Use Your Cardio to Burn Fat

You know that cardio bores me to tears! So, I keep it short, fast and tough to get max benefits (calorie burn, fat burn, body sculpting).

Doing this type of cardio will burn more calories and fat during and after your workout. Exercise Post-Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) causes your body to burn more calories and fat after a tough workout. Your body has to work harder to get back to its pre-exercise state.

According to research at Duke University, directed by Dr. Cris Slentz, high-intensity exercisers had these advantages over the low-to-moderate intensity exercisers:

--more release of fat from cells
--more fat used as fuel during exercise
--increased metabolic rate after exercise

Too many long, slow cardio sessions (like 60-minute sessions) will waste away your muscle mass.

Here are some cardio choices to help you burn fat (workouts 30 minutes or less):

1. Bodyweight cardio - One of the best choices for effective cardio. Here's a good workout (do each exercise 10 repetitions):

--Step Ups (knee-high platform)
--Pushups on medicine ball
--Clock Lunges
--Pullups
--Squat Jumps, fast
--Tricep Dips on Bars
--Prisoner Squats

Rest 2 minutes between circuit. Repeat circuit 2 more times.

2. Sprint interval cardio - This cardio will help give you the "cut" body you want. You will activate and shape your bulky, fast twitch muscle fibers (think butt, hips, thighs).

3. Play a sport like soccer or basketball - Fun cardio that combines sprints and jogging (your beer league softball game doesn't count!)

4. Burn more body fat by doing some circuit weight training too. You don't need to lift heavy every workout. Give your aching joints a break!

If you want to take your workouts to a higher level and blowtorch body fat, my FREE Bodyweight Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts are what you need. There are 3 levels: Bodyweight 200, 300 and 500. Start at the level you can handle.

About Mark

Hi, I'm Mark Dilworth, Nutritionist, Dietary Strategies Specialist, Nutrition for Metabolic Health Specialist and Lifestyle Weight Management Specialist. Since 2006, I have helped thousands of clients and readers make lifestyle habit changes which includes body transformation and ideal body weight.