A common misconception of the best way to burn fat and lose weight is to do cardio, cardio, and more cardio, but this is not the case. Cardio is a good component to add to your fitness routine, but it should not be the only area of focus.
Cardio exercises, such as running long distance, spending an hour on the elliptical, or staying on the spin bike all day will not give you the results you are looking for. These are great cardio exercises, but they will not be as beneficial if you keep a steady pace throughout your workout.
If you are looking to burn fat, excess calories, or lose weight, there are better options out there. When practicing cardio, it is more beneficial to do high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Adding sprints into your cardio routine will result in more calories burned in less time.
It's not about how long you spend at the gym, it's about how efficient you use every minute. When you add HIIT into your routine, you will notice an increase in your endurance and fat burn. By spiking your heart rate through a sprint, followed by a brief rest period, your body burns more calories by breathing in more air to help recover your muscles.
Weight training, body-weight training, and using machines are important to burning fat and reaching your fitness goals. Weight training burns more fat than cardio ever will because you are using more energy and spurts of high-intensity training will increase your calorie burn post-workout.
Another way to help to burn more fat is to consume foods with healthy fats or protein and to lessen your carb intake. The more fatty foods you consume, the more fat your body will burn for energy. Some foods that contain good fats are eggs, fish, nuts, and peanut butter. Adding more protein to your diet will help prevent snacking and aids in muscle recovery, which burns more calories from working harder.
Lessening your carb intake will help your weight loss because carbs get stored in the body as fat and are harder to burn. Consume foods such as vegetables and oats as your daily carbs.
No matter what your fitness goals are, the best way to achieve them are to practice HIIT cardio, weight train, eat more healthy fats/protein, and consume less carbs. Vary the amounts of each depending on your personal goals.
