Losing weight is great. Burning fat is even better. The number on the scale gives you a great idea of what is happening in your body, but how do you know whether you have lost more fat than muscle?
Everything you do during your workout has some effect on whether you burn fat, muscle, or both. Your ultimate goal is to maximize fat loss, while minimizing muscle loss.
While it’s impossible to completely avoid some muscle loss when you lose weight, there are some really great strategies to minimize it, and burn as much fat as possible.
Let’s talk about five of the best ways to do it.
Limit Your Carbs
Your body gets most of its energy from carbs and fats (protein offers a little, but not as much). Carbs are a much easier and efficient energy burn, so your body will go after that first, then the fat.
One strategy is to limit your carbs severely and your body will have no choice but to use fat for energy. Yes, your workout will suck and you’ll be very tired.
Another less taxing option is to stay in the “fat burning zone”
Your body takes from different energy stores based on the intensity and length of the workout. Less intense cardio actually relies more on fat for energy than carbs.
Basically, when you’re running pretty fast or doing more intense cardio, your body burns more carbs and when you’re doing something less intense, it burns more fat.
For most of us, the point on a treadmill or elliptical where we can still have a comfortable conversation, but get a little tired, is likely the fat burning zone. The point in our cardio where we will be exhausted at the end and can only manage inaudible grunts is the carb burning zone.
If you’re a more intense exerciser, it will be hard to scale yourself back to the fat burning zone and feel like you had a good workout, but you can assure yourself that you’re burning fat more efficiently.
This is a controversial topic because you burn more calories with more intense exercise so it’s usually better for you in the long run. Also this fat burning zone situation sounds sooo counter intuitive. However, scientifically the fat burning zone has been proven to exist.
So, why not give it a try?
Here’s the typical chart you see on a piece of cardio equipment. Take it with a grain of salt, but there is some truth to the fat burning vs. cardio zone.
Build muscle through strength training to burn fat
A huge key to less fat is more muscle. If you were to do nothing but cardio, and you lose weight, you’re going to lose a lot of muscle along with the weight.
For some people this isn’t a major issue. Skinny fat is still skinny (not the best way to look at it, but it’s an option). However, it’s a harder road to travel since you have to rely on losing weight alone to see results, opposed to using your natural muscle to help define your shape.
Also it will make maintaining the lower weight difficult because when you’re not doing cardio you’re not burning calories. Over time you’ll have to do more cardio just to maintain since the body is adaptive.
Your metabolism won’t be as high at rest and it will be harder to lose weight down the road.
There’s also a flabby factor.
Lesson here: strength train and make your life and body a whole lot better.
It’s been proven building lean muscle burns more calories at rest after the workout.
Add strength training to your cardio routine, and you can lose little to no muscle as you lose weight. (If you actually want to gain muscle, that’s a bit of a different goal, as it’s hard to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time).
Add a simple strength training routine to your cardio and target fat loss as opposed to muscle loss. I really like this beginner’s guide from Bodybuilding.com.
Do HIIT workouts and coast on EPOC to burn fat
Crazy acronyms there – I’ll explain. If you’re not familiar with High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), you definitely want to be.
HIIT workouts are quick workouts – typically anywhere from 5 – 30 minutes that alternate between high and medium intensity exercises. The main difference between HIIT and steady state cardio is that the exercises are typically more intense (which is why the workouts are shorter) and you don’t typically do the same exercises during the entire workout.
For example, a one-minute run during traditional cardio might be a 30 second sprint, then a 15 second jog, and 15 second walk during HIIT.
Research has found that HIIT workouts have led to 2% higher loss in body fat in test subjects when compared to steady state cardio. Part of this fat loss is a result of excess post-oxygen consumption (EPOC).
This basically means that your body continues to breathe in more oxygen and work harder even after the workout, so you burn more calories. That’s like a free calorie burn.
You may as well take it, so add some HIIT to your exercise routine.
Do something drastically different
If you think about the role of the fat in your body, the purpose is to provide an energy reserve when we need it. Your body stores it for a rainy day.
It’s typically not the immediate form of energy, and it’s not always needed, which is why it’s stored. Think of anything that you tap into on an irregular basis: an emergency fund, a favor from someone you don’t approach often, canned goods that you keep in the pantry.
The only way these things are going to get tapped is if something unique (and often unplanned) happens. Fat stores are no different. If they wanted to move simply because you had a good workout or skipped a meal, they would have done it by now.
Who knows exactly what they’re thinking, but we know we have to change something to get that fat out of there!
Try eliminating dairy for a month. Try going gluten free. Do a group fitness class that you would hardly ever do. Sleep for a full 8 hours at night.
Try one or more of the things I mentioned earlier in this post. The possibilities are endless so no need to overthink this one.
Try something different for 30 days and you can really land on a goldmine for burning the fat in your body.
Guest blogger: Markita Staples is the author of this article. She is a certified personal trainer, nutritionist and an awesome blogger over at Sweshfit.
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27 Replies to "How To Burn More Fat Before, During and After Your Workout"
Hannah
Twitter: littlemrshurley
January 15, 2015 (1:30 am)
This is great! Especially for those just entering the world of fitness.
Markita
Twitter: sweshfit
January 16, 2015 (8:14 pm)
Best of luck on your journey girl!
o
Deborah
Twitter: deborahbrooks14
January 15, 2015 (7:21 am)
Informative-great post. I try to mix up my workouts and stay in diff zones. Spin class is a great way to do this as well for me bc my heart rate is up and down.
o
Markita
Twitter: sweshfit
January 16, 2015 (8:13 pm)
Yep variety is the best way to do it…you burn everything that way!
o
Earl-Leigh
Twitter: EarlLeighDesign
January 15, 2015 (8:42 am)
Great post! I’ve seen incredible changes in my physique after incorporating yoga.
o
Markita
Twitter: sweshfit
January 16, 2015 (8:14 pm)
I did too! I havent done yoga in a while due to a wrist injury but I’m eager to get back for both the results and calmness I get from it.
o
Annmarie
Twitter: fitfoodiemama
January 15, 2015 (11:42 am)
Really great post! I am always mixing up my workouts and trying to challenge myself in new ways!
o
Markita
Twitter: sweshfit
January 16, 2015 (8:16 pm)
That’s perfect that you’re not afraid to mix it up.
o
Alaina Bullock January 15, 2015 (11:56 am)
What great tips! I am just getting started working out again, and will definitely be putting this to use!
Markita
Twitter: sweshfit
January 16, 2015 (8:17 pm)
Good to hear! Stick with it!
o
Susan Maccarelli January 15, 2015 (2:53 pm)
Great tips! I am not a work out expert, but there are a lot of small tips I can take to use in what I do.
o
Markita
Twitter: sweshfit
January 16, 2015 (8:17 pm)
I’m not either…always something new to learn!
o
Cheshire Cat January 15, 2015 (3:34 pm)
Great Ideas to mix it up!
o
Markita
Twitter: sweshfit
January 16, 2015 (8:19 pm)
Hope it helps!
o
Robyn
Twitter: robynkimberly
January 16, 2015 (1:40 am)
Such great tips! Absolutely love these 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
o
Markita
Twitter: sweshfit
January 16, 2015 (8:19 pm)
You’re welcome!
o
Lisa Rios January 16, 2015 (9:37 pm)
Very useful post indeed! You have shared great tips. I always concentrate a lot in my fitness. I love to do workouts and yoga as well. This post would definitely help me. Thanks for sharing.
Pamela :: Still Dating My Spouse
Twitter: datingmyspouse
January 18, 2015 (9:47 pm)
I am so learning all this information about losing weight and burning fat. Thank you for this info
Adam Trainor June 23, 2015 (10:41 am)
This post attracted me to read it. I have known to burn fat burning a workout and after the workout by doing a tabatta class but never known how to burn fat before a workout. If you want to lose weight but still look defined and toned, can you not do toning exercises instead of strength training. I think HIIT is a great way to burn fat during a working because you have the intervals in this workout. Can you diet help to burn fat?
Tracy February 24, 2016 (1:07 am)
This is a great post. 🙂
I have recently started HIIT workouts. The points you explained helped me a lot. Thanks for sharing the post and best of luck in your weight loss journey.
How to burn fat during a workout...and burning it before and after too - SweshFit May 11, 2016 (3:03 am)
[…] a workout…and burning it before and after too (though titled a little differetly!) on the FemmeFitale Fit Club website as a guest blogger. Here it is for you […]
Colby July 7, 2016 (10:24 am)
yes! love it– I always find it misleading(?maybe that’s the wrong word haha!) that more comfortable cardio can be super effective but you are so right!
mubassir kamdar March 9, 2017 (9:37 am)
wonderful advice! Thanks Bro you are going so good
BCAA September 6, 2017 (8:09 am)
Shape that body up with some supplements while you workout.
Kevin Spear June 4, 2018 (4:11 pm)
Hi Diatta,
Nice article, I am going to share it to my wife…
Femme Fitale Fit Club ® Blog5 Reasons Why Women Should Build Lean Muscle - Femme Fitale Fit Club ® Blog August 8, 2018 (12:01 am)
[…] mean you won’t ever have to work out again so don’t confuse the idea. You have to keep your exercise activity in place to keep the rate where it’s at or boost it up. By doing those exercises, you are building up […]
Sandra D Laflamme
Twitter: organicrunmom
March 18, 2019 (12:14 pm)
So many great tips here Diatta. I love HIIT training.