High Intensity Cardio & Fat Loss

Learn why high intensity cardio may be your answer to getting a leaner body in less time...

Many fitness and weight loss experts consider high intensity cardio to be much more effective than 'normal' low intensity cardiovascular exercise - especially in terms of fat loss. In fact, 10-20 minutes of high intensity cardio performed 3 or 4 times per week may be all you need to slim down and get into shape quickly!

Studies have shown that brief, high intensity cardio workouts can provide all of the following fitness benefits:

• dramatically boosted metabolism - both during AND after exercise
• faster rate of body fat-to-energy conversion
• less lean body mass (muscle) loss
• significant increase in aerobic capacity (Max VO2)

Fat Loss Solution

There is evidence that high intensity cardio burns body fat up to 9 times faster than typical 'long slow' low intensity cardio (such as walking, jogging, slow stair stepping, etc.). Not only does it burn more calories and fat during the actual workout, but it forces your body to release hormones that will continue to burn fat several hours after you've finished working out!

Also, high intensity cardio is much less damaging to lean muscle mass than long bouts of aerobic exercise, which can actually burn up significant amounts of muscle tissue over time. By keeping your muscle you'll maintain a healthy metabolism that burns fat even while you're sleeping.

Getting Started

Never try to just jump into high intensity cardio. Instead, slowly work it into your current exercise routine. One of the best ways to do this is to perform interval training workouts, which involve alternating short bursts of intense activity with 'active recovery' periods where you slow down and 'rest' for a minute or two.

Many people incorporate short, frequent sprints into their jogging routines, while cutting down on the overall length of their workouts. Also, most cardio exercise machines offer one or two pre-programmed interval workout programs. For the most part, just about any type of exercise can be adapted for high intensity cardio, but it definitely helps if you can easily adjust intensity and/or monitor your heart rate.

In fact, a good heart rate monitor is one of the best fitness tools you can buy. It will make it much easier for you to measure your intensity and ensure that you're getting the most from your workouts. Also, studies have shown that the ability to get instant feedback on your exercise progress makes working out more enjoyable for most people.

Learn more about highly effective fat loss techniques...

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Useful articles:

High Intensity Cardio vs. Walking