Best way to Burn Fat

Chandi Schwab
Everyone agrees that a healthy lifestyle is the best way to maintain optimal health; there are many factors that attribute to burning fat but here is the plain and simple truth to healthy fat loss.
For many individuals, attaining optimal health means burning fat, where a large percentage of Americans carry some amount of extra fat on their bodies. Traditionally, it has been thought that cardio-aerobic exercise has been the best and fastest way to lose fat, but in recent years, weight training has been emphasized in the fitness field for the integral role it plays in weight loss. Losing fat at a rapid rate requires a multi-faceted approach that involves both eating healthy and exercise.

Caloric Intake

The first thing to consider when you want to find the fastest way to burn fat is (caloric) intake. In order to lose weight (and accordingly, fat), it is necessary to take in less calories than you burn. Although metabolism is a very intricate, complex concept, it is helpful to get a general idea of how many calories you burn just by being alive (that is, the calories the body burns by carrying out internal processes) through calculation of an estimated Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).

This can be calculated by taking your weight, then multiplying it by 11 for women and 12 for men to get A. Then, multiply this number, “A” by 0.02 - this number will be called “B”. For every ten years of age above age 20, subtract number “B” from number “A”. Then multiply this number by 1.10 to get the number of calories required to maintain basic life functions. An example of the mathematics follows:

Example: A 50 year old male who weighs 165 pounds.
165 X 12 = 1980
1980 = A
1980 X 0.02 = 39.6
39.6 = B

50 years old is 30 years older than 20, so B should be subtracted from A three times
1980 – 39.6 = 1940.4
1940.4 – 39.6 = 1900.8
1900.8 – 39.6 =1861.2
Then, this number is multiplied by 1.10
1861.2 X 1.10 = 2047.32

Of course, there are other factors involved in how many calories an individual burns, such as individual genetic components and lifestyle / activity level, but this formula can yield a general figure to work with in terms of figuring out one’s caloric needs.

Cardiovascular Exercise
(exercise that targets an increased heart rate) is the best way to burn calories - some examples of cardiovascular exercise are running, jogging, or walking (depending upon one’s fitness level), aerobics, fast dancing, or biking. The goal of this type of exercise is not only to improve one’s fitness, but to burn more calories and speed up the process of fat loss.

Weight Training
Increasing attention has been paid to the role of muscle tone in fat loss. In the past, those trying to burn fat quickly were told that the best route was cardiovascular exercise. Although this is true, exercise that targets the building of muscles is also important in the fastest way to burn fat, and in fat loss in general.

Not only does muscular training burn calories, but muscles themselves increase one’s metabolism by using calories - even when a person is at rest. Therefore, muscle training is an important component of fat loss, because it increases the caloric disparity and speeds up the metabolism in a very fundamental manner.

Cross Training
You may be in great shape, for the sort of exercise you do routinely. But if that's all you do, day after day, you may be setting yourself up for injury or mental burnout and that is not a good way to get fit. What can help prevent injury and burnout? Cross training.

The term cross training refers to a training routine that involves several different forms of exercise. While it is necessary for an athlete to train specifically for their sport if they want to excel, for most exercisers cross training is a beneficial training method for maintaining a high level of overall fitness. For example, you may use both biking and swimming each week to improve your overall aerobic capacity, build overall muscle strength and reduce the chance of an overuse injury. Cross training limits the stress that occurs on a specific muscle group because different activities use muscles in slightly different ways.

Conclusion - Fastest Way to Burn Fat

While searching for the fastest way to burn fat and lose weight, you must bear in mind that there is no easy way to burn fat overnight, and if there were, you can be sure that there would be a “catch.”

Healthy but expedient fat loss comes from a balance of healthy eating, cardiovascular exercise, and exercise targeted at building muscle tone. The incorporation of these elements is sure to cause anyone to burn fat quickly. If you have any health risks, be sure to go under the supervision of a healthcare professional. Always keep your active body in mind and do the little active things that will make a huge difference down the road.