Summer is a time to reveal the hard work you put in all winter… or the lack thereof.
Apply these principles to go from fat to fit in no time!
Plate Pushes
Push the plate away from you. Eat with moderation.
The most important determinant of weight loss is eating less than your body needs. Body fat is energy and you need to give your body a reason to use that energy.
A moderate calorie deficit of 200-500 calories for no more than 12 weeks is best.
If you want to learn more about what to eat to lose weight, check out this article!
Heavy Leg Training
To lose fat easily, increase your muscle mass because that increases the energy you burn while at rest (Basal Metabolic Rate).
Your legs are the largest muscles in your body, so if we want more muscle, let’s focus on legs!
The SQUAT is the king of exercises because it loads your axial spine and activates every muscle in your body. Squatting is really difficult, and that’s why most people don’t do it.
Although not quite as challenging as the squat, the LEG PRESS or HACK SQUAT work as well for building your legs.
Unilateral work is a simple way to get better fat loss results. Performing LUNGES & SPLIT SQUATS burns more calories because you have to do twice the number of reps!
DEADLIFTS load your legs and your back, and they stimulate a lot of muscle growth.
Heavy Back Training
Although our legs are the biggest muscles, our backs are a close second.
CHIN-UPS build your back and core. You can do ASSISTED PULL-UPS or PULL-DOWNS as an alternative.
CHEST SUPPORTED ROWS and T-BAR ROWS will help to build your upper and mid back.
The legs and back are the foundation of the body. By training your legs and back muscles, you will build the most muscle, increase your body’s caloric needs, and burn fat with ease!
Perform 6-30 reps per exercise at least 2 times per week.
Low Intensity Cardio
The primary benefit of cardio is that it strengthens your heart and blood vessels to improve your circulation, which helps both building muscle and burning fat.
Perform 30-60 minutes of cardio in zone 2 (65%-75% of your maximum heart) 2-3 times per week to improve your circulatory system.
If you have a smartwatch you can calculate your target heart rate. The simple way is the Talk Test: You should be able to talk, but not sing, i.e. your speech should be interrupted every 2-3 sentences to catch your breath.
Common Mistakes
Doing too Much
The most common mistake with fat loss is doing too much too quickly and then burning out.
If you increase the amount you’re exercising, you must also increase the amount of food you eat.
If you go from doing nothing to exercising 6 times per week, you will only survive 1-2 weeks until the cravings for food become too great.
Doing too much high-intensity exercise can also cause your body to burn out.
Performing high intensity cardio too often will cause your body to break down. Low intensity cardio is superior for fat loss because you can do a near unlimited amount!
Cardio but No Weights!
Did you know muscle takes up less space than fat?
The secret to that toned look you're after is gaining muscle!
If you only doing cardio, you need to do cardio every day or you'll start to get fat again!
If you only do cardio, when you lose body fat you'll look skinny-fat instead of lean.
Only doing cardio is for amateurs who want to do more work for less results.
Everyone from grandmas to fitness models need to be lifting weights to look and feel their best.
Impatience
Have patience and trust the process. If you’ve been trying hard to lose weight without much progress, you’re probably focused on the wrong things.
Working with an experienced fitness coach can save you years of wasted time and effort.
If you want help, I have a 12-week Fat Loss Training Program that provides you with the exact exercise routine you need to get phenomenal results!
All training programs include a customizable nutrition plan, instructional videos so you know how to perform the movements, and progress tracking abilities!
If you want to be coached directly by me, schedule a fitness consultation to get started today!
Hope this helps! - Tom
