I have a LOT of experience with both leg fat and bulky muscles, both as a PT who worked with thousands of women but also as a woman who struggled with these issues.

In this blog post, I’ll share how long it will take to slim down legs by losing both fat and muscle. I’ll share my personal experience and things I went through when trying to slim down my legs. I’ve made a lot of mistakes when trying to slim down my thighs and I want to help you avoid those mistakes.

RELATED POST: MISTAKES I’VE MADE AND WHAT I’VE LEARNT ON MY FITNESS JOURNEY

HOW CAN I TELL IF MY THIGHS ARE MOSTLY MADE OF MUSCLE OR FAT?

Ok, first of all, I want to explain how can we know if our legs are muscular or if they have excess fat. Knowing this will help us figure out the best plan of action for slimming down our thighs. Also, based on my own experience and on my experience as a PT, it will take longer to lose leg muscle than leg fat. This another reason why it’s important to understand whether someone has more muscle or fat.

THE PINCH TEST

Luckily, it’s usually very easy to tell whether we have more muscle or fat, or both. Here’s what you should do:

1. Contract your leg muscle (everyone will have at least some leg muscle, we wouldn’t be able to walk if this wasn’t the case)
2. Pinch and poke your thighs to determine if they feel more soft, hard or if they are a combo of hard muscle beneath and soft layer of fat on top.

When you contract your leg muscle if your legs feel mostly firm to touch, and you don’t feel a lot of softness at the top of the thighs, this means your legs are mostly muscular.

If your legs feel mostly soft when you contract your leg muscles, it means there’s probably more fat than muscle.

And if you feel firmness when contracting but also feel like there is a softer layer on top of your thighs, that means your thighs have both muscle and fat.

Most women will have both muscle and leg fat. We women tend to have a higher body fat percentage than men and we store more fat in our thighs (biology reasons) than in our upper body.

We also tend to build muscle more easily in our lower body than in our upper body. (I work only with women and I’ve had a lot more women telling me they bulked up in their thighs than the ones who complain about buling up in their upper body.)

Don’t get me wrong! I think having muscle in our legs is fantastic for strength and mobility. But I also know that having a lot of muscle, can sometimes give the appreance of bulkiness and make some women uncomfortable. Of course, what’s bulky is highly subjective. What may feel bulky to you may not feel bulky to other people and vice versa.

So if you are someone who loves having a lot of muscle in your legs and you’re just interested in losing leg fat, that’s awesome. But if you are someone who prefers a more lean aesthetic and you feel like your leg muscle are too bulky, I know exactly how you feel and I have the solution for you. (More on that below! :))

OK so now that we know if we want to reduce leg fat, leg muscle or both, we can talk about how to reduce each and how long it will take. :)

HOW TO REDUCE LEG FAT FAST?

I have to be honest with you, when it comes to fat loss, there are no short cuts. If you want to lose leg fat in a healthy, sustainable way, you’ll have to adjust your routine, stick to it and be patient. Plus, if your goal is to make your things smaller, make sure to avoid doing things that will make them bigger.

BIGGETS MISTAKE FOR LOSING LEG FAT

When they want to reduce thigh fat, a lot of women make this one specific mistake. I see it ALL the time and I’ve made this exact mistake myself when I was just staring my fitness journey. And I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve told me, fitness industry made you make this mistake too!

If you want to lose leg fat fast, you should definitely avoid this mistake.

Here’s what happened to me.

I wanted to lose extra body fat, leg and belly fat to be more specific. My then PT told me to start doing HIIT and to add leg focused workouts like squats and lunges to my routine. And because I didn’t know better, I listen to them. I started doing a lot of HIIT (jumping HIIT especially) and I’ve included a ton of squats in my routine. BIG MISTAKE!

Within a couple of weeks since starting this routine I noticed my legs getting bigger instead of smaller. But when I asked my PT about it, they told me not to stress – “Your legs will get bigger before getting smaller“.

So I keet going, I was doing more suqats and more HIIT. I started lifting heavy thinking this will help me lean out. But the more I exercised, the bigger my thighs got.

RELATED POST: TOP 7 EXERCISES YOU CAN DO INSTEAD OF SQUATS AND LUNGES

3 THINGS YOU SHOULD DO TO LOSE LEG FAT FAST

Was I losing body fat when doing HIIT, weights and squares? Well, yes I was losing body fat but my legs weren’t getting smaller. And I kept this routine for a long time, for almost a year. :(

In the end, I couldn’t fit into any of my jeans and I didn’t feel good in my own skin.

That’s when I decided to leave my PT and started doing my own research on how to reduce leg fat and muscle. I learned that the best and fastest way to lose leg fat is to:

1. Do low-intensity cardio (walking to be specific)
2. Ditch the leg day and focus on full body bodyweight training
3. Eat at a slight calorie deficit

I have a very detailed blog post on how to lose thigh fat and slim down your legs. It’s called How to Get Lean Legs – Why You Need Cardio for Slim Legs and I’d highly recommend reading it. :)

HOW TO REDUCE BULKY LEG MUSCLE?

I know you may not love to hear this but losing bulky leg muscle can be a bit tricky. You’ll probably need to change your whole workout routine and I know that can be an uncomfortable and difficult decision.

Plus, losing bulky leg muscle can take a bit longer (depending how much muscle you have and much you want to lose). In my case, it took stopping everything I did to build these bulky muscle and it took me around 6 months to get to a point I started feeling comfortable in my own body.

I wrote a lot of blog post on this topic and I’d really recommend read this one that’s all about how to slim down muscular thighs.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SLIM DOWN LEG FAT AND MUSCLE

The timeline for slimming your legs varies from person to person, depending on factors like your body type, genetics, diet, exercise routine, and consistency.

RELATED POST: HOW TO GET SKINNY LEGS: FAT BURNING HIIT WORKOUTS

Generally, with a well-rounded exercise program and a healthy diet, you can start to see noticeable changes in your legs within 4 to 6 weeks. For more significant slimming, it could take around 3 to 6 months of dedicated effort.

From my experience and what I’ve shared in my one of my previous blogs, avoiding heavy lifting and incorporating more reps with lighter weights can help. I’ve found that shifting my routine to include more Pilates, yoga, and high-rep low-weight exercises helped me slim down my muscles while burning fat.

Pilates style legs and booty workout is my favorite exercises for a lean and toned lower body!

With my routine I noticed changes within a couple of months. However, muscle slimming, combined with fat loss, took about 6 to 9 months. It’s important to remember that everyone’s body responds differently, and patience is key!

Slow and steady wins the race. It’s about creating sustainable habits rather than seeking quick fixes :)

BODY TYPES AND LEG FAT LOSS

The rate at which you lose leg fat can also depend on your body type. Before you start, it’s crucial to know your body type, as this can influence your approach and the timeline for results.

If you want to know your body type, here’s a free, two-minute quiz that you may answer! 

WANT TO KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE?

• Complete the quiz in 2 minutes
  
• It’S free
• You will get 3 nutrition and workout tips for your body type

START THE QUIZ NOW

Here’s a quick rundown of the three body types, their characteristics and expected results timeline :)

WHY IS SLIMMING DOWN LEGS ACCORDING TO YOUR BODY TYPE SO IMPORTANT?

Slimming down your legs based on your body type is super important! Everyone’s body is different, right? So, what works for one person might not work for another. That’s where the personalized approach comes in handy. It helps you target fat and build muscle in the right places, making your legs look awesome.

Plus, it prevents any imbalances that could lead to injuries. And when you’re working with your body’s natural shape, you feel more confident and motivated ;)

DIET AND WORKOUT PLANS FOR DIFFERENT BODY TYPES

Check out the table below for easy-to-follow diet tips – like what to eat and what to avoid – and workout tips – including how often to exercise and what types of activities work best for your body type :)

And after you’ve checked out the table, remember that t’s all about finding what works best for you and sticking with it :)

Consistency is key, and small changes over time can lead to big results. So, keep at it, stay positive, and you’ll be well on your way to achieving the body you want!

RELATED BLOG POST: WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE TO GET RESULTS YOU WANT – ECTOMORPH, MESOMORPH, ENDOMORPH

FINAL THOUGHTS

When it comes to slimming down your legs, it’s important to remember that it’s not just about the way they look – it’s about feeling good and being healthy too.

Understanding your body type is a big part of the puzzle. Once you know what you’re working with, you can customize your diet and exercise plans to fit your needs perfectly. And hey, consistency is key! Stick with it, and you’ll start seeing progress before you know it.

So, let’s keep it simple and focus on taking small steps towards your goals. You’ve got this!

BEST PROGRAM FOR GETTING SLIMMER LEGS

If you like a more specific workout program to target fat loss on your legs and to build lean muscle without getting bulky, I suggest you check out my Lean Legs Program 1. 

With my program, you should see fat loss results after just 1 round (8 weeks)! And for losing unwanted muscle bulk, I would recommend repeating my program once or twice. :)

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments!

BEFORE AND AFTER PIC OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBER

GET THIS PROGRAM

SOURCES:

• Women Have More Body Fat Than Men – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19021869/
• More Fats in Thighs – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3411490/
• Leg Muscles – https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22220-leg-muscles

The post How Long Does It Take to Slim Down Legs? appeared first on Rachael Attard.

If you answered YES any of these questions, please keep on reading.

WHY I RECOMMEND LOW IMPACT WORKOUTS FOR WOMEN

As a certified PT and a 35 y/o woman who has tried every type of training out there, I know exactly how it feels to spend hours in the gym and do tons of HIIT without getting the results you want. I also know how it feels to constantly feel tired and drained from your workouts when you’re supposed to feel great and energised.

And as I get older, I also want to make sure I’m prioritising my health. I’m doing everything I can to stay active and healthy while also maintaining my physique.

So what are we women supposed to do if we want to feel good both on the inside and on the outside without having to spend hours in the gym? How should we train?

For me, the answer to this is focusing on mostly low impact workouts. I’m a huge advocate for low impact workouts. I’m going to share with you all of my favorite low impact workouts plus their pros and cons.

Since a lot of women in their 30s and 40s are asking me about bone health and low impact resistance training, I’m also going to share scientific studies and trusted medical sources I found on this topic for every type of low impact training mentioned in this blog. Contrary to the popular belief in the fitness community, heavy weight lifting is not the only thing you can do for your bone health. :)

Even if you realise doing mainly low-impact workouts may not be the best option for you, I hope this blog post, helps you make the right choice for yourself. :)

WHAT IS LOW IMPACT TRAINING?

Low impact training is any form of exercise that is gentler on your joints and that puts less stress on your body in general (doesn’t increase your cortisol – stress hormone levels). Since low impact exercises are generally easier on the body this makes them a great option for women of various fitness levels and ages.

I also recommend this type of training to women who prefer a leaner and slimmer look without any unwanted bulkiness.

WHO SHOULD DO LOW IMPACT WORKOUTS?

Low impact training is a great option for women looking to:

• reduce tiredness and fatigue they feel while doing mostly high-impact workouts (heavy weight lifting, running, HIIT, etc.) – this is 100% me!
• exercise without putting excessive strain on their joints
• reduce cortisol levels (cortisol is a hormone that raises when we are under stress) – again, 100% me!
• increase their bone mass and are unable to do high-impact workouts due to having low bone mass
• lean out and reduce unwanted muscle bulk – a lot of women prefer a leaner and slimmer look, myself included

WHAT ARE THE BEST LOW IMPACT TRAINING OPTIONS FOR WOMEN?

This will depend on your goals but in general, I’d recommend choosing at least 1 cardio (like walking or elliptical) and 1 resistance training option (pilates or similar bodyweight resistance training). Any good, well-rounded program should have both cardio and resistance training.

Below are some of my favorite low impact exercises I recommend to my clients:

Walking:

Walking is one of the simplest low impact cardio exercises that almost anyone can it. It is also a so-called weight-bearing exercise which means it helps build bone mass. It can be done It’s easy to incorporate into your daily routine, whether it’s a brisk walk around the neighborhood or a stroll in the park.

Also, walking actually burns fat. Yes, you’ll have to do a lot of walking for it to be effective but still, it will help you lose extra body fat. For best results, I recommend if you combining it with a slight calorie deficit and some form of resistance training. I prefer low impact, pilates style resistance training. If you want to learn more about how walking can help you lose extra body fat, please read this blog post on why you need cardio for fat loss.

Another thing why I love walking is the fact that it doesn’t increase your cortisol levels (stress hormone). As a matter of fact, this study and this study show that low impact workouts, like walking, may actually help reduce cortisol. (Unlike high-intensity workouts that increase your cortisol levels).

The only downside of walking I could find is that you need to do quite a lot of walking for optimal results. I recommend around 7.000-10.000 steps per day.

RELATED POST: WALKING OR RUNNING – WHICH IS BETTER FOR FAT LOSS

Swimming:

Swimming and water aerobics are excellent low Impact options. For most of us who are recreational swimmers, swimming will be aerobic (low impact) workout. (Swimming can be both aerobic (low intensity) and anaerobic (high-intensity) workout.)

It is also a full-body resistance training workout. The buoyancy of the water reduces the impact on joints while providing resistance.

Swimming will most likely NOT help with bone-building though so be mindful of that. There is a new review/meta-analysis that claims there may be at least some bone-building benefits from swimming but most experts seem to agree swimming is not something that will help you reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Swimming is a great option if you want to reduce stress on your joints and stress in general since, like walking, swimming also has a positive effect on cortisol levels. For example, in this study, scientists observed that cortisol levels after swimming were significantly lower when compared to cortisol levels after running.

RELATED POST: FAT BURNING ZONE – LEARN HOW TO BURE MORE FAT

Cycling:

Riding a stationary bike or cycling outdoors is gentle on the joints and can be adjusted to different intensity levels. It’s an effective cardiovascular exercise and it’s easier on your knees than high impact workouts like running or HIIT which has a lot of jumping.

There are however 2 downsides to cycling – one is strictly health-related and the other has more to the with our personal preferences.

OK, let’s go to the first, health-related downside. Studies have found that cyclists compared to other athletes, have lower bone density. So it seems that cycling may be making our bone health worse and not better.

If you are someone who wants to ensure better bone health or you know you’re at risk of osteoporosis, I would recommend sticking to walking, elliptical, or some other low impact aerobic type of training.

CYCLING AND KNOWING YOUR BODY TYPE

Let’s move to the other cycling downside. This is totally an aesthetic matter but still important to a lot of women. If you are someone who doesn’t want to build a lot of muscle in your legs (and what is a lot is subjective), you may want to avoid cycling more than twice per week if you have a mesomorph body type. If you have an endomorph body type and you feel like you build muscle super quickly, cycling may not be the best option for you.

I have a mesomorph body type and I noticed my legs getting bigger after adding cycling to my routine 3 times per week.

Knowing your body type will help you decide which workouts are better for you and your fitness goals so I would highly recommend learning your body type. All of my clients start by doing a quick, free body type quiz that helps them determine their body type. If you’d like to know yours, just follow this link or click the button below.

WANT TO KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE?

• Complete the quiz in 2 minutes
  
• It’S free
• You will get 3 nutrition and workout tips for your body type

START THE QUIZ NOW

RELATED POST: WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE

Elliptical Trainer:

The elliptical machine provides a smooth, low impact workout that engages both the upper and lower body. It’s a good alternative to running or walking. I always say to my clients – “If you don’t want to walk, elliptical is the next best thing”. Just be mindful of one thing. If one of your main goals is to fat in your lower body, walking just seems to be working better.

Elliptical is also a good option for women who want to improve their bone density and are not allowed/cannot do high-impact workouts.

If you are someone who has issues with high cortisol, the good news is that exercising on the elliptical trainer should NOT increase your cortisol levels as long as you’re exercising at an intensity that’s 60% or lower of your heart rate reserve.

Low Weight and Bodyweight Resistance Training:

Strength (resistance) training with light weights, resistance bands, or just your body weight is an effective way to build muscle without putting excessive strain on the joints. Research also shows that resistance training is important for preserving and improving bone health, especially in us women and especially as we are growing older.

I used to lift heavy weights and I loved how much stronger it made. But to be perfectly honest, I didn’t love the way it made me look. I just felt heavy weight lifting made me look too muscular for my liking.

If you are someone who builds muscle quickly (you have a Mesomorph or Endomorph body type) and you prefer a leaner and slimer look, heavy weight lifting may not be the best option. In this case, low impact, mostly bodyweight resistance training might be a better option.

I personally LOVE this type of training because it doesn’t leave me feeling exhausted AND it’s great for achieving that lean and toned look a lot of women want.

RELATED POST: HOW TO GET LEAN AND NOT BULKY – FEMALE GUIDE

Yoga:

Yoga is well known for its low-impact nature and flexibility benefits. There are various styles of yoga, so you can choose a class that suits your fitness level, goals, and preferences.

Some types of yoga, like Vinyasa, can help with muscle toning, especially for women who are new to resistance training. Many yoga poses require you to support and move your body weight, providing a form of resistance for various muscle groups, including the core, arms, shoulders, and legs.

Another great benefit of yoga is the fact that yoga may help with lowering cortisol levels. Plus, it’s been shown that yoga can have a positive impact on bone density.

So potentially, and especially if you are a beginner, yoga could be a good starting point for resistance training. But if I’m being perfectly honest, I would definitely add some other type of resistance training to your routine (Pilates or resistance training with light weights and resistance bands). Yoga alone probably won’t be enough to make you significantly stronger.

Pilates (Reformer and Barre):

Pilates focuses on core strength, flexibility, and stability. A lot of the moves can be modified to reduce impact while still providing a challenging resistance training workout.

I LOVE reformer Pilates and I never felt like it was interfering with my fitness goals. But I have had some women I trained tell me that they have bulked up from reformer pilates. Most of these clients had an Endomorph body type and their pilates trainers would include a lot of lunge and squat variations.

Barre classes can be great. But this depends a lot on your teacher and the style of barre they do. I have been to a barre class which included a ton of squat jumps, squat holds, and burpees. This type of barre could make your legs bigger and bulkier. If this is not something you want, I would try regular floor-based pilates instead.

When it comes to the relationship between Pilates and bone health, there are indications that Pilates can increase bone density in postmenopausal women who have osteoporosis.

Dance:

I love dancing and I often get asked if dancing is a good form of exercise. This depends of your goals and type of dancing you do.

Low-impact dance classes, such as ballroom or dance aerobics, can be a fun way to stay active without stressing the joints. Low impact dancing is also beneficial for bone health and it’s not going to leave you feeling exhausted.

Ballet, zumba and other dance styles that include a lot of jumping are high-impact. They are good for strengthening your bones but intense on the joints. Also, high imapct dancing can cause bulkiness in some body types so be mindful of that if one of your goals is slimmer thighs. High-impact dancing is also more likely to increase cortisol levels.

LOW IMPACT TRAINING FOR WOMEN FINAL THOUGHTS

OK, so the main question is – should you focus on low impact workouts, will these be enough for you?

Low impact workouts are a great option for women who:

• have hormone issues that can be made worse by high-impact workouts
• bulk up easily but prefer a leaner and slimmer look (this is highly subjective of course)
• have joint issues
• cannot high impact workouts due to health issues, injuries

Whether low impact workouts are for you largely depends on your:

• personal preferences
• fitness and health goals
• lifestyle
• abilities

If you prefer high impact workouts like running or heavy weight lifting and you don’t feel any negative effects, that’s great! You just keep doing what works best for you. I’m hear to support you. :)

And if you enjoy low impact workouts, I promise it’s totally fine to focus mostly on low impact cardio and resistance training. I do mostly bodyweight resistance training and walking as my cardio. Once a week I do a HIIT workout (high-intensity interval training) annd that’s it! And I can honestly tell you I’ve never felt better in my life!

This routine I created for myself years ago, I also transferred into my fitness programs. So if you are looking a low impact but high result fitness program and you prefer a lean and toned look, my programs would be a great option for you. You can check them out below. :)

Love Rachael

CLAIM YOUR DISCOUNT

SOURCES:

• Low Impact Weight Bearing Exercises – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3296386/
• Walking Reduces Cortisol Levels – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6920124/, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18787373/
• Swimming for Bone Building – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7245678/
• Swimming VS Running – Cortisol Levels – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29281146/
• Cycling and Bone Density – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3230645/
• Resistance Training and Bone Health – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6279907/
• Yoga and Cortisol Levels – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3768222/
• Yoga and Bone Health – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8884416/
• Pilates and Bone Health – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26406222/
• Low Impact Dancing and Bone Health – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34224342/
• High Impact Dancing and Cortisol Levels – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10465-022-09368-z

The post Low Impact Training For Women – Recommended by a Certified PT appeared first on Rachael Attard.

But these 2 types of workouts impact your body in different ways. It’s important to know how they work so that you can train in the best possible way for your body and goals!

In this blog post, I’ll explain more about how they work and how they can help you lose weight and burn fat.

WHAT IS HIIT?

HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. HIIT workouts are a type of circuit training in which you alternate between performing intense moves (like sprinting) and more mellow moves (like walking) to give your body a rest. You’ll be sweating a lot by the end!

Most HIIT workouts are just 10 to 30 minutes long. Remember, these workouts are pretty challenging, so most people couldn’t handle a HIIT workout that lasts much longer than half an hour.

This back-and-forth between extreme and low intensity can be really good for your body. Some of the best benefits of HIIT are:

• Burns a lot of calories in a short amount of time.
• Boosts your metabolism, which leads to calorie burn even after the workout is complete.
• Doing HIIT improves your cardiovascular system, which can help your body be more efficient at burning fat (more on this later!).
• HIIT workouts are convenient! They’re short and you can do them almost anywhere, including a hotel room or your living room.

However, HIIT isn’t something I recommend you do all the time, for several reasons.

• Too much HIIT is stressful on your body. This stress can raise your cortisol levels, which can lead to weight gain.
• HIIT workouts are often very focused on the lower body. Most of them involve exercises like squats, burpees, or sprinting. 2 out of 3 female body types will notice that this makes their lower body bulkier than they would prefer. :)
• Your body needs variety and time to recover between HIIT workouts.

WHAT IS LISS?

LISS stands for low-intensity steady state cardio. As you can probably already see from its name, LISS cardio is very different than HIIT. LISS is any type of cardio in which you maintain an even and low pace for a set amount of time.

Some examples of LISS include:

• Power walking (one of my favourite types of exercise!)
• Going for a hike
• Cycling at a steady pace
• Swimming at a steady pace

LISS technically is a walk in the park, but that doesn’t mean it is easy. :) It’s totally doable and you should be able to exercise for about an hour, but you should still feel your body working.

LISS might not be as challenging as HIIT, but it is still very important to include in a successful fitness routine. :)

Here are some of the reasons LISS is important:

• LISS is a great way to get into exercise! If you haven’t worked out in a while, a HIIT workout might feel impossible. LISS workouts will be doable for you!
• You can do LISS anywhere! Can you take a walk? If yes, you can do LISS!
• LISS is perfect for recovery. If you’ve recently done a hard HIIT workout or a tough session of resistance training, your body might need a break. LISS is a good way to stay active without overdoing it.
• Your body burns a lot of fat during LISS workouts. I’ll explain more about this later!

WHICH IS THE BEST FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

Both HIIT and LISS are super important for weight loss! But your body responds differently to LISS workouts versus HIIT workouts. They play different roles in helping you lose weight. Here’s how:

LISS BURNS FAT!

Your body needs energy. (Obviously!) And one of the amazing things that the human body does is that it converts the carbohydrates and fat we eat into energy.

Most of the time, your body uses a combination of both carbs and fat for energy. But, depending on the type of workout you do, it will choose to burn mostly fat or mostly carbs.

When do you LISS, you aren’t working out too hard. Your body is still getting plenty of oxygen, and it is more efficient for your body to use fat instead of carbohydrates for energy.

Harder workouts (like HIIT) make it harder for your body to get oxygen. So, your body opts to use carbs as a quick energy source instead of fat. LISS workouts, then, are great because they keep your body in the fat-burning zone.

If this is confusing, no worries! I have a very detailed blog post about how the fat-burning zone works. If you want to understand the zones in more depth, give it a read. :)

Otherwise, just remember this: LISS workouts keep your body in the ideal zone for fat burning. When you take a long walk or do other forms of low, steady-state cardio, your body chooses to use fat instead of carbs!

This is one of the reasons why walking is so wonderful at slimming down legs. It helps you burn fat!

HIIT INCREASES FITNESS LEVELS

HIIT workouts don’t keep your body in the fat burning zone. They mostly burn carbs. So why bother doing HIIT workouts?

Well, besides burning lots of calories and boosting your metabolism, HIIT also makes your heart stronger. HIIT improves your cardiovascular system, which helps you become fitter.

Doing HIIT workouts also boosts your anaerobic threshold, meaning that you’ll be able to stay in the fat-burning (or aerobic) zone for longer.

WHY IMPROVING FITNESS MATTERS FOR FAT LOSS

Think about it like this: We all know that going for an hour-long walk will burn more calories than a 20-minute walk will. We also know that walking at a faster pace for 30 minutes burns more calories than walking at a slow pace for 30 minutes.

The harder or longer you push yourself, the more calories you will burn.

And we also know that the fitter you are, the easier it is for you to do longer, harder exercises.

So, this means that a person who is fitter can stay in the fat-burning zone for longer while also doing exercises that burn more calories.

HIIT helps you become more fit. The fitter you are, the more your body will be able to rely on fat for energy, and not carbs.

JUST DON’T STRESS YOUR BODY OUT!

One thing to remember about doing HIIT is to pay attention to your stress levels. HIIT workouts can increase cortisol in your body. Cortisol is your stress hormone, and it can lead to weight gain!

Some women see that HIIT burns a lot of calories. They want to lose weight, so they do too much HIIT. Unfortunately, overdoing HIIT can actually have the opposite effect: it can cause you to gain weight, especially in the love handle area.

In my experience, stress can be a major hindrance to weight loss! It took me time to figure out, which is why I’m so vocal about sharing this information with women. If you haven’t read my story about hormones and weight loss, feel free to read it in this blog post. :)

Also, doing lots of HIIT can cause you to build a lot of muscle in your lower body. This means your legs will actually get bigger instead of smaller.

This is why I don’t recommend doing HIIT more than once or twice a week.

BOTH BURN CALORIES

HIIT workouts help you burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. That’s one of the reasons I love HIIT. It’s efficient!

But you can still burn a lot of calories doing LISS. It might take you longer, but it is easier on your body. You can do longer sessions of LISS than HIIT and still get that sweet calorie burn.

Because both HIIT and LISS burn calories, they can both help with weight loss!

FOR BEST RESULTS, COMBINE HIIT AND LISS

The best way to lose weight is to combine low and high-intensity cardio. :)

If your goal is fat loss, I suggest doing LISS 5-6 times a week and 1-2 HIIT workouts a week.

Both LISS and HIIT can play super important rules in your fitness journey! Make sure you check out my 8-week lean legs program if you’re wanting more in-depth workout plans to help you lose fat. :)

And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask! xx

Love Rachael

[optin-monster-shortcode id=”ljrsizbdbls6exa9q8hy”]

The post HIIT vs LISS: Which Is Better for Fat Loss? appeared first on Rachael Attard.

I believe that getting your body in the fat burning zone is a great way to burn more fat.

In this blog post, I’ll explain what the fat burning zone is, how it works and the best way to exercise to lose fat fast.

DOES THE FAT BURNING ZONE REALLY WORK? THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE FAT BURNING ZONE THEORY

When you work out, most people think that you need to give the workout all the energy you have and to work out as hard as you can. After all, this is what makes you burn the most calories!

However, the fat burning zone theory says that you shouldn’t push your body all the way to 100. Instead, you’ll burn the most fat when you working at 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate.

Basically, what this means, is that fat burning occurs when you limit the intensity of your workouts to a specific heart rate zone.

WANT TO KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE?

• Complete the quiz in 2 minutes
  
• It’S free
• You will get 3 nutrition and workout tips for your body type

START THE QUIZ NOW

HOW YOUR BODY BURNS FAT AND CARBS

In order to understand how the fat burning zone works, we need to understand how the body burns fat.

Our bodies are constantly turning carbohydrates and fat into energy that we can use. This energy is called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. 

The ratio that your body uses carbs versus fat is going to depend on several things, including your activity level.

In general, though, our bodies are going to do what’s most efficient. In most situations, they are using a combination of fat and carbohydrates stored in our body to make energy and help us function.

WHY DOES MY BODY USE FAT DURING LOW-INTENSITY WORKOUTS?

Your body needs oxygen to convert fat into ATP. When you’re doing low to moderate-intensity exercise, you’re able to breathe easier and your body gets more oxygen than when you’re pushing hard in a HIIT or other intense workout.

The most efficient thing your body can do during lower and moderate forms of exercise is to turn to your stored fat into energy.

So according to the fat burning theory, you should do long low-intensity exercises in order to use up fat storage and to burn enough calories in order to see weight loss.

WHEN YOUR BODY USES CARBS FOR ENERGY

When you start to push your body into really hard workouts, your body needs to be able to find energy quickly. But when you’re working out hard and you’re struggling to breathe, your body doesn’t have enough oxygen to burn fat.

So instead, it turns to glycogen (or your body’s stored carbs) in order to get energy fast.

When you do a high-intensity workout, your body burns through your glycogen stores and may eventually turn back to fat burning depending on the length of the workout, and your body’s amount of stored carbs.

But if you eat before doing a high-intensity workout (and especially if your diet is high in carbs), your body will most probably burn way more carbs than fat.

WHAT ARE THE HEART RATE TRAINING ZONES?

There’s a direct connection between your heart rate and the intensity of your training. The harder you train, the faster your heart rate gets.

Depending on how hard you train, your heart rate can be in 5 different training zones.

For example, if you’re power walking for an hour, your heart is not going to pump as hard as it does when you’re doing something more intense like sprinting.

Knowing which zone you’re in will help you understand how your body is making energy and whether you’re burning mainly fat or carbs.

If you want to keep track of heart rate training zones, you need to know your maximum heart rate (more details below) and what each zone means.

Here are the 5 heart rate training zones and each of them can be estimated based on your heart rate!

1. HEART RATE ZONE 1 – WARM-UP ZONE

In this zone, you’re working out at <60 percent of your maximum heart rate.

Your heart rate is in this zone when you’re just moving around without doing anything remotely challenging.

It’s like when you’re rewatching Friends and going to the fridge to grab a piece of cake. ;)

2. HEART RATE ZONE 2 (FAT BURNING ZONE)

Just above the warm-up zone is your fat-burning zone. In this zone, you’re working out at about 60-70 percent of your maximum heart rate.

This level is all about endurance. Your body will be able to use oxygen to convert fat to energy, and you’ll find that you’ll be able to exercise for a while in this zone.

You’ve totally got this!

You’ll most likely be in this zone during low-intensity cardio like going to long power walks.

I have a really detailed blog post on how to use low-intensity cardio to burn more fat and get lean so make sure to give it a read. :)

3. HEART RATE ZONE 3 (CARDIO ZONE)

We’re picking up the pace here!

In this zone, you’re working out at about 70-80 percent of your maximum heart rate.

You should be able to talk and be relatively comfortable. However, you might find yourself sweating and breathing harder during this stage.

So it’s challenging but still doable!

In this zone, you’ve also reached what’s called the cardio zone. You start to burn a lot of calories relatively quickly in this zone.

The calories you burn here split evenly between your fat stores and glycogen (carbs). However, the fitter you are, the more your body will be able to rely on fat for energy, and not carbs (this is known as the anaerobic threshold).

Although you may not burn more fat than carbs, you will still burn lots of calories overall. 

You’ll most likely get to the cardio zone when you’re jogging, swimming or cycling.

4. HEART RATE ZONE 4 (HIGH-INTENSITY ZONE)

Now we’re getting serious!

You’re working out at about 80 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate.

You’re struggling to breathe and may find that it is becoming difficult to hold a conversation.

Over time, working out in this zone should help you to push harder or go faster.

Here you’re definitely burning tons of calories and more carbs than fat.

Resistance training is considered to be a high-intensity activity. Also, resistance training raises your metabolism which means you’ll burn more calories while resting.

So, even though it may not help you burn more fat, it will definitely help with weight loss and increasing your fitness.

5. INTENSE HEART RATE ZONE (MAXIMUM-INTENSITY ZONE)

This zone feels like when your PT tells you to push through the last 30 seconds of your 3 rounds of HIIT!

In this zone, you’re working out at about 90 to 100 percent of your maximum heart rate.

You’ll probably only be able to stand this zone for a few minutes. Your body’s respiratory and blood system will be working as hard as possible, and you’ll be panting and unable to talk.

Doing interval training in this zone (such as during a HIIT workout or sprinting) will make it easier for your body to burn both carbs and fat. You’ll also continue to burn calories after the workout is over, and your metabolism will temporarily increase.

If you’re new to exercising or haven’t done much high-intensity workouts, you might find that you can’t handle this intensity at all. So it’s important to listen to your body and take it easy.

HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR FAT BURNING ZONE

First, you’ll need to know your maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate = 220 minus your age. So for example, if you are 25 years old, your maximum heart rate is 220 – 25 = 195 beats per minute (bpm).

To calculate your fat burning zone of 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate, follow these equations:

• Maximum heart rate x 0.6 (60%)
• Maximum heart rate x 0.7 (70%)

AN EXAMPLE

Here’s what this would be for a 25-year-old.

• Maximum heart rate = 220 – 25 = 195 beats per minute (bpm)
• 60% of your maximum heart rate is 195 x 0.6 = 117 bpm
• 70% of your maximum heart rate is 195 x 0.7 = 136.5 pm

So for a 25 year old person, the fat burning zone is when your heart rate is between 117 – 137 bpm.

If this is too technical for you, I recommend you try to just notice your body’s signs. In the fat burning zone, you should be able to talk and continue at the pace you’re going for at least an hour.

When I go for walks, I try to be in the fat burning zone as I’ve found this really helps to keep my legs slim.

I aim to walk at a medium-fast pace, and my heart rate is in the right zone. I don’t need to go full speed and feel really puffed out. 

[do_widget id=custom_html-7]

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T JUST STICK TO LOW-CARDIO WORKOUTS

Different types of workouts give your body different benefits. To help you see how they can do this, let’s imagine a few scenarios:

INTENSE WORKOUTS

Let’s imagine that after work, you decide to power through an intense HIIT workout or some resistance training.

This workout is intense, so your body needs a quick form of energy. Your body is struggling to use fat as an energy source because you’re breathing hard and aren’t getting enough oxygen to convert fat to energy.

But since you have eaten throughout the day, the carbs stored in your muscles are readily available, and your body doesn’t need oxygen to turn them into energy. You may eventually burn fat too, but the percentage of carbs burned will be higher than the percentage of fat.

This intense workout burns a ton of calories which is great for weight loss, helps boost your metabolism, and helps build some muscle that’s great for toning up.

LESS INTENSE WORKOUT

Now, let’s say it’s morning and you haven’t eaten yet. Your body is low on carbs and you decide to go for a power walk to start your day. This is called fasted cardio and it’s great for fat loss.

Your body isn’t being pushed too hard, so you’re getting plenty of oxygen. This, along with not having too many carbs in your body, means that your body starts to use fat for energy.

Fat is more abundant and is a great source of slow-burning energy which makes it perfect for the times like these.

Going for power walks and doing other low-intensity workouts is great for getting slim legs, it prevents burn out, and helps you recover from more intense workouts. :)

ACHIEVING THE BEST RESULTS!

Sticking to one form of exercise will prevent you from seeing the good results that the other forms can bring.

I believe the fat burning theory is based on scientific facts, but I still encourage you to do more than just low-intensity cardio. The best way to lose weight is to combine low and high-intensity cardio with resistance training. :)

This is why I designed my own workout program that combines fat burning exercises and resistance training. It’s designed to help you get lean and toned in just 8 weeks.

Here are some of the lovely girls who did my Lean Legs Program! :)

Love Rachael xx

START THE PROGRAM TODAY

The post Fat Burning Zone – Learn How to Burn More Fat appeared first on Rachael Attard.

But, being stuck at home doesn’t mean you can’t stay active and keep your fitness & cardio levels – it just requires a bit of creativity!

Join me for a 7-day cardio workout plan you can do from your home or your garden to keep your fitness levels up and move your body.

I promise these workouts are much more fun and easier if done together! In some of these videos, I was joined by my mom and my best friend. <3

So if you are currently at home with your mom, sister, best-friend or flatmate invite them to join you!

You can do it together to keep both of you active and in good spirits!

Let’s do this!

DAY 1 – AT HOME CARDIO BLAST

This workout is for all my cardio lovers who can’t go outside for a power walk or a run.

A cardio workout will boost your energy levels and your mood and the best part is…you can do it together with your family members.

This is one of my favourite routines as I filmed it with my mum. So, feel free to invite your BFF, sister, mum, or aunt to do this cardio routine with you!

If you are already quite fit, follow my lead.

And if you’re a beginner or you are doing this with one of your older family members, just follow my mum. :)

Let me know if you like this workout!

P.S. How cute is my mum <3

DAY 2 – FULL BODY WORKOUT

This is a full-body resistance workout that you can do at home.

This type of training will provide low to moderate resistance so you won’t feel like you’ve worked yourself to exhaustion.

And since it’s low impact, it’s suitable for people with different fitness levels.

I did this workout in my garden but if you need to stay inside, that’s totally fine. :)

HOW TO DO THIS WORKOUT

• Do each exercise for 45 seconds with as little rest as possible. 
• If you can’t do 45 seconds, aim for 30 seconds or as long as you can :)
• After you complete all 6 exercises (1 round) rest for 1 minute.
• Do 2-3 rounds (or more if you feel like it!).

DAY 3 – TIGHT CORE WORKOUT FOR WOMEN

This is one of my favourite ab workouts!

It’s super quick and you can do it literally anywhere.

In this video, I am doing it from my kitchen, while trying not to get interrupted by my dog Homer.

To do this workout, you’ll need just a pair of gliding discs. If you don’t have gliding discs, that’s OK. You can use small towels or paper plates. :)

HOW TO DO THIS WORKOUT

• Do each exercise for 45 seconds.
• Rest for 15 seconds.
• Try to do 3 rounds.

DAY 4 – COUCH BOOTY WORKOUT

No gym, no problem! You can still work on your glutes and legs!

To do this workout, you can stay in your living room. All you need is a couch! ;)

HOW TO DO THIS WORKOUT

• Do each exercise for 45 seconds (both sides for the 1 sided exercises), without any rest. 
• Complete 2-3 rounds.

DAY 5 – REST AND REPLENISH  

As important as it is to move your body, it is also equally important to give your body time off to rest and recover.

Even if you feel like you’ve been more sedentary than ever due to quarantine, I usually don’t recommend exercising every day.

If you still feel like you’d like to move your body, try some light stretching and foam rolling.

This would be a perfect day to focus on healthy eating and cooking a delicious meal for your family/ housemates.

You can download my  FREE 7-day meal plan and try out some of my recipes or just check out my recipe posts and find something you like.

[optin-monster-shortcode id=”r2kdmbvmmxwb9tncv3wq”]

DAY 6 – AT HOME BOXING WORKOUT

This is another at-home cardio workout I did with my mum!

And nothing makes us feel more like a badass duo than boxing together!

So, feel free to invite your mum or even grandma to join you for this one ;)

Boxing is a great cardio workout and it will tone your core and upper body super fast.

However, this one is a bit intense. If you are already quite fit, follow what I’m doing.

And if your mum or grandma joins in, she can follow my mum! 

My mum and I hope you’re going to like this workout, so feel free to tag me on Instagram if you do!

And don’t forget to share this workout with your friends who also want to stay active :)

DAY 7 – FULL BODY BURN

We’re almost there, hun! :)

To finish off this 7-day at-home workout plan, I’ve prepared another low to moderate intensity routine that will work your whole body.

So even if you are a complete fitness newbie, you’ll be able to do this one! ;)

This one is a full length, follow at-home workout, so all you need to do is follow our lead.

Let’s go! 

I hope these workouts help you stay in good spirits and keep you moving.

Feel free to share them on Instagram and tag me (@rachael_attard), so I can follow all you lovelies that are doing my workouts!

I hope you are safe and healthy. Thinking of all of you and your families.

Love,

Rachael x

WANT MORE WORKOUTS? 

If you liked this workout routine and want more workouts to help you stay fit at home, check out 3 Steps to Lean Legs Program and my Lean Legs Video Course!

Check out these lovelies who followed my programs and got AMAZING results! :)

The post Quarantine Cardio: Stay Active With Our 7-Day At Home Workout Plan appeared first on Rachael Attard.

Eating right, exercising, and boosting your metabolism are all keys to helping you reach your ideal weight. So if you’re like me, you’ve probably wondered how to boost your metabolism so that you burn more calories throughout the day.

Here are a few simple tips and tricks that I use to keep my metabolism kicking.

Enjoy a hot cup of lemon water

Lemons are a great way to boost your metabolism! This is because they are high in Vitamin C and antioxidants, which help your immune system.

Boil some fresh water in a kettle and squeeze half a fresh lemon into a mug (use fresh lemon juice rather than the bottled kind). Then fill the mug with hot water, sip, and enjoy.

If you’re looking for an added metabolic boost, add cayenne and ginger. These foods increase your metabolism and may even help promote a healthy digestive system, making it easier for your metabolism to power through calories.

Drink a glass of cold water

Staying hydrated is important for both your metabolism and your overall health, and cold water is even better. Studies have shown that drinking cold water can increase your metabolism for short bursts. 

By drinking cold water, your body has to work harder and burn more calories to process it. The study mentioned above found that you can burn 25% more calories just by drinking cold water!

To take advantage, start your morning by drinking a glass of cold water before indulging in a cup of coffee or your breakfast. This way, you’ll be hydrated right from the start and your metabolism will already be up and running before you enjoy breakfast.

Best of all, you can use this trick throughout the day to give your metabolism a boost!

Have some coffee or green tea

Caffeine gives you a boost of energy, but when enjoyed in moderation, coffee or green tea can also boost your metabolism. Caffeine is the only supplement that has been proven to actually increase the amount of calories your body burns and therefore increases your metabolism. 

Make a cup of strong coffee or green tea as part of your morning routine. For best results, avoid adding sweeteners or creamer. These add useless calories that will only bog you down.

The caffeine will give your metabolism the boost it needs in the morning and the high antioxidant content of both drinks will improve your health and take care of damaging free radicals in your system.

RELATED POST: HOW TO FIX A DAMAGED METABOLISM

Have a protein-rich breakfast

There are some foods that naturally increase your metabolism and protein is one of them. Your body burns lots more calories digesting protein than it does compared to fat and protein. So that is why it helps boost your metabolism!

Try to have a high protein breakfast to kick start your metabolism for the day. Opt for items like healthy protein smoothies, yogurt or eggs. Just take care to avoid added sugars and artificial sweeteners. For a few simple ideas, check out my breakfast recipes geared to help burn fat and boost your metabolism throughout the day.

Increase muscle mass

I’ve left the best for last. Let’s get a little technical for just a moment (stay with me!).

The amount of calories you burn throughout the day is made up of 3 things – 

1. Your resting (or basal) metabolic rate – how many calories you burn at rest; 
2. Thermogenesis – how many calories you burn through digestion (this sort of falls under the resting metabolic rate category); and
3. Your physical activity – how many calories you burn during exercise).

All of the tips we have mentioned above help to improve point 2 – thermogenesis (how many calories you burn through digestion).

Increasing your physical activity is easy! All you need to do is exercise and burn up those calories.

But your resting or basal metabolic rate (RMR or BMR) makes up the MOST of your daily calorie burn. It will make up anywhere from 60-85% of your daily calories burned. So this part is super important.

The best way to increase your resting metabolic rate is to build muscle mass. Muscle burns LOTS of calories so will help you overall when boosting your metabolism and trying to lose weight.

I’m not saying that you need to go out there and lift super heavyweights and pack on as much muscle as you can. But you cannot exclude resistance workouts. Do some type of exercise 3-4 times per week that engages your muscles, whether that be bodyweight workouts, HIIT, Pilates, Yoga or your favourite gym class!

Hope you enjoy these tips and have learned a little something on how to boost your metabolism!

Are any of these tips included in your daily routine? Let me know in the comments section! xx

BEFORE AND AFTER PIC OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBER

GET THIS PROGRAM

The post How to Boost Your Metabolism appeared first on Rachael Attard.