There are a few different variations of effective cardio that work to burn body fat. Some people recommend you do "low intensity" cardio for long stretches at a time to burn body fat. Training at a moderate intensity level is a proven way to target fat, since the majority of calories burned will come from body fat. It has been argued that if you get your heart rate too high, you will begin to burn carbohydrates instead of body fat. Others argue that you will burn many more calories in your cardio workout if you exercise at a higher intensity. Creating a "calorie deficit", by burning more calories than what you take in, is another great way to lose body fat. So lets examine each approach in detail.
The "Slow and Steady" Cardio Workout
This is the most common cardio workout that is followed. The reason this cardio workout is so popular is that it gets good results. Low intensity cardio is very effective at targeting body fat for energy instead of just burning calories in the body. If the body burns fat for energy, you will lose body fat. It just makes sense. Most of the current cardio equipment have a built in heart rate monitor. This will let you track your heart rate to insure the ideal zone to burn body fat. In about 10 minutes of low intensity cardio, you will reach your target heart rate. The goal is to reach your target heart rate and keep it at that rate for over 30 minutes for best results.
The High Intensity Cardio Approach
This is a much less popular cardio workout. Training at a high intensity level can be tough, since you have to push yourself pretty hard. This cardio method gets great results as well. The total calories burned in high intensity cardio are greater than low intensity cardio. Part of the calories burned come from body fat and part of the calories come from the carbohydrate energy in your system. Creating a "calorie deficit" is the focus with this type of cardio workout. If you eat less food calories than what you burn throughout the day, you will lose body fat.
The Limitations of Each Version of Cardio Workouts
When using the low intensity approach, you have to get your heart rate up to the appropriate level before you begin to burn body fat. The problem lies in the fact that it can take anywhere between 5-10 minutes to get your heart rate to the optimum level to burn body fat. The first 10 minutes of this cardio workout are somewhat unproductive. The high intensity cardio workout is great, but it is hard to exercise in this manner for a long period of time. Most people cannot workout very intensely for more than 10-15 minutes at a time.
If you haven't guessed already, there is a way to benefit from both types of cardio workouts in the same session. If you start your workout with the high intensity approach, you will get more benefit from doing the low intensity approach after that. So, spend the first 10-15 minutes pushing really hard on your chosen piece of cardio equipment. After working your heart rate up with high intensity cardio and burning a bunch of calories for 10-15 minutes...switch to low intensity cardio and keep it there for another 20-30 minutes. This will burn calories and create a calorie deficit as well as burning body fat during the workout. I have used this approach for over three years and it has allowed me to maintain an 8% body fat percentage year-round.
About the Author: Rusty Moore is an avid trainer who gives advice to men and women who want a physique that attracts the opposite sex. While most trainers focus on gaining as much muscle mass as possible, Rusty focuses on the lean "sleek model look". For men who want the build of Brad Pitt -or- Matthew Mcconaughey and women who want the build of Jessica Alba -or- Jessica Beil, Visit his Website by Clicking this link... Lean Muscle Fitness
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