Many beginners mistakenly think that cardio exercises coupled with healthy diet and lifestyle habits will result in effective fat loss. While this is true up to a point, this has adverse effects on the efficiency (i.e., more results, less effort) of fat loss, aside from affecting its effectiveness (i.e., sustained results).
Instead, cardio training should also be combined with strength training, a combo that will provide faster fat loss within a shorter period, as well as sustain the results. Plus, there’s also the matter of muscles burning more body fat. Here are five things that you should keep in mind when combining cardio and strength training in your fat loss plan.
#1 Continue with the Heavy Weights
Conventional wisdom says that training with light weights for high reps will burn greater amounts of body fat. But the opposite is actually true because ditching the heavy weights while on a fat loss program will work against your benefit!
Instead, you should lift heavy weights for 5-8 reps to get the most fat-burning benefits. Be sure to focus on big lifts, too, such as bench press, deadlift, and squat for the best results.
#2 Apply Supersets
If you’re going to ditch something in resistance training, it should be straight sets because these aren’t doing your fat loss plans a favor. Instead, you should add supersets as well as circuits and dropsets into your workout while also cutting your breaks so that you can keep your heart rate up.
You may also consider supersets for opposing muscle groups so that your exercise intensity remains high. You can also pulsate the rep’s final movements for 5 pumps or so.
#3 Take Shorter Breaks
While rest and recovery periods are essential to getting a ripped body, these aren’t so when you’re in the middle of a workout. You shouldn’t wait for extended periods to catch your breath if and when you’re aiming for faster fat loss. You must rest for 30 seconds or less between sets for this reason.
#4 Go HIIT on Cardio
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) results in significant increase in post-exercise calorie burn for 24-36 hours depending on its duration. This is also a great workout for building more muscle that, in turn, means more fat burned.
#5 Finish on a High
Be sure to add metabolic finishers to your resistance workouts, too, so that you finish with a good kick. You may, for example, add a 5 to 10-minute finisher, such as several sets of battle ropes or jump ropes, after your strength training workout.
Don’t just focus on the exercise component, as any ripped person at a GoodLife Fitness gym will tell you. You have to look at your diet and lifestyle habits, too, but that’s another story.