Increasing Metabolism to Lose Weight

The best way to lose body fat is to focus yourself on high intensity workouts.  This helps to increase your metabolism.  Resistance training and interval training are the best types of high intensity workouts.

Resistance training refers to any training that uses a resistance to the force of muscular contraction.  It's also known as strength training.  Including resistance training regularly (2-3 times a week) will strengthen and tone your muscles.  That requires exercising with something that is going to provide enough resistance and requires effort.  If you can lift is easily, add more weight.  Don't try to be Heman or Wonderwoman on your first day out either.  Lifting more than you can handle can lead to muscle strain, pulling, and tearing.  Start light and work up to find a good weight that will provide resistance but won't kill you.  2-3 sets of 12-15 reps (repetitions) are normally what you want to go for.  DO NOT CONFUSE THIS WITH BODY BUILDING!  It's not the same.  Anyway...the after burn and healing of the stretched muscles after the workout is complete are what allow you to keep burning calories during the day.

Interval training is defined as a type of physical training that involves bursts of high intensity workouts alternated with periods of rest or low activity.  Interval training burns a significant number of calories after you are done training leading to more fat loss.  Cycling, running, and rowing can all be done in intervals.  Incline walking (walking uphill) can also be done the same way.  For example, running:  run a certain distance at a fast pace, follow it by walking, then jogging, then walking, then running again all for a specified distance.  Most runners choose distance over an amount of time.  Interval training is a favorite of coaches because it helps strengthen the heart.  It also increases longevity.  There are many variations of interval training.  Don't be afraid to look them up.

I hope this entry has been as helpful for others as the information has been for me.  I learned a great deal of it from Bryan.  He does a lot of research to help my workout efforts to be more effective.  I'm grateful for him :)