So You Want to Burn Fat- Slow & Steady Does It

by jbefitblog

Your goal is to burn fat, right?.. It doesn’t have to be so hard or intense. Steady-State Cardio improves heart function,  recovery and burns fat.

Since Steady-State Cardio (SSC) does not place a large demand on your body it can be done everyday and used as a recovery tool from your intense weight training or HIIT routine.

SSC will help you RECOVER faster by improving blood flow to the trained muscles without placing an additional load on the body.

SSC is also optimal to specifically train the heart and IMPROVE HEART FUNCTION by increasing your cardiovascular endurance.  Over time your lung capacity will increase causing your heart rate to drop both at rest and during exercise.

Yes HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) burns calories, improves high level conditioning and does burn fat, but slowing down allows your body to draw more of its energy from fat stores.

Body fat burns off best at a lower intensity level.  The body uses oxygen to help draw on and break down fat stores. This is your aerobic zone.  Once you increase your intensity you have entered the anaerobic zone, (without oxygen) and your body will burn more sugars for fuel and become inefficient at burning fat, which is your goal, right?

So generally what you want to do is keep your heart rate at around 120 beats per minute.  The best way to monitor this is by using a heart rate monitor. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, a simple one will do.

Keep your slow sessions between 30-45 minutes in length or two 15-30 minute sessions a day.

I’ve listed a couple below. You can click on picture to purchase your own.

Here’s the one I use (I don’t particularly care to wear a chest strap)

 

Here’s another option with a chest strap for about $40:

 

Go as simple or as fancy as you like. Just pick the one the best suits you and your budget.

Old Fashioned Steady-State Cardio still has its place in the heart.

GO for Life! ™contact

In peace, health & with much love,

Joycelyn Bejar
Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

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