For the past decade, dieters and fitness enthusiasts have been mislead
into thinking that lower intensity exercise is the best way to burn fat.

This is likely because exercise at lower intensities primarily uses fat as
the “fuel” source … and higher intensity exercise uses carbohydrates as

fuel.

However, the most important factor in losing fat with exercise is the
TOTAL number of calories burned, NOT whether the calories burned
are from fat or carbs.

I can’t tell you the number of people I’ve trained who refused to work
hard because they were afraid it would take them out of their “fat burning
zone.”

Research has proven, time and time again, that exercising at a low intensity to stay in the “fat burning zone” is incorrect. At lower ntensities, you burn more calories from fat … BUT you burn fewer TOTAL calories.

Remember, “Fat Loss Key #1″ is in order to lose fat, you absolutely

must create a caloric deficit. That is, you need to expend (“burn”) more
than you consume. Period. There are no exceptions to this rule.

So, whether your cardio sessions are 12, 20, 30, or 45 minutes long, the
higher the intensity, the more TOTAL calories you will burn. And the more
TOTAL calories you burn, the more fat you burn.

In addition, higher intensity exercise not only burns more calories, it also
elevates your metabolism more (and longer) after the workout is over.

That’s right, with higher intensity exercise, you can actually condition
your metabolism to work more efficiently throughout the day! (be sure to
exercise at safe range for your fitness level)

Coach Blair

http://amblerbootcamps.com

Answer: The answer really depends on how much time a person can devote each week to the gym.

The entire fat-loss process hinges on EPOC – Excess Post Oxygen Consumption – which is simply the recovery of the metabolic rate back to pre-exercise levels which can require several minutes for light exercise and several hours for hard intervals.

Now that's a raging inferno

Think about a forest fire.  You understand that it doesn’t just burn for an hour and then burn out. It must gradually burn out over time until there is no more fire. The fires peak could have been several hours ago, but there are still flames being produced for a long time afterwards.

Our goal is to keep the fire burning as long as we can.  Forget about how many calories you burn during a workout, but how many additional calories you are burning every minute throughout the rest of the day.  The way we train at my gym in Ambler is like a raging inferno compared to the small fires most produce when they train.

I am in a very envious position compared to most.  My mentor Alwyn Cosgrove is the best in the business when it comes to fat-loss.   Fortunately, I had the privilege of learning the hierarchy of fat loss first hand.

THE HIERCHY OF FAT-LOSS

1. Correct Nutrition – diet is, was, and will always remain the best tool for fat loss.  You cannot out train a crappy diet so stop trying.

2. See #1 – Yes it’s that important I put it on here twice.

3. Metabolic Strength Training – Small circuits with short rest, the weights also must be heavy with time under tension approaching 60s

4. High Intensity Interval training – short sprints, followed by recovery

5. Aerobic Intervals- slightly longer sprints, followed by recovery

6. Steady state Cardio – putting in work at a steady pace like jogging

7. low intensity Cardio – the mythical fat burning zone

8. A qualified professional to put it all together for you.

I’m actually going to be doing a seminar on this very thing at my studio in April.  If you are interested in attending, let me know.

How Bad Do You Want It?

Blair

http://www.3dfitness.net