CategoriesFat Loss Strength Training

Why You Should Lift Heavyish Things For Fat Loss

Today’s guest post comes via TG.com regular Travis Hansen.

I’ve long championed the notion that most people, most of time fail to understand the significant power that dedicated strength training has on one one’s ability to lose body fat.

We’ve been programmed to think the key to fat loss success is “surviving” endless, laborious hours on a treadmill. That approach “can” work, but speaking personally I’d rather swallow live bees.

Thankfully, Travis uses less hyperbole to explain why strength training should be a staple in anyone’s fat loss endeavor.

Enjoy!

Copyright: Tom Meaker

Lifting Heavy(ish) Things For Fat Loss

Interested in losing body fat?

At this point it’s pretty obvious that nothing is going to give you more leverage with regards to getting results (and results that will stick long-term) than proper strength training.

There’s a bevy of real-world examples around the world, and the science & research back it all up too.

There are several studies that have investigated the effects aerobic and anaerobic training have on weight loss, fat loss, and the maintenance or increase of muscle mass.

The consensus among the scientific community is that both methods contribute to fat loss, but anaerobic training (weights, sprinting, etc.) is hands down better.

Per unit of time, anaerobic training is better. However, it cannot be utilized/practiced as much because of fatigue factors, so you need a blend of both.

Just so we’re all on the same page: Me stating I feel most people should focus a little more on strength training to help with fat loss is NOT me saying I am against performing cardio. This is akin to an analogy I recently saw Dr. Spencer Nadolsky make:

“When I say “weight lifting is good for you” and then people say “I can’t believe you’re not promoting aerobic training!” It would be like me saying “strawberries are good for you” and someone saying “I can’t believe you’re not promoting broccoli!”

The best approach to fat loss is a synergistic one: Eating for your goals as well as performing BOTH strength training and cardio.

Just remember that anaerobic training can (and should) be primary and aerobic is a far secondary.

And the science heavily supports this stance.

Science also supports that Tony is jacked (👈 Tony wrote that)

When it comes to training, a great analogy for attempting to create as much caloric expenditure as possible can be derived from establishing a proper foundation of training methods from the bottom up.

You can refer to this as The Fat Loss Pyramid.

The most potent and powerful contributors to total fat loss start at the bottom and then decrease in their value as you climb the pyramid.

We still seem to have this model backwards.

As counterintuitive as it may seem to some, a majority of calorie burn should come from weight training as the vast majority of research over the decades have showcased it’s superior effects that can’t be entirely achieved or replicated through other popular methods (i.e., HIIT, steady state, fasted cardio, etc).

It’s not lost on me the the notion of weight training being a primary method for fat loss is still dumbfounding to some people. But it shouldn’t be if you consider the science on the topic.

via GIPHY

Note From TG: This is why I’m a fan of the saying “what makes muscle, keeps muscle.”

“Fat loss plans should alternatively be referred to as “muscle maintenance” plans. The idea should be to maintain or keep as much muscle as possible while in a caloric deficit. The easiest way to do so is to lift heavy things – remind the body to hold on to precious lean tissue.”

The Science

The infamous study by Dr. Schuenke tells us exactly why strength training should be first and foremost when it comes to optimal fat loss training. (1).

Schuenke and his team took seven healthy men and had them perform a 3-exercise circuit utilizing the squat, bench press, and power clean.

The circuit was performed three times amounting to twelve total work sets and lasted 31 minutes.

The results were remarkable!

Aside from the few hundred calories the subjects burned during the session, they burned about 600-700 calories in addition to that number over the next 38 hours post-exercise. This phenomenon is known as “Excessive Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption,” or EPOC for short.

EPOC is the amount of energy required to return our metabolism back to pre-exercise levels. It can take minutes with certain training types such as aerobic training and hours to days with high intensity work such as resistance training and max effort sprinting. There are at least five studies that clearly show weight training increases EPOC for 1-48 hours above resting levels. (2)

Through heavy resistance training and sprinting, the amount of energy needed by the body to recover the damage has been said to be much higher than with “traditional” cardiovascular training. The damage itself requires energy and time to repair, which increases our body’s protein turnover and calorie burn.

Protein turnover is simply the amount and rate of protein that is lost per day. There is also an increase in the activity of our body’s functional battery, which is the nervous system.

Also, several fat burning enzymes and hormones elevate as well.

Along these same lines, the recently popular “constrained energy” study showed that individuals who possessed more muscle mass had a substantially high RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate), contrary to popular belief.

Recall that muscle mass in and of itself doesn’t burn a whole lot of calories, but the higher RMR could help explain all of the energy cost from repair that is being done on days that follow strength training. To help really put all of this into perspective, using strength training as an unparalleled and superior form of cardio creates a “2 workouts in 1” training effect until your body begins to adapt to training later on down the road.

On a final note, the increase or maintenance of your muscle will also burn a few extra calories per day as well, which could add up over time.

Another study had researchers assign overweight subjects to three groups; diet-only, diet plus aerobics, diet plus aerobics plus weight training.

  • The diet group lost 14.6 pounds of fat in 12 weeks.
  • The aerobic group lost only one more pound than the diet group. (Their training was three times per week beginning at 30-minute sessions and progressing to 50 minutes over the 12 weeks).
  • And the weight training group lost 21.1 lbs. of fat, resulting in 30-40% more than diet and aerobic-only groups.

What’s revealing is that the addition of aerobic training didn’t result in significant fat loss over just dieting alone. (3)

Now it’s only fair to also point out that even though these studies above do highlight the superiority of weight training for creating the most EPOC, and perhaps even calorie burn and fat loss from a workout, from the data I’ve collected with clients and the protocols we’ve utilized for years, the effects of EPOC may begin to diminish over time as you become more experienced and adapted to weight training according to at least one study by Abboud et. all 2013. (2)

Losing Muscle on a Diet = 👎

On a final note, it should be recognized the effects of losing muscle mass can have on hunger levels, weight regain and energy regulation long-term, so make sure you and or your clients make strength training the foundation of your training program.

But here is one more nail in the coffin if you aren’t sold yet.

Dr. Brad Schoenfeld provided a study a while back through social media that demonstrated what is called “Collateral Fattening” when muscle mass is lost on a diet.

Basically, the body perceives muscle loss as a threat which drives up fat gain through different pathways and hunger signals.

If that last couple sentences isn’t enough to make resistance training your primary option when it comes to fat loss training I don’t know what else to say. Only heavy lifting can preserve and grow muscle, even though similar blood marker responses can be seen with interval training, minus actual muscle growth and maintenance, unfortunately.

One Final Word

And now that you’ve clearly seen what the science has to offer, let’s talk about some other equally important factors that should seal the deal when it comes to strength training for fat loss.

Frankly, aerobic training is FAR more limited when it comes to training options and it’s safe to say this is going to drive quicker adaptation and lower energy outputs. The availability of exercises for resistance training splits and circuits is literally infinite.

Some people like repetition and monotony, and others vouch for constant variety, and both are fine and will yield results. However, if you or someone you know wants to absolutely incinerate body fat then find a comfortable and effective resistance training protocol from a reputable professional and you wont be disappointed.

About the Author

Travis Hansen  has been involved in the field of training for over a decade, and he has over 60,000 hours of hands-on training experience.

He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fitness and Wellness, and he holds three training certifications—from the ISSA, NASM and NCSF.

He was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Reno Bighorns of the NBA D-League during their 2010 season, and The University of Nevada-Reno golf team in 2015.

He was the former Director of the Reno Speed School. He has worked with hundreds of athletes from almost all sports, ranging from the youth to the professional ranks.

He is also the leading authority on speed development for the International Sports Sciences Association. For more info check out his website.

 

 

 

References

#1-Schuenke MD, Mikat RP, and Mcbride JM.  Effect of acute period of resistance exercise on excessive post-exercise oxygen consumption; implications for body mass management.  European Journal of Applied Physiology 86: 411-417, 2002.

#2-Abboud, George.  Effects of Load-Volume on EPOC After Acute Bouts of Resistance training in Resistance-trained Men.  Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: July 2013-Volume 27-Issue 7-p 1936-1941.

#3-Https://www.t-nation.com/training/hierarchy-of-fat-loss.

CategoriesFat Loss Nutrition

Calorie Cycling Strategies For Fat Loss

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Nevada based strength & conditioning coach, Travis Hansen. 

Travis has contributed several articles to this site in years past and he always impresses me with his diversity in knowledge.

(FYI: His ebook, The Complete Speed Encyclopedia, is one of the best resources on the topic I’ve ever read.)

NOTE: 👆👆 Not an affiliate link.

Anyway, he also knows a thing or two with regards to helping his clients/athletes shed fat and the “minor” nutritional tweaks that they may need to consider; like calorie cycling.

Check it out.

Copyright: vladimirsoldatov / 123RF Stock Photo

Calorie Cycling Strategies For Fat Loss

We humans are cyclical creatures in terms of our overall behavior, and when it comes to nutrition and our calorie intake there are no exceptions.

The fundamental reason for why we need to cycle calories over the course of weeks and months when attempting to lose weight/fat is because of natural adaptations and guaranteed reduction of our metabolic rate and calorie burn that naturally occur when calories are lowered below a certain level necessary to cause effective weight/fat loss.

Fortunately for you, all guesswork for how to cycle calories will be eliminated for you through a specific diagram provided for you shortly.

Cycling calories is so powerful and essential that our body literally fights back and sets our body’s natural weight range, otherwise known as our “metabolic set point,” higher when we attempt to keep our calories fixed aggressively too low for too long.

So the take home message here is that cycling calories is inevitable and there is a very specific way you can approach this nutritional law and have it work to your advantage so that you maximize all aspects of your results and feel physically and mentally satisfied in the process.

via GIPHY

Some of the most notable evidence supporting the idea of cycling calories in the “short term” centers around the hormone, leptin.

According to Lyle McDonald and his research on the matter, leptin levels drop dramatically within the first week or so of dieting.

The drop can be as much as 50%.

For the non-nerds reading, leptin is our primary metabolic regulator, acting on several areas of the body. So in theory, if we cycle our calories during the week we can boost leptin and keep our metabolism higher.

Note From TG: For a more thorough discussion on the topic of Leptin and it’s affects on metabolism you can check THIS out. Grab a cup of coffee. You’ll need it…;o)

Moving forward I want to break down three categories of structured eating that will need to be built into your collective nutrition plan that feeds into (<—HA, see what I just did there) and supports the concept of calorie cycling.

  • Free Meals
  • Structured Refeeds
  • Full Diet Breaks 

Free Meals (Cheat Meals)

Free meal(s) can be considered structured eating where calories are higher and you overfeed more.

Key Word: Structured. Also, meal (as in singular).

This is basically where you pick one single meal of your liking, set aside all the rules, and you enjoy some pizza or tacos.

Or both…;o)

To note: There’s really no inherent physiological benefit happening here. One single meal isn’t going to break or make a dietary approach or be the panacea of success.

It can’t help, nor can it hurt you in terms of actual fat and weight loss, so you shouldn’t worry much.

Rather, the main benefit here is psychological.

The feeling of complete deprivation of desired and enjoyable foods for weeks and months on end can become very stressful and completely depressing.

A free meal is one method that provides a “light at the end of the tunnel” per se.

Research has shown consistently time and time again that flexible dieting strategies are far more effective than extremely strict and rigid approaches both in terms of overall results and healthy eating behavior.

Structured Re-feeds

A structured reefed is simply a 4-5 hour window where you don’t count calories and you deviate from both the quantity and type of food that you are eating with your normal fat loss diet.

Moreover, carbohydrates are supposed to be higher during the re-feed.

It’s also worth noting that carbohydrates are highly “anti-catabolic” in nature.  Meaning they prevent muscle tissue and others from degrading or breaking down through the increases in insulin production.  For example, a recent study from Campbell et. al  2020 found that a two day reefed in resistance trained individuals preserved RMR, and FFM a.k.a muscle mass. 2  .

Lastly, in my experience re-feeds should generally come in the evening for two reasons.

1) It’s psychologically much easier to resume normal dieting and healthier eating at the start of the next day where you interpret a clean slate rather than attempting to pwn a industrial sized bag of Skittles in the middle of the day and then attempt to get back on track after the fact.

2) It just seems to work well and mirrors normal human behavior.

A good general rule of thumb is to reefed from 5-10pm.

This works well since structured re-feeds are programmed on the weekend where a majority are partaking in social activities and get-togethers where higher food consumption is almost guaranteed to occur.

SIDE NOTE: It’s also ideal to perform a workout at or near a re-feed so that the carbohydrates and other nutrients are automatically soaked up in the muscles. This is especially true for those who are overweight or have sensitivity issues to carbohydrates.  When you eat your carbohydrates around intense lifting times you are conditioning your cellular components to better handle and manage carbohydrates to help limit potential feelings of hunger and overeating.

Full Diet Breaks

Just as the name states, full diet breaks are periods lasting as high as two whole weeks where you increase calories to maintenance levels and are allowed much more leniency with food selection.

Recent research has also supported that intermittent calorie maintenance may be ideal for faster fat loss.

Not only from a psychological standpoint, but also in terms of feelings of “confidence” that you’ll be able to stay on track once stricter eating resumes again.

Another huge potential benefit to diet breaks is that they can programmed around periods of vacation or special events.

Anecdotally, it has been shown that breaks from dieting can be viewed much more positively by dieters, since it’s actually part of a strategic plan, and people report an easier time returning to diet once the break is over.

General Diet Breaks Guidelines

1️⃣ Raise calories by 500-1000 calories daily.

2️⃣ Keep weight training hard and regularly and maintain at least 50% of your cardio work.

3️⃣ Don’t worry about counting macro’s until the end of the break.

Body-Fat Percentage
(Men / Women)

Diet Break Frequency

<10% / 18%

Every 6–8 weeks

10-15% / 18–23%

Every 8–12 weeks

>15% / >23%

Every 12–16 weeks

(I.e., the leaner you are, the more frequent “breaks” you can get away with).

(Chart courtesy of Andy Morgan, RippedBody.com “How to Use a Diet Break for Fat Loss to Get Shredded Lean”)

About the Author

Travis Hansen  has been involved in the field of training for over a decade, and he has over 60,000 hours of hands-on training experience.

He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fitness and Wellness, and he holds three training certifications—from the ISSA, NASM and NCSF.

He was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Reno Bighorns of the NBA D-League during their 2010 season, and The University of Nevada-Reno golf team in 2015.

He was the former Director of the Reno Speed School. He has worked with hundreds of athletes from almost all sports, ranging from the youth to the professional ranks.

He is also the leading authority on speed development for the International Sports Sciences Association. Check out his website HERE.

 

 

CategoriesFat Loss Motivational Strength Training

You Want to Get Leaner. Here’s Why You Should Still Lift Heavy Things

With Avengers: End Game right around the corner it’s inevitable we’re going to be inundated with articles, interviews, and videos on how to get a Thor or Black Widow bod.

Follow “x” routine, and you too can look like a superhero.

To be fair: I have nothing against said routines. Pretty much anything will get someone lean(er) if they stay consistent and not eat like an asshole.

That said, I think one of the biggest mistakes people make when their goal is getting lean, is not placing a premium on strength.

What inevitably ends up happening is someone will crank up their training volume (lots of high-rep sets compounded with endless amounts of cardio) in addition to hopping onto the Keto train.

And while I’m not here to say that that approach is fruitless (<— ha, pun intended1, dumb, or won’t work – it probably will, for a stretch – I’m also a realist, and have seen with my own eyes the same thing happen time and time and time again.

Which is…(?)

A week, or two, or three (hell, maybe several) go by and you feel great. Your body fat is melting off, you can see some abs, and you can sense the inevitable influx of Tinder matches.

And then, you know, you don’t feel so hot.

You’re lethargic, you’re cold, you’re achy, and your motivation to train wanes.

The high volume of training tethered with a low-calorie/low carb diet begins to take its toll. You’re starting to think that the reason Wolverine is so angry all the time isn’t because he discovered some nefarious government conspiracy to turn him into a mutant and control his life.

No, rather, the reason he’s so angry all the time is – despite being ripped and the envy of fanboys everywhere – he’s sick and tired of all the EMOM sets of burpees and he just WANTS…SOME…FUCKING…CARBS.

Again, to reiterate, this is NOT to insinuate that all the popular programs people follow to lose fat and get lean are a waste of time.

However, what I am suggesting is a slight re-frame or paradigm shift.

What Makes Muscle, Keeps Muscle

Even if fat loss and getting lean is someone’s goal, if they hire me as their coach I’m still going to have them strength train.

Maybe it’s the dumb meathead strength coach in me talking, but I strongly feel the bulk of anyone’s fat loss is going to stem from making dietary/nutritional adjustments.

Namely: Figuring out what strategy or approach will elicit a caloric deficit.

This, of course, can be highly individual. Some people do well with Keto (although, I’d argue most people who think they’re doing Keto are really just following a low-carb diet), some do well with Paleo, some do well with Intermittent Fasting, some do well, with, I don’t know, pick something.

The point is, the main determining factor of whether or not a diet will actually “stick” is whether or not someone will follow through and stay consistent with it.

Not to mention it should fit their lifestyle and goal(s).

But I don’t want to go down that rabbit hole of clusterfuckery. Too many mental gymnastics for me to deal with at this stage in the day.

I do, however, want to pontificate and persuade you on the merits of STRENGTH TRAINING with regards to getting lean.

While dieting the idea of strength training isn’t so much to build strength as it is to MAINTAIN as much muscle as possible while in a caloric deficit. It’s important to give the body the stimulus it needs to hold onto as much of it as possible during this time.

What makes muscle, keeps muscle.

And what accomplishes that is low(er)-rep, strength training.

Again (again), I’m not saying incorporating things like density sets, finishers, circuits, HIIT style training, or anything in between doesn’t have its place or serve a purpose; they all, indeed, can help expedite the process.

[But this is also why I feel one’s nutrition is going to be the main determinant when it comes to fat loss].

All I’m saying is, from my vantage point, people tend to place too much emphasis on all of the above protocols and unwittingly end up losing muscle rather than keeping it.

Many people (not all) end up becoming a smaller, weaker version of their original selves.

I do not want this to happen, and I feel there’s a simple way to prevent it.

It doesn’t have to be a complicated “thing” either. The obvious question, then, is how would I go about writing a program for someone in this situation?

Easy.

Have him or her hit a challenging set of 3-5 reps (maybe the occasional heavy single for more advanced lifters) a few times per week using the obvious exercises – think: deadlift, squat, bench press – and carry on with your traditional fat-loss programming self.

Example Muscle Maintaining Program (Not Fat Loss Program)

Day 1

A. Work up to a challenging set of FIVE on a Squat Variation (Front, Back, Zercher, Anderson, Safety Bar Squat)

B1. Same Squat Variation (same load you hit for 5 reps): 3×3
B2. DB Bench Press: 3×8

C1. DB Romanian Deadlift
C2. Push-Ups
C3. Gripless FacePulls

  • 8-10 reps each, 10 Minute Density Circuit

D1. 1-Legged Hip Thrust
D2. DB Curls

  • 10-15 reps each. 8 Minute Density Circuit

Day 2

A.  Work up to a challenging set of FIVE on a Bench Variation (Regular, Close Grip, Decline, Incline, Larsen)

B1. Same Bench Variation (same load you hit for 5 reps): 3×3
B2. 1-Arm DB Row: 3×10/arm

C1. Goblet Squat
C2. Pull-Through
C3. Reverse Crunch

  • 8-10 reps each, 10 Minute Density Circuit

D1. Prone, Incline Reverse Flye
D2. Tricep French Press

  • 10-15 reps each, 8 Minute Density Circuit

Day 3

A. Work up to a challenging set of FIVE on a Deadlift Variation (Conventional, Sumo, Trap Bar, Block Pull)

B1. Same DL Variation (same load you hit for 5 reps): 3×3
B2. 2-KB Racked Carry: 3×30 yds

C1. Chest Supported Row
C2. Goblet Reverse Lunge
C3. Band Reverse Flye Walkout

  • 8-10 reps each, 10 Minute Density Set.

C1. 2-Arm Landmine Press OR DB Push Press
C2. Bodyweight Step-Ups

  • 10-15 reps each, 8 Minute Density Set

See?

Nothing crazy.

This doesn’t need to be more complicated than it has to be. We’re not doing long-division here.

Keep….it….simple.

Work your ass off. But keep it simple.

All these workouts can be completed in less than 60 minutes (including a warm-up).

It’s likely this approach is in stark contrast to what many are used to seeing when it comes to a fat-loss program; no tantric length, more is better, workout palooza.

Assuming one’s diet is in check, this approach is all that’s needed to help keep muscle…which should be the goal in the long-run anyway.

CategoriesFat Loss Nutrition

5 Reasons Your Fat Loss Has Stalled in 2019

We’re smack dab in the middle of that time of year where people start to falter on their New Year’s resolutions. It’s okay, you’re certainly not the only one and there’s no need to be too hard on yourself.

Fat loss can be tricky, and oftentimes what derails many people are simple “things” they may be oblivious to. My buddy, P.J. Striet, who’s a fantastic fat loss coach, was kind enough to contribute today’s guest post.

Enjoy.

Copyright: klenova / 123RF Stock Photo

5 Reasons Your Fat Loss Has Stalled in 2019

I know: you vowed and resolved to get all “shredsville” come January 1st.

If it’s working out for you thus far, fantastic…commence to kicking more ass.

But if you started out strong that 1st week or two of the new year, and now maybe things seem to be flaming out like season two of your favorite binge show you had such high hopes for, well…it’s no mystery as to why.

Here are FIVE likely culprits (for many it’s more than one as if one breaks down others seem to synergistically follow) and how to get back on the track to looking like Rambo or Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2.

#1: You Were Not in The Correct Caloric Deficit to Begin With

A common problem I see in New Year’s dieters (or frankly with anyone who decides to lose fat at any time) is that they take a qualitative approach. That’s a fancy way of saying they vow to “eat clean,” make better choices, exercise portion control, etc.

And hey that’s great.

That’s a positive step in the right direction for many.

However, the reality is…what gets measured gets managed.

While qualitative nutrition methods can work, I typically only see them working for a short while before someone stalls. It’s kind of a crap shoot: maybe you are in a caloric deficit on some days and on others maybe you are not. And over the course of time, you will eventually stall using the “I’m trying to eat cleaner/better” approach.

If you want to bake the best cookies, you don’t look at the box and say “Ok, I need eggs, milk sugar, oil” etc. and just start throwing random amounts of those in a bowl and mixing them up, hoping for a jaw dropping finished product. No, instead, you’d not only have the right ingredients, but you’d also measure out the ingredients-what the box calls for to get the best result-in the proper amounts.

So, if your fat loss has already started to sputter out into the new year, you may want to consider moving towards a more quantified approach.

That means setting calories somewhere between 10-12 calories/lb. of body weight, making sure protein is where it needs to be (.8-1g/lb. of bodyweight), and drawing up a meal plan for yourself which fits that mold. I can virtually guarantee you’ll start moving again.

#2: You Have A Concrete Meal Plan but Your Compliance Sucks Dog Ass

Shock-A-Khan alert: having a perfect, macro-optimized meal plan on paper means little if it’s not implemented and followed. For whatever reason, that’s a difficult thing for people to wrap their heads around but I digress.

In my experience in working with hundreds of fat loss hungry clients over 20 years, compliance to a plan has to be 90%+.

That’s the result getting range.

Fall into the 70’s or 80’s?

Expect maintenance (at best) or a little regression.

Fall below that?

Well…I don’t think I have to tell you and won’t insult your intelligence (although many are dumbfounded as to why they are not dropping doing things half the time, but, once again…I digress).

via GIPHY

Many will say “that’s just too regimented and stringent…that just doesn’t fit into my lifestyle!” Well, sorry: It is what’s required. If you want the prize, you have to do what’s necessary. Your prior lifestyle put you in a bad spot-to a point where you wanted to change and lean up-so you can’t really expect things to mesh with YOUR lifestyle…not logically.

This is now your new lifestyle.

Beyond that, 10% or so of the time, you can loosen it up a bit.

Let’s put that in perspective.

If you eat four times a day, 365 days/year, that means you can be off your plan 146 times per year and still get some great results.

That’s hardly dietary prison.

It’s just the lifestyle.

And, again, if getting leaner and losing fat (and then maintaining it) is something you say you want to do, then you can hardly moan about what it entails. You are not being forced. It’s a choice.

#3: Your Preparation Is “No Bueno”

This goes hand-in-hand with point #2.

Preparation drives compliance and compliance drives results. If your prep isn’t up to snuff, the entire thing falls apart.

Yes, meal prep is a big component of this.

There is no “ideal” way to meal prep, and different strategies work for different people based on life circumstances. Some bulk prep for the entire week. Others bulk prep for a few days or bulk prep only certain items (like cooked meats) for a few days and then do it again mid-week. Some people bulk prep some items for the entire week and prep “on the spot” for other foods. Some people do a hybrid of all what I just listed.

No matter what you do or how you choose to do it…you need to DO IT!

 

Preparation also means getting in your calendar (Sunday IS A GOOD DAY FOR THIS 🙂 and trouble-shooting the week ahead, identifying potential roadblocks, and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, plotting out your desired off plan meals/special occasions (TRUE special occasions…NOT “Wine Wednesday”).

Get in your meal adherence tracker (there are several online or just create one in excel or google sheets)) and mark it all off ahead of time, to include your pre-determined off plan meals.

I tell my coaching clients to mark every meal off for the week as 100% compliant and then back track, plotting out when they might be or want to be off plan while staying within the result getting range of compliance (90%+). Then you have the entire week laid out in front of you and you expect success.

It’s on paper.

It’s then just a matter of doing what you said you’d do and honoring the contract you made with yourself.

#4: You Are Getting Caught with Your Hand in The Cookie Jar (Extras)

If you have a sound, quantified meal plan, are following it with a high degree of compliance, are prepared…but your fat loss is stalling, or you are regressing…you might want to be honest with yourself about the extras.

The bites.

The licks.

The spoon fulls.

The hand fulls.

The four glasses of wine you forgot about last week.

The two times you finished up your kids’ uneaten chicken tenders or mac and cheese.

Just understand, a little of this + a little of this + a little of this will eventually not be so insignificant anymore and can either drastically reduce or wipe out the caloric deficit you are in on paper. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had to dive deep with clients who are reporting 100% compliance to a plan which has them in a large deficit but are either consistently stalling or regressing (because it’s rarely physiologically possible for that to be happening). When I start to ask them if “maybe they forgot about some things”, the vast majority of the time, well, they have.

If this is “you” …clean it up.

#5: Your Off-Plan/”Cheat” Meals Are Outrageous

As I said above, there is room for deviations from your meal plan (10% or so) while still getting great fat loss results.

That said, if your off-plan or “cheat” (and hey you are only cheating yourself) meals leave you feeling and looking like that guy Kevin Spacey fed to death in the movie Se7en…waaaaayyyyy too much.

“But I only had two cheat meals last week!” is a common thing I’ve heard from clients over the years.

When I ask them what those entailed, Joey Chestnut would have been appalled.

You can, in fact, derail all your weekly progress in a meal or two (typically on the weekends).

It’s really not that hard.

So, if you are going to be off your plan (and you can), it needs to be kept mindful. You need to act like and eat like an adult. You can’t look at these meals as a reward (are you a dog?) or an opportunity to “get it all in”.

That’s disordered, low-achiever thinking.

Wrap Up

So, after all that, if your New Year’s attack on fat isn’t going quite as you’d enthusiastically hoped for on January 1st…where are you falling short? It’s one or more of the above…trust me. Be honest and introspective with yourself and course correct.

If you don’t, you’ll be back again January 1st, 2020 vowing to do the same deal, and this whole thing stays on repeat like a bad Spotify workout playlist.

About the Author

P.J. Striet is a 20+ fitness industry veteran and the owner of Revive Fitness Systems LLC, an online coaching company solely dedicated to helping the general adult population meet their fat loss goals. His work has been featured in the likes of Shape, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Vanity Fair, and he has also contributed to several popular fitness industry books, in addition to authoring his own, The 60-Second Sweat.

You can find out more about him and his services at www.revivefitnesssystems.com or on his IG HERE.

CategoriesFat Loss Strength Training

What’s Better For Weight Loss: Cardio or Lifting Weights?

I’m a member of a local neighborhood bank here in Boston. I joined a year ago when I finally grew tired of all the shady hidden fees my previous bank was hammering me with – maintenance fees, minimal balance fees, checking fees, etc.

It’s been a lovely experience and I appreciate the more personalized approach my current bank provides. In particular I appreciate Nelson, the gentleman responsible for helping to set up all my business accounts.

Every time I walk in he greets me by name, asks how business is going, and it’s not uncommon for us to detour into some movie small talk.2

Also, since he’s the one who manages my business accounts, Nelson also knows what I do for a living and he’ll often ask me for some fitness advice…like he did today when he asked my opinion on what’s better for weight loss: cardio or lifting weights?

Copyright: traviswolfe / 123RF Stock Photo

Cue Jaws Theme Music

Now, normally when I’m out in public and stranger or even casual acquaintance asks me that question one of two things happens:

  1. I immediately fall to the ground and feign an epileptic seizure.
  2. The theme music from Jaws reverberates in my inner dialogue.

It’s such a murky and convoluted question with so many variables to consider that there’s no one definitive way to answer. What’s more, if I were to be honest, my answer is usually not what most people want to hear and all I get in return are a bunch of “mmm’hmms” and “uh-huhs” peppered with a few “so, that’s great and all , but what I read on the internet was…….”

I’d rather swallow live bees.

However, in Nelson’s case it’s the least I can do. He’s helped me out a ton in the last year, and, I’m not a dick.

So, of course I’m going to answer to the best of my ability and hopefully point him (and you, dear reader) in the right direction.

Losing Weight 101

At the most basic level, losing weight comes down to one umbrella theme: eliciting a caloric deficit via taking in less calories than you burn3. I often tell clients of mine that this can be as simple as not inhaling that bowl of Fruity Pebbles on a nightly basis…….

……one’s nutrition and being dialed-in with calories in vs. calories out always has been and always will be the main obstacle to consider/tackle with regards to weight loss.

But too, eliciting a caloric deficit can also be achieved via consistent exercise whether it’s by taking a spin class or by lifting heavy things.

Which is more effective or optimal, however?

Well, that depends.

BOTH work and I often reiterate to people that the answer is not to perform one in lieu of the other. In fact, I encourage everyone to implement both strategies if they have the time and means to do so.

I understand why the bulk of people tend to gravitate towards the cardio end of the spectrum.

  • Hopping on a spin bike or lacing up a pair of sneakers for a jog tends to be more “user friendly.”4
  • Cardiovascular’centric endeavors tend not to require a gym membership.
  • They can also be performed anywhere.

What’s more, one main reason why I feel a lot of people shun lifting weights – outside of not knowing really where to start – is that they see a picture like this…..

Or this…..

And proceed to destroy the back of their pants.

They see pictures of advanced, highly-trained individuals performing seemingly unfathomable feats of strength and think to themselves “that’s a whole lotta nope right there.”

[I’m not going to get into the “will lifting weights make me bulky” argument right now. For starters, “no, it won’t.” But mostly doing so will just make me want to throw my face into a brick wall repeatedly.

FYI: Read THIS.]

The other, more germane reason (I think) why many shun weight-training is, hate to break it to you, sheer ignorance.

I’m Biased – But Here’s Why I Think Weight Training Works Well And Should Often Take Priority

I try to limit the number of blank stares I receive when trying to explain why weight training is important for weight (fat) loss.

Here’s my go-to elevator pitch:

NOTE: Yes, I understand there are many nuances to consider when breaking down the topic. This is a blog post, not a dissertation.

“Comparing minute-to-minute…accounting for intensity, cardio will almost always burn more calories compared to lifting weights – I’d say somewhere in the range of 2-3x more. However, it’s what your body is doing afterwards, when you’re sitting at home binging Stranger Things on Netflix or playing Magic the Gathering (<— can we hang out?), that’s the difference maker. When you hop off the elliptical machine you’re pretty much done burning calories. However, when you lift weights, in the hours after5, you’re not done. It goes by several names – Thermal Effect of Exercise, Afterburn Effect, being a brick fucking shit-house – but when you lift weights, you’re burning calories looooong after you’re done.” 

You can also think of it this way:

  1. Again accounting for intensity, lifting weights, for all intents and purposes, breaks down muscle to a (much) larger degree compared to cardio. It takes energy to build that muscle back up. This requires more energy from the body. This is what’s often used to best explain the AfterBurn Effect mentioned above.
  2. Muscle is more metabolically “active” tissue compared to fat. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest.
  3. Cardio doesn’t build (that much) muscle. You lose weight, but then you just end up looking like a smaller, weaker version of your original self. Sad face.

At the end of the day, though, it does come down to personal preference and what people are actually going to do.

If someone really hates lifting weights or just really likes doing cardio…I’m going to encourage them to stick with whatever modality allows them to remain the most consistent.

But Here’s My Final Say

#1. Don’t eat like an asshole

After that….do both (cardio & lifting weights).

I’ll tell people they should prioritize 2-4x per week of weight training and use their cardio to either compliment those days or serve as ancillary “bonus” days to get some exercise in.

I just feel the benefits of adding strength and muscle to the mix far out-weighs any misconceptions that may exist (and will only help to expedite the process).

As far as how to lift weights or where to start? A great option would be to read The New Rules of Lifting by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove (HERE’s the version for men, and HERE’s the version for women) or maybe check out my CORE Online service.

Categoriescoaching Fat Loss mindset

Fitness Limbo and How a Penny Can Add Perspective

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of regular contributor and San Antonio based personal trainer, Jonathan Acosta.

The fitness industry is rife with people who use hyperbole, quick fixes, and instant gratification tactics to “woo” other people into their web of deceit and mindfuckery.

Whether one’s goal is fat-loss, muscle gain, or to have a pecs that can cut diamonds…more often than not people default to the “I want it and I want it now” mentality. And it sets people up for failure.

Jonathan uses a brilliant metaphor/analogy to break this train of thought.

Enjoy.

Copyright: karenr / 123RF Stock Photo

 

In the movie The Matrix Revolutions, Neo gets trapped in a train station that’s basically a border world between the matrix and the machine.That station is essentially limbo…

Why am I telling you this?

Because even the great Neo gets stuck in limbo.

We all do from time to time.

A lot of times it isn’t this permanent stuck here forever type of thing that we are led to believe.

Sometimes we have to ride it out until the train arrives to the station.

Note From TG: I still don’t know WTF this scene was all about.

When it comes to this fitness journey, those of us in this profession know all too well about this limbo and what to do about it. We know that results aren’t linear as we’d expect and hope them to be.

Its not a magical rainbow of results just shooting straight upward.

Luckily the fitness industry has done a good job at getting people to understand this and snapping them out of the “I want it now” mentality.

Sure, we still have to battle the inevitable BS such as same-day liposuction or the latest and greatest Cryo-Fatloss-Mega-Blast-Infrared-Sculpting procedure. But as a whole, I think we’ve done pretty well at giving clients the truth and helping them understand that this isn’t a quick and easy fix.

BUT…

What happens when you’re in this shit period? (The shit period is when progress flat lines to where progress seems non-existent?……………AKA: Limbo)

via GIPHY

Now for some, it’s easy to just look down and put in the work day in and day out until they finally see the shimmering light.

But for most, especially ones who haven’t ever prioritized health and fitness in their life, the shit period is so discouraging that quitting is inevitable.

Now you and I both know the cycle.

Three months (if that) of hard work, followed by quitting for six months, only to restart again, usually in worse shape began than before, until the process repeats itself…or they opt for the “instant fixes:”

  • Liposuction
  • Cryo-Fatloss-Mega-Blast-Infrared-Sculpting®
  • Tapeworms

If Only…

If only there was a way to get them to see the 1000 ft. view like you see it right? To get them to see the big picture and the timeline if they stuck with it in the long haul.

I haven’t figured out the answer myself so don’t get your hopes up this is that kind of article.

However, I like metaphors and believe many people learn best this way; they allow an opportunity for a person to connect with a topic.

I can’t remember for the life of me where I got this quote from but its pretty true.

“When it comes to fat loss, you’re going to be in a plateau 80% of the time.”

That means you might be in limbo for a good while.

So where were we?

Oh right. Limbo.

We’ve all been there.

Grinding day in and day out.

Keeping meticulous attention as to what we put in our mouths and staying on point only for nothing to budge.

First of all you should have the help of a competent coach who’s able to recognize “limbo” and guide you through it

Two coaches that come to mind that are exceptional at this are Bryan Krahn and John Meadows.

Even if you’re a coach yourself it would benefit you a ton to hire one of them and learn from them as much as you can.

Next thing is understanding and explaining this curve to them.

I like to give this scenario…

Lets say you’re minding your own business and out of the blue a man comes up to you with a briefcase in hand.

Picture Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby. He gives it to you and tells you open it.

You’re confused but you open the briefcase and all you see is stacks upon stacks of $100 bills.

It’s Leo so you know its legit and not monopoly money.

It’s one million in cash.

You can have it if you want. No strings attached.

Now hold on, before you close the suitcase and run. (I did that in my head mentally the first time I heard this analogy).

He says you can have it no strings attached…Or, you can have this…He then pulls out a penny from his Armani suit pocket (they had Armani back in the 1920’s right?).

He says, “I’ll put this penny into your bank account and I’ll double the money in the account once a month for three years.”

[By the second month you’ll have two cents. The third you’ll have four cents. The fourth you’ll have eight cents and so on.]

 

Before you start trying to do the math in your head, Leo quickly distracts your thoughts and says, “Which one do you want: The million, or the penny?”

You have 5 seconds to answer…

He literally starts counting down 5, 4, 3,

Now if you suck at math like me, that problem would take you 15 min to figure out let alone five seconds.

So you shout your answer.

What’d you answer?

Its ok, were all friends here. There’s no right or wrong answer.

1 Million or 1 Cent?

In the heat of the moment and with the small time frame given, most would choose the million up front.

Its cold hard cash given right there and then.

Sure we’re all smart and have already witnessed trick questions like these before, so we kind of assume already that the penny would be the better choice.

But since we don’t have time to do the math, or are not able to see the outcome, we choose the quickest, right in front of you, results right now option.

Instant gratification.

Does that sound familiar?

Clients really do know the answer to their riddle.

They know their penny option would probably be best.

But since they can’t see the outcome or the answer, and since they have a five second countdown in the form of social media bogus two-month transformations and extremely high expectations…they too succumb to the “I want it and I want it now” mentality where 1 million dollars up front is quick and easy.

Kick Instant Gratification In the Dick

Now this is where you explain to them what they’d get if they chose the penny.

If they chose the penny. The first year would total a whopping $20.48.

That one million is sounding awfully good isn’t it?

It’s ok, this is that limbo period where seemingly nothing is happening.

But slowly and surely you’re depositing into your “fitness account” with dedication, consistency, and day in day out on point eating and workouts.

After two years your bank account should be better right?

The second year puts you right at $83,886.05…

WTF! That’s still not even close to the one million cash.

Its ok, this is STILL limbo.

At this point you have two different types of people.

  1. People that see no end in sight and either quit or go for instant gratification.
  2. And those that figure F- it I’ve already gone this far might as well just keep going and see it through.

By the end of the third year…your account will have a total of $343.5 Million dollars.

via GIPHY

Now I’m not good at math but even I know that 343 million is wayyyyyyyy more than 1 million.

And all it took was having patience and to keep depositing throughout that shitty limbo period.

Fat Loss is Just Like That.

If you were to see it as a chart graph, it would seem as if results were slow or practically nonexistent, until out of nowhere… boom!

A huge spike and results soar for a short period of time until you “graduate” to the next level of limbo.

That huge spike is more than enough to get you where you wanna be; it’s just a long and slow process at times.

Seriously.

If you think of body transformations in terms of yearly, in a three-year period it’ll feel and possibly seem like the first year and maybe even two will have been a waste.

Pump the brakes. Chill out.

It’s completely normal to feel frustrated, like you’re stuck in cement, and that progress is moving at a snail-like pace.

The metaphor above puts things into perspective: it assures you that if you’re crossing your T’s and dotting your I’s it’s not a waste…and your day in the sun will come soon.

I’m a huge Bruce Lee fan.

He liked to use water in a lot of his quotes so I’m gonna use one too.

If you’ve ever boiled water and stared at it while it boils you’ll notice that it just simmers for a good while till seemingly, out of nowhere, bubbles erupt and its boiling.

What if you change your mindset about limbo and that shit period and see the parallel to the simmering water?

Realizing that things are actually simmering and leading up to that huge skyrocket of success makes the mundane, daily grind seem much more worth it.

About the Author

Jonathan Acosta is the founder of Underground Performance Center and head trainer at Get Sexy San Antonio and is a certified personal trainer though both ISSA and the NCEP, as well as Precision Nutrition Level 1 certified.

He likes lifting heavy things, reading books with big words in them, his steaks rare, funny stuff, writing stuff, hanging out with friends, and laughing.

CategoriesFat Loss personal training Program Design

Accelerated Fat Loss

I’m still across the pond in London with Dean Somerset presenting our Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint workshop.6 I have zero plans to do work today, but a good friend (and colleague) of mine, George Kalantzis, was kind enough to pinch hit write for me.

He’s written several articles for this site and he’s a master at writing effective fat-loss programs.

Enjoy.

Copyright: ruigsantos / 123RF Stock Photo

Training For Fat Loss Sucks!

In fact, the cards are stacked against you and mainstream media keeps flooding you everyday promising you with six pack abs shortcuts and seven day cleanses to only leave you frustrated and tired of results.

But Not Today

Over the past 15 years of my life, I have had the chance to train with some of America’s finest men as a Marine, and coach alongside some of the best in the fitness realm. I’ve learned some pretty cool training methods and have helped people lose anywhere from 5-40 pounds in a matter of a few months.

Because you are here to pick heavy things up and see results, you want a training method that will optimize time and accelerate fat loss.

And to be lean and athletic, you need to utilize combination exercises in your training to build more muscle and boost the metabolism so that your body continues to burn off calories well after exercise.

Combination Exercises and How The Accelerate Fat Loss

The common mindset or misconception seems to be that you can shred fat faster by doing two things- lower exercise at a longer steady duration or crush yourself into oblivion with high-intensity training.

While both play a vital role in fat loss and a well-rounded program, no one has time to train multiple hours throughout the week, ( if you do, I applaud you) and if you want to accelerate fat loss and keep burning calories well after your workout, you have to work hard and smart.

That means you have to find a training method that will burn a ton of calories, promote muscle mass, and elevate the metabolism.

One of the best ways to accelerate fat loss is to utilize combination movements in your training program. Combination movements play a huge role in fat loss because they allow for the greatest muscle fiber recruitment and an increase in the resting metabolic rate.

By stimulating a greater amount of muscle fibers during a workout your body will see huge increases in metabolic demand, which in turn will increase EPOC (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption). EPOC is the amount of oxygen consumed during recovery in excess than what would have been consumed at rest.

Essentially your body becomes a fat burning machine well after the workout.

Ok, so now that we’ve covered the why combination exercises work, let’s cover how to shred some serious fat!

How To Use Combination Exercises For Fat Loss

Just training hard and fast isn’t usually the answer to a good fat loss program. Or is running for hours on end on the treadmill and Stairmaster going to do the trick.

You need to stimulate the most muscle in the shortest amount of time while finding a sweet spot between failure and easy in order to boost your caloric deficit, a key component to getting shredded.

Combination exercises are great for fat loss because they use compound movement patterns with short rest periods and higher intensity. A must have for shredding that stubborn fat.

But before we get into the circuits, I want to walk about the method behind the madness of combination circuits.

I’m a huge fan of taking what has been known to work and finding out ways to make it better. Density training has been known as one of the best things you can to shred fat fast. The greater the density, the more fat you will burn. You can increase density by cutting rest times and set up circuits like the ones below.

Day # 1

1a) Upper/Lower Compound x12-15 Reps

1b) Push-up Progression 8-10 Reps

1C) Split Stance Progression/Core x6 reps

2) Quad Dominant x 5

2b) Vertical Pull x 5

2c) Core

Day # 2

1a) Upper/Lower Compound x12-15 Reps

1B) Inverted Row x 5

1C) Single Leg RDL Combo x 6/leg

2a) Hip Dominant x 15

2B) Horizontal Press x 5

2C) Core

These circuits are a bit more advanced, so use them as a starting point and make modifications where you can

Pre-Exhaust Method Combination – Then Heavy Equals Accelerated Fat Loss

Not all circuits are created equal. To stimulate the most muscle during a workout and keep burning fat well after the workout, you need to shock the system.

Traditional fat loss programs include lighter weight and higher reps to produce results. And while there is nothing wrong with those programs, I like my clients to maintain muscle while shredding fat.

This is where I like to combine pre-exhaust training with heavier training to accelerate fat loss. Pre-exhaustion is a way to fatigue the muscles before hitting them with compound multi-joint exercises. This method is old school but is a great way to wake up the muscles prior to the larger lifts and stimulate muscle growth. Which means you get to build some more muscle and keep shredding pounds.

Fair warning, just because the reps are higher and the load is lighter, does not mean it will be easy.   You will soon begin to feel what pre-exhaustion meals into your second and third set.

Pre- Exhaustion Set For Fat Loss Looks Like This

A1) DB RDL/Bentover Row Combo x 12

A2) Tempo Pushup x 3-0-3 x 8

A3) Walking Lunge Into Renegade Row 6/side

 

Then You Would Rest No More Than 90 seconds and Get Right Into Heaver Weights

B1) Double Kettlebell Front Squat x 5

B2) Pull-up x 5

B3) Side Plank With Knee Drive 5/side

A second day would look like this

A1) Kettlebell Squat To Press x 12

A2) TRX Inverted Row x 10-12

A3) Single Leg RDL To Reverse Lunge Combo x 6/leg

 

B1) Kettlebell Swing x 5

B2) BB Bench Press x 5

B3) Push-up To Mountain Climber 5/side

 

Accelerated Fat Loss Summary

For most people, when it comes to shredding fat, being consistent with eating healthy and working hard produces results. Sometimes, you will need to think outside of the fat loss box and mix it up with different styles of training.

Harder, shorter training sessions work better than high reps and lower weights because they force you to recruit more muscles than a typical training session. Attack fat loss training with a specific goal and stick to it for at least 4-6 weeks. Use the training methods above at least two days a week and you will begin to see a transformation in your body composition.

Author’s Bio

George is a Marine Corps Veteran of 9 years and was awarded an honorable discharge after deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He is currently a Master Instructor and Personal Trainer at Equinox in Boston and a licensed massage therapist.
Outside of Equinox, George maintains a fitness related blog that can be found at www.sgtkfitness.com.
He and his wife Shawna reside in Manchester, NH with their daughter Melina and fur baby Lola the dog.
CategoriesFat Loss Nutrition

5 Myths Killing Your Fat Loss Progress

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Boston-based strength coach and trainer, Ryan Wood. Ryan’s made a cameo appearance on this site in the past writing a two-part series on lessons he learned preparing for his first powerlifting meet. You can check those out HERE and HERE.

Switching gears, today he’s discussing lessons learned and myths he avoided in losing 25 lbs. and dropping down to 10% body fat. Like a boss.

28110314 - loosing weight, close up of muscular built man wearing too large jeans isolated on white background

Copyright: rangizzz / 123RF Stock Photo

5 Myths Killing Your Fat Loss Progress

Today I’m going to outline five fitness myths I avoided to lose 25lbs. (I previously wrote a post talking about seven things I learned dropping to 10% body fat which you can read HERE.)

Fitness myths run rampant, and, unfortunately, steer many people in the wrong direction. If fat loss is your goal then follow along closely as I discuss five of the most common fitness myths killing your fat loss progress.

Myth 1- You’ll Lose Strength

A lot of people fear losing strength when they begin a fat loss diet. Common belief says if you cut calories your strength has to suffer.

While you shouldn’t be too concerned about hitting one rep max personal records, you certainly don’t want to risk losing strength.

So what should you do?

The answer is carbohydrates. Too many people drastically cut carbs when beginning a fat loss diet. This usually results in quick weight loss but also a huge decrease in performance and strength. Carbs are your main energy source and fuel your training sessions. If you’d like to retain as much strength as possible while shedding excess body fat then keep your carbs in your diet for as long as possible.

I believe when fat loss is the primary goal you should train with higher volumes to help retain muscle mass as calories decrease.

Because of this, I suggest aiming to hit new 8-10 rep maxes

The higher volume training will help you preserve muscle, which when you transition back towards building strength, will be imperative for improving your top-end numbers.

Here’s me hitting some sumo deadlifts towards the END of my diet:

 

My best all-time sumo pull is 510lbs which was done at a powerlifting meet after months of prep and peaking.

It’s definitely possible to keep most of your strength, if not improving it slightly, albeit in different rep ranges.

Take home points:

  1. Keep carbs as high as possible to help fuel hard training sessions.
  2. Focus on improving 8-12 rep maxes, not maxing out.
  3. Keep the goal the goal. Don’t worry if you can’t hit your all time best at this exact moment in time. Focus on your fat loss goal if that’s your priority.

Myth 2- You Must Eat Clean And Avoid Certain Foods

The gurus say the only way to get leaner is to eat clean or only eat gluten free, organic, dairy free, or sugar-free .

This is what I think of when I hear ‘clean eating’:

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think eating whole foods the majority of the time is a great way to get leaner and in better shape. It’s what I do *most of the time.

But eating clean 100% of the time is not a requirement for fat loss. Nor is avoiding entire food groups or demonizing certain foods.

Why?

Because I love ice cream too much.

And burgers.

And ice cream. Oh, I said that already.

You can and certainly should be able to enjoy a treat every now and then while still reaching your fat loss goals.

I did it and you can, too.

You just have to be in a calorie deficit, which means you’re consuming fewer calories than you’re burning.

If you’ve got room to spare in the calorie department, enjoy an ice cream. Just make sure you’re still under your calorie allotment for the day.

Remember, calories are your number one fat loss priority. No amount of clean eating will help you get results if you’re consuming 1000 more calories than you should be.

Take home points:

  1. Create an energy deficit by taking away 250-500 calories from your baseline diet.
  2. Eat a balanced diet of whole foods but don’t fear or avoid certain foods because someone tells you to.
  3. Enjoy treats every now and then provided they fit into your calorie goals.

Myth 3- You Have to Diet For A Set Amount of Time

About a week and a half left on my 12-week diet I hit my goal weight and felt pretty good with my physique and the progress I had made.

So I ‘ended’ my diet.

what the what? GIF – wut tinafey 3orock GIFs in wut

Basically, I went from continuing to try to lose any more weight right into a maintenance phase.

You can set goals to diet for 8,10, or 12 weeks but that doesn’t mean you HAVE to diet the entire time.

If you hit your goals early, then by all means, stop the diet and move into a more sustainable diet.

You’re the only one that can determine if you’re happy with your progress and if you should stick out your diet for another couple weeks.

I’m not saying this to give you an excuse to end your diet a month early. I’m simply saying if you’ve put in 8 or 9 weeks and have hit your goal weight OR better yet, feel phenomenal with how you look, then stop your diet.

Dieting is not a sustainable part of fitness. It’s a somewhat brief period of time in the grand scheme of things to help you reach your goals.

Put in the work, be consistent, and end your diet early if you’re happy with where you’re at physically and mentally.

Take home points:

  1. You can end a diet early if you’re happy with where you’re currently at progress wise.
  2. Once you end your diet, slowly add calories back in to stabilize your weight and give yourself some diet ‘relief.’
  3. On the flip side, don’t extend your diet week after week because you aren’t at your final end goal. Sometimes it takes several 10 or 12 week periods to reach your goal. As a point of reference, my progress took about 7 months.

Myth 4- You Must Do Cardio to Lose Fat

I’m not a cardio hater, I promise.

But the truth is, cardio is not the magic to fat loss.

33301123 - sport, fitness, lifestyle, technology and people concept - men exercising on treadmill in gym

Copyright: dolgachov / 123RF Stock Photo

Better yet, it’s 100% not required to lose fat.

Can it help? Of course, it can.

But it’s definitely not something you have to do in order to trim up. As long as your diet is in order, you will lose fat doing pretty much anything. I prefer a heavy dose of resistance training combined with a calorie deficit.

Cardio is a tool that can be used to enhance progress but I wouldn’t rely on it as your only form of exercise if you can help it. Check out THIS piece where I discussed why I prefer lifting over cardio for fat loss.

Take home points:

  1. Cardio is not a requirement for fat loss. A calorie deficit is the number one most important. Period.
  2. If you like or enjoy cardio then include it in your programming. Try to have more lifting days than cardio if possible. This will help you retain more lean mass while losing body fat.
  3. Cardio is not magic. Don’t rely on it to make up for a poor diet.

Myth 5- You Shouldn’t Get Hungry If You’re Eating the Right Foods

Yea. I know. It’s crazy to think some people believe that eating the ‘right’ foods will keep them from getting hungry during a diet.

The truth is, if you aren’t getting hungrier the further you get into your diet, your results are probably pretty crappy. Hunger is a fact of dieting. Eating less (calorie wise) is required to lose body fat.

There are no magical foods that will alleviate your hunger when you’re 10 or 11 weeks into a fat loss diet. Sure you can increase food volume by consuming more low-calorie foods like dark green veggies, but hunger is real and very important.

It tells you whether or not you’re headed in the right direction. You should be experiencing hunger as you progress week to week in your diet. At the beginning of your diet, you might not be super hungry. However, every time you make an adjustment to your plan, you will feel hunger rumbling deep down inside your stomach.

Use this as feedback that progress is being made. Don’t get tricked into believing that you shouldn’t get hungry after losing 10, 15 or 20+ pounds. Anyone that says you won’t be hungry during your diet is completely crazy or has never dieted before.

Remember, you won’t starve. Being hungry is completely normal during a diet so try your best to embrace it.

Take home points:

  1. Hunger is a normal part of dieting
  2. While still controlling for calories, eating lower-calorie, volume-dense foods can help with hunger a little bit.
  3. Use hunger as feedback that you are making progress

Wrap Up

If you can avoid these five fitness myths you’ll likely be off to a good start. To help you set up your own fat loss diet, grab your free copy of ’10 Commandments of Fat Loss’ HERE.

Remember that progress, especially fat loss, takes time and lots of hard work. It won’t happen overnight that’s for damn sure.

About the Author

CategoriesConditioning Fat Loss

Cardio For Meatheads

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas or start to their respective Holiday Season. Lisa and I are currently in the Dallas/Fort Worth area visiting family so I’ll be taking a brief hiatus from the website this week. Thankfully a few friends and colleagues were kind enough to pinch hit for me and provide some stellar content in my absence.

First up is Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean who’s written several excellent articles for this site in the past. Today he discusses “cardio” for meatheads.

Cardio For Meatheads

I despise traditional cardio.

I’d rather pour gasoline over myself and jump into a fire than run on a treadmill.

However, give me a barbell and a few weight plates and I’m happier than a pig in mud. Happier pigs make yummier bacon, and the World Health Organization should be dammed, just saying.

For the most part, I’ve been a guy who never really found it difficult to get lean.

However, this has been harder as I’ve gotten older. This creates a conundrum as strength training is no longer enough for me to drop fat, but joining those cardio bunnies on the dreadmill is never an option.

Since the health benefits of cardiovascular exercise are undisputed, and the theory that cardio eats muscle like termites through wood has been smashed to pieces (Alex Viada is a prime example), I should suck it up and join the masses, right?

With most gyms having battle ropes, kettlebells, and medicine balls, that’s never going to happen. After all, there are more interesting ways to get your sweat on instead of being held captive by the treadmill or elliptical.

 

The beauty of using these tools is it saves your joints from taking an unwanted pounding on the treadmill, and with little or no eccentric stress involved with the exercises below, you’re not likely to get sore afterwards which allows you to have your bacon and eat it, too.

The routines below are my go to cardio when training for strength or hypertrophy.

Insert these at the end of your training as a finisher or between strength training sessions in place of traditional cardio. Smile and wave at the cardio bunnies while you’re sweating because they’re probably wondering what the heck you’re doing.

1) Battle Ropes/Side Plank Combo

I borrowed these from the Sons of Strength, Eric and Ryan Johnson. This combination is brutally effective and a great way add some extra core work in.

Instructions – Do any variation (see video below for ideas) for 30 seconds and then immediately get into side plank. Make sure to breathe down into your belly and engage your glutes. Hold this for 30 seconds. Go back to the battle ropes for other 30 second interval and do the side plank on the opposite side. Repeat this sequence for 10 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QStcSUGBJ1I

 

2) Kettlebell Swings/RKC Front Plank

This is another combo I stole from the Sons of Strength. Holding a full tension plank after heavy kettlebell swings is a challenge you’re sure to enjoy.

Instructions – Do 20 Russian Style kettlebell swings and then immediately get into an RKC Front plank. Once you have hit full tension take 10 deep inhales (and exhales) while maintaining full tension. Repeat the kettlebell-plank sequence for 5- 10 rounds.

 

3) Kettlebell Swings/Medicine Ball Slam

This duo will get your heart racing because the heart is working double time pushing blood from the lower to the upper body and back again. As an added bonus your lungs will burn, which is a sure sign of a good time. It will help to channel your inner Hulk smash on the slams.

Instructions – Do this as a countdown superset. Do 20 reps each of the swings and the slams and go down by two each time you perform a round until you reach two reps for each exercise (for example 20-18-16-14….2). If you don’t have access to medicine balls, substitute in battle rope slams.

 

Note – You can mix and match these combinations to keep things interesting. For example

  • Swings- Side plank
  • Battle ropes- RKC front plank

4) 10 Minute Farmers Carry  

Dan John is a believer that inefficient exercise (exercises you suck at) is essential for fat loss and the farmers carry definitely fits the bill.

The following 10 minute carry combination is straight out of Dan’s play book which I unashamedly stole for your benefit.

At first glance this appears easy, but this carry combination will light you up.

Instructions – Depending on your strength level, start with one 20, 25 or 30 pound kettlebell. Hold the bell overhead (bottoms up) and walk, keeping your biceps by or behind your ear. After you lose your grip, stop and reset. When you lose your grip for the second time, bring the bell into the rack position and keep walking.

Once you lose neutral wrist position or your upper back is screaming at you, hold the bell suitcase style by your side and keep walking. Do this for a total of 5 minutes on each side.

Wrapping Up

Conditioning shouldn’t always be a grind and neither should it stand between you and your gains. This is a time to keep it short, sweet, intense and most of all fun.

After all, life is too short to be bored out.

Author’s Bio

Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Dallas, Texas.

No, Shane doesn’t wear a cowboy hat or boots.  After being told that his posture blows by Eric Cressey, he has made it his mission to rid the world of desk jockeys, one person at a time, and have fun while doing so.

CategoriesConditioning Fat Loss Program Design

Finishers That Do More Than Finish You

Whether you refer to it as a circuit, death circuit, METCON, or my preference…a finisher, the goal is one in the same: you spend 10-15 minutes at the end of your training session kicking the living crap out of yourself pushing things, lifting things, throwing things, pulling things, flipping things, or any combination of “things” that will make you hate life.

Simply put: a finisher finishes you. Except in this instance Sub Zero isn’t ripping your spine from your body Mortal Kombat style.

No fatalities here.

 

For most people, most of the time, a finisher is designed to not tickle and basically serve as a way to post something badass on their Instagram feed.

On one hand, I get it. There’s a sense of accomplishment and bravado that comes with completing a challenging finisher. It’s not for the faint of heart, and I for one will never begrudge someone who goes out of his or her way to work hard and get after it in the gym.

On the flip side, however, I find there’s a rate of diminishing return when the goal of a finisher is to solely make you feel tired or exhausted at the end of a workout.

When you think about it that’s not that hard to do.

As a strength coach and as someone who’s interested in not only improving performance, but also helping people possibly address injuries, postural imbalances, and/or movement deficiencies it behooves me not to be more meticulous in how I design my finishers.

Put another way, I’d rather a finisher do more than just finish you.

In my latest article on BodyBuilding.com I discuss my favorite mode of finisher and offer up THREE different variations for you to tinker with.

Check it out HERE.