Fat loss training and nutrition

Fat loss is a hard thing to achieve but not it's not impossible. Many people claim to have the secret when it comes to quick fat loss results but in reality it all about patience and hard work in and out of the kitchen.

It's important your training and nutrition is at least 90% track when you're chasing a fat loss goal and remember you can't out train a bad diet and you can't out eat a terrible training programme.

Let's take a look at what exactly you will need;

Training for Fat Loss

There are thousands of ways to train for fat loss with so many fitness experts claiming their method is the best but the most important thing to remember when training for fat loss is variety, intensity and consistency.

Both weight training and cardio are essential for fat loss. A leaner physique will naturally burn more calories due to muscle metabolic efficiency and the type of training and its intensity level will however have a specific adaptational phase where calories are burnt post workout. It's important you understand that a “thinner” or “skinnier” physique is not necessarily a leaner one. A body type that is too thin can be just as harmful as someone with a higher body fat percentage.

Now lets check out a few training methods more closely:

High intensity training (HIT) - Now most people will have heard of HIIT and not HIT and the difference is the rest and recovery time during the workout. Circuits and multiple exercise workouts like Crossfit MetCon’s are generally HIT.

These workouts are generally hard throughout the workout. Post HIT workout calorie expenditure can last up to 24 hours which makes this training type a great fat loss tool.

High intensity interval training (HIIT) - HIIT unlike HIT will be completed at 90-100% of max effort level per repetition and workouts will be structured so that a recovery set will follow each work set and your recovery is close to maximal.

30 meter all out sprints with 3-5 mins recovery is a great example of a HIIT workout but many people complete this training method incorrectly due to the fact that they neglect the recovery time. Maximal work with adequate recovery time is what’s needed in order to perfect this type of training. Post workout calorie expenditure again can last up to 24 hours so coupling this and HIT training is a great way to mix things up a little so you don’t get bored.

Steady state cardio - These long bouts of cardio generally last more than 45mins but can last for hours. Road running/jogging and biking are great examples. Post workout calorie expenditure can last up to 6 hours post workout but if the workout intensity is there you can burn more calories during the session compared to a HIIT and HIT session.

Steady state cardio can be a lower impact training method which will help when you’re training multiple times a day. If you keep dropping a ball in the same place over and over again it will eventually leave a crack and that’s exactly what can happen to your bones and joints if you HIIT and HIT all the time. Save your results and add in a slower session every few days.

Resistant training - this type of training can be broken up into a variety of different categories but lets concentrate on weight training in general. Weight training will increase your lean muscle and as I’ve previously stated a leaner physique burns more calories. Strength training and bodybuilding workouts can help you achieve a leaner physique so it’s extremely important you include strength/bodybuilding type workouts into your weekly routine.

It’s important to realise that all these training methods are heart friendly training tool and heart health and fat loss are extremely important to one another. A healthier leaner physique will ease the pressure on your heart while a more efficient heart beat will increase your body's ability to recover and transport nutrients to your muscles. A leaner physique is a healthier physique.

Eating for Fat Loss

Every fitness professional has their reasons for why their way of eating works best and I’m no different. As an individual i believe we live in a high carb environment and therefor we naturally eat too many carbs. Not to mentioned we’re afraid of eating fat because of the low fat dilemma and protein is oversold so we don’t know how much we should be consuming. 

I believe that eating a lower carb intake than you’re used to with healthier amounts of healthy fats and a clean protein source with every meal will get you to where you want. Eating a lower carb intake will naturally help you drop some weight but many of the foods that cause bloating are carb heavy too so you’ll feel less bloated overall. Not to mention that when you’re out with friends and looking to relax with one of you favourite meals (which are generally high in carbs) you can do so guilt free. 

Most people don’t like the numbers game when it comes to nutrition and that’s ok so here’s a general outline for those of you who don’t want to be counting your food. Try eating;

• Protein, healthy fats and vegetables for breakfast,
• Some carbs, protein and vegetables after your training session
• Protein and Vegetables for your third meal of the day
• Protein and healthy fats for your snacks

Since we generally eat the same meals most of the time I’d suggest testing your diet for 2 weeks before making any changes and adjust just 1-2 things only before resetting for another fortnight. 

For those of you who would like more information then check our The Playbooks our 10 week training and nutritional programmes, their currently FREE!

Conclusion

Trial and error is really what you need but real non processed foods in smaller amounts and a variety of training methods consistently completed will bring you a leaner, healthier, sexier and happier you. 

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- JC