If you ask most people this question, they will generally answer that the best exercise for fast weight loss is cardiovascular exercise. If you ask them what type of cardio to do, the answers will vary wildly. Everyone has their favorite form of cardio that they will stick with and do day after day, week after week, year after year if they are diligent and committed.
Most people don’t know enough about how to effectively challenge their bodies to get stronger, including their heart, and to maximize their calorie-burning potential. Cardio training is great for increasing your heart rate and helping to condition and strengthen your heart. It will also help you burn calories, lose unwanted body fat and weight.
The problem is, most people, once they find a cardio exercise they like, stick with it long after it is no longer effective in helping them reach their goals. Here’s what I mean: if I start lifting weights and struggle to lift 10 pounds above my head at first, sooner or later it will get easier. After exercising for a while, lifting 10 pounds won’t be a challenge at all. My muscles will no longer stimulate and will stop growing.
The same applies to cardiovascular training. If I run the same distance every day, or spend the same amount of time on the elliptical machine with the same intensity every day, eventually my body will adapt to the challenge and my progress will stop. My calorie burning potential will peak and I won’t lose any more weight or body fat.
This is why the best exercise for fast weight loss is called interval training. Interval training simply means varying the type and intensity of cardio you are doing within the same exercise or session by session. One of the best combinations of interval training would be to perform some form
of cardio and weight training in the same training session. Research has shown us that people who do this type of training burn calories for much longer, even after they finish the exercises, compared to those who only do cardio or weight training.
In interval training it is important to vary the types of exercises, the intensity and the duration of each exercise session. Varying these factors keeps your body’s muscles and cardiovascular system challenged to continue to grow stronger and grow, as well as maximizing your body’s calorie-burning potential.