Showing posts with label fat loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fat loss. Show all posts

11/12/2009

Dumbell Workouts For Rapid Fat Loss

Dumbell Workouts For Rapid Fat Loss


What would you say if I told you it was possible to lose fat at a rapid rate using only dumbbells and your body weight, all while spending less time working out?

Despite what you may think or have been told from magazines and websites, you can transform your body at a rapid rate and actually work out less.

The reason most people can't achieve rapid fat loss is because they don't work out properly. So, if you want to get the best results possible in the least amount of time and only use dumbbells and your bodyweight, you absolutely must follow a few simple, but highly effective, training tips. After you read the tips, you will get some sample dumbbell workouts that will produce rapid fat loss results.

Tip One for Rapid Fat Loss

Center your workouts around the best dumbbell and bodyweight exercises. This may seem like common sense, but most people do not use the best exercises. Most people only focus on isolation exercises to target "trouble spots" or areas that they think require special attention. For instance, when people want to trim and tone their stomach, they think the best exercise choices are crunches and other movements.

Well, if you want rapid fat loss, then those are not your best options. I know that sounds backwards, but I promise that those are not the best exercises to help you achieve your goals.

The best exercises for rapid fat loss (and to lose belly fat) are compound exercises that recruit the greatest amount of muscle mass at one time. Not only will these exercises allow you to burn a lot of calories while you work out, but you will elevate your fat burning metabolism for hours even after the workout is finished. That is the ultimate way to losing fat at a rapid pace.

Tip Two for Rapid Fat Loss

Use both high repetitions and low repetitions with your workouts. Most people think high repetitions with low weight is the best way to achieve fast fat loss once. Once again, this assumption is incorrect. To get the best results possible in the least amount of time, you absolutely must use lower repetitions (5-10 reps) with heavier weights and higher repetitions (11-20 reps) with lighter weight. Both ranges have their own benefits, and therefore you are better off using them both instead of just one.

Tip Three for Rapid Fat Loss

Use circuits to get more results in less time. Most people go about circuit training all wrong. They, once again, use the wrong exercises and train exclusively with high repetitions. If you use big, compound dumbbell and bodyweight exercises and perform them in circuit fashion, you will be well on your way to transforming your body in minimal time.

Rapid Fat Loss Dumbbell Workout 1

Repetitions: 6

Duration: 20-25 minutes


Lateral Dumbbell Step-ups
One Arm Dumbbell Push-Press
Chin-ups or Dumbbell Renegade Row
Inch Worm

Perform the exercises back-to-back and only rest as needed, but try to keep it to a minimum. Instead of completing a specific number of sets, your goal is to complete as many circuits as possible in 20-25 minutes. The next time you repeat the workout, complete more circuits in the same period of time.

Rapid Fat Loss Dumbbell Workout 2

Repetitions: 12

Duration: 20-25 minutes


Dumbbell Walking or Crossover Lunges
Parallel Bar Dips or Dumbbell Bench Press
Dumbbell Row with Neutral Grip
Reverse Crunches or Stability Ball Rollouts

Once again, perform the exercises back-to-back and only rest as needed. Complete as many circuits as possible in 20-25 minutes.

A great way to use these workouts is to train three days per week on non-consecutive days, and rotate between the two workouts.
For instance, you can workout on Monday with Workout 1, use Workout 2 on Wednesday, and finish the week with Workout 1 again on Friday. They next week you would start with Workout 2, etc.

9/26/2009

Best at Home Weight Loss Exercises

Best at Home Weight Loss Exercises


An at home weight loss exercise routine is possible without any added equipment. You can easily burn excess body fat and build lean and sexy muscle by mastering this highly effective at home weight loss exercise routine and key concepts.

There are key concepts that will help you to maximize your weight loss exercise routine and understanding them is imperative if you want to shed those pounds and sculpt your body in the least amount of time possible.

TIPS BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Don't spend the majority of time targeting problem areas. Spot-reduction exercises for specific body parts will rarely produce significant weight loss because they are not challenging enough to accelerate the fat burning process. To put it more simply: they don't burn as many calories or elevate your metabolism to the extent that other, more effective exercises will.

Continue to be aware of that fact that, if your goal is to quickly lose weight, choosing more strenuous exercises will facilitate weight loss more efficiently than spending valuable time doing the less difficult spot-reduction exercises intended to tone only a single area of your body.
Compare 50 stomach crunches to 50 push-ups (they don't all have to be done in one set). The push-up repetitions are significantly more strenuous and require more effort; consequently doing 50 push-ups will burn more calories and produce more weight loss results than 50 crunches. In addition you will sculpt your chest, shoulders, and triceps while you work your core! Crunches can't do that.

Perform different exercises back-to-back with very few or no breaks between each exercise to maximize calorie burning efforts. This will elevate your fat burning metabolism to a much greater degree, and allow you to complete the workout in less time.
If necessary, start slowly and gradually increase the number of repetitions, decrease break times, and progress to more challenging exercises.

SELECT YOUR EXERCISES FROM THE FOLLOWING GROUPS

Choose one exercise from each of the following exercise groups. To add variety, switch exercises within each group on different days. Do not sacrifice form to increase repetitions.

lower body (squats, step-ups, lunges, hip extensions, jump squats, one leg RDL, etc)

upper body pushes ( push-ups, dips, handstand push-up variations)

upper body pull ( inverted rows and chin-ups)

abdominal exercise (planks, inch worms, reverse crunches)

total body exercise/miscellaneous (jumping jacks, burpees, bear crawls, squat thrusts)

EXAMPLE OF AN AT HOME WEIGHT LOSS EXERCISE ROUTINE

Alternating reverse lunges -- 12 each leg
Close grip push-ups -- 10
Inverted rows -- 12
Plank -- 30 seconds
Jumping jacks - 50 to 100
Perform each exercise back-to-back, without breaking between exercises before continuing to the next exercise.
Repeat this routine three to five more times.

DESIGN YOUR OWN AT HOME WEIGHT LOSS EXERCISE ROUTINE

To create your own workout, make sure you follow the tips previously discussed.
Make sure you choose big, compound exercises over those targeted to "problem spots". The bigger movements (such as lunges, squats, burpees, push-ups, inverted rows, planks, etc) will help you burn body fat to a much greater degree and allow you to achieve more results in less.
Also, make sure you keep your rest periods to a minimum and increase your repetitions and attempt more challenging exercises over time.

9/20/2009

The Importance of HIIT To Speed-Up Fat Loss


The Importance of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) To Speed-Up Fat Loss



Several studies have been done on the effectiveness of HIIT , one of those studies was called The Impact of Exercise Intensity on Body Fatness and Skeletal Muscle Metabolism...In this study two groups were separated into an HIIT Group and an Endurance Training Group performed for the same amount of time per day.



At the conclusion of the study, the HIIT group lost over 3 times as much subcutaneous fat (the fat lying under the skin) despite burning less than half as many calories during the workouts as the Endurance Training Group.


The Endurance Training group lost 4.5mm of subcutaneous fat versus the HIIT group who lost 13.9mm. This proves that if you practice HIIT training, the majority of calories burned will come after your workout!



I recommend three 20 minute HIIT sessions a week to produce significant fat-burning effects for a period of 4-8 weeks. Personally, I like to cycle my HIIT and do it for 4 weeks and then take a break from it until I feel like I need it again....example: one month on, two months off, and then repeat.



HIIT can be done with many different forms of aerobics, although my favorite is either on a treadmill, running track, or a bike....you should strive to push yourself up to a 90% of your maximum and by the final set, you should be begging for mercy.



One of the easiest and most effective ways to do HIIT is called "walk back sprinting"....with this exercise, you sprint anywhere from 100 yards to 800 yards (1/2 mile) and then change directions and walk back to your starting point and repeat for a total of 20 minutes which includes a short 1-2 minute warm up and a 1 minute cool down.


On a bike, I find it best to measure 1/2 mile (you can even use your car to find out how far 1/2 mile marker is from home) and then do repeats going as fast as you can to the 1/2 mile marker and then turning around for a leisure ride back....this should take you approximately 3-4 minutes per set.



This is the Treadmill routine that I developed for myself when I first started HIIT, and to this day I still use it when I want to burn fat or improve my athletic performance, but I also like to do HIIT sprints on my bike outdoors.



My 20 Minute HIIT Treadmill Routine



Minute 0-2 = Speed 5


Minute 2-3 = Speed 6


Minute 3-4 = Speed 7


Minute 4-5 = Speed 8


Minute 5-6 = Speed 9


Minute 6-7 = Speed 6


Minute 7-8 = Speed 7


Minute 8-9 = Speed 8


Minute 9-10 = Speed 9


Minute 10-11 = Speed 6


Minute 11-12 = Speed 7


Minute 12-13 = Speed 8


Minute 13-14 = Speed 9


Minute 14-15 = Speed 6


Minute 15-16 = Speed 7


Minute 16-17 = Speed 8


Minute 17-18 = Speed 9


Minute 18-19 = Speed 10


Minute 19-20 = Speed 5



Changing the speed every 60 seconds after the 2 minute warm-up really makes time fly and before you know it's over. You can give it a try and change the numbers to fit your own max speed....this works and makes you sweat like crazy, so by minute 10, if you're not sweating pretty hard then you need to make it more intense!


By minute 18-19 you should be at 90% of your maximum effort and heart rate leading up to your final cool down minute.

8/28/2009

Exercise: Interval Training Fitness


Exercise: Interval Training Fitness

When it comes to exercise, the word 'intervals' puts fear in many peoples minds.
Intervals are sometimes misunderstood but adding them to your exercise program can help you burn fat and
get in shape quicker.

Intervals are not for everyone. To begin performing intervals, you should be in good condition and a physical from your doctor is highly recommended.

What are intervals?

The easiest definition would be periods of high intensity exercise followed by recovery periods of low intensity exercise.

Here's an example. You are following a walking program and have been walking briskly for thirty minutes a day, four days a week. You feel pretty good but would like to lose weight a little quicker.

Intervals might be perfect for you. Begin your regular walking program and, after five minutes, jog for ten, twenty, thirty seconds or more. Your heart rate will begin to increase and your breathing will pick up after this period, return to walking briskly until you have completely recovered. You then begin to jog again.

In the beginning you may only want to perform two or three of these short jogs. That's fine. Do what's comfortable for you. Later, as you become more accustomed to this routine, you can add more jogs or increase the length of time you jog or both.

During each period of jogging, your heart rate has increased. When you stop jogging and continue walking, your heart rate will be at an increased rate for a minute or so. This is an added benefit. During aerobic exercise you want your heart rate to increase, which makes it stronger and makes you healthier.

Intervals work great on a treadmill. You can increase the speed for however long you want, or you can increase the height, so you are walking at the same pace only going uphill.

This is interval training at a low level but you still get benefits from it. You can follow a similar routine in your other aerobic exercise as well.

For instance, if you are riding a bike for exercise, every so often pedal faster until you begin breathing heavier, and then return to riding as before.

You can see that interval training is not only for athletes. It's one of the fastest and most effective means of reaching a top level of fitness and decreasing body fat.

Do these three or four days a week and watch your fitness level go up while your pounds begin to disappear.

8/07/2009

Fat Loss Every 10 Days - Getting Rid of Love Handles


Exercises: Fat Loss Every 10 Days - Getting Rid of Love Handles

Would you like to know more information on getting rid of love handles? Do you want to have a flat tummy and have a slimmer body without spending too much cash or even going through a painful surgery? I'm pretty sure you do. These might sound quite possible but if you try to follow these helpful tips, you'll be getting rid of love handles the soonest possible time.

Tip # 1: Try to do cardio and weight training

Getting rid of love handles will be much easier if you will try to do some cardiovascular exercise and also weight training.
You must try to do some cadio exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. In this way, you will burn more calories and you will surely lose more weight and will help you get rid of those love handles that make you look fat.

Tip # 2: Avoid eating foods that are high in calory.

If you will make yourself focus to the fact that you want to be healthy , then you should always keep in mind to avoid eating fatty foods. Getting rid of love handles will be made possible if you will stop eating foods that are high in calories and also try to avoid beverages that are rich in caffeine and those that are too sweet. This will only make you even more fat.

Tip # 3: Eat low carb veggies and fruits.

Getting rid of love handles will be considered an easy thing to do if you will try eating low carb vegetables and fruits. You will not only make yourself healthy but at the same time it help you a lot in losing those love handles. This is a very healthy way of losing those unwanted body fat.Looking good and getting rid of love handles might sound quite impossible, but believe me if you will be able to follow these tips, you will find it very easy to lose weight without spending a lot of money. I hope that you will look good and feel good sooner than you expected. You deserve it! Good Luck!

3/30/2007

Burpees for Great Fat Loss



Burpees for Great Fat Loss


Burpees can be great for fat loss because in the end they are just another form of aerobic exercise.


If you're reading this and wonder what the heck is a burpee, here is the basic routine.


1. You start in a squat position with your hands on the ground in front of you.
2. Then you kick your feet backwards to a push-up position.
3. You then immediately return your feet to their original squat position.
4. Without pause, you then leap up as high as you can from the squat position.


You are using a lot of muscles with you going down to the ground, kicking your feet back, and then leaping into the air.


More importantly, you are employing your quads and butt muscles that make up a large percentage of your muscle mass.
That exercise increases your heart rate and causes your body to burn calories so that it can supply energy to those muscles.


When doing burpees for fat loss you need to keep doing them for between 12 to 20 minutes.
Your body only really kicks into fat burn mode after roughly ten to twelve minutes of exercise.


Since burpees are quite strenuous activity, close monitor how you feel after a few minutes. Stop immediately if you feel light-headed or experience any discomfort or pain.


Doing burpees for longer than 20 minutes at a time could also put your knees at risk. You put a lot of strain on your knees when you leap up into the air and land back on your feet.
Like any aerobic exercise, burpees can be great for fat loss as long as you do them sensibly and do them regularly.

2/27/2007

The Low Glycemic Index Diet


The Low Glycemic Index Diet


The Low Glycemic Index Diet has become quite popular because it provides numerous advantages. While the diet was first developed as a way for individuals who with diabetes to better manage their condition it quickly evolved into a weight to lose weight and even as a lifestyle change to effectively maintain weight loss.


One of the main reasons why people switch to a low GI diet is that they want to lose weight and this diet has proven to be effective in helping people to lose weight.

There are also many other advantages; however. For example, research indicates that diets that are based on low GI foods can also help to reduce the risk of developing many health conditions such as diabetes and cancer as well as heart disease.

Some research suggests that you can even cut the risk of developing these diseases in half by following the Low Glycemic Index Diet.


Another major benefit is the ability to lower blood pressure as well as lower cholesterol levels.
Additionally, individuals who have followed the diet have been found to have their body's ability to fight disease boosted. This is accomplished by strengthening the immune system, providing numerous other overall health benefits.

-Low GI diets help people lose and control weight
-Low GI diets increase the body's sensitivity to insulin
-Low GI carbs improve diabetes control
-Low GI carbs reduce the risk of heart disease
-Low GI carbs reduce blood cholesterol levels
-Low GI carbs can help you manage the symptoms of PCOS
-Low GI carbs reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer
-Low GI carbs prolong physical endurance

The Low Glycemic Index Diet is able to bring about these benefits because it is based on consuming foods that are relatively low on the glycemic index and restriction consumption or avoiding foods that are high on the index.


The glycemic index itself ranks foods according to how fast the body is able to digest them. Those foods which are digest more slowly by the body and therefore do not raise the body's blood sugar levels as high rank low on the scale and are acceptable.

Other foods are digested slightly more quickly and dieters are therefore advised to proceed with caution regarding those foods; however, they are not restricted.

These foods rank from 56 to 69 on the glycemic index.

The final category consists of foods that are digested very quickly by the body, rapidly raising the body's blood sugar levels. These foods score between 70 and 110 on the glycemic index. For the most part, these foods consist of highly processed and refined foods such as sugary foods.


Most vegetables, as long as they are not starchy vegetables, are quite allowable on the Low Glycemic Index Diet. Fruits are also encouraged, unlike may other diets which warn against the consumption of too much fruit because they are considered to be high in natural sugars.


While the advantages of this diet are quite obvious it should be understood that this is not a diet which can be followed for a short period of time and then abandoned with the expectation of keeping the weight off. One of the important considerations of this diet is that it is more of a lifestyle change rather than a short term diet.


Moderate exercise is required in order to assure weight loss and continued weight loss maintenance.

Failure to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle can result in failure to lose weight or gaining weight back.
If you're ready to take advantage of a healthier lifestyle, reduce your chance of developing serious health conditions and lose weigh the Low Glycemic Index Diet may be just right for you.


More information in www.glycemicindex.com (University of Sydney)

2/24/2007

Abs Routine: The Fantastic Three


Abs Routine: The Fantastic Three


You need to know three aspects that make your abs visible.

These three significant aspects will cause the coveted six pack condition.


#1 Fat Loss -- reveal your abs

#2 Build your ab muscles -- like biceps you build peaks to your six packs.

#3 Ab muscle tone -- the degree of involuntary flex of your abs when at rest.


Any of the above aspects when pursued vigorously will create a washboard waist. Now if you combine all three to a moderate level you will have outstanding abs.

Let us look at real life examples.

To illustrate fat loss, we can look at dancers, long distance runners, or fast growing teens. Each of these examples in many cases are extremely thin with body fat percentages around 2 or 3 percent.


To illustrate developed ab muscle we can look at heavily muscled body builders, strong men or power lifters. These athletes have built tremendously muscled abs with high peaks. Most of the above have considerable body fat when compared to the first group. They may have broad waists but when they flex for a pose or for a lift, magically the abs pop out! Even the smoothest body builder with no sign of ab separation can make them appear with a flex. Now pumping iron for 10 years and gaining 50 or 100 lbs. of muscle as many of these athletes have done is impractical for most.


To illustrate ab muscle tone we can look at athletes, gymnasts, martial arts, and boxers. These athletes spent countless hours flexing their abs with medicine ball work and absorbing punches. That muscle tone acts like a shield of armor for a fighter in the match. Have you ever watched a non title fight particularly in the heavier divisions. Many of these boxers may seem smooth and some are down right fat. Although this may be the case you can almost always see two or four blocks of abs.

This tone or partially flexed condition is a result of many hours of work. It is not uncommon for fighters to sequester themselves for months to train away from home and family.


So there we have the examples of three extremes. How do us regular people adopt these three aspects of ab development?

A moderate program of fat loss coupled with ab development and tone will yield fabulous results.


Here is the Fantastic Three program in capsule form:


Fat loss


3 mornings a week on an empty stomach except for a glass of water and a cup of coffee, do three 5 minute rounds of sprinting.

Between the 5 minute rounds stretch your calves and rotate your feet.

After sprinting put on a dry shirt and take a 20 minute walk.

After that its your six minute ab routine, half undressed and heading for the shower.


Fat loss analysis of above protocol:

#1 Highest fat burning in morning after eight hour fast.

#2 Water prevents dehydration and coffee aids in fat burning as well as acting as a stimulant for intense workout.

#3 Short intense aerobics followed by longer less intense aerobics promotes fat loss without losing muscle.



Ab Development:


Vacuum exercise performed in front of a mirror. It is three sets of vacuum exercise followed by three sets of squeeze exercise. Squeeze and vacuum and concentrate on your abs.


Ab Development, analysis of above protocol:


#1 Performing ab exercises that limit you rep range to under ten promotes muscle growth , more pronounced peaks and valleys.

#2 Flexing and visual feedback from mirror guarantee total ab involvement.

#3 Slowly squeezing your abs causes greater growth stimulation.


Muscle tone


During the 3 days of ab work and aerobics incorporate 3 forty five seconds of ab flexing in front of a mirror. These are done afternoon, evening or just before bed. The 45 second ab flexing looks like a posing routine for abs. Looking in the mirror as flex and try to show as much separation in your abs by twisting and flexing hard.


Ab Muscle tone, analysis of above protocol:


#1 Twice a day ab training is most effective for growth and recovery.

#2 Teaching your ab muscles to flex for 45 seconds develops the abs automatic responses to other body moves.

#3 Three 45 second intense ab squeezes stimulate and develop more ab muscle tone then 100 crunches.


There you have it. Efficient targeted routine to show off your abs.