While everyone stores fat differently, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to assume that you despise excess upper body weight. Whether it settles around your stomach, underneath your arms, in your obliques, or a combination of the three, unsightly fat accumulation can take a stab at your self-confidence and make finding flattering clothes a hassle. You know that you want to get rid of this weight, but discovering a way to do so may not be as simple. Stop straining your neck with inefficient crunches and try out these top three proven methods for reducing upper body weight.

Cardiovascular Training

Regular cardio exercise is the easiest way to shed body fat. One must achieve a caloric deficit to burn fat, meaning that you need to burn more calories than you consume. Cardio exercises like swimming, biking, jogging, and running are highly effective at slimming your frame as they recruit multiple muscle groups and burn fat from head to toe. To see a difference, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that you participate in any one of the previously mentioned exercises at least five times a week for at least 30 minutes a day.

Strength Training

Many people believe that strength training is only useful for building muscle and bulking up, but that is furthest from the truth. When you lift weights, you release hormones that help increase your caloric burn while stimulating your metabolism. Strength training also promotes the growth of lean muscle mass, efficiently lowering your overall body fat percentage. Depending on the intensity and frequency of your weight training sessions, you may even continue to burn calories hours after completing your last set.

Interval Training

Interval training is a fitness method that involves switching up the pace of your cardiovascular workout. Rather than merely jogging at the same speed throughout the entire path, mix in some quick sprints here and there to achieve a necessary increase in your heart rate. By alternating between moderate and high-paced activity, you effectively increase your heart rate, promoting an intense full-body burn that helps shed unwanted upper body fat.

The EPIC Difference

EPIC Interval Training combines all three of the aforementioned fitness methods for a highly efficient workout. High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT involves both cardio and strength training performed in stations. You are continuously in motion as you rotate through the circuit, targeting a different muscle group in every station. By the end of the 45-minute class, you would have gotten in an intense full-body workout, and through EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption), you may continue to burn calories up to 24-hours after a class. Perform this multiple times a week and watch the excess fat melt away before your eyes!

Are you ready to join us for an EPIC fitness experience? Contact us today to discover how you can get your first class free!