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These 3 Simple Changes Will Maximize Your Fat Loss

3 August, 2016 By admin

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Losing weight is something that takes time, whether you’re doing it through diet, exercise, or a combination of both…as well, whether you’re on this journey alone or have a trainer that can guide and support you on your path.

While there’s no way to rush this so it happens overnight, what if there were ways you could maximize your fat loss so your efforts went even further? The good news is that this may be a reality if you’re willing to change a few things about the way you live and workout. If you’re curious about what you can do to get started, keep reading to learn the top three simple changes you can make listed below. They have been effective for helping many people burn more fat and may be helpful for you as well.

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1. Work on Building Muscle

Even if aerobic exercise is what you stick with on a daily basis, it’s important to try to fit in some muscle-building workouts as well. Why is this important? Because your body will burn more fat while resting when you have more muscle within it. In fact, studies have shown that hours after you finish a muscle-building workout you burn more calories than you would doing any other type of exercise. What’s even better is the fact that the muscle can help ramp up your metabolism so you continue to burn fat and calories at a faster rate all throughout the day.

To get started with building muscle you don’t have to spend hours at the gym lifting things that are far out of your comfort zone. Instead you can do something like push-ups, pull-ups, or squats so your own body weight provides you with resistance. If you want to stay in the gym and utilize those tools, consider working with a trainer to learn more about lifting weights. They can teach you the basics as well as the proper posture to use while lifting. By incorporating this a few days per week, you’ll likely find that you burn more fat and feel better as well!

2. Monitor Your Heart Rate

When you’re working out, how much attention do you pay to your heart rate? While you might know it’s elevated, it’s unlikely you know how fast it is unless you’re regularly tracking it. The benefit of paying more attention to your heart rate is he fact that you’ll know when you’re in the fat burning zone. To determine when you’re in this zone, it’s beneficial to start with having a heart rate monitor. This makes things a lot easier and takes much of the work out of tracking your own pulse. Once you have this, figure out your max heart rate and fat burning zone, which can be done in the following steps.

Step 1: Calculate 220 – Your Age (for example 220-25 years old is a maximum heart rate of 195)
Step 2: Multiply your max heart rate by .7 to determine the highest your heart rate should go (using the example above, 195 x .7 = 136.5).
Step 3: Multiply your max heart rate by .6 to determine the lowest your heart rate should go (using the example above, 195 x .6 = 117).

Once you have these numbers, you’ll know the range that you have to stay in (which is 117-136 beats per minute using the example above). When you begin working out, track your heart rate to make sure it’s staying within this zone and you’ll be maximizing the amount of fat that you burn. However, watch closely because if you go above this you will only burn off what you’ve recently eaten and if you go under this you will be burning as much fat.

3. Try HIIT

HIIT, otherwise known as high intensity interval training, has become popular with everyday exercisers as well as professional athletes. This is because it’s an effective way of boosting workouts to build endurance, strengthen muscles, and maximize the rate that fat is burned. Before you learn how to do this type of training, it’s important to know that it can help you burn abdominal fat very well if you stick with it. However, most experts recommend that you only do this twice per week in order to allow your body the time it needs to recover.

To get started with this, you’ll need to do short periods of fast-past exercise during your workout. For example, if you were out jogging for an hour, you might want to sprint for 30 seconds every 2 minutes followed by one minute of fast-paced walking. The amount of time that you do your intervals will depend on what you’re comfortable with, but they should become more intense as you become more conditioned in the future. The good news about HIIT is that you can do it with any type of exercise out there, so it’s something you can easily incorporate into your workouts.

Getting Started with Changes

To get started with these changes, start by creating a schedule of workouts that you enjoy doing. For example:

Monday – Treadmill running for 60 minutes with HIIT intervals every 3 minutes
Tuesday – Weights for 30 minutes
Wednesday – Rest Day
Thursday – 1 hour of swimming
Friday – Treadmill running for 60 minutes with HIIT intervals every 3 minutes
Saturday – A long walk with pushups
Sunday – Rest Day

By having a schedule like this, it will be easy to fit in the changes that are listed above. You can change the schedule every week or as you explore different workouts, which means having a lot of flexibility with the way you workout and how you maximize fat loss. Just make sure to track your heart rate with your most intense exercises so you stay within the fat-burning zone and make the most of your workouts.

Maximizing Fat Loss in Daily Life

The three options listed above for helping to maximize fat loss have been found to be effective for many people who exercise and practice healthy eating on a daily basis. However, it’s important to remember that they do not produce pounds and pounds of extra fat loss per day. By having realistic expectations you’ll be able to enjoy your progress and the little boost that these changes may offer. The key is to stick with the exercise and diet that you’ve selected so that even without these changes you’re still working towards a healthier body that’s conditioned and in shape. Also, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s always good to consult with a fitness or personal trainer, as well as your doctor to ensure that whatever plan you implement is done safely.

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Filed Under: Blog, Exercises, Healthy Eating, Personal Training, Weight Loss

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Featured Article

Is Hiring a Personal Trainer Right for You?

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A Toronto personal trainer showing proper technique
A personal trainer showing proper form – Toronto.

For those who are trying to lose weight, tone your body, or have any other fitness goals, one question that you may have is: should you hire a personal trainer? Or will personal training work for you? And, for each person, the answer is going to vary. For starters, you have to know what to look for in a trainer, and what they can help you with, so that you select the right person to work with.

 

There are several factors to consider when you are deciding whether or not to hire a trainer; and, if so, who to work out with for optimal results.

 

Client is accountable to a personal trainerWhat are your trainer’s responsibilities?

If you are considering hiring a personal fitness trainer, you have to understand their responsibilities to you. There are a few things a trainer should do once you hire them; these include:

  1. Assessing your fitness level and capabilities – a good trainer should provide a fitness assessment at the start. Doing this allows the fitness trainer to set a base level for you, to determine your strengths and weaknesses, and to understand what type of training is appropriate for you.
  2. Advising you of the correct method. This can range from how to use equipment, to how to properly do a push up or crunches. Doing this helps develop proper form, but even more important, it limits the potential for injury.
  3. Develop a personalized plan for you based on initial discussions and assessment. As well, the trainer can create a workout plan that you can do on your own, in between sessions.
  4. Motivate, encourage and guide you through your journey.
  5. Help you set realistic and attainable goals so that you don’t get demotivated and give up.

 

A personal trainer can help a client work out properlyWhat are advantages of working with a trainer?

For those who have a set goal in mind, there are a number of benefits to hiring a personal trainer; some of these include:

  • Motivation and constantly being pushed to the hardest levels.
  • They can develop challenging workout routines you could never do on your own.
  • Some will help you with a nutrition plan, and help you make better meal choices to attain your goals.
  • Trainers know how the body works; this means they can push your muscles in a way which will show growth and strength building, in far less time than you could do on your own.

 

The motivation and constant backing alone, are key reasons why clients have hired me.

You not only stay motivated, but when someone is holding you accountable, you are inspired to work harder, and wouldn’t want to disappoint. It’s so much easier to forego exercising when no one is holding you accountable.

 

What are the rates for a personal trainer?What are the rates?

Personal trainer rates vary based on their degree, credentials, how long they have been training, reputation, and even location. Bigger cities tend to cost a higher rate for good trainers, and personal trainers in a high end gym will likely charge more due to the fact that they have more overhead costs.

 

The cost of one-on-one training can range anywhere from $50 to well over $100 an hour. This is what you should expect in a city like Toronto. Anything lower than $50 an hour, you should stay well away from, or question it (perhaps there are hidden costs that you aren’t aware of). Or the trainer is not experienced or have the proper credentials, such as a trainer certification from a recognized organization.

 

However, many trainers will offer some kind of discount if you sign up for multiple sessions. Typically most clients will take advantage of this. Signing up for multiple sessions helps clients commit to a program they’ve already paid for, plus the added benefit of cost savings.

 

Is it worth it to get personal training?Is it worth hiring a personal trainer?

This varies by person. If you are the type of person that needs motivation and is new to working out, a trainer may be a good route; if you like to workout on your own, and are a fitness buff, a trainer isn’t the right choice for you, unless you want to take your fitness to another level. This is when you should look for a specialized trainer focused in a certain discipline. For example, as a personal trainer, it is incumbent on me to keep enhancing my education and experience such as nutritional courses or a specialized field like cross-fit.

 

If you have tried the gym or working out for months on your own, and see no results, a trainer might be what it takes to push you to your desired fitness levels, and help you attain the goals you have set out for yourself. A lot of my clients have the following in common:

 

    • they need to change their lifestyle, yet they have no idea how to start
    • they often don’t have the motivation and they need someone to encourage them
    • they need accountability, and often friends or workout apps or fitness dvd’s can’t give them that
    • they don’t want to get injured and they’re looking for a health and fitness expert who can not only train them but also educate them
    • they’re looking for someone who will be just as invested in achieving their goals just as the clients are
    • they’re afraid – they’re afraid to fail. But some are also afraid to succeed – what would they do with a new healthy body?

 

It’s absolutely natural to feel fear. It’s human nature. Not knowing what lies ahead or where your journey will take you is scary. But my job is to lessen that fear by being right by your side guiding and encouraging you along the way.

 

There are many factors to consider, but I hope that this article has helped you make a decision. It makes me happy that you’re even reading this because it means that you’re ready to make a change.

 

>>Contact me to see how I can help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

 

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