What's the Best Way to Slim Down?

There is a large misconception in the fitness world that if you want to trim down the best approach is performing large amounts of cardiovascular training on a regular basis.  In reality, the best approach to trimming down is to cardiovascular training as well as weights on a regular basis. Research has shown that performing weights and gaining lean muscle mass is the ticket to trimming down. Weight training adds muscle mass to your body and this results in an increased metabolism. The increase in metabolism results in an increase of the total number of calories your body burns each and every day. The more calories you burn on a daily basis the easier it is to trim down.

By adding muscle mass your body will burn additional calories 24 hours a day while the same cannot be said about cardiovascular training. With cardiovascular training you only burn additional calories while you are exercising and maybe a few minutes afterward as the body cools down. This is the reason why weight training is always recommended to individuals attempting to reduce their body fat level.

For most individuals starting out I recommend doing weight training 2 days a week as well as performing cardiovascular  training 2 days a week. This puts a beginner in the gym 4 days a week which leaves plenty of time for recovery. For the advanced trainer you can increase the frequency to 6 days a week only having 1 day of rest per week.

Here is a sample of a beginner’s weekly plan to get you pointed in the right direction:

If you have any questions feel free to contact me and I look forward to seeing you in the gym.

Paul can be contacted by email at pgill@gilltraining.com.  www.gilltraining.com