Burn Fat Workout For Total Beginners

In my opinion, it is the people who have the most need to burn fat and lose weight, who repeatedly get some of the worst advice possible.

There are usually two extremes:

One is the “Biggest Loser” – if you aren’t vomiting, sprinting, doing 6 hrs of cardio, and a crazy amount of plyometrics (high impact jumping exercises) all in an effort to atone for the shame of your weight then you aren’t working hard enough. Yeah because that’s healthy and won’t lead to joint damage or injuries.

Alternatively, you will also read recommendations just encouraging base movement like walking 30min per day, doing light cardio on machines, or water aerobics. While doing a sensible amount of cardio sounds wise (it does fall into that category of crowd approved conventional wisdom) – I would like to recommend against it.

Many people fail to understand that 1) This method is not efficient for burning fat but somehow get it into their heads that this is the only thing they are capable of, or the only way to burn fat – not true! 2) You are at risk for repetitive stress injury – yes I am serious.

Lengthy cardio sessions, no matter how light will result in your repeating the same motions over and over. This can still put a lot of stress on your joints. Even walking everyday at lunch can lead to joint and foot pain, sometimes even injuries or pain that force you to stop exercising altogether. Never mind that this kind of exercise does not burn significant calories per time invested nor significantly boost your metabolism.

Many overweight people will naturally gravitate to the pool for swimming or water workouts to avoid this very problem. (In my opinion this is double crazy as this also requires going out in public wearing a swimsuit which I prefer to avoid period…) However, this is not necessarily effective as it is almost 100% guaranteed that you will go into the pool and bob around for a while in the water or gently do a couple laps and then months later conclude that “fat people cannot lose weight by swimming” because you didn’t lose any weight. Just to repeat, this kind of workout will not burn a lot of calories, fat, or boost your resting metabolism.

Now, I am not a fan of water aerobics, and I am going to suggest what I think you should do instead because its just plain better – but I know a lot of you would probably like to stay in the pool anyways. So let me suggest the best possible investment of your time -

Do intervals while in the pool

Intervals are not just for fit skinny athletes.

How?

Get in the water and grab the side of the pool and kick your legs as hard as you can for anywhere from 20 seconds (less if you cannot do 20) to a minute and then rest for a couple minutes (moving around gently) and repeat for a predetermined amount of time (5 -20minutes.)

If you can only manage twenty seconds (or less) of serious kicking, each time you go to the pool I want you to aim to add a couple seconds until you are at 45 seconds to a minute.

If you can only do 5 minutes or less the first session, the next time aim for six and keep adding time until you are at 20min.

If you spent 3 minutes (or more) resting between work periods, aim to reduce this by a few seconds every week as well until you are in the 1-2 minute range.

Note: You could do this on a stationary bike as well. Even if you can onyl pedal hard for 12 seconds and then rest for 48 seconds (or more if you have to) and start over, you are doing a great job.

Continually working for improvement is the ONLY way to see changes in your body. You cannot just zone out and hope for the best.

Once you feel more confident, I recommend you move on to -

Burn Fat Workout That You SHOULD Be Doing

You should life weights plain and simple. And I do not mean 1-3lb dumbbells. I also do not mean a halfhearted attempt to do a single circuit on some weight machines.

I mean doing as few as six simple exercises, using free weights, and using a weight that is heavy enough that you can only do each exercise 8-12 times before taking a break.

Why?

Lifting weights burns the most calories in the least amount of time (even as little as 30min can make a huge difference! And never more than a hour and this is only if you are doing a slow pace with lots of resting.)

Lifting weights causes your body to burn more calories (and fat) for up to 18hrs after you stopped exercising.

Lifting weights can be done in the privacy of your own home with only a modest investment in equipment. (You can get tons of weights and supporting equipment for so much less than the cost of even a cheap stationary bike or treadmill.)

Lifting weights increases your strength and will make moving and getting around easier.

But I know you think -

“I am already too big! I don’t want to get bigger!”

If you begin a good quality weight lifting program either on your own, or with the help of a personal trainer, you won’t – PROVIDED you do not increase the amount you are eating (this assumes your weight has held steady for a period of time. If you are slowly gaining, I recommend cutting back a little.)

How to Get Started

I recommend two very good and very inexpensive books:

The New Rules of Lifting: Six Basic Moves for Maximum Muscle, by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove

The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess, by Lou Schuler, Cassandra Forsythe, and Alwyn Cosgrove.

Choose one of the above. Women do not NEED to book intended for women as a lot of it is marketing spin…but you can if you want. Do not deviate from these choices as these plans are good, based in science, and they work. Don’t over-complicate what you need to do and don’t try to pick something insanely difficult. Keep it simple.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help to get started. Personal trainers can be more affordable than you think and many would be really happy to help you either at your home or at a local gym. You can schedule sessions to discuss how to do the exercises as you need help. (Personally I have had a LOT of success learning how to do new exercises by doing searches on youtube.com.)

And then:

The Body Fat Solution: Five Principles for Burning Fat, Building Lean Muscles, Ending Emotional Eating, and Maintaining Your Perfect Weight, by Tom Venuto. (You could also go with Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle if you’d rather.)

Just look at what people are saying:

“I’m a fifty year-old guy who’s long been more into cardio workouts than weights. Sure, I might do a half-hearted circuit on machines after jumping off a treadmill, but like many folks, I thought cardio workouts were tantamount to “real” exercise. Then I happened upon this book. It struck a chord with me, and I decided that free-weight training was in my future…

…I’m now finishing the four-week Break-in program. I’m still not using much weight for the squats, but I’ve graduated from the empty bar, and I’m completing all of the reps. Instead of staggering out of the gym trying not to vomit, I’m doing Cosgroves’s “Afterburn” program on cardio machines to top off my workout. I’m glad I’ve stuck with it, especially when I run up hills and notice that my heart rate is lower than before I began the program. It never occurred to me that free-weight training would benefit my cardio activities….

…My lack of experience notwithstanding, I think this is a great book for those who want to break into free-weight training, with a caveat or two. Looking back, I wish I’d started my program with a couple of weeks of body weight exercises….If I’d discovered that advice in time, it might have saved me from a week of moving around like a hobbled, worn-out old gelding….

…Also, rank beginners such as I might consider using the services of a personal trainer when learning the squat and deadlift, or at least ask the advice of an experienced lifter…

…So, I heartily recommend this book, given those qualifications. Schuler has a relaxed writing style I found effective and enjoyable, and Alwyn Cosgrove appears to be one of the most qualified and respected trainers out there. I’ve lost 11 pounds in the last month, with only minor changes in diet. That’s quite heartening: at fifty, I’ve found cardio workouts are no longer the magic bullet for weight loss that they were in younger years…”

Click here to check out more reviews of “The New Rules of Lifting.”

This review is from: The Body Fat Solution: Five Principles for Burning Fat, Building Lean Muscles, Ending Emotional Eating, and Maintaining Your Perfect Weight (Hardcover)

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