You wouldn’t think your fitness would be contrary to your
doctor’s interest, would you? Look my doctor is a nice enough
fellow. And he does care about my health. There’s a good possibility
you have a good doctor too.
The medical establishment, however, is in the business of
being in business. Simple economics tells you that the more
sick you are, the more money they make. At its best, the medical
establishment aims toward wellness.
For your best health and happiness, there should be a higher
aim. It looks like this:
Illness => Wellness => Fitness
When you’re talking about your health, Wellness is mediocrity.
Fitness is optimum health.
The secrets of fat loss are hidden in the myths of wellness.
Myth #1: Maintaining a steady target heart rate is
ideal for heart health.
Fat Loss Secret: Your heart is most healthy when
it can operate efficiently, and quickly return to resting heart
rate, at many different heart rates.
The best way to do cardio or aerobic activity is to vary the
intensity. After a warm-up period, maintain high intensity
for one minute. Then, dial down the intensity for 2 minutes.
Then alternate for the duration of your cardio routine.
Myth #2: Maintaining a steady target heart rate is
ideal for fat loss.
Fat Loss Secret: The fat loss benefits of
aerobic or cardio activity only last as long as you are exercising.
Once you stop cardio (30, 45, 60 minutes, whenever) your metabolism
stops working to burn fat.
Building muscle is a far more efficient fat loss method. And
you don’t have to gain bodybuilder-type mass to enjoy the benefits.
Bodyweight exercise is an excellent way to build the kind of
functional muscle strength that will raise your metabolism.
A rising metabolism burns fat long after you stop exercising.
You can achieve the variable heart rate benefits by doing supersets
or combo sets.
Myth #3: Lower your calories if you want to lose fat.
Fat Loss Secret: To lose weight, you just
have to burn more calories than you take in. If you increase
your activity level, you can eat more and still lose weight.
If you want to lose fat; build muscle, increase your metabolic
rate, and eat more of the right foods and less of the wrong
ones.
Simply put, focusing on calories alone in not an efficient
way to lose fat.
