Perfectly timed fat loss (Part 1)

Exercises vary in effectiveness depending on when you perform them. Match the right workout with the right time for maximum burning potential

The clock governs everything, your ability to burn fat included. To get the most from your workout you need to be in the right place at the right time, performing the right exercise. By doing just one of these workouts – each burning 500 calories – every day for a week, you’ll burn that excess body fat. It’s all in the timing.

7-9am: Attack your fat stores early

Advantage: stamina

Don’t hit the snooze button – you need to be out of bed nice and early to maximise your morning fat-burn. You’re up to 7% weaker when you wake, so it’s best to go for a long bout of steady-state cardio over more strenuous interval or weight sessions. Perform any one of the exercises below, maintaining a speed that’s about 65% of your maximum effort. A constant pace ensures you don’t tap out your energy reserves and can train for the set time-frame. You’ll be in and out with a 500-calorie deficit before breakfast.

Stationary bike 34 minutes
Elliptical trainer 36 minutes
Rower 43 minutes
Run 35 minutes

12-2pm: Mix it up on your lunch break

Advantage: increased lung capacity

You’re awake but you still won’t have reached your peak strength by midday. Your body’s aerobic capacity will have increased by 4%, so a mixture of intervals and resistance training is ideal for this time of day. Do your cardio first.

Interval training Warm up for 4 minutes. Then sprint for 30 seconds, rest for 20 seconds, then go again. Go 7 times.
Weight training Do the exercises on the next post after another, resting for 1 minute between sets. Do 3 sets of 12 repetitions

5-7pm: Lift heavy when you're working late

Advantage: maximum strength

You may feel tired after a day’s work, but you’re at your strongest now. So go for a pure weights session. Perform a set of six reps with a weight heavy enough that you’re unable to keep lifting after the last rep. Research found it will burn more calories post-training than doing 12 reps of a lighter weight.

Weight training Do the exercises on the next post after another, resting for 1 minute between sets. Do 4 sets of 6 repetitions