It’s pretty overwhelming how many fitness classes, fitness DVDs and workout routines there are out there, right? Most of them sound fun and cool, but how are you meant to know which ones to pair with each other to get the best results?
There is a simple formula that I believe in to get the best results from your workouts: strength training and high intensity interval training. Back in the day I thought cardio was the way to burn off fat because you always hear “cardio, cardio, cardio” all over the media, but while cardio still kept me lean, it never got me lean and toned looking. Once I started incorporating weight training AND combining that with high intensity interval training (through sprints and tabata-style workouts), I got really lean and toned looking.
In order to get that lean and toned look, you need to do a combination of both. if you don’t weight train, then you won’t have the muscle to show through once you lose fat and if you don’t weight train, then you aren’t going to be as metabolically active at rest and your chances of losing fat aren’t as high. HIIT training is a calorie toucher both during and after the workout due to post exercise oxygen consumption, so that is also important in burning more calories and burning off the fat, not muscle.
So, when you’re picking out fitness classes, workouts and DVDs next time, try to make sure you are balancing strength training and HIIT throughout the week.