Adults and fat loss

Adults and Fat Loss

Do This, not That

Brett Klika C.S.C.S.

It has helped us humans stay alive during hard times for thousands of years, but now we have too much of it and it’s hard to get rid of.  I’m talking about the extra “meat” around the middle, the “baggage” on the butt, and the “thunder” on the thighs.  The battle to shed body fat is not one that youngsters need to concern themselves with.  They need only to eat real food and play like kids are supposed to and they should be fine.  Youngsters need fat for the maturation process.  As youngsters reach the end stages of puberty and enter into adulthood, excess body fat can create a decrease in their health and quality of life.  Many adults fight the battle to lose body fat as they age.

For adults, losing body fat is a matter of forcing the body to get rid of something that it perceives as necessary for survival.  For thousands of years, man was err to the cycle of feast and famine.  Sometimes there was plenty of food, other times there was none.  Storing body fat helped man stay alive when there was no food because the stored fat could be broken down and used as energy.  Only recently have we been faced with a situation in which we have an over-abundance of food.  The body still thinks it needs to “save up” for when there is another famine.

Many try in vain to lose this extra “trash pile” of fat.  Unfortunately, these unsuccessful, frustrated masses are basing their program on outdated or inaccurate information.  Considering what we now know about fat loss, it’s surprising that so many still succumb to old, unsuccessful methods.

To replace old, ineffective methods for fat loss with an updated, scientifically proven program try the “Do this, don’t do that” approach to your exercise and nutrition outlined below.

1. Do This: Resistance training

Not That: Cardio only

To burn more calories and fat, you need more lean muscle.  Resistance training is how you get it.  Lean muscle works like a car’s engine to use fat as fuel.  If you have a small engine, it doesn’t matter how hard you do cardiovascular exercise, you can only burn so many calories.  Doing whole-body, large muscle group resistance training creates a bigger lean muscle engine to burn calories and fat both while exercising and resting.   Add 2-4 days of resistance training to your program every week.

1. Do This: Whole-Body Metabolic Resistance Training

Not That: Body-Part Splits (chest, shoulders, triceps, etc)

Body part splits became popular with bodybuilders as they allow for focus on certain muscle groups, in addition to ample recovery days in between training.  For the average adult trying to lose maximal body fat in minimal time, this program comes up short. In comes “Metabolic Resistance Training”.

Pair your exercises with opposite movements together into “supersets”.   For example, you can pair a lower body exercise with an upper body exercise, an upper body exercise with a cardiovascular exercise, or a “pushing” exercise with a “pulling” exercise.  Perform each exercise for 30-50 seconds, and then go to the other exercise immediately after.  This type of resistance training not only aids in increasing lean muscle mass, it elevates the heart rate to burn extra fat and calories. Try this 2-3 times per week.

1. Do This: Focus your time on large muscle groups

Not That:  Focus your time on abs, arms, and other smaller muscle groups

Working smaller muscle groups is not “bad”.  When time and fat burning efficiency is of the essence however, these smaller muscle groups do relatively little to stoke the metabolism to create more lean muscle mass or burn fat and calories.

Focus your work on the legs, chest, and back with movements that incorporate the entire body like squats, lunges deadlifts, push variations (push-ups, bench press), pull variations (pull-ups, 1-arm rows).  As you will see, these exercises are much more taxing to the system and do a lot more for your fat-burning goals.

1. Do This: High Intensity Cardiovascular Interval Training

Not That: Sustained Intensity “Jogging”

Again, sustained intensity cardiovascular work is not bad.  It is just not as effective and efficient as high intensity work.  Research has found that high intensity intervals burn the same amount of calories and fat as longer sustained bouts of activity, in about half the time!  Try doing a 3 minute extremely hard, 3 minute easy cardiovascular piece for 4 cycles.  In 24 minutes you’ll burn more calories than your 45 minute jog.    Try to add high intensity work 2-3 times per week.

1. Do This: Eat Real, Whole Food

Not That: “Fat Free” or Other Modified Food

Natural, whole foods exist to give us energy from their combination of protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins, minerals, and other essential components of nutrition.  When humans start overly processing what we eat, the quality of that food is significantly decreased.  Additionally our body needs various forms of fat to function optimally.  Fats from nuts, fish, avocados, and other natural sources are essential to many metabolic functions.  Eat real food and listen to your body.

Brett Klika C.S.C.S., Director of Athletics at Fitness Quest 10, is a world renowned human performance specialist, motivational speaker, author, and educator. In his 14 year career, Brett has accrued more than 20,000 hours of training with youth, athletes, executives, and every day people.  He uses this knowledge and experience to motivate individuals and audiences around the world through his writing, speaking, DVD’s, and personal correspondence.   To contact Brett, send correspondence to brett@fitnessquest10.com.

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Warrior Dash FUN!

What did you do this weekend?  Did you possibly wear any Vikings hats, trail through deep mud, crawl under barb wire, jump over fire, and go down the biggest slip n slide? This weekend myself and some fellow trainers and FX members participated in the WARRIOR DASH! Whether you are an advanced runner or haven’t run since high school, the Warrior Dash is something you must check out.  Thousands of people ran the 5k mud run.  This was such a fun experience that everyone must at least once.  If you have done a mud run, tell us about it.  What was your favorite obstacle and would you recommend doing it again?  My favorite obstacle would hands down be the slip n slide!

Consistency Leads to Excellence

“I learned that the only way you are going to get anywhere in life is to work hard at it. Whether you’re a musician, a writer, an athlete or a businessman, there is no getting around it. If you do, you’ll win–if you don’t, you won’t.” – Bruce Jenner, Olympic Gold Medalist, Decathlon

Remember the responsibilities when you were a kid; going to school and going to practice.  It was not an option to miss a practice and if you did, you either had a really good reason or you know you were going to let your team down.  Most of us start out playing a sport as a means of fun and recreation. But somewhere along the way, in the midst of all the fun, we realize that sports can often be a metaphor for achieving success in life, because of the lessons it teaches us about life.

It teaches us about being a part of a team, the importance of working together to accomplish a common goal. We learn to shoulder personal responsibility, and how to cope with defeat and failure. It teaches how to remain focused on a task for the period of time required to achieve it. We learn about consistency and concentration, how to overcome weaknesses, and go beyond our limits.

“You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.” – Jerry West.  I love this quote!  Getting right to the point, don’t let your team down and don’t let yourself down.  Stay consistent with your workouts, practice everyday, stay accountable to yourself, and work hard!

Please leave your comments below!

This article was written by certified trainer, Alicia Obriecht

E-mail: aobriecht@fxstudios.com

Reduce Stress, Get Outdoors!

Did you know that our environment contributes to 70% of our stress levels, and that 90% of people spend their waking hours inside! We are forming a disconnect from the natural world, and as a result people are in a hurry, overweight, depressed, anxious, and stressed! This state of being is causing our bodies to be inflamed, which puts a physical stress on the body and is not conducive to weight loss. I will talk about how incorporating outdoor fitness into your workout regimens will help reduce stress and boost your energy levels.

A study was conducted on individuals that exercised outdoors verses in gyms. It showed that the individuals who exercised outside were less anxious and depressed than people who ran inside on a treadmill. Serotonin levels were one of the variables measured in this study. It is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate our mood and the results showed that it raises when we are outside. You have to love those endorphins!

So it’s time to wake up! Spring is here, and our hibernation days are coming to an end. Unless you were one of the few that were lucky enough to scoot away on a tropical vacation this winter, most of us have been experiencing sunlight and vitamin D deprivation! One of the best ways to welcome spring weather is to release our inner child, let our imaginations roam, and play outside! Join a boot camp, a running or biking club, or even a yoga class to mix-up your workout regimen. You will not only have fun, but have the potential to meet a lot of new people. When people are part of a group, they tend to be more engaged and motivated participants.

You will find time takes on a different meaning when you train outdoors. You won’t be bogged down by a watch, wondering why each minute feels like 30 minutes! Your movements will flow together, and the connection with nature will try to keep you in the present. Flow can certainly happen in a gym, but when you are outside you will find that movement transforms into something more than just exercise, because of the endless possibilities nature provides us.

Staying mindful of the present takes just as much practice and focus as good balance or agility. Here are some tips that you can practice while you are warming up or cooling down:

1. Clear your mind.
2. Feel the terrain underfoot
3. Observe colors and textures
4. Breathe in the natural aromas
5. Feel the breeze on your skin
6. Listen to the sounds surrounding you
7. Close your eyes to tune in and enhance your senses

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Written by Stefani Lovley

Certified Personal Trainer (NASM), CPR & AED certified, Combine 360 certified

email: slovley@fxstudios.com

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