Question from Angela:Hi I have been working out for 8 months and initially I saw results. I do cardio for about 50 min. to 60 min.,6 days a week and strength train 4 a week. I feel I am not doing something right re cardio. I try to do 3 different machines to change it up but still I feel I am not getting anywhere. Please tell me the best way to do cardio for fat loss.

The GURU Answers:

Dear Angela, thank you for your question. First, let me congratulate you on taking action in your life to succeed in health. If we want to change anything in our lives, we MUST take action. As far as your concerns about cardio for fat loss. It sounds like you are doing plenty of cardio from a time and days per week perspective to achieve maximum results. You may already know some of this , but here are a few things to think about.

First, when are you doing your cardio? From my experience, the absolute best time to do cardio for fat loss is in the morning when you first wake up and before you eat. This is a hard one, trust me…I know! It will take some getting used to, especially if you are not a morning person. I never used to be a morning person….until I started doing cardio first thing. Now I’m trained like a monkey and wake up at the crack of dawn EVERY DAY!

Second, what is the intensity of your cardio? Your heart rate should be around 65-80% of your maximum heart rate. I would suggest getting a heart rate monitor to track your heart rate so that you know you’re getting the maximum benefits. Before I used a monitor, I thought that my heart rate was surely at 90%. After actually monitoring it, I was only at about 55-60% at best. The truth is, that it’s really hard to have an accurate judgment if you are not wearing a monitor. There is one way to tell, if you can hold a conversation while doing your cardio, then generally you need to take it up a notch. Although, you should be able to talk, you shouldn’t be able to hold a conversation. Of course if you are exercising by yourself, you might look a little silly trying to hold a conversation with yourself on the treadmill…..been there I would go for the sure thing with the monitor!

Third, Have you ever tried interval training. Doing intervals has shown a significant increase in fat loss when added to someone’s program. There are several different types of interval training that you could try adding to your regimen a few days per week in place of your regular activity. Sprints are my personal favorite, but you can do intervals on any machine. Some programs strictly use interval training for there fat burning cardio. Remember “Body For Life”. That’s a program that only uses interval training.

And the most important question, what are your nutritional habits like? No matter what your goals are, your nutritional habits are going to play about 70-80% of the role in what kind of results you see. Most people underestimate there daily caloric intake by about 30% on average. That could be the difference of 400-600 calories or more. That reduction of calories alone could be the deal breaker! If nutrition is an area that you are not sure about, I would suggest spending the money on a nutritionist to help you figure out what you need to change in your diet. It’s worth every penny for the knowledge. Your health is the most important thing you have and spending money to better it is should not be a question.

Here are some tips to help you in the mean time.

· Cut the sugar NOW! No added sugar of any kind. That means sodas, teas, coffees, juices that are not 100% fruit juice. If the sugar is not naturally in it, forget it!
· Fruit and fruit juices are good for you, but you should not over do it, especially until you get your weight under control. My recommendation is no more than 2 servings and none after lunch.
· CUT THE FAT! Avoid all the fried foods, hamburgers, cheeseburgers and other all other fatty meats. Stick to lean turkey, chicken and fish. Use low fat or non fat dairy products. Avoid butter or use a butter substitute. Use fat free mayonnaise and other condiments.

Do you want to be a lean, mean fat burning machine? Then, BE ONE!

· Stick to whole grain products for your rice, pasta and bread servings. No white bread, no regular pasta and no white rice. All these come in whole grain and wheat forms.
· More frequent, smaller meals. Break up your meals in to smaller portions and eat 5-6 meals per day.

Angela, I hope this helped. I wish you all the best! Take care.

Your Loyal Servant in Health,

Pat

http://www.FitnessLifeClub.com