn
Keep in mind that nutrition is just as important as exercise when it comes to fat loss. To achieve maximum results, you must adjust your lifestyle to include a healthy diet and regular exercise.
1. Cut out alcohol. Not only does alcohol contain plenty of “empty” calories, it also slows your body’s fat burn process.
2. Reduce processed foods. If it is not a “whole food,” it shouldn’t be in your diet. To make it simple: shop only the outside aisles of the grocery store, where you’ll find fresh fruits, veggies and meat.
