Well ... what do you prefer?

What do you think works best? Many people promote CV or Aerobic training as the best way to burn fat as you are normally working in your ‘fat burning’ zone when doing steady state cardio. But is this really the best way to burn fat?!

Cardio is a good way to lose weight and keep fit - anything that gets the heart rate up and gets you sweaty is good!!! But cardio doesn’t do much good for your muscles and having lean muscle mass has many advantages - one being for every three pounds of muscle gained you can expect to burn an extra 120 calories a day without moving a muscle... Sounds good!

This means the more muscle mass you have the faster your metabolism will be. And lean muscle will only be built with resistance training.

High Intensity Resistance Training whether with weights or with your body weight, like High Intensity Interval Training will allow your body to burn fat long after your training has ended.

So make room for HIIT training and some weight training in your weekly workouts.

Ladies.... Word of warning - stay away from the scales.

With this kind of training weight loss may be slower or even rise initially. Muscle is not heavier than fat, it’s denser by volume.

This means 1lb of fat takes up more space than 1lb of muscle. Your body is becoming more efficient at burning fat and you are increasing your lean muscle mass, which means you will look amazing.

There are so many weight and fat loss programmes out there making promises of amazing results.

But remember fat loss comes from a balance of proper nutrition, strength training and cardiovascular training.

We have found that short bouts of High Intensity Interval training coupled with strength training a few days is the best way to burn fat and gain muscle mass. And it doesn’t take over your life.

Remember not to forget your nutrients - lean protein, healthy fats and well timed carbohydrates including plenty of fruit and vegetables.

So get in the gym ladies and lift some weights. If you’re not sure then a personal trainer is the best option as they will guide you and help you.

Each type of exercise has its own perk and benefits and we are by no means saying just lift weights. Lifting weights is not for everybody. But if you want that body you have always sought after then lifting even your own weight will go a long way to helping achieve those goals. Also on the plus side you can squeeze in a 30 minute weights session or 15 minutes of HIIT training whenever you are free and better still, you can do it outdoors or from the comfort of your own home.

Here is a little circuit that involves lifting your own weight and increasing the heart rate enough to get the fat burning and, done regularly, you’ll see your body shape change in front of your eyes. It should take no longer than around 10 minutes a day Superset 1 - Squat Jumps / Press Ups x10 of each done back to back (3 times) Superset 2 - Lunge Jumps / Mountain Climbers x10 of each done back to back (three times) Superset 3 – Burpees / Stair or couch dips x10 of each done back to back (three times) Do each superset three times through with no rest between exercises and have 60 seconds rest between. Remember to always warm up before your workout and stretch after your session holding each stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds Our classes are all built around the concept of HIIT training and lifting so if you’d like to gain more experience in the gym or in a group environment with two motivated instructors to help you, then take a look at our timetable and feel free to get in touch for more information