Losing fat is tricky because it has been a method of survival for our species throughout evolutionary history.
Every human has an in-built mechanism to store and conserve energy in the form of fat, or adipose tissue, that allowed our ancestors to weather storms as well other potential hazards before modern times.
Unfortunately, this same inherent ability to store fat now contributes to diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity due to the high calorie diets many people consume today.
So, it’s important to understand why and how our bodies store fat if we want to make the most of the way we live now.
Where does the body store energy?
The body uses carbohydrates and fat for energy storage, which is essential to perform its daily processes.
Carbohydrates are stored in the liver, muscles, and blood, while fat is held within tissues in the body. When sufficient carbohydrates are consumed and the storage limit is reached, any excess carbohydrates are converted into fat that gets stored within these tissues.
This ability to store energy as extra carbohydrates or fat enables our bodies to have an efficient and reliable source of energy when it needs most.
Fat is one of the major energy sources that the human body utilizes to keep going through the day. It can be stored in two primary locations adipose tissue and skeletal muscle as triglycerides.
As compared to carbohydrates, fat has much higher energy density, part of which is due to its characteristic of not absorbing water.
This means that the amount of energy stored in fat is significantly higher than that stored in carbohydrates, equipping our bodies with a great source of energy for everyday activities.
Fat burning and weight loss
Fat is an essential part of the body’s metabolism; it serves as the body’s largest store of energy and rises to meet our bodies’ caloric needs when food intake is insufficient.
Despite its vital role, fat has become a source of much frustration if only we could get rid of it, then most physical and psychological issues could be solved.
Unfortunately, the idea that starvation or extreme diets produce desirable results is misguided and unsustainable. Rather, proper diet control combined with adequate exercise is key in reducing body fat quickly.
Proper nutrition optimizes one’s balance of macronutrients while exercise facilitates the burning of excess fats. Consider adopting healthier food options as well as adding physical activity into your daily routine to safely reduce fat accumulation for sustained health benefits.
Exercise to burn fat quickly
Cardio, or cardiovascular training, is an essential form of exercise to improve heart health and general wellbeing.
By increasing the heart rate and relying on oxygen intake, it can be beneficial as part of any workout routine. Cardio can come in many forms and doesn’t have to be monotonous or boring; continual training and high intensity interval training (HIIT) are both popular choices.
In fact, series HIIT is often referred to as ‘the workout of the future’ given its efficiency in promoting muscle growth, weight loss and overall better health.
While many perceive cardio as mind numbing or tedious, there really is no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy it if you find a type that works for you. There are a variety of other ways too in which cardio can be incorporated into an exercising regime without getting stuck in a routine.
Strength training is an incredibly beneficial form of exercise for any level of athlete or personal fitness journey.
By utilizing weights or resistance to exercise, strength training can help to build muscle and burn fat leading to improved overall health and well-being.
It’s also a great way to achieve a variety of unique goals ranging from weight loss to physical performance enhancement. When done correctly, strength training will help individuals reach their full potential both physically and mentally.
3 Ways to burn body fat without cardio
Use fundamental, multijoint exercises
Incorporating more compound exercises into your workout routine is a great way to strengthen your muscles and maximize the potential of your gym session.
Squats, deadlifts, bench presses and bent-over rows are some of the most popular exercises that involve large areas of muscle mass. In addition to these traditional moves, strongman competitors opt for exercises such as tire flips and farmers walks as part of their training.
These activities utilize high levels of force combined with dynamic movement patterns in order to produce an intense result for any exercise enthusiast looking to challenge themselves during their workouts.
Circuit Training
To effectively use your time and get the best results from your strength training program, alternate upper body exercises with lower body exercises.
This will ensure that you spread the fatigue to your entire body rather than just one area.
Furthermore, by minimizing or completely eliminating rest between sets you will keep your heart rate up and force your body to switch from the anaerobic energy system used for lifting to the aerobic system.
Reduce Weight
When it comes to lifting for strength or mass, it is generally recommended that you use a lighter weight than what you would normally lift and avoid going to failure with each set.
Instead, opt for a weight that leaves you about 2-3 reps short of failure, allowing you to properly execute those sets in a safe and effective manner.
Not only will this result in avoiding injuries from overexertion, but it will also encourage your muscles to kick into growth mode rather than fatigue when repetition is taken into consideration.
Fast fat loss without cardio
Strength training can be an effective and powerful way to burn fat.
This is due to its ability to increase metabolism muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, so by increasing the amount of muscle mass in the body it increases your overall calorie burning rate throughout the day, even when not exercising.
This can be particularly beneficial for those in a sedentary lifestyle, as this type of activity might have difficulty with other forms of calorie burning due to their lack of physical movement.
With strength training an individual can gain power and burn fat all at the same time, making it a great way to stay healthy no matter what lifestyle one leads.
Strength training is more effective than cardio in terms of weight loss
Strength training has powerful effects that reach beyond the hour you spend in the gym. It can fuel productivity in other areas of life, allowing you to make the most of the 99% of your week that you don’t spend exercising.
Strength training works by shifting your focus in three distinct ways:
1. Strength training burns a lot of calories
Strength training is an important exercise activity that can provide significant metabolic benefits. Studies have shown that strength training has the ability to burn fat directly, at a rate which is comparable to many types of cardio.
This means that not only will overall body composition improve after consistent strength sessions, but it also provides an enjoyable alternative to those who may want a break from long bouts of steady state aerobic work.
2. Strength training requires more energy after workout
Strength training is an effective way to build muscle and improve overall health due to the increased energy expenditure that takes place during and after an exercise session.
Microtears in the muscle cause a repair response that is highly energy intensive, as one’s body needs to use up energy reserves to rebuild muscles.
Furthermore, strength training leads to a greater production of metabolic byproducts such as lactic acid and hydrogen ions, which also require additional energy expenditure in order to be removed.
All of these processes contribute to higher levels of calories being burned post exercise, making it an ideal form of physical activity for those looking to increase their overall fitness levels.
3. Fat burns fewer calories than muscle
Strength training is a crucial component of any exercise regimen, as it helps build and maintain muscle.
Lean muscle, notably, has a higher resting metabolism than fat, meaning that the more you train and the fitter you become, the more calories will be burned even while you’re sleeping.
This can help tremendously in achieving those fitness goals, allowing the body to shed fat naturally and consistently over an extended period of time.
The quickest way to lose fat is through strength training
Losing weight with strength training can be more effective than it is with cardio because while both kinds of exercise have EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) to burn calories, the EPOC usually seen with strength training is greater due to the repair of muscle fibres and the associated removal of by-products.
Thise can subsequently lead to long-term physiological adaptations which better enable your body’s ability to sustain healthy weight loss.
Furthermore, calories lost through cardio are mostly those expended during its practice not necessarily leading to greater sustained fat loss. Therefore, strength training can provide a more rounded plan for lasting weight loss.
Best weight loss strength training
Calisthenics is an effective and worthwhile exercise regimen that combines bodyweight exercises with high-repetition sets for incredible results.
Not only does calisthenics help you lose weight, but it also helps you to get stronger and build muscle.
You may have already seen some of the incredibly shredded athletes who use calisthenics attaining such a sculpted physique usually takes a lot less time when done with this type of regimen.
