Andrea Shaw - Champion Content

So many people are frustrated with their lack of progress in dropping body fat. They’re spending hours weekly in the gym, but the frustration builds as options to address the problem seem to be limited, or extreme measures like starvation diets and magic weight loss pills are thrown at us to guarantee results. Let’s take some time to go over a few things that are easy to implement for torching fat.

Assess Your Intensity

You can assess your intensity by using the HR max equation. To acquire your max heart rate, start by taking 220 minus your age. Although this is the maximum heart rate based upon age, we only want to really focus on working at a percentage of that number. To boost your body’s fat burning efficiency, it’s ideal to aim to work between the following recommendations based upon your fitness level and goals. For most healthy adults already engaging in regular exercise weekly, a good target for cardiovascular exercise is 70-85% of their maximum heart rate. If you are more of an elite athlete or you’re accustomed to fairly intense exercise, 85-90% of your maximum heart rate is recommended. For HIIT training, make your goal the upper end of the range for a set period. If steady state cardio is more your speed, try to maintain your heart rate within a set range at the lower end of the recommendations.

Reduce your overall fat intake

With fad diets like keto, Atkins, and others it may seem like a good idea to completely drop carbs and rely on fats for energy. What most of these diets neglect to disclose is that fats consumed in excess can still be stored as additional body fat. A better approach is to select fats that provide good sources of vitamins & nutrients. For instance, the body needs omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids for blood clotting, immune and hormonal functions. A good rule of thumb is to not allow much more than 20-35% of your total daily calories to come from fats and keep the focus more on unsaturated fats like fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.

Naturally mobilize & breakdown fats with supplements

There are a few over the counter supplements that the body can utilize to mobilize as well as breakdown fats to be used as energy. L-Carnitine is a derivative of amino acids that acts like a school bus to pick up fat cells and shuttle them into the furnace of the mitochondria. Lastly, if you’re taking any enzymes or planning to, be sure to that it includes “Lipases.” Fats in the body are also known as lipids, and lipases breakdown lipids into their respective components of triglycerides making the fuel ready and available.

Don’t Neglect Resistance Training

It’s no secret that resistance training makes muscles more efficient and can increase the amount of lean muscle you have. The benefit of having more lean muscle is that muscles conduct heat and require lots of energy (i.e.: calories). After resistance training, muscles require much more oxygen & energy for repair & total body regulation long after your training session is finished. This phenomenon is referred to as Excess Post Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), also known as after burn.

Key Takeaways for Effective Fat Loss

For effective fat loss, forget the fad diets and promises of magic pills. Instead, focus on optimizing workout intensity, managing dietary fats, using supportive supplements, and incorporating resistance training. Tailoring your approach to these areas can significantly enhance your body's ability to burn fat efficiently. Ensuring a balanced routine with proper nutrition and physical activity will lead to sustainable weight loss and improved health.

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