Download THE FAT BURNING PROCESS By Lindsay Mulinazzi

THE FAT BURNING PROCESS
By
Lindsay Mulinazzi
Photographic Images are of photos of Lindsay Mulinazzi taken by John Nafpliotis and Reggie Bradford.
OVERVIEW
Fat burning is a process that for many means long hours in the gym
doing cardiovascular activity. This does not have to be the case if one
understands how cardiovascular activity, weight training, and nutrition,
work together to develop a leaner more muscular physique. Most
people think that in order to burn body fat, they must spend countless
hours running or partaking in high impact aerobic activity. This could
not be farther from the truth. High impact activities burn a considerable
amount of carbohydrates and very little fat. It is common to see a
decrease in muscle tissue after performing high impact activities for
three or more weeks. This is because, during high impact activities,
stress hormones are released. During the initial act of high impact
movements the body uses carbohydrates for energy. These
carbohydrates are called glycogen. As a result of the release of the
stress hormone cortisol, when the body depletes its glycogen (stored
carbohydrates), it will start to burn muscle tissue (stored protein). At
this point, fat is hardly used in the calorie burning process.
CARDIOVASCULAR ACTIVITY
Fat burning is at its most desirable rate while performing activities that require very little bursts of
energy. As a person moves suddenly, the body converts from using fat to using carbohydrates as the
primary energy source. After a weight training bout or any type of activity, the metabolism is raised.
Metabolism is the total of all physical and chemical reactions in the body. This includes catabolism
and anabolism, the tearing down and building up of muscle tissue. A positive attribute about high
impact activities is that it raises your metabolic rate so that you will burn a higher amount fat of
calories during periods of rest, although, the negative aspects of high impact activities out-weigh the
positive. The negatives of high impact activities include: loss of muscle tissue, lack of muscle
recovery, destruction of joints, ligament damage, tendon damage, cartilage stress fractures, loss of
flexibility, and a shapeless physique.
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF HIGH IMPACT AEROBIC ACTIVITY
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Loss of muscle tissue
Lack of muscle recovery
Destruction of joints
Ligament damage
Tendon damage
Cartilage stress fractures
Loss of flexibility
A shapeless physique
For increased fat burning, it is more favorable to partake in activities that allow a considerable amount
of fat burning during the actual activity as well as after the activity has been completed. This will
ensure a higher level of caloric expenditure, prevent muscle tissue from being broken down, help the
body get rid of excess waste products, and promote muscle growth. Aerobic activities performed at a
moderate intensity with little impact will promote overall good health and fat burning. These
activities include: walking, riding the bike, using the precor, stairmaster, and stairmill. They can be
done 30-40 minutes 6 days a week for optimum fat burning.
WEIGHT TRAINING
As humans age, our hormones that assist in the storage of muscle and burning of fat decrease. As a
result of muscle loss or the lack of muscle, the metabolism decreases. At rest, one pound of muscle
requires at least 30 calories per day. It is critical to sustain muscle mass with age to prevent obesity
and bone loss. Strength training can decrease body fat by adding muscle to the body, which in turn,
increases the metabolism and the body’s effectiveness of burning fat. A study conducted by the
YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, showed that a group of individuals that performed aerobic activity
for fifteen minutes three days a week and strength training for fifteen minutes three days a week, with
a diet consisting of 20% protein, 60% carbohydrates, and 20% fat, had a loss of 10 pounds of fat and a
gain of two pounds of muscle during an eight week period. The other group in the study that simply
performed thirty minutes of cycling three times a week for eight weeks on the same diet, lost a half
pound of muscle and only three and half pounds of fat. Weight training should be performed a
minimum of three days a week, twenty-five minutes a day, at a moderate intensity.
A study by Wescott showed that engaging in strength training three days a week for twenty-five
minutes over an eight week period increased muscle mass in adults by three pounds. Weight training
three days a week for twenty five minutes can decrease muscle loss with age, increase the metabolic
rate, reduce body fat, increase muscular and bone density, increase strength and endurance, reduce
arthritic pain, improve glucose metabolism, prevent the onset of diabetes, increase gastrointestinal
transit time, reduce blood pressure, increase HDLs high density lipoproteins the good cholesterol,
increase vascularity and blood to the muscles, and deter cardiovascular disease.
POSITIVE EFFECTS OF WEIGHT TRAINING
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Decreases muscle loss with age
Increases the metabolic rate
Reduces body fat
Increases muscular and bone density
Increases strength and endurance
Reduces arthritic pain
Improves glucose metabolism
Prevents the onset of diabetes
Increases gastrointestinal transit time
Reduces blood pressure
Increases HDLs - good cholesterol
Increases vascularity and blood to the muscles
Deters cardiovascular disease
JUST THE FACTS
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Weight training is the most efficient way to burn fat.
1. Every pound of muscle added to the body of an adult female will burn an additional 75100 calories per day at rest.
2. Through proper weight training, the average person can add enough muscle to burn an
additional 3500 calories per week
3. One pound of fat = 3500 calories
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Aerobics can actually make you lose muscle tissue.
1. The body is dynamic enough to respond to exercise by recovering and becoming stronger.
2. If intense aerobic activity is performed, the body cannot recover and continues to be
destroyed rather than gain the muscle needed to burn calories.
3. Losing muscle equates to less calorie burning which leads to fat gain.
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Aerobics can lead to muscle injury and joint damage.
1. Intense aerobic activity leads to overuse injuries by damaging the ankles, knees, hips, and
back.
2. Overuse injuries are cumulative and do not happen overnight.
3. When one realizes damage has occurred, it is usually to late to repair the damaged tissue
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Fat loss is dependant on burning fat calories.
1. The highest amount of fat calories are burned while sleeping.
2. Aerobic activity burns a larger percentage of carbohydrates than fat.
3. Weight training promotes muscle tissue growth, which will burn more fat calories at rest.
Weight training is the key to losing fat and keeping it off!
NUTRITION
Poor nutrition is the major cause of fat gain. Consuming a diet higher in calories than the amount of
calories one consumes a day will cause an increase in fat storage. A sedentary lifestyle coupled with
poor nutrition habits will lead to obesity over time. Intake of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats should
be adjusted according to activity. Caloric consumption should be lower if one does not engage in
physical activity.
The problem people face is that the lack of physical exertion usually causes a depressed state, which
in turn will cause an over-consumption of carbohydrates as a hope of making one feel good.
Carbohydrates increase the secretion of the “feel good” hormone serotonin. This hormone is
responsible for inducing a calming effect. Individuals who work all the
time and do not exercise to release stress, rely on carbohydrates as a
mechanism to feeling more calm or less stressed. When consuming a
diet high in carbohydrates the hormone insulin is secreted to assist in
the storing of blood sugar. Insulin is known as the fat storing hormone
because excess sugar, fat, and protein is pushed into the fat cells to be
stored for later use. This process will cause more fat storage and could
increase the chance for diabetes. The consumption of carbohydrates,
proteins, and fats should be balanced throughout the day in at least five
small meals. By eating every three hours, insulin is stabilized and the
desire to overeat carbohydrates and fat diminishes with time. In about
three weeks, one’s cravings for sweets and salt will decrease.
By incorporating the right type and amount of cardiovascular activity,
weight training, and nutrition, one will see a positive change in health,
a reduction in body fat, an increase in muscularity, and an increase in
strength. The body is a machine that will respond to changes in a small amount of time. It takes
discipline and patience, but everyone can start by making small changes to promote a wealth of
positive progress.
If you are interested in learning more specific information on how to maximize fat burning, then check
out Lindsay’s website at www.fitnessinferno.com. You will learn the most effective and efficient
ways for building muscle and burning fat.