If you ask most people this question, they will usually answer that the best exercise to lose weight fast is cardiovascular exercise. If you ask them what type of cardio to do, the answers will vary greatly. Everyone has their favorite form of cardio that they will stick with and do day after day, week after week, year after year if they are diligent and committed.

Most people don’t know enough about how to effectively challenge their bodies to get stronger, including their heart, and to maximize their calorie burning potential. Cardio training is great for getting your heart rate up and helping to condition and strengthen you. It will also help you burn calories, lose unwanted body fat, and lose weight.

The problem is that most people, once they find a cardio workout they like, will stick with it long after it’s no longer effective in helping them reach their goals. Here’s what I mean: if I start lifting weights and have a hard time lifting 10 pounds above my head at first, sooner or later it’ll get easier. After doing the exercise for a while, lifting 10 pounds won’t be a challenge at all. My muscles will no longer be stimulated and will stop growing.

The same goes for cardio training. If I run the same distance every day, or spend the same amount of time on the elliptical at the same intensity every day, eventually my body will adapt to the challenge and my progress will stall. My calorie burning potential will peak and I won’t lose any more weight or body fat.

So the best exercise to lose weight fast is called interval training. Interval training simply means varying the type and intensity of cardio exercises you are doing within the same workout or session to session. One of the best combinations of interval training would be to perform some form

of cardiovascular exercise and weight training in the same training session. Research has shown us that people who do this type of training burn calories much longer, even after the exercises are over, compared to those who only do cardio or weight training.

In interval training it is important to vary the types of exercises, the intensity and the duration of each exercise session. Varying these factors keeps your body’s muscles and cardiovascular system challenged to continue to strengthen and grow, in addition to maximizing your body’s calorie-burning potential.