By J.C. Carroll
(NC)-We do agree that the key to permanent weight loss and true fitness is a lifetime commitment to exercise and eating right.
But hey, there must be a shortcut to this goal in there somewhere?
"Yes there is," says Sammie Richards creator of Booty Camp Fitness, a program that invites women to laugh, jump, lunge, and punch their way to a great-looking body. "Just like learning to eat right step by step, we must also learn to exercise that way."
Don't waste your time, for example, on routines or machines that fail you, she says. Instead, here are the three key principles to give you the most efficient, weight loss workout every time, courtesy of BootyCampFitness.com:
1. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) - Forget walking for 60 minutes every day, who has time for that? A 10-15 minute HIIT cardio workout burns more fat. If you spent 15 minutes doing HIIT on a stationary bike, for example, it would be the "calorie burning" equivalent to 60 minutes of walking.
2. Combine Resistance & Cardio Training - Not only do you burn more calories during the workout if you combine cardio with resistance training, but it boosts your metabolism after the workout because of the resistance portion. For example, cardio alone will boost your metabolism for three to six hours, and resistance training continues to burn increased calories for 24 to 48 hours post-workout.
3. Muscle is Metabolism - Lifting weights or body sculpting isn't enough. You need to challenge your muscles by working them harder and harder each time. Progressive strength training can be done with body weight, free weights, or machines. All that matters is that it's progressive and it's challenging enough to force the muscles to make improvements. For example, each additional pound of lean muscle mass will burn an additional 50 calories or so, per day.
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