![]() Lifting weights does not equal "big" automatically, and you won't firm those muscles on the treadmill. The same applies to the folks I talk to who want to firm up their arms but don't like to lift weights because they don't want to "get big." The problem is that when they are done, they are too fatigued or don't have time to have a quality cardio workout. Why? Because they are good at those and see the results. “Trial and error are absolutely necessary for self-discovery.I see a lot of people who have set a goal of losing fat around their midsection, and they spend an hour on the bench press or doing tons of curls. “This is key, because it will teach you how to learn about your body and establish a routine that works best for you,” says Hodges. ![]() Walking only on the days you don’t weight-train.Walking after you weight train on other days.Walking before you weight train on some days.For instance, if you normally lift weights for your workout you could try the following: Choosing the activity you actually want to do, whether it’s walking or working out, makes it more likely you’ll complete the routine - not just today, but also in the future.Ĭould you fit in both? Who says you can’t walk and work out in one session? Especially if you have 45 minutes or more. Which activity do you feel like doing? Consistency is key, Madia says. This way, you ensure you’re getting both types of activity into your routine. What kind of activity did you do yesterday (or the day before)? If you walked yesterday, opt for a workout today, and vice versa. There are three big questions to ask yourself when deciding which type of activity to do on any given day: Not sure which workouts to do? The Workout Routine feature in your MyFitnessPal app will serve up some quick workouts you can try. You could play with the balance of the days depending on how much time you have, but experts agree both general activity like walking and purposeful workouts have their advantages and deserve a place in your activity lineup. “The perfect blend for weight loss would be walking at least 30 minutes a day 5 days a week, and working out 3 days a week,” says Bergeron. Ideally, you’d have both walking and working out in your routine. “When you do an intense workout, your metabolism stays higher up to a few hours after the workout is done, meaning you continue to burn calories at an increased rate.” Second, when you’re done walking, your metabolism goes back to normal right away, he notes. First, these activities build muscle mass, which will help you burn more calories at rest. “We will naturally burn more calories in a training session than we would walking because we’ll be moving at higher intensities within the workout,” he explains.Ĭertain types of workouts build muscle and increase your metabolism. “If the goal is weight loss, HIIT, circuit training or heavy resistance training will be much more effective long-term than a 30-minute walk,” says Bergeron. Plain and simple, if you expend more calories than you take in, you lose weight, says Eric Madia, the head of sport science at the Sports Performance Lab. ![]() You’ll burn more calories in one session. Ultimately, weight loss comes down to calories in, calories out (although lots of different factors can affect both sides of the equation). Of course, there are good reasons why purposeful workouts are considered a must for people who want to lose weight. “It could be as simple as walking to work or parking further away from the door of a building or taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator,” says Hodges. In other words, if you manage to walk a few times a day, you could end up burning more calories overall than you would with a 30-minute workout, which helps you toward your weight-loss goal. It may be easier to fit in and do consistently. “A major advantage of getting lots of walking while trying to lose weight is it doesn’t elevate our heart rate too high and can be done daily, resulting in greater caloric expenditure over time,” explains Keith Hodges , a certified personal trainer and founder of Mind In Muscle Coaching in Los Angeles. For walking to be effective, you have to keep your heart rate under the threshold where your body switches fuel from fats to carbohydrates, which is usually referred to as Zone 2, and is approximately 60-70% of your max heart rate. It may help you burn more fat. “Walking, specifically in Zone 2 of your heart rate, helps teach your body to become more efficient at burning fat,” says Ramsey Bergeron, a certified personal trainer and owner of Bergeron Well-Being. There are some pretty big benefits to walking regularly, especially if you want to lose weight.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |