As mentioned in part 1, if we use cardiovascular exercise too much, we begin to lose muscle and retain bodyfat. Using weights will dramatically play a reverse role and help shift the bodyfat.

What is the goal of a fat loser?

'To burn as many calories during the workout and raise the metabolism after your training session'.

How does the idea of raising the metabolism for up to 36 hours sound?

Well this becomes possible when we introduce weights into our training programme.

If we really want to speed our metabolism for an extra day and a half and I'm guessing if you're reading this article you do. Then we need to involve as many muscles in our exercise or workout as we can.

This is exactly what happens when you train with free weights and/or you train more functionally when using what I call the 600 muscle rule.

Our body has over 600 muscles, if we can actively stimulate as many of those muscles as possible within one exercise, we will naturally stimulate and raise our metabolic rate. What I mean by functional exercise is the use of free weights whilst exercising on your feet. Immediately, this brings more stabilizing muscles such as the glutes (bum) and core muscles. Just by involving these muscle alone, we increase and stimulate our metabolism.

Something else we produce when performing this kind exercise is something called EPOC (Excessive Post Oxygen Consumption) meaning that our body has to work harder to produce more oxygen to recover. This is where we are able to raise the metabolism for up to 36 hours after exercise and where weights play a vital part in fat loss.

To get the full effect of EPOC, weights play an essential part to making our muscles work harder. We can turn our everyday exercises such as the squat, lunge and step up into a more intense exercise by adding weight that we can do for no more than 12 repetitions.

Now this is pretty much common sense and the out come will be more muscle meaning increased calorific expenditure and increased metabolism. The body actually burns approximately 50 calories extra!

Unfortunately, a common problem with training this way, at least more common for women is they begin to add a little too much muscle, especially on the thighs. I'm not going to go into the science of why this happens but this is where we need a more even balance of exercise routines which you will get in part 4. So don't panic too much.

So with a combination of strength exercise to increase lean muscle whilst at the same time reducing the amount of aerobic exercise and instead focusing on higher intensity cardiovascular exercise. We already have a better idea of personal programme design for us to achieve maximum results for fat loss.

The great thing about this whole programme is by adding one more exercise routine, we are able to slow down the muscle growth whilst increasing muscle firmness. But you'll have to read part 3 for that kind of information.