I was thinking while working out today "How Did I Really Build A Fat Burning Furnace?"
I wanted to give you guys and gals some tips on how to get that furnace ignited and start seeing results.
- Switch it up on the "activity". There's the workout and there's the activity. I like to say it starts in the gym and ends outside. This is the truth, and if you want to burn fat, you need to get active outside the gym as well. Think walking, running, biking, etc etc.But switch it up. Do different runs, different trails, different routes. Vary the intensity as well. Keeping it switched up get's your mind fresh and not knowing what's next. Challenge yourself and think of new things to bring into your activities.
Example: I may ride MTB super hard one day, the next day I may just longboard in my cul de sac and learn new tricks. The next day I may do a bmx neighborhood ride with some intervals sprinkled in. The point is I am mixing it up - and that's the key takeaway here.
- Polar opposites. What I mean by this is space out the time between your workout and your activity. I try to never do them back to back.
Why?
I want to keep my metabolism high throughout the day rather than one really large spike. By splitting up the workout and the activity, I get to burn more calories in general.
Look into HIIT workouts. These are great to sprinkle in your routine, but too much and it becomes unsustainable. HIIT is proven to be the fastest way to burn calories in the shortest period of time. Disadvantages? It can push you past your ideal threshold and they're not the most motivating to execute early in the am, among other things. As stated - sprinkle them in and I would recommend as an activity, rather than a workout. When I do HIIT, it's here and there for 15-20 mins as a session.
Stay hydrated. There are a plethora of reasons why but I will highlight the most important ones regarding the fat burning furnace:
- being adequately hydrated will naturally increase your metabolism 10-15%
- In a lot of cases when the body is hungry, it's really craving water. We interpret it as eat food, but this false signal not only leads to further dehydration but also eating more. Staying hydrated will allow your body to deliver the right signals, when you're actually hungry.
These are just some tips - but enough to get you guys and gals started hopefully!
Chris - AKA - Boddamn on Youtube and Insta