Have you been wasting your time worrying about targeting "the fat burning zone" during your workouts? I want you to know the truth, what all fitness gurus and personal trainers are trying to spread the news about… the fat burning zone is garbage…
It's a classic myth. Manufacturers of aerobic equipment slap a label onto their products in a mediocre effort to help their consumers figure out how to work the machine. Unfortunately, to make a dent in your figure, you'll have to work a lot harder than they've presented to you.
Here's why:
- Firstly, when it comes to fat loss, diet is responsible for 80% of your results while exercise is responsible for the last 20%. That means that every moment of the 20% has to be used as efficiently as possible!
- While your body can burn fat for energy, it is the slowest, most complex way of metabolizing energy. The "fat-burning zone" is at a low-intensity effort, and may or may not kick in after 30 minutes of exercise!
- The body would rather use sugars/ carbs for energy. Therefore, it always depletes the available carbohydrate stores first… this can actually take over an hour to complete!
- When the body does burn fat for energy during exercise in that low-intensity zone, it is a minute number of calories; about 0.4 kJ in 30 minutes. When 1kg of fat contains 32.2 kJ of energy…
- By doing the simple math, one can see that this is not nearly as efficient as we want to burn fat and actually see results!
This is how you REALY target your body fat!
- Cut down sugars and carbohydrates from your diet. Eat only low-glycemic carbs, including nuts, whole grains and seeds.
- Spend 20 minutes on your favourite cardio/ aerobic machine doing HIIT (high intensity interval training). Make your 20 minutes really count! Switch between 1 minute of low intensity (slow jogging or minimal resistance) and 1 minute of high intensity (running and maximal resistance).
- Start lifting weights to get a real burn on. Your muscles use up a huge amount of energy. A comprehensive weight training program should take longer than the aerobic workout. If you are in a cutting phase, be sure to use compound body movements. Keeping sets intense enough to maintain your mass without exhausting yourself.
- In a shorter amount of time, you'll find yourself depleted of energy. While the body has used carbs during the workout itself, it boosts the body's ability to burn fat outside of the gym.
- Continue these workouts regularly while keeping intake of carbs lower and you've just become a daily fat-burning machine!
Don't get caught up in the glossy idea of the easy- to - target fat burning zone. Losing fat takes hard work and discipline, but at least you've got the tools and knowhow to get it done!