Some say low-intensity exercise is best to burn fat, while others say that high-intensity exercise is the best! Both camps are very passionate about their views and argue strongly they are right. Who is right? I will show you, and explain why.

You need to ask the right Question – Burn Fat or Lose Weight?

Do you want to burn fat or lose weight? There is a difference. A big difference. If you want to burn fat, then low-intensity exercise has been proven conclusively to burn a higher percentage of fat than high-intensity exercise. But if you want to lose weight,

Why Does Low to Mid-Intensity Exercises Burn More Fat?

The best fat burning exercises are low to medium intensity exercises that use fat as a fuel source to power your muscles. These are aerobic exercises which primarily use oxygen and fat for energy. High-intensity exercise is called anaerobic exercise where carbohydrate is the preferred fuel source. Fat is harder to access quickly by the body, compared to carbohydrate, so fat is not efficiently burned during intense efforts.

High-intensity workouts use glycogen (carbohydrate) as a fuel source. Carbohydrate is stored in the muscles and liver and is the first fuel source called on by the body for intense efforts. However, there is not a large quantity of the glycogen fuel source, and if the intensity of the exercise is continued, the stores are run down quickly. A byproduct called lactic acid is produced. Lactic acid causes the burning feeling in your muscles when you push yourself too hard and for too long.

Why Is High-Intensity Exercise Better For Weight Loss?

High-intensity exercise burns more calories. A calorie is a measure of energy. If you burn more calories in a day than you consume, you lose weight. It is as simple as that. High-intensity exercise over a given period burns more calories than low-intensity exercise. You may burn a lower percentage of fat, but you burn more calories and will lose more weight as a result.

High-intensity training will also increase your metabolism, resulting in fat stores being broken down after exercise has stopped to replenish the carbohydrate stores in the muscles. Therefore you are burning fat even after you stop exercising.

New Research Shows How to Lose Weight 3 Times Faster

A recent study conducted by the University of New South Wales on 45 overweight people, concluded that high-intensity interval training promotes weight loss up to three times faster than plain aerobic training. The research also showed that you only need to exercise for half the amount of time! For the full details of the study and the interval training workout program, refer to the link below.

What are the best exercises to burn fat?

So now we have the theory out of the way, what is the best exercise to burn fat? Well, it must allow you to workout within the low to mid-range intensity level without fluctuating too much. You must also be able to easily monitor your heart rate so you can control your effort and stay within your optimal fat burning heart rate range. These are some of the best exercises to achieve these objectives:

The indoor exercise workouts are great as you can do them in a controlled environment. You don’t need to worry about the weather, what others are doing, or being held up at traffic lights. It is also so much easier to determine your heart rate if you don’t have a heart rate monitor.