Friday 30 January 2009

Fat Loss Myths


Fat Loss Myths

With all the television ads, advice from misinformed friends and assumptions there's bound to be a few myths out there. However, some are a lot more commonly believed than you would think. Many people are so desperate to lose weight they will try any outrageous diet or workout tools. Here's our guide to bust those myths and tell you how you should be training.

Myth One - Spot Reduction fat loss


Many people want to loss fat on a specific part of their body, usually the stomach. They think by doing thousands of sit ups and crunches they'll eventually burn off their stomach fat.

This however is not true. Your genetics determine where to store your fat reserves and how much. This means the only way to lose fat in your target area to you reduce your body fat throughout your body by having a good diet and cardiovascular regime.

Myth Two - High Reps to burn fat


With this myth people assume for reps equals more work therefore burning more fat. However, this is not the case. Studies have shown that moderate reps (8 to 12) with a heavy weight will be more effective than higher reps with a lower weight.

Another thing to consider is that building your muscles will increase your metabolism and in turn shed the fat. The most effective way of building muscle is heavy weights with low reps (5-8).

Myth Three - Starving yourself


Not only is this really unhealthy for your body, as your are starving it of it's vital nutrients and minerals that it needs to function properly, but this also a very ineffective way of weight loss. Your body will slow your metabolism right down and will conserve as much fat as possible.

For effective weight loss, eat around 500 calories less than your BMR (basal metabolic rate). Eat lots of protein and try to cut down on carbs. Do cardiovascular exercise at least 3 times a weeks and try HIIT which is the most effective form of cardio for burning fat.

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