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You’ve stopped losing fat. Weight loss plateaus are very common, and very frustrating. Usually, when people first begin to exercise they see quick results towards their weight loss goals. But, unfortunately, after several weeks the weight loss slows or completely stops, keeping them from reaching their target weight. In this article, I’ll explain a few ways you can adjust your training to reignite your fat burning furnace. Look at the type of cardio training you’re doing. If you only perform moderate-intensity cardio, you may be missing out on a more effective type of cardiovascular activity. High intensity interval training (or HIIT) is a method of exercise characterized by short bouts of intense exertion, followed by a period of less intense exercise or complete rest. This type of training has many advantages over steady-state, moderate cardio. First and foremost, it takes up less of your most valuable asset—time! Who doesn’t want better results in less time? Working with HIIT has been proven to be the most effective way to burn fat. Let me explain. The body first uses glycogen stored in muscles for energy; after one’s glycogen stores are depleted, the body turns to fat for fuel. With moderate intensity cardio, it takes the average person around thirty minutes to burn through their glycogen stores. So, after a 40-minute, moderate-intensity run on a treadmill, only ten of those minutes were spent burning fat! However, high intensity exercise depletes one’s muscles glycogen stores faster than long, moderate-intensity exercise; therefore, HIIT is more effective for targeting fat for energy. It’s this aspect of HIIT that makes it more efficient and effective than steady-state cardio. If you can’t perform HIIT, I advise you to do your moderate-intensity cardio after weight lifting sessions; the principal is the same as HIIT training. Intense weight lifting quickly depletes your body’s stored glycogen, causing the body to use fat for energy if you perform cardio shortly afterwards. If you aren’t lifting weights, start. Some people are unaware of the positive effects of weight lifting for weight loss. Because weight lifting helps to preserve muscle mass while losing weight, it’s a highly effective type of training to use when you’re looking to get lean. If you’re afraid of getting that bulked-up look, don’t worry. As long as you’re consuming fewer calories than you’re burning, you aren’t going to bulk up—what you will do is preserve the muscle mass you have while you burn off the fat that’s hiding it. Weight lifting promotes a higher lean-to-fat ratio in your body. A higher lean-to-fat ratio results in a faster metabolic rate, which is the rate at which your body burns calories. This is because pound for pound, muscle tissue expends more energy than fat tissue. The increased calorie burn, compounded throughout the day, allows weight control to become easier and more effective. If you’ve stopped seeing results from your weight loss plan, try implementing these variations in your training. If you have any questions or observations, feel free to leave a comment below, and look for more NextPhase advice!
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