Cardio exercise can include activities like walking, running, aerobics, cycling, swimming, dancing and workout DVDs. Cardio workouts strengthens the heart and lungs, increases endurance and burns calories which helps you lose weight.

Strength training is another form of exercise that works the body in a different way than cardio. With strength training, you lift weights (dumbbells, barbells, resistance bands, machines, etc.) to strengthen the muscles, bones and connective tissue. Strength training is just as important for weight loss as cardio. Through strength training, you build lean muscle tissue which raises metabolism and reduces body fat as long as you’re also watching your calorie intake.   Adding even a few pounds of muscle will increase the number of calories your body burns each and every day.

Tom Holland ” Many people complain that, as they age, they eat and exercise the same amount but still gain weight. One of the main causes of this is loss of muscle mass. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn. Strength training preserves and even increases muscle mass, keeping metabolism at a high level. Genetically, women have less muscle than men, and as a woman ages, the preservation of lean muscle becomes vital”

Why Strength Training Works

For light exercise, your metabolism may be elevated for just a few minutes after exercise, but for more intense activities, like weight training for instance, your metabolism may be elevated for up to 36 hours after your workout. When you perform strength training, you’re burning additional calories for a much longer period of time than if you merely do cardio exercise.

Muscles are like ” far furnaces” they burn calories…

Focusing only on cardio and skipping strength training could actually make it harder for you to lose weight. In fact, you may even gain weight – especially if your cardio workouts exceed 45 minutes. If you do cardio too long, your body consumes muscle for energy. For most people, that “too long” mark is at about 45 minutes. Done over and over again, day after day, this excess cardio could have a substantial impact on your body – and the muscle loss could decrease your metabolism and result in weight gain.

If you working out at the gym and have 60 minutes of gym time, here’s a recommendation of a client looking to lose weight:

25 minutes of cardio (5 minutes of warming up, 15 minutes of intervals, 5 minutes of cooling down)
30 minutes of strength training
5 minutes of post-workout stretching

If you are working out at home for 30 mins a day, then alternate between strength training and cardio work outs, in the time it takes to drive to the gym!

An effective fat loss program like 24Fit, will include regular strength training and cardio workouts, which are done on seperate days. Another important component is, of course, eating a healthy diet as well. Ask any fitness pro or nutrition expert and you will hear that diet is typically about 80% responsible when it comes to  losing weight, with exercise contributing 20%. By implementing all three components, you can maximize your weight loss and your health.

Post Exercise Shake

Have you had your shake after your’e exercise or dance class?! “Important! Don’t skip your protein shake after you exercise and think that you’ll save calories! A protein shake after training accelerates lean muscle growth, which in turn revs your metabolism and burns more fat. Ideally aim for at least 20g of protein that includes Leucine (an amino acid that boosts muscle growth – found in Herbalife 24’s REBUILD range!” . Or if your using the existing range, then a combination of Formula 1 and 3. The optimum time for taking the shake is within 30 mins of exercise. Also avoids you eating something unhealthy as you are starving hungry! What many clients do, is to have a sip of their shake before the workout( getting some fuel in the engine), then the remainder of the shake afterwards.