How can I get rid of THIS?

This is the most common question I hear as a person in the fitness industry from people when they first decide to start exercising. It never fails. Someone will come up to me, pull up their shirt and grab a hunk of fat from the belly or their side and ask that question. OR they pull up their skit, their shorts, pants whatever, and grab a hunk of chunk from their thighs and ask.

My first thought - as a human being - is "WHY are you exposing that to me?" But since I know they are actually asking for help - I put on my professional face and tell them about the only way to get rid of that chunk..

CARDIO

.And inevitably I get the same reaction - the blank look followed by an inaudible, "Huh?". They always expect me to say - do more crunches or some other so-called "spot reduction" exercise. But I'm telling you right now - it won't work. There is NO SUCH THING as spot reduction. The ONLY way to burn fat is to eat right, do cardiovascular exercise and combine it with weight training. Nutritional supplements can help as well.

When I say to do some cardio I'm not asking you to become a "treadmill queen" - happily reading your Cosmo and be-bopping to your favorite tunes on those headphones of yours (when is the last time you wiped those down by the way?). I want you to WORK IT.

Choose your cardio workout, be it a class, running, a fast walk, rollerblading, jump rope, the treadmill, elliptical machine, cross trainer, bike - whatever - and work hard enough to get your heart rate up and in the fat burning zone. Then keep it there for a good 30 minutes.

How do you find your THR (Target Heart Rate) i.e. Fat Burning Zone?
Simple. Here's a formula:
220 - your age = x
x multiplied by 65% = y
x multiplied by 85% = z
You want to stay between y and z.
I'm 25 years old. 220 - 25 = 195. When I multiplied 195 by 65% and 85% my range came out to be between 127 beats per minute (bpm) and 166 bpm. I try to keep my heart rate around 150 or so during my cardio workout.

How do you figure out your heart rate?

The most reliable way is to invest in a heart rate monitor. The alternative is to find your pulse and count the beats for 6 seconds. Then add a zero to the number of beats you counted. For example, if you are working hard, find a clock with a second hand, and find your pulse. Count those beats for 6 seconds - say you have counted 15 beats - add a zero and you're at about 150 bpm. Not bad if that's within your range! Keep that intensity for about 20 - 30 minutes. You can also do the "talk test".if you can't talk at all while you're doing your cardio.you're probably working too hard.

Now you need to add some weight training. NO you're not going to get big by picking up a weight. Why does every woman think that? If it were really that easy to get huge you'd see more body builders walking around. And no steroid or supplement company would still be in business. Besides - weight training not only decreases your chances for Osteoporosis (or Osteosporosis as my mother calls it) but it also increases your lean muscle mass which in turn increases your metabolism helping your body to burn fat faster. Any other questions?

If you can do your weight training the same day as your cardio, warm up first for 5 - 10 minutes on a cardio machine or by jogging in place or walking. Then do your weight training, and then finish your workout with cardio. Ideally you can do your cardio first thing in the morning before breakfast to burn the most fat. But how many of us live in an ideal world? (Besides some Fitness Competitors?)

My favorite workout is interval training, which is ideal for those with limited time - plus it burns fat quickly due to the fluctuation of your heart rate.

What is interval training?
Here is an example:
1 minute jump rope
1 set of 20 bicep curls with 10 lb dumbbells
REPEAT for 3 sets.

I do this for one hour. Jump rope, jumping jacks, quick 1 minute jog or sprints, treadmill, bike, going across a step bench - whatever you choose to get that heart rate up - the follow with a set of weight training with high repetitions whether it's curls, chest or back work, shoulders, triceps, legs.

And don't forget to stretch!