/ Rejuvenate your inner self with these workout secrets!

by Achal Dua

Rejuvenate your inner self with these workout secrets!

Jan 28, 2014

FAQs:
When it comes to exercise, everyone asks:
“This or that?”
“Fast or slow?”
“Morning or night?”
Here’s how things stack up.

What time of day is it best to work out: morning or evening?

All of us are unique and we differ in everything from the foods that we like to eat to the clothes that we wear, so how can one exercise time be suitable for all? A workout will help you feel better and stay energized, regardless what part of the day you choose to workout. For beginners, getting in a 30-minute workout every day is all you need to start feeling better and increasing your metabolism. The best time to do so will also depend on things like where you’re working out and what type of physical activity you’re doing.

Here are a few tips:
1. Cardio is more effective in the morning, on an empty stomach, because then you burn fat rather than having to burn through the carbs to get to the fat burning.

2. Weight training is more effective in the afternoon (4 to 5 p.m.) because that’s when your body’s temperature is generally higher and you’ll break a sweat easier. Also, in the afternoon you have enough energy from breakfast, a snack and lunch to fuel your weight training.

3. Functional training can be done anytime which is why I love this type of training. Be it morning, afternoon or the middle of the night, you get maximum results.

4. Yoga is best done on an empty stomach or with very light food, so I would recommend going early in the morning or later in the day.

5. Aerobic exercise is intense so I recommend you attend these classes towards the end of the day when you have more energy.

What kind of training is better for weight loss: strength or cardio?

Strength training, by far, is much better for losing weight and keeping the weight off in the long term. When you do cardio, you only burn calories while you are doing the cardio routine, but with strength
training, you continue to burn calories for the next 24 to 48 hours.
Increasing your metabolism will help you burn food faster. When you work out muscle tissue is destroyed so new muscle tissue, that is healthier and stronger, can replace it. This cycle continues as long as you keep working out and eating well. As soon as you decrease your workouts and stop eating well the process slows down.

What kind of stretch exercise is better for toning: yoga or Pilates?

Yoga has been around for a long time and over 23 million people in North America practice yoga. Yoga is a much better toning workout, Pilates focuses only on your core and is great for a toned stomach but yoga helps tone more than just your stomach. Yoga as it works every muscle in your body in a way that no other workout does. I prefer yoga over workouts that target a particular muscle or body part.

What intensity of exercise is best for weight loss: low or high?

Weight loss occurs when our body uses fat cells for energy and that happens during low intensity workouts. The fat burn heart rate is different among different age groups. To keep things simple, let’s say you are 30 years old. To calculate your fat burn rate we will use the following formula:

220 – 30 (your age) = 190 (This is your maximum heart rate.)

190 (maximum heart rate) x 0.65 = 123 (This is the heart rate where your body uses fat cells for energy instead of muscle cells.)

190 (maximum heart rate) x 0.75 = 160 (This is the heart rate for your cardio zone.)

You have a 10-beat range, so from 123 to 133 beats you will be using your body fat for energy and over 133 beats you will switch to using muscle.

_{Achal Dua is a certified personal trainer and CEO of Bollywood Abs Inc. in the Washington, D.C., metro area. He specializes in rapid weight loss, endurance and athletic training. An avid blogger, Achal has been featured in Vogue magazine and has regularly appeared on Zee TV, Jus Punjabi and HumDesi Radio. www.bollywoodabs.com}

Achal Dua

Author

Achal Dua is a certified personal trainer and CEO of Bollywood Abs Inc. in Washington, DC metro area. As our fitness expert he brings forth his speciaity in rapid weight loss, endurance and athletic training. An avid blogger, Achal has been featured in Vogue magazine and has regularly appeared on ...