Burn calories faster

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Let's compare two 150-pound people. Although they weigh exactly the same, person B has 10 more pounds of muscle mass than person A. That means that person B can eat an extra 350 to 500 calories per day without gaining any weight! If they eat exactly the same thing every day, person A will gain weight significantly faster than person B.

Drop the steady cardio
However, cardiovascular training should not be forgotten. It is very important for the health of our heart and can be effective in promoting weight loss.

Many people engage in what is called "steady state" cardio. This means that they choose to do one type of cardio machine at one particular level or speed for approximately 30 to 60 minutes.

After a few weeks of doing this, it becomes easier. Unfortunately, the more efficient we become at a particular activity, the fewer calories we burn.

This means that when you first began level three on the elliptical machine you burned more calories in 30 minutes than you will today, now that you are in better shape. I know what you are thinking...that is not fair! The more fit I get, the fewer calories I burn? Do I have to keep increasing my time on the exercise machine in order to burn the same amount of calories? The answer is no -- there are ways around it, and one of the best is interval training.

Interval training is defined as short, high-intensity exercise periods alternated with periods of lower intensity exercise. These higher and lower intensity periods are repeated several times to form a complete workout.
For example:

Step 1: Warm up 5 minutes
Step 2: Walk 5 minutes at 3.5 MPH
Step 3: Walk 1 minute at 4.2 MPH
Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 four to five times
Step 5: Cool down 5 minutes

A greater amount of calories can be burned over a shorter period of cardiovascular exercise because interval training does not allow your body to become overly efficient at one particular level. You are now burning more calories in a shorter period of time, allowing time for muscle building as well.

We all want to see results as we work towards our exercise goals. Effective, time-saving techniques provide you with a motivating exercise program that can be continued over a lifetime.

Learn 10 ways to sneak exercise into your day.

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