While the fat-burning zone is effective for reducing body fat and improving metabolic health, the cardio zone is superior for enhancing cardiovascular fitness and overall heart health. Incorporating a mix of both types of training can provide comprehensive health benefits.
In conclusion, a combination of weight training and cardio is generally considered the most effective approach for fat loss. Weight training helps build muscle mass, which increases your metabolism, while cardio burns calories and improves cardiovascular health.
Cardio helps specifically with fat loss. Aerobic activities tap into your body's fat stores, especially during prolonged, steady-state cardio sessions. This leads to a reduction in body fat percentage, which is key for achieving a leaner physique and lowering your risk of obesity-related conditions.
The fat burn zone is a lower-intensity heart rate range (usually around 50-70% of your max heart rate) where the body primarily uses fat for energy. The cardio zone (70-85% of max heart rate) involves higher intensity exercise, burning more overall calories but relying more on carbohydrates for energy.
The 'fat burning zone' is where you are working out at about 70 – 80% of your maximum heart rate, also known as your fat burning heart rate. If you're looking to lose weight and keep fit, the general rule of the game is to increase the intensity of your workouts.
Aerobic exercise includes any activity that raises your heart rate such as walking, dancing, running or swimming. This can also include doing housework, gardening and playing with your children. Other types of exercise such as strength training, Pilates and yoga can also help you lose belly fat.
Is a 20-Minute Workout Enough? Guidelines from the American Heart Association (AHA) also back up these research findings. The AHA recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, which equals around 21 minutes per day.
To burn off visceral fat, your first step is to include at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise or cardio into your daily routine. Studies show that aerobic exercises for belly fat help reduce belly fat and liver fat. Some great cardio of aerobic exercises for belly fat include: Walking, especially at a quick pace.
Studies have shown that you can help trim visceral fat or prevent its growth with both aerobic activity (such as brisk walking) and strength training (exercising with weights). Spot exercises, such as sit-ups, can tighten abdominal muscles but won't get at visceral fat. Exercise can also help keep fat from coming back.
HIIT is among the best cardio for fat loss because it provides a well-rounded workout while burning a ton of fat and calories. “HIIT workouts can vary greatly, from 500 calories per hour to 1500-plus calories per hour for a 180-lb man.
According to Gam, you can—and should—do light cardio, like walking, every day; however, engaging in moderate-to-high intensity cardio seven days a week is not advised. “I would recommend everyone, even the fittest athletes, be taking at least one rest day per week for recovery,” says Gam.
If you are training for a 5K or a marathon, you will want to do cardiovascular training first for maximum performance. If you want to increase your muscle strength, do strength training first when your muscles are not fatigued from cardio.
Becoming a fat burner also means you will feel satisfied longer, can go 3-6 hours between meals, will have fewer cravings, and snack less. Ultimately, figuring out whether you're burning carbs or fat for energy isn't essential for weight loss -- what matters is burning more calories than you eat.
If you're trying to lose weight, you should aim for doing cardio at least five days per week for a total of at least 250 minutes (4 hours, 10 minutes) each week. Contrary to what many believe, you can do aerobic exercise seven days per week. If this goal seems daunting for you, start slow.