5 Cardio Secrets That Will Burn More Fat
Many clients that start with Bootique Fitness are familiar with one or two types of cardio fat loss training techniques:
Long, slower, steady-state endurance cardio – where the heart rate stays in a small range ‘fat burning zone’ for an extended period of time.
Interval training cardio – a technique that alternates periods of intense bursts of intensity with more moderate recovery periods to challenge the body and burn more fat.
Both of these methods of cardio have numerous benefits that we’ve talked about before. Today, I want to explain how you can add other types of cardio training into your fat loss program.
Substituting different cardio workouts can be beneficial to your regular exercise routine to increase your metabolic ability to burn fat at an increased rate. I’d like to let you in on some of the “cardio secrets” I give my clients to maximize their overall cardio effectiveness.
My 5 favorite cardio secrets for increased fat burning
Cardio after strength Training – If you do your strength training and cardio in the same workout, it’s best to do your cardio after your resistance training. Why? Because this will give you the chance to lift your maximum weight during your resistance training for metabolism boosting, as well as prime your body to burn more fat during your cardio session. Plus, by the time you get to your cardio routine your heart rate will already be raised and you will need very little warm-up time in order to increase your intensity.
Cardio on an empty stomach? – We never recommend doing boot camp on an empty stomach, but some experts believe that doing cardio on an empty stomach can yield better results. It’s perfectly fine to do cardio after having a small, protein-rich snack 30-60 minutes prior, but you can experiment not eating which means you won’t have any carbs in your system that are being digested so your body will burn more of your fat storage. However, if you try this and you begin to feel dizzy, tired, and weak, by all means stop and have a light snack.
Caution: You do not want to do a boot camp workout on a empty stomach. This advice is strictly for cardio workouts only.
Fartlek training – This is similar to interval training but each of the high intensity intervals are of different lengths and intensities. For example, Fartlek training usually uses a hybrid of intervals like a 40 yard sprint, followed by a rest period, followed by a 10 second hill sprint… It typically involves running varied distances and inclines followed by short to medium rest periods. Aim for 5-10 different distances and intensities in this type of training. Spinning classes often use this type of training too.
Cardio outdoors – You know at Bootique Fitness, we love being outside. If you’ve ever been to an indoor gym then you know how different (and frankly more enjoyable) outdoor cardio can be. The best treadmill in the world can’t come close to sprinting uphill or around a track. I highly recommend stair sprints (like the ones at the convention center), track intervals, and hill work for cardio fat loss. San Diego usually has great weather, but if it happens to not be very nice outside, then and alternative is to use the stairs in your home or stairwell in your apartment building to get in a great, non-gym workout!
Cardio confusion – Varying the type of cardio you do each week can cause “cardio confusion.” C’mon, you know it gets boring to do same cardio workout over and over. Change it up! For example, if you usually run on a treadmill doing 1 minute interval sprints, then your next cardio workout could be stadium stairs, Zumba, or even a spin class. Mix it up! This will confuse your body and increase your fat burning potential by keeping your body, energy systems, mind, and muscles guessing from one cardio workout to another. And… as a bonus you’ll have more fun!
Those five cardio fat loss tips are a few of my favorites. If you haven’t started implementing any of them into your regular routine, I highly suggest you do so.
If you are looking for a solution to all of your fat burning, strength and cardio needs, then I invite you to try our boot camp program.
