Yes. You read that title right. I told you to "stop doing cardio!" if you want to lose fat. I can hear it now, "What? Nia, you do not know what you're talking about. All of the top bodybuilders spend hours a week doing long, slow cardio workouts. And that's what they say to do in the magazines so it must be right! " Yeah. . . sure.
Look, I'm going to tell you the absolutely quickest, no fail way to lose fat in the least amount of time possible . No, I'm not going to sell you the latest "Square Dance Abs-Line Dance Your Way to Sexy" DVD's. (Do they have those yet? If not, keep your eye on the Saturday morning infomercials!)
This is for men and women, so pay attention. The quickest way to fat loss is through proper nutrition. That is number one. Do not let anyone BS you. There is no magic pill that will allow you to eat whatever you want and lose fat. Second is strength training. The third and final component is intervals or bodyweight circuits (Note: I prefer bodyweight circuits).
There you have it. No frills. No fillers. No dance shoes required. And best yet, absolutely no BS!
If you have limited time but want maximum results, I would suggest that you perform 3 total body weight training sessions per week. Oh, and do not even think about doing sets of 20 or more reps. The goal here is to maintain or even increase lean muscle mass. That means keeping reps predominately in the 5-12 rep range. Doing sets of 20 reps will not "cut" or "tone" your muscles. You can not change the shape or length of a muscle. You can only make it bigger and / or stronger. If you want to get cut, ripped, or toned , you just need to focus on losing the fat that covers your muscles. Low body body fat = muscle definition.
Here's a sample daily workout. Perform it in a circuit if you can. That simply means that you perform 1 set of each exercise before you repeat the first exercise again.
Sets: 4 Reps: 8 Rest: 60 seconds between exercises
1a) Front Squat
1b) Chin-up (use a band or partner for assistance if you can not perform them on your own)
1c) Incline DB Bench Press After you perform 4 sets for each exercise, you can then do bodyweight circuits to increase your fat burning. Once again, perform in a circuit. Sets: 3-5 Rest: 1-2 minutes after you complete the entire circuit Jumping Jacks x30-50 Squats x20 Pushups x20 Reverse Lunges x10 each leg Plank x30-45 seconds Squat Thrusts x15
This is a great example of a fat burning workout. As I said, perform 3 total body strength training workouts a week on non-consecutive days. Here are some great set and rep guidelines (Day 1: 4 sets of 8, Day 2: 6 sets of 5, Day 3: 4 sets of 12). Finish off with interviews on the bike or bodyweight circuits.
If you really wish to engage in more physical activity and increase your fat loss, I would suggest taking brisk walks that are about 20-35 minutes in duration, preferred outside. Take the walks on your off days. This program will get you more results than the vast majority of the workouts you find in "Muscle and Fiction". Give it a try!