6 Things NOT To Do To Burn Fat

1.   Long Workouts. 

You may think that exercise is cumulative so that the longer I workout, the better my results will be.  NOT TRUE.  You  know the definition of insanity.  If you are  spending hours and hours at the gym and are not seeing results, you are going to have to do something different.  Longer workouts do NOT equal better or faster results. If you've been slaving away at the gym and your body isn't visibly changing, you can't do more of the same thing and expect a different result.  

 

The fact of the matter is that if you want a low fat, athletic body, you need to use an often ignored technique to get on the fast track to fast loss.   That is interval training; short bursts of high intensity exercise followed by periods of low intensity exercise or rest.

 

2. Performing traditional isolation weight lifting.

 

First of all your body is a composite machine in which groups of muscles work in conjunction and cooperation with each other.  In addition to a tricep pushdown or a preacher curl being an impractical motion, in as much as the arm bends only at the elbow,  these exercises don't enlist enough muscle to use enough calories to burn fat.  I'll illustrate both points.  Sit at your kichen table.  Now try to take a drink out of a coffee cup by doing a bicep curl without using your wrist or your shoulder.  Can't do it, right?  Impractical.  Next, answer this question.  If you wanted to use as much energy as possible and build as much muscle as possible, what would you do, preacher curls, or pullups.  That's right; pull ups woud use more muscle groups, build more muscle and burn more calories by developing both your back and your biceps, faster!

 

2.  Using Machines. 

Exercises that use natural body motions and that use multiple muscle groups raise your metabolism and sculpt your whole body.

Machines are expensive and they look good but lets face it, you were not made to move like a machine.  You neither move in an perfectly straight line nor do you move in a perfectly circular arc.  Heck your two arms are not exactly the same length!  A machine makes your range of motion it's range of motion whether or not it is comfortable for you.  They limit the amount of muscles recruited to exercise, which limits the amount of fat burned, which limits the amount of definition.  The restrictive motions put undue stress on your joints.  

 

3.  Long Steady-State Cardio

You and I both know that cardio burns fat.  But you will get minimal results from jogging for miles daily or hours on an exercise bike, elliptical trainer or a treadmill.  You will also get overuse injuries from performing hours of repetitive motion.   Interval training and circuit training will get you incredible results in half the time of traditional, steady-state cardio, without nagging overuse injuries.

4.  Sit Ups and Crunches.

There is a key to getting six pack abs and it is NOT sit ups or crunches.  The key to washboard abs is to get rid of the fat that's covering them, while stimulating your 6 abdominal muscles with natural motions that your body uses in the course of household and sport activities.  This will sculpt your abs.  Sit-ups and crunches do not burn any fat and they do NOTHING to carve your abs.  In fact they are actually bad for your back and neck.

5. Not changing your workout routine.

I went to Kuwait for a year in 2006.  When we landed it was 112 degrees at 2 AM.  Often the daytime high was over 120 degrees with a heat index of 150 degrees when you factored in the humidity.  One day half way through the tour, I was walking across the compound commenting on the pleasant weather.  A Navy corpsman directed me to a nearby thermometer.  The temperature was 105!  I had adapted!

My point is that your body was designed to take a lot of physical punishment by adapting to it quickly.  When your body adapts to your workout routines, your progress will come to a screeching halt.  You will need to switch workout routines every few weeks so that your body will never get a chance to adapt.  I understand that we human beings are creatures of habit who like routine but mark my words if you stick to the same workouts, your body will adapt and your results will STOP!

Get your free workout routine for fast weight loss at http://turbulencetraining4u.com 

Clint Grimes, is a retired US Navy commander. He is certified by the California Interscholastic Federation and is currently the strength and conditioning coach for the boys soccer teams at El Toro High School in Lake Forest, CA. 

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