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Ignite Your Metabolism
Ignite Your Metabolism
Ignite Your Metabolism
of each e*ercise. )o consider two to four to be the optimal number of sets for speeding fat loss' depending on your current le"el of fitness. %or e*ample' you!ll want to use the low side of this recommendation when you!re -ust starting out' and increase your number of sets as you become better conditioned. After all' losing weight by losing your lunch is ne"er the goal. >%or a complete wor#out that combines all the metabolism-boosting principles we!re outlining in this story' see 4,our )i*-Pac# Plan4 on page four.? $est *o Longer than +# Se'on,s Between Sets @oo# around any gym and you!ll find that rest periods are usually dictated by how chatty a man!s wor#out partner is. But by closely adhering to specific rest periods of no longer than 7; seconds' you can speed fat loss. 9ere!s how it wor#s: Doing sets of eight to /; repetitions results in the accumulation of a chemical called lactate in your bloodstream. And high lactate le"els are associated with an increase in the release of fat-burning hormones. 9owe"er' resting too long between sets allows the o*ygen you breathe to help clear the lactate from your bloodstream. Aeep your reco"ery time short' though' and you!ll #eep your blood le"els of lactate -- and fat-burning hormones -- high. &hat means more fat is burned while you rest. -or. Your "ntire Bo,y 9ow much you ele"ate your metabolism after your wor#out is directly related to the amount of muscle you acti"ate at any one time. )o you!ll want to focus on mo"ements that wor# multiple muscles' as opposed to those that attempt to isolate muscle groups. %or instance' you!ll e*perience a much greater boost in metabolism by performing /3 repetitions of the squat' compared with /3 repetitions of an isolation e*ercise' such as the biceps curl. +n addition' by training your whole body each session' you!ll wor# the most muscle possible. A 5ni"ersity of isconsin study found that when men performed a full-body wor#out in"ol"ing -ust three big-muscle e*ercises -- the bench press' power clean' and squat -- their metabolisms were ele"ated for 2< hours afterward. hat!s more' they also burned a greater percentage of their calories from fat during this time' compared with men who didn!t do a total-body wor#out. &he ta#e-home message is clear: 6omplete an intense full-body weight wor#out 2 days a wee#' resting a day between sessions' and you!ll #eep your metabolism humming along in a much higher gear at all times. /lternate Between Two ")er'ises hy spend more time in the gym than you need to0 Bach time you do a set of an e*ercise' rest' then follow with a set that wor#s muscles that weren!t in"ol"ed in the pre"ious mo"ement' and rest again. %or e*ample' you might pair an upper-body e*ercise with a lower-body mo"e' or an e*ercise that wor#s your chest muscles with one that hits your bac#. Cnce you!"e done one set of each e*ercise' repeat the process until you!"e completed all the planned sets of both mo"ements. &his method is called 4alternating sets4 and allows one group of muscles to rest while another group wor#s' and "ice "ersa. &he benefit0 ,ou can limit your rest periods' which will #eep your lactate le"els high while gi"ing specific muscles more time to reco"er between sets. +t!s a strategy that helps offset fatigue and ensures you gi"e your best effort to each set. Monitor Your Li&ting Tem%o :emember' your goal is to wor# your muscles as hard as possible on each repetition of each set. And that means you need to control the speed at which you raise and lower the weight. By performing an e*ercise too fast -- for instance' lowering your body quic#ly and 4bouncing4 up from a squat -- you ta#e some of the stress off your muscles and place it on your tendons. &he trouble is' stressing your tendons doesn!t boost your metabolism the same way that challenging your muscles does. >At least not that scientists #now of yet.? As a general rule' try to ta#e 2 seconds to lower the weight' and then pause for a second before lifting it. &his helps eliminate the elastic energy that allows you to bounce' forcing your muscles to wor# their hardest on e"ery repetition. S.i% the Long $uns )ure' aerobic e*ercise burns calories. 9owe"er' if you!re already dieting -- and you!d better be if you want to see your abs -- studies show that distance running does little to further enhance fat loss. Most li#ely this is because aerobic e*ercise doesn!t boost your metabolism after your wor#out. But that doesn!t mean cardio can!t help: 9igh-intensity inter"als -- such as short sprints of 23 seconds or more' interspersed with a slow -og -- are great for accelerating fat loss. hy0 Because they!re similar to weight training. After all' a .33-meter sprint challenges your lower-body muscles hard for 23 seconds or more' -ust li#e a set of eight repetitions of the squat. )o by doing a few inter"als on the days you don!t lift weights' you can spi#e your metabolism e"en higher.
row
ste%u% D barbell ben'h %ress barbell shoul,er %ress D dumbbell face pull )ets . . 2 2 :eps /; /; /. /. :est 7; (3 7; (3
ee# / . 2 8
-or.out / ee# +nter"als /-. 8 2-8 ( -or.out B ee# +nter"als /-. 2 2-8 ; S%lit S1uat
:eco"ery &ime <3 seconds <3 seconds :eco"ery &ime /E3 seconds /E3 seconds
:est a barbell on your trapeFoids and stand with one foot . and a half to 2 feet in fron of the other' each in line with its corresponding buttoc#. Aeep your upper body erect as you descend until the top of your front thigh is parallel to the ground. Pause' then press bac# up to the starting position.
Barbell $ow
)tand with a barbell on the floor in front of you' your feet slightly less than shoulder-width apart. =rab the bar with an o"erhand grip' your hands at shoulder width or slightly wider' and rest the bar on your thighs. Draw the bar up toward your chin' #eeping it close to your body. ,our elbows should remain flared outward
during the mo"ement. hen the bar is abo"e your nipples' pause for . seconds and contract your shoulders and trapeFius. )lowly lower the bar until your arms are straight' elbows unloc#ed.
$omanian !ea,li&t
)tand holding a dumbbell in each hand >palms facing your thighs?. Aeeping your #nees slightly bent and your bac# naturally arched' push your hips bac# and lower the weights until theyGre -ust below your #nees. &hen push yourself bac# up.
(ront S1uat
=rab a pair of dumbbells so that your palms are facing each other and rest the ends on the meatiest part of your shoulders >not your collarbone?. ,our upper arms should be parallel to the floor. )lowly lower your body as if you were sitting bac# into a chair' #eeping your bac# in its natural alignment and your lower legs nearly perpendicular to the floor. hen your upper thighs are parallel to the floor' pause' and then return to the starting position.but ha"ing the weight closer to the floor ma#es it easier to balance throughout the lift.
!umbbell Ste%u%
9olding a pair of dumbbells at your side' stand facing a step or bench. Place one foot on step and push down through your heel to lift your other leg up to the step. :eturn to the starting position and finish a set of /. to /; reps with one leg before switching legs and repeating the e*ercise.