Exercise routines can be designed to burn plenty of fat and tone your muscles simultaneously. If your schedule is tight and busy, it is more effective to do a combination workout such as interval or circuit routines. The length of time you can exercise determines the intensity of your workout in order to maximize body-fat loss and muscle tone.
Types
Circuit-training with aerobic intervals and high-intensity interval training burn plenty of fat and tone your body at the same time. Circuit-training may be done using bodyweight, free weight and machine-weight exercises along with cardiovascular intervals on a treadmill, stationary bicycle, elliptical machine or a step-aerobic bench. A high-intensity interval training program can be performed with any cardiovascular machine, on a track or across a flat field.
Time Frame
A low to moderate-intensity circuit-training routine with aerobic intervals lasts between 60 and 90 minutes to burn plenty of fat, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. High-intensity interval training is vigorous exercise which lasts 20 minutes. As your exercise intensity increases, your exercise duration must decrease because your body cannot sustain intense exercise for very long.
Features
A fat-burning and toning circuit routine includes an exercise for all your major muscle groups. For instance, bring light to moderate-tensioned exercise bands or dumbbells with you to a treadmill. Walk on the treadmill for 1 minute then step off to do 15 repetitions of a resistance exercise. Include push-ups, back rows, squats, biceps curls, stationary lunges, triceps extensions, lateral raises and bicycle crunches in your circuit. Continue to alternate between 1-minute treadmill intervals with 15 reps of each exercise. High-intensity interval routines are quick to complete but require plenty of speed and power. For example, sprint on flat terrain outside or on a treadmill for 30 seconds then walk for 90 seconds. Continue to alternate between sprints and walks for 20 minutes, trying to run faster with every successive sprint.
Consideration
It takes your body approximately 20 minutes to utilize the carbohydrates circulating in your blood during low to moderate-intensity training, according to a 2006 article by Bruce Craig, Ph.D., published in the "Strength and Conditioning Journal." After 20 minutes, your body uses primarily stored body fat to continue to fuel your exercise. If you are exercising at a low to moderate intensity, ensure your workout lasts between 60 and 90 minutes to maximize the fat-burning effect. When you do high-intensity interval sprints, you burn mostly carbs during the actual workout. However, this type of training entails fast and forceful muscle contractions, toning your body much more than a 60-minute easy jog. You also burn more calories from these short, intense sessions because it takes more energy for your body to recover and return to a resting state.
Warnings
If you do only sprints or just circuit-training, you are at an increased risk of overuse injuries such as muscle strains, joint sprains, bursitis and tendinitis. Include both types of fat-burning and toning exercises in your weekly routine to reduce your risk of overuse injuries. Check with your doctor prior to engaging in a more vigorous exercise program to further reduce your risk of exercise-induced emergencies such as low blood sugar, asthma and a heart attack.
References
- "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance"; William McArdle, Frank Katch and Victor Katch; 2007
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Fat Burning; Bruce Craig, Ph.D.; October 2006
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; High-Intensity Interval Training: Applications for General Fitness Training; Brad Schoenfeld and Jay Dawes; December 2009
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