Fat-burning generally means you are exercising at a moderate intensity in which your body burns mostly fat instead of carbohydrates to fuel your exercise. A calorie-burning workout suggests you are burning plenty of calories regardless of whether it is from fat. No matter what type of workout you do, you must burn 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound of stored body fat.
Resistance and Aerobic Combination
Perform a fat-burning workout by combining weights and aerobics. First, do a circuit-training resistance workout for 20 to 30 minutes to quickly use up the carbohydrates circulating in your blood. Immediately after your circuit, do an aerobic workout for 30 to 60 minutes to burn fat. It takes approximately 20 minutes of moderately-intense exercise before your body begins using your stored body fat, according to a 2006 article by Bruce Craig, Ph.D., published in the Strength and Conditioning Journal. Maximize your time and your fat-burning capacity by performing your cardio session after a short weight-training workout.
Endurance Training
Another type of fat-burning workout is a long, low to moderately-intense aerobic session. The longer you exercise beyond 20 minutes, the greater the fat-burning effect. You may run, walk briskly or take an aerobic class for 60 to 90 minutes. Or, you may combine different types of aerobic exercises totaling 60 to 90 minutes. For instance, first do 30 minutes of walking or jogging on the treadmill. Then, do 30 minutes on the elliptical. Next, ride a stationary bike or get on a rowing machine for 20 minutes, completing an 80-minute, fat-burning workout.
High-Intensity Interval Training
High-intensity interval training is a challenging, calorie-burning type of aerobic workout lasting no more than 20 to 30 minutes. While most of the calories burned during the interval session come from carbohydrates, you will burn a significant amount of calories after the workout, increasing the calorie-burning effect. First, do a 10-minute warm-up. Then, perform 30 seconds of "all-out" effort followed by 90 seconds at a slower or recovery pace. For instance, if you are running, sprint for 30 seconds then walk for 90 seconds and repeat until it totals 20 minutes. This type of training increases the amount of growth hormone in your body, a hormone which contributes to an increase in muscle mass and therefore an increase in the total number of calories you burn throughout the day compared to moderate-intensity endurance exercises, according to a 2009 article by Brad Schoenfeld and Jay Dawes, published in the Strength and Conditioning Journal.
References
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Fat Burning; Bruce Craig, PhD; October 2006
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; High-Intensity Interval Training: Applications for General Fitness Training; Brad Schoenfeld and Jay Dawes; December 2009
- "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance"; William McArdle, Frank Katch and Victor Katch; 2007
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