Run faster to burn fat quicker

You want to burn fat more quickly, like in a faster way. Here’s a somewhat truism. Actual fat loss is leaps and bounds more important than just weight loss. Should you do what it takes to get that lean/healthy muscle tone?

I know, that’s why I want to burn fat today!!

Fat loss is a byproduct of healthy nutrition and effective training

If you are doing this for health reasons, then fat loss should not necessarily be the primary goal in itself. The primary goal is the action and digestion of consuming our plant-strong diet with lean proteins and healthy omega-3s. In this case, fat loss is merely a byproduct of superior nutrition habits.

Methods for fat burning

Look at the picture and notice the differences in body composition between these two runners. Keep in mind that these are both extremes.

explosive/strength vs endurance/distance

• Even though the body fat % may be about equal, the female sprinter has more impressive form and physique
• The sprinter appears to have leaner muscle for the obvious reason that there is in fact more lean muscle
• Notice Hip:Waist ratio significant difference. Sprinter butts can be out of this world (not said for an Olympic marathoner)

How much does your time matter? The Sprinter trains her body for a FRACTION of the time that a marathoner. While the marathoner is out there hitting the cement and losing muscle for long hours, the sprinter has much shorter bouts of effort. High intensity rules the fitness world currently.

It should be making sense by now

You just get way more bang for the buck by focusing on strength, power, speed, explosiveness, and conditioning to experience your fat loss effects.

Train your cardiovascular system with sprints

In this workout, my trainer was Kyle Anderson of Seattle, WA (Orangetheory Fitness Capitol Hill) and he motivated me through the challenging sprint intervals. Check out my heart rate report

A heart rate graph through challenging strength and conditioning workout

The data on the heart rate graph shows that I did work within 84% or higher of my max heart rate through intervals. Training the cardiovascular system in this method also improves muscle tone due to the muscular and metabolic demands of sprinting.

Three steps to running faster

latissimus dorsi: One of the most powerful sprinting muscle. Utilize the power of elbow drive for sprinting success.

1. You should feel that you are propelling yourself forward during sprints. Too many people land on the ground and waste energy on the reactive force of landing. Instead of running on the ground, run over the ground.

2. Use the hips to run forward. The human gait (natural movement of body through space) expresses hip:waist ratio in important ways. Larger, more developed glutes and tapering to a lean waist will typically be strong indicator of fitness (and perhaps even fertility).

3. Drive your upper body muscles in sync with the hips. The latissimuss dorsi as a totally undervalued muscle when it comes to sprinting (and that hourglass shape). The more powerful a muscle contraction (arm drive) helps you produce force with the legs.

Go all out

At some point during your intervals, when you are all out generating force and power, you should attempt to go a little faster than the last workout you recovered from. By making progress, you will get results faster. That is the nature of fitness — we must choose our own path. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow. Progression should be the number 1 consistency in our training.

Keep working at it. Sometimes you will need more rest before you can go faster… and other times you just need to go faster.