3 Steps to kick start your January fat loss
- Danny Brown
- Jan 7, 2016
- 2 min read
3 Steps to Kick Start your January Fat Loss
The festive period is now over and many of us have either gone back to training carrying a little excess weight around the stomach or have decided that 2016 is the year we finally keep that resolution to shape up...
But where to begin? With an abundance of diet programs and workout regimes being posted in publications and online, it's hard to know what is the best solution when looking to blitz fat.
Here is my list of three simple steps to kick start your winter shred into the summer months:
1. Do less cardio!
Yes that's right. Normally the go-to method when looking to burn fat is to add some extra minutes on the treadmill. But working for less time at a higher intensity has been shown to produce better results for fat-burning. High intensity interval training (HIIT) speeds up the body's recovery period and increases what we burn when we rest (Resting Metabolic Rate). This means you will continually be burning fuel while you rest. An example of this is Tabata - 20 second workout / 10 second rest repeated for 4-8 minutes.
Please check out our Tabata classes on the Basefit timetable.
2. Lift more! To shift weight you need to lift weight. Resistance training is usually seen as a way to build muscle and gain mass but it is also much more effective at fat burning than long duration cardio. Big heavy compound lifts such as deadlifts, presses and squats use large muscle groups and have a lasting effect on the body's RMR when introduced to a new stimulus (i.e a heavy weight).
You can also combine Resistance Training within a metabolic boosting circuit, for example, an AMRAP (as many reps as possible) round of thrusters, kettlebell swings and burpees for 10 minutes. This too will increase what the body burns at rest (back to that RMR again!!).
Our Strength and Conditioning class is a great way of incorporating some heavy lifting into your routine.
3. Watch what you eat!- the above two steps will be completely ineffective if you do not combine it with healthy eating. As they say "you can't out-train a bad diet!" Stick to a diet that is rich in good nutrients and favour whole foods over processed ones. Reduce calorie intake but do not over cut it as this can also have a long term negative effect on your metabolic rates. Take into account what your resting calorie expenditure is and your expenditure through exercise too. There are apps available to help you work this out and also to track what you eat (e.g My Fitness Pal or any macro tracker). Foods which are high in 'good' fats (avocado / eggs / nuts) are essential for the body, a great source of energy and do NOT make you fat. Food high in refined sugar and hydrogenated processed fat WILL! So don't be lured in by 'low fat' alternatives. For advice on nutrition speak to one of our Basefit trainers.
So there you have it, it's as easy as 1, 2 and 3. No fad diets, no miracle pills, just plenty of hard work, willpower and a careful diet.
Comments