Think Before You Lift

Now that I have your attention, let me clarify . . . there is a catch. If you want to burn fat while you sleep, you need to work hard while awake. I guess it’s not just about working hard, but more about working efficiently to get your fat-burning machine rolling. So how do we “burn the midnight oil (or fat)” while sleeping?  You may be surprised, but it doesn’t happen by spending hours per week on the treadmill, elliptical trainer or stationary bike. While steady-state cardio and endurance training has its place in the world of health and fitness, it is not ideal for maximizing your fat-burning potential . In fact, long periods of cardio training can trigger the body to burn lean muscle for energy.  Sure, you are burning calories (energy), but there is a difference between burning calories and burning fat. If your goal is to "tone" and create a shapely body without sacrificing lean muscle mass, you need to increase your resting metabolic rate (RMR). The RMR is the amou...

Have you ever heard of the “Fat Burning Zone”?  Many people use  this as a target when doing cardio training for weight loss.  And it’s true; There really is an exercise ‘zone’ in which your body will burn a higher percentage of fat than carbohydrates for energy.  However, this common target that most people strive to hit when doing cardio is somewhat misleading.  With a little more understanding of how the body burns calories at different levels of intensity, you may rethink your method of cardio for weight loss.      Without giving you a complete lesson in exercise physiology, I feel the need to give a brief (and very simple) overview of how we burn calories during exercise.  Our bodies produce and utilize a compound called adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used as energy for everything we do.  From breathing and blinking our eyes to lifting weights and running marathons, ATP is always being broken down and is required...