Blast Away the Fat!

Posted December 26, 2007 by Megan Bailey

Here’s a fat-burning workout, designed to trim and slim you down in just 6 weeks.
Best for: Toned legs, healthy heart.

     Why it’s a fat blaster: Adding hills to your workout ups your calorie burn like crazy and gives you a fast cardio boost. Plus, it’s a great way to sculpt your legs and butt.
How to do it: Find a hill about the length of a football field (it should take you less than a minute to reach the top). Start at a warm-up pace for 5 minutes on relatively flat ground, then attack the hill. As you climb, you should start breathing heavily, with your intensity approaching 8 or 8.5 out of a possible 10. Push yourself until you make it to the top, then turn around and walk back down at a comfortable pace to let your breathing and heart rate recover. Once at the bottom, head back up again. Repeat a total of 8 times, then cool down for 5 minutes at an easy pace.
     Treadmill walkers can alternate 1–2 minutes at 4–8 percent incline with 1–2 minutes at 1 percent incline. Repeat 5–10 times. (No leaning allowed; use handrails only for balance.)
Your legs are getting an amazing workout, so head off soreness by stretching calves, quads, hamstrings, and glutes when you’re done.
     Do-it-better trick: Shorten your stride, take quicker steps, lean slightly forward from your hips, and pump your arms to help you power up the hill.
     Don’t forget to also incorporate a healthy diet that is low in fat but high in nutrition. Try eating 4-6 smaller meals a day to keep your metabolism at it’s fat burning peak. In no time you will have the toned legs and firm bottom that you have been striving for.