Print This Article Post Comment Add To Favorites Email to Friends Ezine Ready

How Often Should I Work Out

By: John Smith Home | Health-and-Fitness | Exercise


There seems to be a lot of answers to the question "How often should I work out?". For the average healthy person with fat loss as their goal you can get fit and trim in just three workouts a week. However, the workouts need to be good intense ones.

Each workout should take less than an hours time. New research has shown that 20-30 minutes of interval training is more effective than 40-60 minutes of long slow cardio. Interval training simply means performing hard segments follwed by recovery. For example, you might go hard for one minute and recover for the next two. Interval training gives you all the health benefits of traditional aerobic training plus it increases your metabolic rate for hours after exercise. This post exercise increase in metabolic rate is the single greatest weight loss aid exercise can provide.

Add 20-30 minutes of weight training to the intervals and you have a sure fire fat loss, lean muscle building exercise routine. Lift heavy weights with low repetitions to build some muscle mass. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat so it burns more calories 24 hours a day. Lifting damages muscle cells and the repair process raises metabolism significantly for up to 48 hours.

On your off days, just be as active as possible, without making an extra effort to go to the gym. Walk to do your errands, clean the house, do some yardwork, or walk the dog. Just do something health promoting and stay on your feet as much as possible.

As you can see you don't have to spend seven days a week at the gym to get results. The keyword in today's new research is intensity. Higher intensity training has been shown to produce greater fat loss, and more muscle gain in less amount of time than the old fashioned, slow, long duration mode of training. So go to your gym workouts with quality not quantity as your mindset and enjoy your time off.



Article Source: http://www.eArticlesOnline.com

About the Author:
Dr. Lanny Schaffer is an Exercise Physiologist and the President of The International Fitnesss Academy. For more cutting edge fitness tips and information go to http://www.aerobic-exercise-coach.com

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Please Rate this Article

 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Exercise Articles Via RSS!

Recent Related Articles From Exercise

  • What Are Fat Burning Interval Training Workouts?
    By: Craig Ballantyne | May 28th 2008
    Fat burning interval training workouts Read

  • Fitness Interval Training Basics
    By: Jaks Lloyd | Aug 22nd 2007
    Interval training is the best method to allow the body to build new capillaries leading to an increased ability to deliver the necessary oxygen to strengthen muscles, including the heart muscle Read

  • Get Fitter, Healthier, Faster With Interval Training
    By: platofreud | Jul 10th 2008
    Get fitter, healthier, faster. High intensity interval training or low intensity interval exercise offers benefits traditional exercise can’t. Read

  • Cardio Interval Training Has Huge Benefits!
    By: Walter Derksen | Jul 11th 2009
    If you are looking for a healthy alternative you need look no further. Cardio interval training is part of a complete body workout plan designed just for you to lose weight and get fit in a short amount of time. If you have a history of heart problems in your family you need to take action now to make a positive change in y ... Read

  • 4 Tips On How To Improve A Lagging Muscle Group
    By: Karen Sessions | Jul 9th 2007
    At last! If you want to improve a lagging muscle group you have come to the right place. Imagine, in just 6 weeks from now you will see visual physical muscle improvement! Read

  • Getting Fit And Body Sculpting:
    By: Machelle Lee | May 8th 2007
    Getting fit and body sculpting can go hand in hand if you learn about how to make the most of every workout. Instead of focusing on one or the other, why not create a fitness plan that strives for complete fitness? Read

  • This Is How To Get Ripped Fast
    By: Bud Griggs | Feb 26th 2010
    This purpose of this article is to address both skinny and bulky body types and show you how to get ripped fast. Read

  • Increasing Your Overall Metabolism
    By: Jamaal Harrison.. | May 3rd 2008
    It is a simple matter of bio-chemistry that all living things need constant supplies of both energy and matter; the intake and conversion of these elements within a bodily system is known as the metabolism. The concept of "metabolism" is an easy one to clarify: given how all living things require energy to remain alive, and ... Read

  • 7 Secret Interval Training Workouts For Fat Burning
    By: Craig Ballantyne | Nov 27th 2007
    All about interval training - how to do it if you are a beginner and what interval training programs work best for fat burning. Read

  • Interval Training Burns Belly Fat
    By: Craig Ballantyne | Jan 20th 2008
    Interval training is better than cardio. Here's why. Read


Copyright © 2005-2011 eArticlesOnline, LLC - All Rights Reserved
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy