Time wasting is a good theme to start with as the "cardio" that has been sold to the masses as the 'best' form of fat loss training for many years is just that. Even the 'new' science of cardio fat loss training, whilst valuable is being corrupted and sold as an 'easy way out' for the masses rather than being utilized for its full potential.
For many years people seized on the discovery of the 'fat burning zone' a fairly low to moderate intensity of exercise where the heart rate is around 65% of maximum. Heart rate monitors were produced and sold en mass and new (and expensive) electronic machines were created to keep people in this zone. It was popular too because people can train comfortably in this zone, watch TV read and not really work too hard at all whilst believing they were doing the 'best' form of fat loss training. The reality is this form of training also known as Long Steady/Slow Distance or LSD whilst burning more fat as a proportion of calories burned is an inefficient form of fat loss training because the greatest overall determinant of fat loss is total calories burnt not the proportion as fat. In most cases more fat is actually burnt due to the higher total even if the proportion of calories burnt from fat is lower.
To illustrate, you may burn 300 calories doing LSD training for an hour in the 'fat burning zone' of which say 80% of the 300 calories burnt come from fat making 240 calories worth of fat burnt. If you worked harder above the so called 'fat burning zone' and burnt 650 calories even with only 50% of them coming from fat, not only have you burnt more calories but you have also burnt more fat calories (325) anyway.
(When training, quality always beats quantity - here's why: http://www.ultimatebodysuccess.com/e-course6.html)
Recently interval training, where periods of high intensity effort are broken up with periods of lower intensity effort has become all the rage. In terms of marketing this is being hyped as a new fad to the masses even though its effectiveness has been known by those in the know for more than 50 years. The beauty of interval training is that it allows for a much higher average work rate that also creates great metabolic and hormonal changes in favor of fat burning. Proper interval training is one of the keys to transforming yourself into a true fat burning machine.
The thing is to do it properly at the necessary intensity, safely and sustainably is challenging. This is especially true for the masses as various 'systems' have popped up promising rapid fat loss results in just 20 minutes or even less of 'work'. This marketing fad bullseyes the whole 'quick and easy' hot button by bastardizing solid science that found interval training is more efficient than LSD in terms of fat loss in a given time frame. The reality is that just because you are doing intervals doesn't mean that you can shorten your work time and expect magical results. To get the best results you still need to put in the time, intervals will just make you work harder so you get leaner faster.
Interval training has great value but it is challenging work. It needs genuine effort and intensity to work otherwise it will turn into just a short low intensity session that burns very few calories without the metabolic benefits. For most people it is also very easy to over do it in their zeal and not have correct work to rest ratios and tire out too quickly or worse injure themselves. Depending on the method chosen (such as running/sprints) it can also be quite taxing on the body including the joints meaning that you may not be able to do it as frequently as you need to. Thus to get the most from intervals, you ideally need a well-managed program to drive the necessary intensity as well as prevent injuries and overtraining.
Despite all the current hype surrounding interval training, it is wrong to say LSD has no value in a maximized cardio program. Again it is a case of understanding how your body works and thus seeing how the advantages of LSD training can be maximized as a fat loss tool. Its strength is that it is relatively gentle on the body meaning that it can be done frequently (which adds up to a decent amount of calories over time) or in addition to interval training for additional work without taxing recovery or even as a form of active recovery. The other key trait is to really emphasize the "long" part of the equation. As great as intervals are, you can't do them for 6-8 hours let alone for several days but with LSD training you can and if you get creative, this is where it really comes into its own as a fat stripping powerhouse.
To maximize your cardio and fat loss training it is a matter of harnessing the inherent advantages of both long steady distance and intervals. In theory, to burn off stubborn fat stores as fast as humanly possible you must create a training environment for long steady distance where you could keep the heart rate elevated in the fat burning zone for several hours sustainably to burn a significant amount of calories with a high proportion of them being from fat together with finding a way to perform intervals as often as possible at the necessary intensity by not impacting on the joints and carefully managing work to rest ratios and recovery to reduce muscular soreness.
Once you understand the advantages and disadvantages of the various pieces of cardio equipment in the gym as well as being a little creative exploring other fat loss training options it is very easy to create a practical fat loss training system for yourself that perfectly matches the theoretical model and will rapidly incinerate fat when combined with your customized nutritional system.
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Ben Kong is the author and co-creator of Ultimate Body Success - The Impossible To fail, Total Lifestyle System For Creating Your Best Body Ever. Click the link now to find out once and for all how to profoundly transform your body beyond belief. http://www.ultimatebodysuccess.com/freeReport.php
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