As Jason Karp explains in How to Burn Fat Faster & More Efficiently, our bodies use both fat and carbohydrates for energy during exercise. Low-intensity exercises like walking use more fat for energy, while higher-intensity activities draw more heavily upon carbs for energy. However, the assumption that low-intensity exercise constitutes a better “fat-burning zone” is incorrect. At a higher level of intensity, Karp explains, “the rate of caloric expenditure and the total number of calories expended are much greater than they are when exercising at a lower intensity, so the total amount of fat used is also greater.”

Karp recommends two strategies for maximizing fat loss: go hard with interval training and go very long with runs and bike rides. To learn more, take a look at the rest of the article: How to Burn Fat Faster & More Efficiently.

Live Life Loud!

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I have many favorite ways of making workout more intense and thus burning more calories – without having to add more time to the workout. Here are three:

1. Plyometrics (some kind of jumps) or jump rope
Let’s say you have a regular routine of weightlifting a few times per week. Your body has hit a plateau (which it does more often, the fitter you get!). To intensify your workout, take 1-2 minute jump rope breaks, or try squat jumps or lateral lunge jumps, between the sets of lifting. This will create an interval workout with bursts of energy, and you will burn many more calories!

2. Compound moves
Compound moves consist of doing several moves in the same exercise, thus giving your body a greater challenge and intensifying your workout. For instance, do forward walking lunges and add bilateral biceps curls (meaning both arms) while in the lowered position. When you stand up, rotate the arms to an overhead press, and lift your knee to balance on one leg. Great stuff!

3. Something new
If you are a generally fit person, it is safe to say that, when you workout, you do the things you feel the most comfortable doing. You go to the gym, do a set of weights a certain way or a 10-minute warm up on your favorite machine … you get the drift. To get your body to burn more calories, you should do something completely new, where the body doesn’t know the particular movement patterns. By doing this, you have to work harder to actually contract muscles and move around. Another idea is to try a new class! If you are a weightlifter rather than a body sculptor in the gym, then dare to step into the group fitness room and get a new experience. If you have never done cycling, Pilates, or yoga, try it for a few weeks!

You don’t have to increase the time you spend on training, but you will definitely give your body something new to chew on. That means your body has to work much harder to recruit muscles, and at the same time you are giving your mind a new challenge. Priceless!

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There are many benefits to exercising on a consistent basis, including a surge in your physical strength, a boost in energy levels, a superior ability to deal with stress and fatigue, and an increase in your mental capacity and cognitive functions. You may also experience fewer anxieties and less stress. Not bad, huh?

Luckily, you don’t have to spend hours at the gym to reap the benefits of training, since exercise really means any physical activity that challenges you and your body. The best thing is, you can decide to train wherever you want to, whenever you want to.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that CONSISTENCY and EFFORT are the keys to success! One of the most important components of training is INTENSITY. Quite simply, there are four zones of intensity: Zone P (Pain), Zone O (Outside of comfort), Zone C (Comfort), and Zone R (Rest).

Zone P (Pain) represents too much intensity. If you’re experiencing pain, you should train with less intensity and progress more slowly, or stop what you are doing and tend to the pain or injury.

Zone C (Comfort) is the level most people train in. It’s comfortable and, as you continue, it requires less and less energy output to stay there.

Zone R (Rest) is essential for recovery, setting the stage for strengthening and healing, which leads to more effective workouts the next time you train.

In order to achieve IDEAL progress both physically and mentally, you have to be willing to push yourself into Zone O (Outside of comfort). In fact, pushing yourself to this level is important for growth in all aspects of your life. Stepping outside your comfort zone is essential if you want to change for the better.

Zone O stimulates improvement in your cardiovascular conditioning and physical strength in a shorter amount of time. Longer training sessions are not necessarily more effective because they drain your level of intensity. Even short bursts of energy in Zone O during the day can have effective results, if they are executed with consistency.

Find your Zone O and build a exercise program that challenges you to raise your levels of intensity. The goal is to make every workout session effective. Think quality, not quantity! This will also resolve any time issues you might have. If you know what to do and how to do it, all of your training, no matter how long or short, can be considered a success!

Once you have mastered the art of Zone theory and applied it to your exercise program, the next step is to apply it to everyday living. In conflicts at your workplace or in your relationship, stop and think, deliberate and communicate, and work on acting outside of your comfort zone. This will allow you to progress to the next level in life, helping you to evolve beyond a conflict or drama that might have paralyzed you in the past.

You will have a new and improved confidence in yourself and the tools to count on, whenever you need them in the future. Remember, the mind is a powerful “muscle” that you need to exercise, just as much as your body. Both mind and body can and should be used anywhere and everywhere. It is important that there is consistency and the right intensity.

Push yourself to train in Zone O! If you are a long distance runner, maybe you should try yoga for awhile. If you’re stuck in the gym all the time, get outside and ride a bike or try an obstacle course. It might seem horrible to go outside for a walk on a cold winter day, but just the fact that you do it will stimulate your progress. Every single time that you hammer out success, it will motivate you to do more, and don’t forget: LIVE OUTSIDE THE COMFORT ZONE!!

Live Life Loud!

Do you know how to tell if you’re working out at the right intensity? This is important to know, as exercising at too low of an intensity may prevent you from reaching your fitness goals, but overdoing it can cause injury and exhaustion. Though it’s helpful to have a personal trainer at your side or to measure your heart rate, here’s a simple way to monitor whether you’re working out at the proper, moderate intensity.

Talk test
Although you should be a little winded while exercising, you should still be able to talk without losing your breath. If you’re struggling to get the words out, slow down until you can speak comfortably. On the other hand, if you can sing a song (such as “Happy Birthday”), you’re working out too lightly and should step it up a bit!

Image: Ed Yourdon