subject: How to Burn Fat and Build Muscle with Interval Training [print this page] Most people think that burning fat and building muscle are two separate processes, and consequently, they design longer workouts that try to achieve both results. For example, to burn fat they schedule a sustained cardiovascular activity such as jogging or cycling, and finish with a weight workout for muscle building. While this is not necessarily the "wrong" way to work out, there is a way to achieve both results - burn fat and build muscle - with a single routine. Interval training combines weight lifting with high intensity cardio movements to build lean muscle and burn fat quickly.
Burning Fat with Cardio Routines
Workouts involving only sustained cardiovascular routines, such as walking or jogging on the treadmill, are usually not sufficient for burning the stored, stubborn fat on the body, nor do these routines help to replace this fat with lean muscle. If you want to burn fat and build muscle simultaneously, and your current diet and workout are not producing the fat-burning results you desire, perhaps it's time to look at changing things up a bit.
The fat which most people want to target in the gym is belly fat, or fat around their core. But this fat can be stubborn, making it very difficult for standard routines to be effective. To attack this kind of fat, and replace it with lean muscle which strengthens the entire core, many fitness experts are beginning to recommend interval training.
Interval Training
Interval training involves bursts of high-intensity training movements, followed by lower-intensity work or complete rest. This can apply to both weight training exercises and cardio routines. By varying the intensity within a single workout, the body tends to burn more fat, and begins to replace this fat with lean muscle.
In weight training, the interval method can be used by varying the weight used in a particular exercise, and changing the amount of reps in each set. Higher weight loads can be used for sets of fewer repetitions, with lighter weight for maxing out the muscle group. By shocking the muscle in this way you are helping to promote maximum growth.
Interval training can also be used with cardio routines to achieve maximum fat-burning results. On a treadmill or elliptical, for example, participants using interval training may run at greater speeds for the first minute, followed by a minute of walking or light jogging. Repeat this combination several times, changing the time intervals as you go, and not only will you get a full body workout, but you'll also maximize your fat burning potential.
The Way Forward?
Athletes have used interval training for years as a way to get an edge on the competition and boost their performance. Lately, these same techniques have become more popular with fitness experts around the world as a way to achieve great, full-body results in the shortest amount of time.
If you're looking for the perfect way to burn fat and build muscle, and your current workout routine is failing to produce the results you want, you really can't go wrong with high-intensity interval training.
How to Burn Fat and Build Muscle with Interval Training
