Fat Loss - Blast The Fat Routine

There are a couple of ways to tackle fat loss:

1. Cardio exercises
2. Resistance training

This program will combine both to give you the most benefit for your efforts. The goal is to burn more calories than you take in during the day and to incorporate resistance training to increase your resting metabolic rate over an extended period of time (days instead of hours). This will help you meet your fat loss goals sooner.

If you were to engage in cardio exercises at a moderate pace, you would definitely burn fat as a fuel source, but you would end up burning fewer calories than if you exercised at a higher cardio rate and also fewer calories over the course of a week if you didn't included resistance training.

Short duration, high intensity exercises get the muscles working, the heart pumping and the calories burning.

This routine is designed to increase your fat loss by:

1. Using large muscle groups
2. Using multiple muscles across different planes of movement
3. Incorporating multi-joint exercises

All exercises should be performed with socks and shoes on for stability.

BLAST THE FAT ROUTINE

1. Walking Lunge
2. Wood Chops
3. Side Walking Squat
4. Push-up to Side Plank
5. Skips
6. Squat, Curl & Press
7. Mountain Climbers
8. Spiderman Crawls
9. Reverse Lunge & Lift
10. Gliding Plank

Exercises should be performed in order, one right after the other without rest between exercises. Once a complete circuit has been performed (exercises 1-10), take a 30-60 second break and repeat. Perform 3 circuits in total for maximum fat loss.

Beginners should perform exercises with body weight only - leave the medicine balls, kettle bells, and dumbbells for intermediate and advanced levels.

1. Walking Lunge - tones the legs
   • Stand tall with feet together and hands on hips
   • Tighten core and step forward with right foot (about one and a half to two feet forward)
   • Lower left knee toward floor - but do not touch. You should be in a forward lunge position with right leg forward, left leg back
   • Keep torso engaged and right knee over ankle
   • Stand up stepping left foot forward to bring feet together
   • Continue alternating lead leg (walking forward) until you have completed 20 lunges

2. Wood Chops - a great core exercise
   • Stand with feet shoulder width apart and hold a medicine ball or kettle bell over your head
   • Drop down into a squat while swinging object down in front of body, between legs
   • Keep your torso engaged, head and shoulders upright
   • Swing object back up overhead as you rise to the starting position
   • Repeat wood chop for 20 repetitions

3. Side Walking Squat - to tone your thighs and increase fat loss
   • Stand with feet shoulder width apart, arms out in front for balance
   • Lower into a squat position
   • Engage core and step to the right maintaining squat position
   • Transfer weight to right foot and step left foot beside right foot, still maintaining squat position
   • Continue stepping right for 10 repetitions then switch and move left for 10 repetitions

4. Push-up to Side Plank - works upper body and core
   • Start by laying on the floor in a push-up position, hands under shoulders (*Beginners - perform push-ups on hands and knees and omit rotation)
   • Engage core, press up onto hands and at the top of the push-up, rotate torso to the left, lifting left hand and leg off the floor, left hand toward the ceiling, balancing on right hand and right foot (side plank position)
   • Return to starting position and repeat on opposite side
   • Perform 5 repetitions per side

5. Skips - for overall fat loss
   • If you don't have a skipping rope, use an imaginary one – it still works the same
   • Skip for 125 beats - approx. 1 minute

6. Squat, Curl & Press - tones legs, arms, and shoulders
   • Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand with feet shoulder width apart
   • Lower into a squat position keeping torso engaged, shoulders square, and head facing forward
   • At the bottom of the squat squeeze glutes (butt muscles) to stand up while curling dumbbells up toward shoulders (bicep curl)
   • From standing position, press dumbbells overhead, turning palms forward (shoulder press)
   • Return to starting position with hands down by your sides
   • Perform 10 repetitions

7. Mountain Climbers - works core and legs
   • Start on the floor in a push-up position, rise up to a full push-up
   • Keep hands firmly planted on the floor and jump right leg forward into a deep lunge position (knee under chest)
   • Without pausing, jump left leg forward while moving right leg back to starting position
   • Continue switching back and forth for 20 repetitions in total (10 per leg)

8. Spiderman Crawls - works your core
   • Start in a push-up position with body slightly elevated (between a full push-up and lying on the floor)
   • Draw right knee up and step as close to right elbow as possible with right knee to the outside of right elbow
   • From this position push off right foot to crawl forward with right hand while simultaneously moving left knee up toward left elbow
   • Keep your butt down – it’s like trying to crawl under a fence without touching your torso or knees to the ground
   • Crawl for 10 steps

9. Reverse Lunge & Lift - tones the legs and butt
   • Start in a standing position with knees slightly bent and a dumbbell in each hand
   • Engage core, step back with right foot and lower into a lunge position – remember to keep left knee at a 90 degree angle and do not push past your toes
   • Push off right foot (the back foot) to straighten leg behind you while rising up on left leg to a standing position
   • Squeeze glutes as you hold right leg up behind you for a count of 2
   • Return to start position
   • Repeat movement with left leg back
   • Perform 10 repetitions per side

10. Gliding Plank - another great core exercise
    • Start in a plank position on your hands with legs extended and a disc (or towel) under each foot for gliding purposes
    • Engage core, do not let hips rise or fall
    • Keeping left foot stationary, slide right foot out to the right, then slide right foot toward left side, crossing under the body, and back out to the right again (like a pendulum)
    • Return right foot to centre and repeat gliding motion with left foot
    • Perform 10 repetitions with each foot

Performing this routine 2 – 3 times per week for four weeks will help strengthen and tone your muscles while contributing to your overall fat loss…the best of both worlds.

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The contents of this site are the opinions of Michele Tse unless otherwise noted. The information on this site is intended for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or nutritional advice or treatment. Please consult your health care practitioner before beginning any fitness program.