6 Tips For Smarter Fat Loss

1. Focus on strength
2. Decrease rest periods
3. Be explosive
4. Walk away the pounds
5. Take a breath
6. Sleep in

We just launched our new Fat loss program keeping these in mind and watch your body transform.

Ask nine out of ten random people on the street what their main goal is and you’ll get some variation of “I’d like to lose my spare tire.” Type “fat loss” into your inter webs machine and get ready for a smorgasbord of articles, tips, facts, and PLENTY of contradictory information. Eat this! Don’t eat that! Move like this! Don’t even think about moving like that! 

The other reality is that even when most people hit their goals they tend to gain that weight back at some point, causing them to repeat the cycle over and over (and over) again. It’s no wonder the fat loss portion of the fitness industry has grown exponentially over the last couple of decades. 

After years of being on the searching end of info and going through so many articles, books, lectures, etc there are definitely some concepts and tactics that work across the board. The simplistic “move more and eat less” has some merit, but is definitely too open-ended. Some things might be common sense for some, and ground-shaking revelations for others. 

We just released our new Fat Loss program, learn more HERE!

If you’re looking to shed the body-fat for good there are a few things you’ve got to let go of. From my fat days of being well over 25% body fat, there was a ton of frustration, shame, and guilt that accompanied me everywhere. The idea of “appreciating your body” was so tied to femininity that I couldn’t wrap my head around it. As has been the case with most things in my life it’s only when I attributed an insurmountable amount of gratitude around it did it improved or grow. There’s a fine line between ambition and contentment. Being in enough pain to need a change and content enough to enjoy the process and enjoy each stepping stone is where we should live. Slow progress is lasting progress 

Alright, you’ve given yourself a big hug, said you love yourself and are feeling all warm and fuzzy. Time for some tips on how to make sure your fat loss sticks around. 

Progress with your strength

Doing a million things faster might help you shed some weight, but building strength will help you maintain muscle which is FAR more valuable than simply losing weight. Maintaining muscle during a fat-loss phase will help you maintain a better-looking and performing physique. That means stick to big lifts as the main portion of your workouts and make sure you’re progressing with them. That means lifting more weight or adding reps to your sets each week. By doing this you’ll make sure that a prolonged caloric deficit doesn’t result in too much overall mass loss. 

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Do more in Less 

Go back a few decades and some of the best lifters of the era were all about fast-paced workouts. Well-known coaches like Vince Gironda would get his athletes into tip-top shape by increasing the density of the sessions meaning more sets with progressively fewer and fewer reps. This forced the athlete to get more work in less time each session expounding the overall thermic effect of the workout. The way you can do this is to set up a circuit or even straight sets with a specific weight and rep scheme. Start with a 60-second rest period and cut 5-15 seconds each workout until you’re moving the same weight for the same sets with 15 seconds rest. You’ll maintain your strength, get a MASSIVE pump, and shed body-fat effectively.  

Move faster

It’s no coincidence that some of the biggest and leanest athletes are also the most explosive. Adding in some power work (explosive and ballistic are fairly interchangeable) allows you to recruit more Type 2 muscle fibers that will help create a stronger, more powerful you. The plus side is that performing heavy, ballistic exercises is pretty metabolically taxing. So not only do you get stronger it will also help burn a few more calories than a few sets of curls. This can be done with ballistic kettlebell movements like swings, cleans, and snatches using a weight that challenges you in the 5-10 rep range. 

We just released our new Fat Loss program, learn more HERE!

Walk away from the pounds

Walking is an overrated form of exercise for the older population as that’s typically all they’ll do, but grossly underrated by younger trainees as a way to get some extra caloric expenditure. Walking has a plethora of health benefits ranging from improved blood sugar, and lower blood pressure, burns calories (duh), and is easy on the joints. A daily 30-60 minute walk can help you burn 300-600 calories and requires very little effort. Add that up and at the end of the month that’s 9,000-18,000 extra calories without the pounding effect that endless burpees and running will incur. Just make sure you’re eating in a caloric deficit (not too much) in order to reap the benefits.  

Take a breath

There’s no secret that we’re in a constant state of motion with a tireless need to do more. From work to family life, to your training and everything in between our minds and bodies are overstressed and overworked. Improper, paradoxical breathing (chest/abdominal wall collapse as you inhale vs the other way around) keeps us in the sympathetic state of fight or flight. Anxiety or overall feelings of unease make it increasingly difficult to relax. For many people, this leads to increased snacking or overeating. 

For many clients increasing mindful breathing and regular breathwork through slow, diaphragmatic breathing helps alleviate a lot of that stress and creates a calmer, more intentional approach to their nutrition. How many times can you perform breathing drills? As often as you need! Start the morning with some drills and then again before you go to sleep. Add them into your day as a way to refresh your mind and alleviate the need for caffeine. Unless you’re like me where coffee is life in which case ignore that last line. My go to is the 4-8-7 method popularized by Dr. Andrew Weil. 4 Second inhale followed by an 8 second hold finished with a 7 second exhale. Repeat 4x total. 

Sleep In

Take the overstressed, overtrained client, add in a dose of sleep deprivation and VOILA! Fat gain without even trying. Sleep is your body’s way to regenerate from a hard day's work of just being alive. Getting enough sleep will help you reduce excess inflammation (inflammation isn’t a bad word, but too much can be), reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, prevents high blood pressure, and helps with weight loss. Taking naps will help as well, but making sure you’re getting enough sleep for your body is paramount to creating an environment that will help you recover from your hard workouts and maintain a healthy hormonal profile. 

The idea of longevity doesn’t just mean living longer. It means being able to move well with a strong body and sound mind as long as possible. That means not just wearing and tearing my body for the sake of speed. If it can be done in one month, take three. The tortoise approach to fat loss will mean:

1. Muscle will be spared for the most part
2. The loss will be sustainable
3. It will have created better habits that can be used in other areas
4. It will be FAR more enjoyable.
    

Don’t just burn yourself out because the latest celebrity fitness article showcases some actor performing some insane workout to get “shredded” for an upcoming movie. Find a program that works that fits into your abilities and schedule while also being as enjoyable as it can be. This doesn’t mean looking for workouts full of entertainment. It just means it has some variety built-in so it stays somewhat fresh.

Join us on our new Fat loss program keeping these in mind and watch your body transform!

By: Marcus Martinez