With summer on the horizon it seemed like a good idea to make my first post about fat loss so you can put this info to work right away and get that beach body. Chances are when you think fat loss you’re brain automatically goes to mindless cardio and bland food. You’re not wrong to think that, since that’s what most people think and if everyone still believes it then it must work right?

So by partaking in this “New Years Resolution” regime will you lose fat? Probably. A lot of fat? Probably not. Is it effective? HELL no.

“But I’ve done it and last time I lost 10 pounds!”

You lost 10 pounds on the scale, which doesn’t necessarily mean 10 pounds of fat. You most likely lost some hard earned muscle within that 10 pounds, and muscle is the machinery that burns fat. Not good.

So what if I told you there is a way that you can burn up to 9 times as much fat in the same amount of time? And that you can burn even more fat while sitting on your (formerly fat) ass? Before you call me a liar let me explain. I apologize if it gets a little too science-y for your liking but bear with me, it’s worth it I promise.

HOW?!

Well what most horribly lost “certified personal trainers” would have you believe is that you should try your hardest to burn as many calories as possibly during your workout because you’ll burn more fat. Well the truth is that AFTER the workout is where the fat burning magic happens.

Interval training (eg. high intensity work alternated with periods of lower intensity work such as sprinting and jogging) and Metabolic Resistance Training ( eg. supersets of non-competing  resistance exercises such as bench presses and barbell rows) have been shown to elevate heart rate and increase EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption). Metabolic Resistance Training also helps maintain your lean muscle mass which is what actually burns the fat. Big movements that use multiple muscle groups are best: Squats, deadlifts, bench presses, chin ups, rows, lunges, etc.This stimulates an elevated resting metabolic rate in addition to being much more fun than mind-numbing, hamster mimicking treadmill running. Compare the physiques of sprinters and marathon runners.

 

Who would you rather look like?

Did you know that your body shifts to burning mostly fat for fuel during rest? So what would happen if your resting metabolic rate, a.k.a. the amount of calories you burn at rest to keep yourself alive, were to be higher than normal? You got it, more fat being burned. Not only that, but this effect can last for hours, even DAYS! So the night after your workout you’re still burning fat! When you wake up the next day and you’re dropping the morning deuce you could STILL be burning fat! WHHAAATTTTT?! Crazy, I know.

But, this is not an excuse to eat garbage. Diet is the most important aspect of fat loss. Not only must you be eating a good amount of protein and limiting carbohydrate intake (I’ll save nutrition for another post) but YOU MUST BE IN A CALORIC DEFICIT. That means you have to be taking in less calories than you’re burning. If you’re not then your body will just burn the extra calories you’re eating instead of going to your fat stores for more energy. Don’t go straight to the minimum amount of food you can eat though, leave yourself somewhere to go when your fat loss stalls, and it will. When this happens you can remove more calories or increase the intensity/volume of your workouts.

So, let’s put this together.

Fast Fat Loss:

#1 DIET: Create a caloric deficit. Don’t forget to consume lots of lean proteins, veggies and fats. Consume lots of water and limit carb intake from breads, pastas, rice etc. No junk food is a given.

#2 DIET: According to fat loss expert Alwyn Cosgrove it’s that important and I believe him. You should too.

#3 RAISE YOUR RESTING METABOLIC RATE: Do Metabolic Resistance Training and Interval Training to maintain/even build muscle mass and burn that fat.

#4 REST: Most people don’t get enough of this so I might as well throw it in there. Lack of sleep messes with your hormones which will cause a lack of recovery and lost muscle mass along with a bunch of other nasty things. SLEEP! Contrary to what you may believe no one thinks you’re cool because you stay up late. We’re not in grade 2 anymore.

Get to work!


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