Cardiovascular exercise is excellent for your physical and mental health. But to turn running, cycling or swimming workouts into legitimate fat burners, it pays to have a slightly smarter approach than simply plodding it out session after session. And that means you need to make at least some of your cardio - whether in or out the gym - short, sharp and intense.
If you've tried and failed to lose weight before, the chances are you started doing more running or cycling, especially longer-distance jogs or rides. But while steady-state cardio which is when you run, cycle or swim at a consistent and comfortable intensity for a significant amount of time - has many health benefits, maximising fat loss isn't one of them.
That's because this type of endurance-based exercise doesn't push your heart, lungs and muscles hard enough to significantly initiate the process by which your body is forced to start tapping into fat cells to release fuel for energy.
Fat loss efforts are then often further hampered by eating huge amounts afterwards, which can mean more calories are consumed than have just been burned. And that's just not an effective way to lose fat, because ultimately the fat loss equation relies exclusively on calories in vs calories out.
So if you enjoy cardio sessions, but want to turn them into fat-blasting workouts, you need to stick to the following advice.
THE CARDIO QUESTION
Follow these strategies for every cardio training session if you want to burn maximum fat
Warm up well
Before you begin any session, you need to thoroughly warm up your cardiovascular system and your major muscles, preparing for the intense work ahead to reduce your risk of injury. Do 10 minutes of gentle activity, gradually increasing the intensity, until you feel warmer and a little out of breath.
Stretch dynamically
ãã®èšäºã¯ Men's Fitness UK ã® April 2024 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ Men's Fitness UK ã® April 2024 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
DRESS TO IMPRESS
In the latest campaign from Charles Tyrwhitt, rugby player Marcus Smith and cricketer Joe Root are taking the lead and stepping up their offduty game with some sharp summer outfits. From tailored linen to comfy chinos and lightweight blazers, summer just got stylish
Sleep is crucial for both metabolic health and athletic performance
How well, and how long, did you sleep last night? Itâs an important question, because in its Sleep Manifesto 2024, The Sleep Charity notes that a whopping 43% of adults sleep less than the NHS-recommended seven to nine hours.
CARDIO SWEAT
Elevate your aerobic fitness and fast-track fat loss with this cardio workout from the Movement Blueprint founder Harvey Lawton
THE LEARN ROPES
Skipping is more than a throwback. Done right, it offers a number of serious health benefits in Skipping is more than a throwback. Done right, it off ers a number of serious health benefi ts in a budget-friendly and convenient formula that can be done virtually anywhere
MOUNTAINEERING IS ABOUT THE TENSION BETWEEN HUMAN NATURE AND MOUNTAIN NATURE.IT'S ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF DYING
MF meets mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner
BUDGET BEATS
Appleâs new low-price buds punch well above their price tag
FITNESS GOALS
Teddy Sheringhamâs playbook for staying in shape in your fifties
Summer SIZZLERS
Fuel your summer with these fresh, high-protein recipes
THE MONT BLANC MONSTER
The Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) is among the most challenging and prestigious trail running events in the world. Typically held annually in the last week of August, it circumnavigates the iconic Mont Blanc massif. Covering approximately 106 miles, with a gruelling elevation gain of around 32,800 feet, the race demands exceptional endurance, technical skill, and mental fortitude â as Dominic Bliss witnessed for himself at last yearâs eventâŠ
FEEL THE BURN
Training for HYROX? This lung-busting workout from HYROX master trainer and Represent 247 athlete Jake Dearden will get you race ready