If you really want to burn fat, you need to make sure that you’re spending adequate time doing low intensity cardio training.

Why?

Because when you perform high intensity intervals, weight training, or faster paced running, the body will tap into muscle glycogen (aka stored carbohydrates) for quick energy.

In order to maximize fat as a fuel source, the body needs to be moving at a lower intensity. This allows the processing of fat stores to be converted to ATP (i.e. energy).

Now, don’t get me wrong – you can still create a caloric deficit and lose fat by performing only high intensity work. But for many people, my question is “why?”

If fat is best burned via walking and doing light cardio, wouldn’t you be down for that? Walking is easy on the body and typically has higher compliance rates than other forms of exercise.

I’ve seen scenarios where individuals only do higher intensity work, and they end up breaking down muscle and using it as fuel source. Proper intensity work and nutrition are a foundational key to avoiding this pitfall.

With that said, if you want to lose fat and you’re going all out every workout, I would highly recommend implementing a greater volume of low intensity cardio.