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If you are running for weight loss, you have to be sure that you understand what type of running would give you the most effective results. The key to getting the most out of running for weight loss is intensity. Most people never get effective weight loss from running because they never increase running intensity.
Training Like a Sprinter
Anyone running for weight loss should train like a sprinter. A sprinter’s training regiment would consist of sprinting and weight training. A sprinter usually never runs for long distances. His training consists of short bursts of sprints followed by rests.
This sort of training is known as interval training. Its sprinting all out for say 30 seconds and then walking for say 60 seconds. But be warned that this is not for the faint hearted. It could take any where from 6 – 12 months before you are conditioned enough to do this type of training.
Look at the differences in the physiques of a marathoner and a sprinter. Which of the two physiques are more appealing? Just because I have shown physiques of men in the picture, it does not mean that the bodies of women would behave any differently? You can expect the same results if you are a woman. The only difference is that while a man would have well-defined muscles and a V-shaped body, a woman will have a well toned body that moves her closer to the hourglass shape.
Our Survival System is Designed for Fat Storage
Inefficient use of body fat for fuel by the prehistoric cave man would have meant certain death. Our survival mechanism is deigned to hold on to our fat stores for as long as possible. This is one of the reasons why even the most active marathoner will have a pouch in the mid section. You will seldom find a marathoner with a 6-pack. The stomach is the last place for storage of fat and the body will fight tooth and nail before releasing it for burning. The body does not know that food supply is ample and there is no threat to survival.
We have a sophisticated survival mechanism controlled by outdated genes in a modern world that has abundance of food!
The Best Exercises for Weight Loss
If you are pressed for time, your main priority should be resistance training. You should have at least 3 sessions of weight training per week. The next two sessions should be attributed to interval training. Any form of cardio exercises or running for weight loss should be in the form of interval training. Read the earlier article entitled “How to make Running Work for Weight Loss”.
The 3 weight training and 2 cardio sessions are usually more than sufficient to produce weight loss results. If you to do more exercise, spend the balance of the time on steady state cardio exercises.
Steady State Cardio Should Be Last Priority
A lot of people slog tirelessly at a steady pace on cardio machines. These people are exercising at the same intensity day after day. It would be a pity if they were mindlessly exerting all that effort in the vain hope of losing weight. What would eventually happen is there would be weight loss in the beginning until the body adapts and finds an equilibrium. After that, weight loss would stop. The enthusiastic exerciser would cycle longer or run faster until he reaches a point of frustration. They would then give up and say that exercising does not work.
Resistance and interval training should be the first priority for weight loss. Steady state cardio exercises should be a last priority. By doing this, the fat would start melting off. Work smarter not harder! Work like the sprinter and not like the marathoner to get correct weight loss.
Related posts:
- How to Make Jogging Work for Weight Loss?
- High Intensity Interval Training That Can Be Done by Everyone
- 10 Permanent Weight Loss Principles You Must Know
- Best Exercise for Weight Loss
- The Most Time Effective and Time Efficient Exercise
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post! You have a good point. People don’t really realize this. Running for an hour or 5+ miles is great, but short sprints really works you and will shred fat.
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“There would be weight loss in the beginning until the body adapts and finds an equilibrium. After that, weight loss would stop.” – So what you’re saying is that a person could jog for hours and not burn fat? What would they be running on? Other energy sources would be depleted and the body would have to run on its fat reserves. Plenty of people have lost weight through walking as their only source of exercise. So what you’re saying is completely wrong I’m afraid.
Dear Anil, thank you for your comment. I am sure lots of people have lost weight by just walking but there is a limit to how much weight is lost. Also, I did not say that walking wont give weight loss. The weight loss would eventually plateau. The body will eventually find an equilibrium. There would continue to be weight loss only if the intensity is increasing. the only way to increase intensity when walking or running, is by increasing the distance. There is a physical limit to how much distance one can continue increasing.
“So what you’re saying is that a person could jog for hours and not burn fat” is a very simple statement. If you run for 1 hour today and every day after that, you would lose weight and eventually reach an equilibrium. If you continue to increase distance and as a result, run longer, you would disrupt the balance and continue to lose weight. But how many people that you know are continuously increasing distance or walking/running time.
This is why interval training is more effective as it allows you to increase intensity without having to run ridiculously long periods or distances. Look forward to hearing your thoughts on this.
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