When attempting to lose fat, there are many factors that come into play in how it will be achieved. Factors such as your protein intake, your daily maintenance calories and the quality of the food you eat. However there is one factor that is CRUCIAL to losing fat on the caloric deficit.
That is cardio.
Cardio, short for cardiovascular is a term referencing exercises that keep an elevated heart rate over a prolonged period of time. It is called cardio because the term "cardiovascular" references the heart, and cardio is a type of exercise that specifically works out the heart by making sure it is pumping blood at an above average pace.
The reason why cardio is so important for losing fat, is the fact that it burns SO MANY CALORIES. Cardio exercises tend to burn calories the fastest compared to other means of exercises such as yoga or strength training. Making sure you stay under your daily maintenance calories (caloric deficit) is the basis of losing fat, you can not lose fat unless you are in a caloric deficit.
Cardio helps you achieve this is by burning calories. Burning calories allows you to eat more in a caloric deficit or will help you reach your daily goals of ending it in a caloric deficit. There are also other benefits of cardio such as boosting your metabolism (which will allow your body to break down food easier which will make you lose fat faster), keeping a healthy heart and will increase your cardiovascular endurance.
Anyway, let's dive into what I think are the top 3 most effective cardio exercises that will help you burn fat, these exercises all have their own unique benefits such as how fast you can burn calories, their versatility for an exercise and how great they can hold muscle.
Running/Jogging
Running, an exercises that we all have probably done in our lives. Whether it was playing at the playground, playing a sport, running late to work or even simply going out for a run.
The reason why running is so efficient at burning fat is because it keeps your heart rate elevated for a REALLY long time, this will make sure your body is burning a lot of calories as your body will need an energy source to make up for the high paced activity it is doing.
Versatility
Running is very versatile, you do not need any special equipment or a special location to do it. You can do it everywhere! You can walk out your front door and go for a run RIGHT NOW if you want to.
It is important that you pace yourself to make sure your body does not get tired too easily, it is not a good idea to do a full sprint as soon as you start your run. Try to keep some sort of jogging pace throughout your run to prevent early fatigue and to make sure you can burn calories over a longer period of time.
If you regularly go on runs, I can assure you that as long as you track your food, eat healthy and are consistent with workouts, you WILL lose fat. It's that simple. Running will exponentially boost your metabolism thus allowing your body to break down food easier and making it harder to gain a lot of bad weight.
Stair-Master/Stair-Climbing
This exercise involves the use of climbing stairs at a slower pace, although it may seem at little boring (because it is), it is INCREDIBLE for burning fat and calories.
I have been using the stair-master machine at my gym for the past month and every single time I go on the machine, I am sweating LIKE A PIG! It is incredible to burn fat as your body will stay at a high heart rate even if you are going at a moderate pace.
The only issue is that you would need a stair master machine, or you would have to go to a public area where there are a lot of stairs for you to climb without bothering anyone in your surroundings.
This exercise will also hold muscle because your are activating your quad muscles a lot in order for you to keep climbing the stairs. By using large muscles in your body as a basis of the cardio exercises, you allow your body to get muscular activation as well as for you to lose less muscle while being in a caloric deficit.
Swimming
By far my favourite (and most fun) cardio, swimming. I LOVE swimming, it is genuinely one of the most activities that I enjoy. Also, it is INCREDIBLE cardio, you are constantly moving your body and forcing it to press against the resistance of the water. This process allows your body to burn a lot of calories.
Every time I go swimming I find my heart rate is always elevated. It is proven that swimming is one of the best recreational activities that burn a LOT of calories. The average person goes swimming for at least over an hour, so there is always a high amount of calories being burnt when swimming. This is why we are always SUPER tired and hungry after going swimming.
Resistance Training Aspect
It is harder to move underwater due to the resistance water has, this makes swimming also one of the best ways to keep muscle mass when in a caloric deficit. Since your body is constantly fighting against the resistance of the water, your muscles get activated.
With the increased muscle activation, swimming is by far a great exercise for people who like to grow their muscles.
The only downside to swimming is that you need either your own pool, or a public area to go swimming. But I can assure your that taking the hassle to find a place to swim is WORTH IT for the enjoyment AND the benefits.
Cycling
Most people reading this can ride a bike. And if you can't, then that is completely okay because it is really easy to learn. It is a great way to burn calories fast and to be able to travel decent distances in the matter of minutes.
Do you remember taking your bike to go on a cruise with your friends? I bet you have, even if it was a long time ago I bet it was a great memory.
Cycling is a fun way to burn some calories and a great way to travel. Many people bike to work, school or home. It is an exercise that many people are familiar with. But did I tell you how great it is to build muscle as well?
Quad Development
If you look up pictures of professional cyclers, you will find one thing in common with all of them, and that is that have incredibly MUSCULAR quads. This is no coincidence as cycling is also a great quad exercise as constantly pedalling (especially up a hill) will activate your quad muscles.
The only thing you need to go cycling, is a bike. And that is about it!
Overall, cycling is a fun way to lose fat by burning calories, as well as building some muscular quad muscles!
Overall, these are the best 4 cardio exercises I can give you to help you lose fat on your weight loss journey. These exercises are super simple, effective and versatile. I really hope you can implement these exercises to your daily routine to help you boost your metabolism and to lose fat! These 4 exercises really helped me lose a lot of weight so I high encourage you to implement them in your workout routines.
Thanks for reading!
Just a young man trying to bring fitness to the world!
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