In your endless hunt for the end-all solution to weight loss, muscle building, and fat burning, you are likely bombarded by hundreds of different methods claiming to be “The One” that will make all the difference. However, in order to find the type of workout and wellness plan that will change your body in all the right ways – you must first assess what you have been doing in your current workout that has gotten you to where you are now, at the seemingly endless plateau. Figure out why your workouts are failing and open the doors to a whole new you.
1. You’re Not Doing HIIT Training
The Secret is the “Afterburn”
The one thing that will get you real results is making sure your internal body is working, even when you are not. This body process known as EPOC, or Excessive Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption, is when your body takes in excess oxygen for after your workout to support the aerobic burning of fat and the energy needed to get your body back to rest. This process essentially helps you burn calories for up to 36 hours post workout.
HIIT, or High Intensity Interval Training, causes large fluctuations in your heart rate, from high to low, which in turn, creates a large disturbance in your metabolism. The larger the disturbance in your metabolism, the more aerobic energy (aka calories from fat) is required to bring your body back to rest after you workout. Interval training mimics sport start-and-stop motions with periods of sprinting or close-to-sprinting speeds followed by light jogging or rest. The best thing is that these workouts don’t have to be very long, and usually take less than 30 minutes! This is one of the few workouts that will cause these fluctuations, thus boosting your metabolism to keep working long after you’ve stopped.
2. You Are Not Building Enough Muscle
It’s About Muscle, Not Fat
The days of the 1-hour elliptical and treadmill sessions are long in our rearview. However, far too many people have misconceptions about the proper ways to burn fat – in the sense that most people are afraid to weight train, as it will make them “bulk up”. Yet the truth is, you need to have and build your muscle in order to burn fat. Muscle is the only tissue in your body that burns fat, as it takes the most amount of calories to sustain.
Cardio workouts alone will not get you the results that you want. As they say, strong is the new sexy, and there is no substitute for strength training – it is an absolute necessity in order for you to get the type of lean and toned body you yearn for. Muscle that is being conditioned consistently sheds fat easier than muscle that is “lazy.” Also – in order to build this muscle – protein is king. You need to make sure you are getting enough and the right kinds in order to make the muscle gains necessary for you to both build lean muscle and burn fat.
3. You Don’t Eat Right Because You Don’t Cook Right
You Can’t Out-Train A Bad Diet
Weight loss starts in the kitchen. I know I’m not the first one to tell you that. But a reason your workouts likely aren’t working is because you aren’t working enough in the kitchen. I know personally, I hate spending hours on end trying to sift through the never-ending host of recipes online and in some of my favorite cookbooks. It is a waste of time and the recipes never truly gave me what I wanted: a clean, hassle-free, delicious recipe.
You need quick, clean, and tasty recipes that are easy even for the person who typically refers to eggs and toast as their culinary masterpiece. Once you find a set of recipes that work for you (you shouldn’t have to spend more than 20 minutes in the kitchen), you will realize how easy eating clean truly is. Also, the less time you spend in the kitchen, the more motivated you will be to do so more often. Join the green & white eating club- making meals that rely heavily on green, leafy vegetables and lean white proteins. Just add some unique spices and your taste buds and fat glands will thank you!
