The Strength Training Critic Blog

I have a lot of weight to lose and hear conflicting info as to what helps you burn fat the fastest. Some say cardio, some say weight training. Should I focus more on one than the other?

Do both equally. Cardio does burn a great amount of calories. However, that doesn’t mean weight training is without benefit.

Weight training strengthens and builds muscle (although women don’t get bulky at all unless they’re on steroids).

An added benefit of increased muscle mass is increased metabolism which burns fat even faster, meaning weight is lost faster.

Doing a combination of both cardio & weight training will give the best results.

I’ve been training for about 3 months now and I have lost about 2.5% body fat but I am curious about what are some good excersizes/machines/intensitys on certain machines to burn fat.

Also any stretches for post workout?

its good to stretch before and after a workout…before is critical to prevent injury especially as you age….good cardio exercises include: running, walking, jogging,,hiking, the eliptical, the stationary bike(and regular bike) and swimming..lifting weights also helps you burn fat but cardio is probably your best bet…but be sure to do a combination of both…a good stretch that most people dont do is called the seal stretch..it stretches the lower back..the abdominal rectus.. and the seratus….its improves posture too….make sure you do stretches correctly..they are not meant to put you in pain….and also dont move fast when stretching..you could really do damage to your muscle spindles…. much luck with reaching your goals

I’m 15. I wanna get a six pack but I need to burn off the fat (I can feel my muscles when I do crunches).
I want to get them by the end of this summer (three months) and I run twice a week, 4 miles (two miles under 20 twenty minutes).
I have some fat and love handles but I have toned legs and thighs and I weigh like 160.
I haven’t drank soda for months and try to eat healthy and drink medium amounts of water.
I cannot diet well because my parents don’t listen and mostly buy only junk food.
I have a busy schedule.

Here’s my Weight Loss Program through Body Building and Nutrition. It works!
If you want to lose weight, Don’t Use Diet Pills. 
They are bad for you. Most of them are just a scam or they are addictive. Counting calories is a pain in the butt.  It will drive you nuts. But, losing weight is simple. You just have to do the right things. 
 Fad diets sometimes work but, you can be sure that at least 25% of the weight you lose will be muscle. Then when you stop the diet you will gain back all of the weight you lost but no muscle. So, you will have 25% more fat than you did before! Fad diets just
aren’t worth the bother. 
 Fasting or skipping meals will teach your body that famine is about to happen and your body will begin to store more fat to get you through the next period when food is not available. 
 Here’s a simple trick that can help you lose weight without doing anything else. Drink a litre of water as soon as you wake up in the morning and then drink two more throughout the day. You’ll notice a difference the first month. 
 Here’s a better way. For every pound of muscle that you add your body will burn 3000 calories (1lb) of fat every day. That means that just by having an extra pound of muscle on your body you will burn a pound of fat every day! So, add muscle! 
 This is the fastest way to add a pound of muscle. Squats and Pushups! You do them on alternate days; squats one day, pushups the next. And you do them SuperSlow style. That is, you do the easy part twice as slow as the hard part. That way you fatigue the muscles quickly. Then you rest the muscles for 48
hours which gives the body a chance to make new muscles.
Squats should be done with a wide stance and all the way to the floor. Pushups the with palms shoulder width apart and all the way to the floor, then all the way up. Use the full range of motion of the muscle group you are trying to develop.
The idea is to tire the muscles out completely so do a set of squats until you can’t do another, then rest for a couple of minutes and do it again. Do that 3 times and you’re done for the day. The following day, don’t do squats but do pushups. Do them the same way,
go down twice as slow as you come up.
You will lose weight fast, unless you add more junk food and fat to your diet. Instead, eat at least 5 to 7 different raw vegetables and fruits every day. Cut out anything that comes in a bag or package. Cut out all processed foods, soft drinks and sweets. Eat more grains and less red meat. Check out the Food Pyramid.
If you really want to give your body the best
possible chance to be healthy and fat free, go to infinity2.com and order their weight loss formula and Essentials for Life. That will give you all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and probiotics that your body needs and will keep you feeling better and healthier. They also have a Proteabolic Mass Formula for serious athlete who want to build muscle mass quickly and safely. 
 Weight loss without exercise is not good. You need to eat healthy, exercise and get your rest. You will feel better, look better and be healthier. Try it for a week. You will notice a difference. You will feel better and that will motivate you to continue. 
 Losing weight only in specific areas of the body is impossible.  You can’t just lose weight around the belly, for instance. 
 If you want tight, rippled abs, do crunches and leg raises every other day the way I described above. 
Good luck!
Cheeck these links:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index_e.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_guide_pyramid
http://www.infinity2.com Sponsor ID 3290988

I’m 25, good health, but I do have asthma. Not very bad. I weigh 202 pounds. Lean not fat. I do have a little fat but I’m mostly lean. I want to get down to 145. How many calories do I burn? Why is it good for your heart to beat fast or get to a certain level? I really need a little schooling on this. Thanks. Oh, after I eat, how long do I wait to exercise and hoe long do I walk on the threadmill?

after eating wait about 30 minutes to an hour or more if you feel you have to. walk on the treadmill about 30 minutes each day, plenty of water(water makes u feel less hungry), and stretchs before you jog or walk,(jog or walk for about 20 to 30 minutes).split your day up into six small meals eating lots of fruits and vegetables(carrots, broccoli, tomatoes,zucchini.) try making light soups with alot of veggies and seasoned water. hope this helps(p.s. let me know how this worked out, email me at redtulips@hotmail.com thnxx

I want to slim my legs down and one of my biggest target areas is my inner thighs. I don’t want to build anymore leg muscle, I just want to burn the fat. Any suggestions?

Running,swimming,thigh master and the thigh machine at the local gym. If none of that interests you,do this-sit in a chair,place your hands on outer thigh sides then open your legs while closing you hands for a count of 10 to 15,repetitions 10-15(outer thigh).For the inner thigh-place your hands just inside your knees(palms flat),close your legs while pushing out with your hands,same reps and count as above. i like these because they are portable. i do them at home,on the bus, trolley, and in the car.Peace.

I want to lose about 10 lbs.
I’ve started eating healthier. I jog for about 20 mins. couple times a week.

I want to know what kind of workouts are there to burn fat?
Videos, instruction sites would be great.

Thanks everyone.

jogging is the best, everyday, try to jog just a little further/longer…

One thing that works for me is: before I eat, I drink a large glass of water, then if I’m still hungry, I won’t eat as much as I would have.

It’s better to eat 5-6 small meals than 2 or 3 regular meals each day.

also, fyi:

1 pound = 3500 calories.

If you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight.

ie, if you eat 2000 calories per day and burn 2500, you will lose 1 pound every week.

the average person burns 1000-1500 calories per day, just being alive.

power walking can burn 200-500 calories per hour.
exercise bike can burn 200-600 calories per hour.
swimming can burn 100-800 calories per hour.
jogging/running can burn 300-1200 calories per hour.

Also, try not to eat within 3-4 hours of going to sleep.

*********VERY IMPORTANT************

when trying to lose weight, very important to drink lots and lots of water ! ! !
You should drink at least 10 glasses per day, like 1 glass every hour !

This helps your body get rid of the fat when you are burning calories.

Haha I’m trying to burn the fat on my stomach so I can have like a six pack going on and my thighs so that they’ll be slimmer, any tips of diet, and good exercises? Thanks!

Hi,
This is the most common problem to many of us.

Follow The Tips to burn your fat quickly and safely:

Drink more water day along.

Do not go to bed immediately after your dinner.

Try separating your meals into 5-6 smaller means per day, instead of 3 large meals.

Lose the fat, keep the muscle

Have you noticed how some people look frail and formless after they lose weight? That’s because they lost muscle along with the fat. Your muscles wear out every time you exercise, and they need time to rebuild and repair torn tissues. Increase your muscle mass by eating protein-rich foods such as fish, lean meat, eggs, and legumes. The more muscle you have, the faster you can burn fat.

Find an exercise you enjoy and do more of it. If you like to ride bikes go several times a week. If you enjoy hiking get away as much as you can. Join a square dancing club. Take a second job that requires physical work. You could make extra money and burn fat at the same time.

I recommend you to explore more at http://www.squidoo.com/burnfat-feedmuscle-sixpacks

I am a 21 year old female, I am 5′7" and weigh 160 lbs. My legs are lean and in good shape, but my only problem is I do not know how to target the area between my thighs at the very top of my legs – the part where my thighs touch each other. What are good exercises to burn fat in this problem area? Or will the fat in this area shrink away with general aerobic workouts? Thanks!

Use a stepping machine at the gym – or buy one for use at home.

How do i burn the fat on my stomach to make my abs show but not lose potential muscle mass or fat in other places? If this is possible is it ok to do it the days after you weight train?

Since we cant spot reduce body fat the only way to get rid of fat in any specific areas is by lowering your body fat percentage which you achieve by healthy diet and exercise.
To not lose muscle never go over 60min doing cardio – do it 4-6 times a week for average of 45min
the best thing is to do cardio after weight training – you are full of energy to lift weights and can spend all thats left doing cardio
Diet is actually 80% of fat loss so you have to watch what you eat and count calories -once you get used to certain amount you wont have to count anymore -your body will feel it naturally
find daily calorie intake calculator on the net, enter all your stats and it will tell you how many calories you need a day to maintain, take off 300-400cal off that number and thats how much you need to lose.
eat 5-6 small meals a day (eat every 2-3 hours – it optimizes your metabolism)
5-8 servings of fruit and veggies a day
8 glasses of water
have complex carbs for breakfast – they give you energy
have protein (lean meat, legumes etc) for dinner – repairs muscle
dont consume foods that are made of white flour (white bread, cakes, pasta etc.), sugar loaded foods (cookies, icecream, candy etc) and nothing fried, oily.
ofcourse you can spoil yourself once in a while with a little treat:)

I’ve been running on the elliptical lately, and I feel that my legs are getting bulkier. I just want to get rid of some fat on my legs without gaining any muscle. I’ve been running on it for 30 min (around 7-8 miles) each day
Is there another way I can burn fat without gaining any muscle?

hmm, 30 min for 7-8 miles is a pace of about 4 min/mile. congratulations youve set a world record. now lets be realistic, your legs havent gotten bigger. you just think they have because perhaps they feel tired/overworked. your legs are going to change but its suppose to happen. if you want to eventually burn fat on the elliptical then your body needs to adapt to the new working environment in order to maximize its performance. that envolves reshaping the leg muscles by taking out some muscular fibers and adding in others designed for performing on ellipticals.

look at the worlds most elite runners. NONE have what would could be considered bulky legs. bulkiness comes from competitive weight lifters not people that run at your pace on ellipticals. and i dont mean your world record pace, im of course referring to the pace you actually run which is drastically slower than what you say.