Burning fat quickly takes a combination of diet and exercise to speed up metabolism. Timing your workouts, getting proper nutrition and taking some key supplements can dramatically accelerate fat burning. According to "Xtreme Lean" author Jonathan Lawson, resistance training is one of the best ways to burn body fat because it accelerates metabolism in several ways. It burns calories while you work out out and for up to 72 hours afterward, if you use a potent training technique. Moreover, resistance workouts build metabolically active lean muscle, which burns fat even at rest.
Step 1
Take a green tea supplement containing 300 mg of EGCG or epigallocatechin gallate, an antioxidant that accelerates metabolism. "Homemade Supplement Secrets" author Jeff Anderson says green tea is even more effective when you add 200 mg of caffeine, which can be taken as pills or drank as the equivalent of about two cups of coffee. Combine these powerful supplements 30 minutes before your workout for more fat burning.
Step 2
Do circuit training workouts three days per week, working out Monday, Wednesday and Friday. According to "The Abs Diet" by David Zinczenko, this strategy accelerates metabolism for up to 48 hours. Training in circuits means doing several exercises with very little rest between them. For example, you could do one set of leg presses, leg extensions, leg curls, standing calf raises, lat pull-downs, bench presses, shoulder presses, triceps pushdowns and biceps curls. Repeat this cycle one or two times.
Step 3
Rest less than 30 seconds between each set during your circuit training. For an even better fat-burning effect, "Muscle Explosion" author Nick Nilsson recommends doing 30 to 40 seconds of cardio between your sets, rather than resting. Examples include bench step-ups, walking lunges, jumping rope or running stairs. This adds an aerobic component to your workout to burn even more calories.
Step 4
Add one fat-burning slow-negative set to each exercise in your last circuit. The negative is the lowering portion of the lift. Doing the negative slowly, while counting out six seconds, creates a powerful fat burning effect that can last up to 72 hours, according to Lawson. This occurs because the body expends a lot of energy repairing the microscopic tears in muscle tissue, which are caused by this technique.
Step 5
Eat six meals and/or snacks every day. To adapt your current breakfast, lunch and dinner schedule, simply eat slightly smaller main meals with three snacks in between them. Zinczenko recommends this because it speeds up metabolism, stabilizes blood sugar, prevents food craving and keeps you energized all day long. Try to get 15 to 30 g of protein at each meal or snack to further boost fat burning.
Step 6
Taper your carbohydrate intake off as the day progresses. Take in the majority of your daily carbohydrates at your first meal of the day or before and after your workouts. For your evening meals, focus on lean proteins like chicken, fish and turkey. Pair these with green vegetables and healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, seeds and peanut butter.
Step 7
Add extra cardio after your training sessions or first thing in the morning on Tuesday and Thursday of each week. Cardio training is cumulative, so you can do several smaller sessions or one long one with similar results. Always take at least one day off from both cardio and resistance training workouts.
Tips and Warnings
- If you cannot take caffeine, consider a natural stimulant-free supplement called fucoxanthin, which comes from brown seaweed extract. It accelerates metabolism without any stimulant effects, according to Life Extension Magazine.
- Never reduce your total daily caloric intake below 1,200 calories. Consult your doctor before beginning any new diet, exercise or supplementation program.
Things You'll Need
- Green tea, containing 300 mg EGCG
- Caffeine pills
- Coffee
- Fucoxanthin
References
- "Xtreme Lean;" Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman; 2005
- "Homemade Supplement Secrets;" Jeff Anderson; 2008
- "The Abs Diet:" David Zinczenko; 2004
- "Muscle Explosion;" Nick Nilsson; 2008
- Muscle & Performance; "5 Ways to Supercharge Your Fat-Fighting Efforts"; Eric Velazquez, July 2010
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