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Fat Loss Facts....Plain & Simple
First and foremost….to lose fat you need to burn more calories than you take in. To burn more calories, you need to build muscle and do cardio. To take in fewer calories, you need to eat properly. Plain and simple.
BUILDING MUSCLE:
Treat each set like it’s your last!
The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest! The more calories that you burn in a day , the more fat you are able to lose. We lose approximately ½ lb of muscle per year through aging from 30 on, so lifting weights is essential.
Do a 5 minute warm up before you start your weight routine. Generally, start with your bigger muscles first….legs first, then back or chest, shoulders, then bis or tris. There is no magic number of reps or sets, but starting out, 2 sets of 12 for each exercise should give you the proper mind/muscle coordination and skill you’ll need to advance. When you can do 2 sets of 12 reps (with the last 2 being HARD) for two consecutive exercise sessions it’s time to raise the weight. Good form is first and foremost. Push yourself! Load (the weight) is what will get you results more so than volume (high reps). As you get stronger and more controlled with your movements, you can change the exercises and/or your rep range to make your routine more challenging….and keep it fun.
Recovery time after each session is going to differ for everyone, but generally you want to do each body part 2-3 times a week. An upper/lower body split is ideal for starters, but a modified full-body routine may be necessary because of time constraints. Eventually when your program advances, a longer recovery may be necessary. A general philosophy is to avoid training any muscle or muscle group if it is still sore from a previous workout, including abs. Once in a while won’t hurt you though.
Any person you talk to in the fitness industry will give you conflicting views on just about every aspect of training, but how YOUR body responds is what matters and that takes time, patience, and accuracy in training and nutrition. In the long run, the secret to building muscles and losing bodyfat is consistency, intensity, proper form and diet, diet, diet.
If you’re still thinking, “I don’t want to lift too heavy. I don’t want to get bulky”, nonsense. Sound familiar? Women simply do not have the hormones or genetics that allow that. You aren’t’ going to wake up the morning after doing a hard workout and say, “OMG, where did these come from!” If you do start feeling "bulky", it is excess fat making you feel that way, NOT an overabundance of muscle.
Most important, you can lift weights all you want, but if a layer of fat covers them you’ll never see your results!
CARDIOVASCULAR (CV):
Make it count!
Do CV after your weight routine. Anybody looking to lose fat not only needs to watch his or her diet, but they need to do cardio - and hit the cardio hard - because one is contingent upon the other.
A study at Laval University in Quebec, Canada found that High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) cardio helped trainees lose nine times more fat than those who trained the traditional way (moderate speed for 20-60 minutes). Combine HIIT with your weight program and you boost your metabolism through the roof! HIIT is great for days that you lift when time is a factor, but more effective on opposite days. Save your 30-45 minute/moderate intensity sessions for “CV only” days.
Plan your week's workout schedule to include both HIIT days and moderate intensity days. Use a variety of machines. You’ll get much better results by not doing the same thing all the time. When you do the same aerobic activity over and over again, your body gets used to that and won’t burn fat at an optimum level anymore (see article). For a great steady-state workout try 3 different machines for 10-20 minutes each, you mix it up and prevent boredom at the same time. Another suggestion, play mind games….change the resistance, speed or incline every minute or so.
| CALORIE INTAKE: |
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If you take in too many calories, the excess will be stored as fat! Plain and simple.
If you are in need of a diet overhaul, start by keeping a log of EVERYTHING you eat for 2 weeks. Wake up call, right!?
IF you really have no clue about what’s good for you and what isn’t , it’s time to talk to a nutritionist.
Total calorie and fat intake is an average, consumed over several days or longer. Even if we go to a social gathering at night, we can eat less for breakfast and lunch to keep our average down. This involves planning, but it can work.
Remember the basics….Read labels. Plan your meals. Drink lots of water. Eat enough protein. Don’t restrict something totally….everything in moderation. Exercise portion control. Break it up into 5 or 6 small, well-balanced meals a day. Don’t skip meals. Put your fork down between bites. “Ruin” (place a dirty napkin on it, dump a lot of salt on it, etc) whatever food is left on your plate do you don’t pick at it after you’re full. Get a “to-go” container with your meal and box ½ before you even begin eating. Get the right nutrients…think quality over quantity.
Try this trick the next time you attend a party, dinner or function. Keep a beverage glass in one hand at all times, even if it’s empty. If you only have one hand free, you can’t hold a plate and pick at the same time. And stand on the opposite side of the room from the food table.
Studies say your diet counts for around 80% of your overall progress!!! Some say 90%!!
POSITIVE ATTITUDE:
Your workouts are fun!!!!
Thinking positively will enhance the muscle-building process in a number of ways. Quality of training will improve if one is able to approach each session with confidence and an expectation they will achieve their training goals. If one is experiencing negative feelings, this will have a negative impact on their training. The body should always be spoken about in a favorable light, without losing sight of exactly what need to be improved upon. Positive self-talk!! No “I cant's”!!
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