by Dr Rosen on October 28, 2009
Have you invested time trying to burn fat in the gym and are finding it much harder to achieve? If so, then you may wish to look into interval training in order to burn fat. Without a doubt, interval training is one of the very best strategies for getting lean and ripped within a relatively short period of time.
Interval training is nothing new. It has been around for decades and it has delivered results for decades. However, most people that are new to exercising may not be completely familiar with it. Thankfully, the concept is not all that difficult to comprehend as it is one of the simplest – and most effective – cardio training methods available.
Interval training centers on the notion of mixing low intensity workouts with mid-level intensity workouts, and high intensity workouts in the same session. Often, this is performed in short intervals on and up and down scale. Using jumping rope as an example, the way interval training can work is as follows:
For 30 seconds you will jump rope at a very slow pace. When the 30 seconds expires, you will pick up the pace quite a bit for the next 30 seconds. When this 30 second period expires, you will jump rope for as fast as you can for 30 seconds. Then, you would repeat this for 15 minutes. This can end up burning an enormous amount of calories. In reality, the amount of calories you burn with interval training will be significantly more than you would in a “regular” rope jumping session. Why is this so? Most people cannot jump rope at mid-level or high intensity for 15 minutes. They could only jump rope at low intensity. By integrating the interval training component, you will end up burning far more calories by increasing the expenditure levels while also gaining a “rest period” with the low intensity portion of the workout.
Once again, jumping rope is but one example of how interval training can be applied. You can insert virtually any cardio exercise you wish as they will all work. Just pick your favorite and have at it.
by Dr Rosen on October 9, 2009
There are a number of products on the market that claim to be able to help you burn off fat. Some may question the legitimacy of these products. After all, how can a capsule help you burn off stored calories. Well, it is not so much the capsules that help you burn stored fat as much as it is the effects of the capsules on the heart and lungs that aids in the fat burning. Of course, this does raise questions about the safety of these products. Understanding exactly what these products do to the human body will allow you to make an informed decision in your purchasing. Or, for that matter, it could prove helpful by allowing you to skip out on purchasing it at all.
Mostly all fat burner products on the market are stimulants. They help you achieve your fat loss goals by raising your heart rate. This, in turn, allows you to burn more calories in your daily activities. If you decide to work out with a cardio program, the effects of these fat burners will multiply.
However, there are risks associated with stimulant products. When taken in too high of an amount, stimulant fat burners can cause a heart attack or a stroke. This is why many of the products sold a decade ago have been banned. In the past, fat burners consisted mainly of caffeine, ephedra, and aspirin. Such a combination may be excellent for fat burning but it is extremely harmful to the heart. As such, ephedra was banned in weight loss supplements as a matter of federal law.
Modern fat burning products are minus ephedra and contain other ingredients such as yohimbe, guarana, and ginseng. All of these ingredients can raise heart rates but they are no where near as dangerous as ephedra. Hence, problems with fat burners have dropped dramatically but there are still risks present. Really, any product that raises your heart rate can be dangerous and one should always approach them with caution.
Can fat burners be effective? Yes, but they do come with adverse health risks. Because of this it may be best do exercise and diet without them. That is a much safer plan.
