Burn Fat - WITHOUT Burning Out

If, like me, you've literally been around the block when it comes to burning blubber, then it's likely you gave up the game and surrounded to sloth.

There's no shame in that - I've thrown in the towel dozens of times after following crap exercise programs that promised me sleekness but delivered me bleakness!

I've ran around the park. I've walked my ass off. I've choked on chlorine while swimming lengths in swimming pools. Certainly I got results - up to a point. But what none of the above programs delivered was a sure-fire 100% result. That little pouch of fat was still nestled behind my belt buckle. Most disappointingly of all, it was taking me AGES to perform each workout.

Then I devised a workout that took me less time that it takes to shower, towel off, and get dressed for the world. It's a workout you can do anywhere, anytime and one that definitely delivers.

My workout is extremely simple. So simple, in fact, that you might be tempted to scoff. Well scoff away - but not until you TRY it. This workout has gotten me leaner and lighter than any jog or walk or 'trudge, trudge' cardio I've performed in the past.

My tools? A jump-rope and my own body.

That's it.

Now here's the workout.

1: Warm up for at least 5 minutes. I don't care what you do to do it, but make sure you DO do it! Warming up is crucial. If you're extremely overweight or unaccustomed to strenuous exercise, warming up is even more important. Walk, jog on the spot, rebound on a trampoline - anything to warm up your engine

2: Do 25 burpees till you're gasping for breath. (I'll explain what these are in a moment; maybe you know already but if not, bear with me).

3. Walk around the room till your breathing returns to a comfortable rate - ie you're not gasping as much as before. You can do whatever you want during this period: walk if you're really out of shape, shadow box, chase your cat around the room, whatever. Just make sure you're not spending the rest period stretched out on the couch.

4: Do 20 burpees till you're gasping for breath.

5 Repeat until your burpee sessions drop to zero. In other words, you'll start off with 25 burpees followed by a rest period, then 20 burpees, then 15, then 10 etc.

The great thing about this workout is that only takes you 10-15 minutes to perform. If you're not in great shape you can tailor it to your needs and still reap results. For example, you can start on 15 burpees instead of 25 and work your way down. Walk easily for the rest periods. Me? I jump rope during this part because I'm used to it. You don't have to, but rope jumping is a great addition to burpees because both work your whole body.

Okay, what are burpees? Basically burpees are old-school plyometric exercises that blast every muscle in yoiur body. Now don't let the word 'muscle' put you off: I'm not talking about body building here. If you're like me, your main fitness objectives are fat loss and good muscle tone without being bulky - you want a lean slim look, but not skinny. Am I on the money?

Now let's try a burpee. Crouch down on your hunkers and rest your hands in front of you on the floor. Now spring your feet back so that you're in a push-up position. Now spring your feet back to their original position while at the same time straightening your legs and 'springing' up into the air. Essentially you're peforming a small jump - or a bigger jump, depending on your fitness level. Sound too simple? Try 'em and see!

I tried to add photos and videos to this Hub, alas with no joy. This is my FIRST Hub so sorry about that! I'm still finding my way around all this stuff :-)

If you find burpees too hard, don't despair. They ARE quite hard but don't worry, if you're determined to get results there's still ways you can challenge yourself. Basically any kind of explosive movement performed for hard and brief periods will do the job.

You can run stairs in your own home and walk back down; you might even use the stairs at the building in which you work at your lunch break. The rule of thumb is to keep it tough and hard for a minute or so (or 20 0r 30 seconds) if you're really out of shape) and take adequate rest periods.

Latest research says that short and intense workouts deliver greater results than long-term 'easy' exercise sessions. By all means take that Sunday stroll - but do it for pleasure, not for fat loss.

Burpees and other explosive training methods elevate your metabolism for hours afterwards and consequently continue burning fat long after your workout is over. You WILL find them hard - but you'll also find they 'buzz' you up and boost your energy levels, and are much, much more effective and time-efficient than old-style cardio, which ultimately wipes you out and, in my opinion, is BORING BORING BORING!

The great thing is that you can burn the blubber in no time at all by performing a few of these workouts a week. Keep your diet tidy, don't drink like a fish (except water!) and watch your fitness and fat loss explode through the roof!