Advanced Training Essentials A fat loss strategy I employ with my Advanced Personal Training clients Six steps to shaping up, fast (the Advanced Personal Training DIRECT Fat Loss Formula) 1. Discipline Steadily dropping unwanted body fat (a certain percentage – 3-4% - of which is required to support health and which therefore must be maintained) demands a disciplined approach to addressing all of the factors necessary to balance fat loss with muscle maintenance. By keeping muscle gains steady as fat loss ensues we may further boost our metabolic rate to make doubly sure we become as lean as humanly possible. We must consume every meal without fail, ensure correct supplement timing, never miss a scheduled workout (cardio or weights), achieve optimal rest and sleep, and think positive thoughts concerning our fat loss goals (it is important to hold a clear vision of the physique we want to achieve). The real key to shredding is to do what needs to be done with no hesitation and no excuses; in other words, to be disciplined. 2. Intensity To significantly up-regulate our metabolism to burn more fat we must keep our training intensity high. Faster weights sessions with shorter rest periods between sets (though we must still control all movements and feel our muscles working from extension to contraction), HIIT cardio to boost our heart rate and signal greater metabolic benefits coupled with steady state aerobic work to more directly target stubborn body fat, and greater effort applied to organizing our lifestyle around the pursuit of bodybuilding excellence will assist in faster and more efficient fat loss. To get shredded, there is no room for half measures. For the 8-12 weeks it typically takes to achieve a ‘dialed in’ lean physique we must keep the pressure on and our motivation levels high. To achieve a high intensity approach to maximizing our training success we must be resolutely focused on the periodic attainment of small objectives while keeping the big picture of the physique we expect to achieve in mind. 3. Record If you are not already using a training log to note your bodybuilding progress, do so now. By meticulously tracking all that we do in relation to our bodybuilding goals, both inside the gym and out, we may more precisely measure our success rate. Balancing fat loss with muscle maintenance is extremely difficult; by knowing exactly what we should be doing and assessing whether what we have done has worked to our advantage we may more effectively make any changes needed to ensure consistent fat loss in line with improved strength and muscle maintenance, or, ideally, the gaining or more muscle tissue. For example, by keeping a running log of how many calories we consume on a daily basis we may, in noting a two-pound drop in lean muscle over two consecutive weeks, boost our caloric intake by adding, for example, an additional 50 grams of protein per day (or whichever level is needed for your own unique requirements – you may even need to increase carbohydrate or fat consumption if strength levels are shown to have dropped). We cannot accurately determine such specifics through memorization alone (especially when body fat levels are in the single digits and ‘brain fog’ is likely to cloud our judgment), which makes a log in which to record training and nutritional information essential. 4. Enthusiasm The success experienced whenever we begin a new task can in most instances be traced to the high degree of enthusiasm we have for what is at first a novel and challenging proposition. However, once the novelty has worn off and the process of goal attainment invariably becomes routine, we may find our enthusiasm harder to maintain. One of the major keys to successful fat loss, then, is to keep firmly in mind the reason why we have committed to pushing ourselves hard over the long term. Prepare a list of fat loss benefits and personal goals you have set for yourself and read these each morning to keep the gym fires burning. Indeed, continue to challenge yourself with increasingly heavier weights and higher intensity training sessions (while monitoring your muscle to fat ratio to ensure steady muscle maintenance or, ideally, mass increases) and learn to savor the hunger you occasionally experience on your calorie restricted diet. Know that what you may achieve should you stick to your game plan will never be taken from you and that the sacrifices you are making will be worth every ounce of sweat and every hunger pang once you have achieved the body of your dreams. 5. Cut Becoming ripped is more often a case of what you cut from your lifestyle than what is added. Calories are lowered, training rest periods are reduced, the immediate gratification of a high sugar snack is delayed, social contact is minimized, and gym sessions are shorter and harder. To get cut we must cut the excess from our lifestyles; if this means forgoing that party or family engagement because we are focused on our mission then this is what we must do. By curtailing what may potentially stifle our fat loss efforts we simplify our lives and boost our chances of bodybuilding success. 6. Timing A fat loss component integral to long term weight management success is timing (of meals, supplementation, training sessions, and the all important rest and sleep). By diligently recording in our training log times when we are at our strongest physically and mentally and most receptive to the fat loss benefits of regular cardio, we can more effectively structure our day to maximize our progress. Once key training times are accounted for (for example, some people respond better to morning cardio on an empty stomach while others experience greater benefits when including shorter bouts of aerobic activity directly after weights sessions, or in the evening before their final meal of the day), we must also determine our nutrient goals (whole foods and supplementation) for each day and include these accordingly. To lose fat while building quality muscle we must eat every 2-3 hours (our exact macro nutrient balance will once again depend on individual factors such as metabolic rate and body type) and include enough quality supplements to ensure our health needs, and muscle building goals, are well catered for. Once we have formulated training and nutrition plans that best compliment our individual requirements we must consistently train, eat and sleep at regular intervals to boost training productivity.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 02:46:17 +0000
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