Tag: fat loss
Losing 50 Pounds in 6 Months: Tips and Tricks To Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals
Most people join a gym or start dieting to lose weight. However, most of these folks quit the fitness lifestyle before meeting their weight loss objective. There are several reasons for these weight loss lapses.
Failing to set a weight loss goal is one of the biggest reasons most people never make progress. You must have a definite objective and a plan to achieve it before you embark on your fitness journey.
Ask a newbie in your gym about their fitness goal, and they probably reply with ‘lose weight’ or ‘build muscle.’ However, these goals are too vague to set you on the right path. Your fitness goals must be more actionable and specific to push you in the right direction. For example, you must switch from ‘lose weight’ to ‘lose 50 pounds in six months.’ The new goal is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
The new goal gives you the exact amount of weight you must lose in a particular period. Before we go any further, let’s take a step back. Most dieters have no idea what to expect from a weight loss program. They know they need to lose weight but are unsure of what is attainable.
Tell a newbie exerciser that he must lose 50 pounds in six months, and they will look like they’ve seen a ghost. In this article, we will give you 23 tips for losing 50 pounds in six months. Additionally, you’ll learn about how much weight you should aim to lose safely in a given period. There is a lot to cover, so sit tight and read on.
23 Tips For Losing 50 Pounds in Six Months
Losing 50 pounds in 26 weeks might sound impossible to people struggling with weight loss. However, it is entirely possible with the right approach. Here are the 23 tips for weight loss that will help you see the needle budge in the right direction:
Set Realistic Goals
Most people falter on the first step of their weight loss journey as they have no clue about setting an achievable goal. Some people start exercising without a specific goal, whereas others begin with a vague objective.
Your weight loss goal should be realistic, objective, and actionable. Trying to lose too much weight too soon will lead to disappointment, and most people in this category drop off their weight loss journey as they are overwhelmed with the big numbers staring them in their faces.
You must break your main objective into smaller goals to make your weight loss journey less intimidating. Furthermore, checking smaller goals off your list each week will work as positive reinforcement and keep you motivated.
Related: Weight Loss Target Date Calculator
Run a Calorie Deficit
You must enter a calorie deficit to shed excess weight, meaning you have to burn more calories daily than you consume. However, most people have no idea how many calories they should cut out from their diet to lose the spare tire.
It is believed that you can lose a pound weekly if you cut 500 calories from your daily diet. Similarly, reducing 1,000 calories from your diet will help you lose two pounds each week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends limiting your daily calorie cut to 1,000 kcal to keep your weight loss journey gradual, steady, and sustainable. [1]
Cutting 1,000 calories from your daily diet will help you lose 50 pounds in 25 weeks (2 kcal X 25). Notably, six months roughly consist of 26 weeks, meaning you can safely lose 52 pounds in half a year. This proves that our goal of losing 50 pounds in six months is attainable and safe.
Notably, you don’t have to cut 1,000 calories exclusively from your diet to enter a deficit. If this was the case, losing two pounds every week would be near impossible for folks consuming 2,000-2,500 kcal daily.
To achieve the 1,000-calorie deficit, you should cut 500 calories from your diet and burn the remaining 500 calories through an exercise program. This is why following an effective diet and exercise program is a must for achieving your weight loss goals.
Nutrient-Dense Foods
You must follow a personalized diet program to meet your weight loss goals. Plus, your diet should consist of nutrient-dense whole foods as they are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which keep you feeling full throughout the day.
Depending on your dietary preferences, your meals should comprise veggies, fruits, grains, non-starchy carbs, and a source of lean protein. Furthermore, you must reduce your sugar intake to limit visceral fat buildup.
Controlling your portion sizes can help ensure you don’t overshoot your calorie intake goals. Invest in a food scale or measuring cups to ensure you eat the correct portions of each food. Additionally, switching to smaller plates and bowls can help curb the risk of overeating.
You must also develop the habit of reading nutrition labels before buying packed foods. It will ensure that you only buy foods that fit your macro goals and stay away from ‘dirty calories.’ Whole foods are generally lower in calories than processed and junk foods, making them a perfect fit for your weight loss journey.
Calculate Your BMR
The role of basal metabolic rate (BMR) is often overlooked in a weight loss program. BMR determines the calories your body needs to accomplish its most basic (basal) life-sustaining functions. BMR is often used interchangeably with resting metabolic rate (RMR).
Your BMR depends on multiple factors, including age, body size, amount of lean muscle tissue, gender, genetics, etc. According to the BMR calculations, a 25-year-old, 180-pound, 5-foot-10-inch male burns 1,910 daily calories when not working out or moving around.
To lose a pound of body weight weekly, this individual will have to cut 500 calories from his diet, meaning he’ll be consuming 1,410 daily calories. Furthermore, if this individual wants to shed an additional pound, he should burn an extra 500 calories during an exercise regimen.
Alternatively, you could determine your average daily calorie intake using a calorie-tracking app, such as MyFitnessPal, by analyzing your calorie intake for the last five days. Once you have your average calorie intake number, deduct 500 calories from your diet by reducing your serving size across all meals or skipping a meal. This will help you lose a pound of body weight weekly.
Remember, everyone is built differently and responds to different stimuli uniquely. Finding the right amount of calories to cut from your daily routine might require some trial and error.
Related: Weight Loss Calculator
Reevaluate Your Macros
Understanding the three macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) is a must for fitness enthusiasts. You must limit your carb and fat intake during a weight loss program and follow a protein-rich diet.
Notably, many people consider carbs their arch-enemies in a weight loss program. However, cutting out carbs entirely from your diet will be a blunder as your body relies on glycogen (which comes from carbohydrates) as its primary energy source.
Minimize the intake of refined carbohydrate foods such as white bread, white rice, pasta, baked goods, sugary drinks, sweets, and junk food. You must consume at least 130 calories daily to maintain your overall health and performance. [2]
According to a study, your macronutrient split should be between fat (40%-20%), carbs (35%-65%), and protein (25%-15%) to promote weight loss. [3]
Exercise
Although exercising is not mandatory on a weight loss program, working out three to six days a week can help speed up your results. A 150-pound individual can burn around 500 calories in about 40 minutes if they maintain a 12-minute mile pace (5 mph).
You must include cardiovascular and strength training into your training regime for optimal weight loss results.
Cardio
Your training sessions should consist of aerobic and anaerobic workouts to optimize weight loss. Furthermore, HIIT workouts (high-intensity interval training) are incredibly effective at burning calories. They are also usually shorter than conventional cardio workouts, making them an excellent fit for people with busy schedules. [4]
Strength Training
Many people leave gains on the table by staying away from the free weight section during their weight loss program. Strength training helps burn calories during a workout and increases your metabolic rate, which enables you to burn more calories throughout the day, even when you’re physically inactive. [5]
Check Out: Calories Burned Running Calculator
Hire a Nutritionist and Personal Trainer
Contrary to what most people think, designing a diet program falls out of the scope of practice for a certified personal trainer. While a personal trainer can help you with a personalized training plan according to your physical fitness levels, limitations, and goals, you must seek a registered nutritionist’s help for a customized diet plan.
You could ask your trainer for a dietitian’s reference. The nutritionist and trainer can work together to streamline your training and recovery program and maximize your output.
You could design a training and diet program on your own; however, it will require significant trial and error. Hiring a nutritionist and trainer can help save you a tremendous amount of time, effort, and money in the long run.
Furthermore, a personal trainer can help you build a solid training foundation by teaching you the correct exercise form, which can lower your risk of injury.
Lifestyle Changes
Your weight loss program should not be limited to your diet and training program. Losing 50 pounds in six months demands a lifestyle change. You must make healthier choices in every aspect. For example, always take the stairs instead of the elevator, eat more vegetables and fruits in each meal, and go to bed on time each night.
You should also clear out all the junk food from your kitchen cupboard. Remember, what is in the cupboard, will eventually end up in your stomach. Minimize the chances of going off track by snacking on junk food.
Furthermore, you must keep moving throughout the day. Schedule a 5-10 minute walk break every couple of hours. Setting a 10,000 daily step goal can push you to walk more throughout the day. Notably, 10,000 daily steps can be a little overwhelming for most people; you could start with a 5,000-step goal and slowly build on it.
Hydrate
Water is your best friend on a fat loss program. During your cardio exercises, you’ll lose a lot of water through sweat, increasing your risk of dehydration. You must drink at least a gallon of water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated.
It also has several other benefits, such as regulating your body temperature, protecting your tissues, spinal cord, and joints, helping excrete waste through perspiration, urination, and defecation, improving digestion and blood oxygen circulation, boosting cognitive function, and enhancing skin quality.
Furthermore, drinking water throughout the day will keep you feeling satiated, which will reduce your probability of feasting on junk food. You should drink a glass of water before meals when you feel extra hungry, as it will help curb your appetite. [6]
Stay Away From Fad Diets
The fitness community regularly witnesses new fad diets that promise mind-boggling results. Some of these diets include the boiled egg diet and the cabbage soup diet.
Fad diets rapidly gain popularity, but they are equally quick to disappear. Since these diets encourage extreme dietary choices, some people believe that fad diets can help them achieve their weight loss goals faster.
Most fad diets claim extraordinary results; however, they have little to no scientific evidence backing them. Sticking to a fad diet can not only lead you to a weight loss plateau, but it can also cause chronic health issues as these diets comprise restrictive and imbalanced eating patterns, such as eliminating entire food groups or severely limiting calorie intake. Plus, the weight loss achieved through fad diets is often not sustainable.
You must only follow a diet protocol with scientific research supporting it and a proven track record.
Fasting
Fasting is one of the best ways to enter a calorie deficit and lose weight. The rise of intermittent fasting has breathed new life into fasting. Intermittent fasting involves cycling between periods of fasting and eating. [7]
You could choose between several intermittent fasting (IF) protocols depending on your preferences and schedule. The 16/8 method is the most popular IF schedule; it involves fasting for 16 hours daily and eating during the remaining eight hours.
Besides its weight loss benefits, intermittent fasting can improve insulin sensitivity, help fight against chronic inflammation, improve heart health, boost cognitive function and immunity, and reduce the risk of cancer.
In contrast to the typical diet programs that dictate what you should and shouldn’t eat, an intermittent fasting program focuses on your eating schedule. Although your dietary choices aren’t restricted on an IF plan, you should stick to healthy dietary choices to speed up your weight loss progress.
Do Not Starve
In defiance of popular opinion, you aren’t supposed to starve yourself on a weight loss program. Going too harsh on yourself during a diet can lead to developing a negative relationship with food, where you might experience feelings of guilt, shame, anxiety, or fear related to food and eating.
A negative relationship with food can have the opposite effects on your weight loss progress as it can result in a pattern of disordered eating habits such as binge eating, purging, or using food as a coping mechanism for emotional stress. Further, it can have negative consequences on your physical and mental well-being.
Starving can also hamper your performance in physiological and psychological tasks as it can leave you feeling weak, drained, and exhausted throughout the day. Even on a weight loss program, you should eat small but regular meals throughout the day if you are not following a fasting protocol.
Plan Your Meals Ahead of Time
Leaving your meals to chance is a sure-shot way of falling off track on your weight loss journey. If you want to lose 50 pounds in six months, planning at least a week’s worth of meals in advance will help minimize your risk of giving in to cravings and sticking to your diet. It also saves you the stress of coming up with meal ideas on the fly.
Planning your meals helps you meticulously break down your calorie goal into an ideal macro split. On the other hand, if you enter a restaurant feeling insanely hungry, you’ll probably end up ordering the most unhealthy dish on the menu. Remember, you must control your environment and not be controlled by it.
Plus, planning your meals can save time and money by reducing the need for last-minute meal decisions. It allows you to buy your food in bulk, significantly reducing your grocery bill. Not to mention, it also minimizes food wastage.
Reduce Stress
Chronic stress is one of the biggest factors behind weight gain. Stress increases cortisol production in your body, leading to increased body fat stores.
Many people resort to eating unhealthy and binge eating junk food when stressed, leading to a bulging waistline.
If all this isn’t enough, chronic stress increases your appetite and can interfere with your sleep. It can also lead to decreased physical activity, contributing to weight gain and difficulty losing weight.
Exercise, meditation, and yoga are some of the best ways to manage cortisol levels, combat stress, and improve overall health and well-being. Seek a medical professional’s help if you cannot control your stress levels with these three methods.
Supplements
Adding a fat-burning supplement to your routine can help speed up your weight loss progress by increasing your metabolism, suppressing your appetite, boosting the fat-loss process, and blocking dietary fat absorption.
Notably, the effects of a fat-burning supplement can change depending on its ingredients. You must thoroughly analyze a supplement’s ingredients before making a purchase.
Whey protein supplements can boost your metabolism and curb your appetite by keeping you feeling full throughout the day. Furthermore, protein supplements will ensure you don’t lose muscle mass during your weight loss program.
Natural supplements, such as caffeine and green tea extract, can also help expedite your fat loss progress. Plus, caffeine can temporarily boost your metabolism by up to 16% over one to two hours, which can help burn more calories. [8]
You must consult your healthcare provider before starting a new supplement. Also, you should favor natural fat burners over synthetic formulas to ensure safe weight loss and that the weight doesn’t come back on shortly after stopping the supplement.
Cheat Meals
If losing weight was easy, flabs would be a thing of the past. Most people start craving junk food a few days after starting a weight loss diet. When discussing a weight loss diet with a newbie, their first questions usually revolve around permitted weekly cheat meals.
Although six months is a long time, you must stay away from cheat meals to achieve your goals and avoid derailing from your weight loss journey.
Plus, if you do eat a cheat meal, you must account for its calories. Deduct the excess calories you consumed in your cheat meal from your weekly calorie goal. Since eating a cheat meal on this program can be a hassle, we recommend avoiding junk food until you meet your objective. Cheat meals can also increase your cravings as calorie-dense, highly palatable foods can stimulate your brain’s reward centers.
Sleep
Sleeping seven to eight hours gives your body enough time to recuperate, helping you shed excess weight. Getting a good night’s sleep is especially important for exercisers and folks with a hectic schedule.
It is no secret that getting adequate sleep each night can help you wake up feeling fresh and energized. Focusing on your recovery will help you perform better in your workouts and reduce your risk of injury.
Sleep deprivation can increase cravings for unhealthy foods, resulting in overeating and weight gain. There is a high probability that you will end up at your favorite fast-food restaurant for dinner if you are fatigued because of a lack of sleep.
Furthermore, a lack of sleep can spike ghrelin levels (hunger hormone) in your body and decrease leptin levels, which can increase your appetite and make it harder to lose excess weight. Besides the hunger hormones, sleeping for seven to eight hours daily can improve your body’s hormone balance.
Alcohol
Alcohol can be detrimental to your weight loss journey. It is packed with empty calories, meaning alcohol has no nutritional value, and the calories you consume through alcohol will end up as body fat.
Alcohol can increase your appetite. Not only that, it makes it harder to resist unhealthy food choices, leading to overeating. This is one of the reasons why you’ll never see grilled chicken breast as a bestseller in a pub. Fries, pizzas, and beer are a match made in heaven — the unhealthy kind.
Alcohol can also disrupt your sleep, wreaking havoc on your recovery and weight loss progress. Waking up tired can negatively affect your motivation to follow a healthy lifestyle, which can lead you to eat junk food and skip exercising. If losing 50 pounds in six months is a priority for you, you should stay away from alcohol until you meet your weight loss objective.
Track Your Progress
Tracking your fitness progress is underrated. Putting your goals on paper will give you a sense of urgency. Furthermore, most people that track their progress also have detailed daily and weekly action steps to help them achieve their objectives.
You don’t need fancy tech to track your progress. A pen and paper or the notes app on your phone will work wonders. Before starting progress tracking, you must write down your weight loss goal, “lose 50 pounds in six months,” on the first note.
Track all your details, including body weight, body measurements, meals, workouts, weights used, sets, reps, and RPE for each exercise. You can use a calorie-tracking app like MyFitnessPal to count your calories.
Tracking your progress ensures that you are heading in the right direction. It also allows you to steer your ship in the right direction as soon as you find out that you are heading down the right path or if your weight loss progress is unsatisfactory.
Find a Support System
A support system can be a game changer in achieving your physique transformation goals. Most people think exercising is a one-person sport and overlook the importance of a support system.
A supportive system can help you stick to your goals and pick you up when you lack motivation. Your support system can consist of your family and friends. Furthermore, you could also make friends at your gym who can keep you accountable a part of your support system.
Your closest circle plays a crucial role in your transformation journey. If your best friends eat out five days a week and like partying until late, you’ll probably end up giving up on losing 50 pounds in six months.
The right company can help help you achieve your goals by sharing their own experiences and resources, such as healthy recipes and exercise tips.
Consistency
Losing 50 pounds doesn’t happen overnight. You must set realistic goals, make necessary lifestyle adjustments, follow a personalized diet and training program, and stay consistent with them until you achieve your objectives.
Most people lose a few pounds relatively quickly in the form of water weight; however, they soon hit a weight loss plateau and give up on their weight loss goals. A physique transformation will test your grit and determination. Only the people that have the courage and the perseverance to put in the work even when they do not see the needle budge in the right direction will succeed.
You have to be consistent with every aspect of your lifestyle to achieve your transformation goals, including your diet, training, sleeping, and hitting the gym at the same time every day. Slacking in any area can lead to suboptimal results.
A physique transformation program involves several rounds of tinkering. After every two to four weeks, you must analyze your progress and make necessary adjustments.
Practice Mindfulness
Weight loss is as much a psychological challenge as it is physiological. You must remain mindful and conscious of your lifestyle to achieve your objectives.
Paying close attention to your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations at every moment is crucial to controlling your environment and ensuring it doesn’t control you. Practicing mindfulness can help recognize the triggers that lead to unhealthy eating habits. It will also help you monitor the self-talk that may lead you to skip a training session.
Conscious eating can help avoid overeating and consuming excess calories, aiding in maintaining a caloric deficit. Incorporate mindful practices, such as meditation, yoga, exercise, and journaling, into your daily routine for a more positive mindset and reduce stress.
Be Patient
The proverb ‘patience is a virtue’ is apt for a physique transformation. Most people give up on their weight loss goals after losing patience, as it can take too long. For example, losing 50 pounds in six months is not a short-term goal. Only a handful of people have the poise to stick to a strict diet and training program for 25 weeks.
Furthermore, losing too much weight too soon can be healthy. Some people use fad diets to drop a significant amount of weight in a short period; however, this weight comes back on just as quickly after you stop following the radical diet.
You must avoid the temptation of following crash diets or engaging in excessive exercise, as it can hinder your progress and increase your risk of injury. Instead, focus on making sustainable lifestyle changes that you can follow for the long term that will help you achieve your goal physique.
Also read: How To Lose 1 Pound a Day: Shedding Pounds Made Easy
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to exercise to lose weight?
You must be in a calorie deficit to shed excess body weight. Exercising for weight loss is not compulsory, and you could lose weight just by cutting calories from your daily diet. However, combining working out with a calorie-restrictive diet can help expedite your weight loss results.
Is losing two pounds of body weight each week by cutting 1,000 calories safe?
The CDC recommends losing 1-2 pounds weekly to ensure your weight loss progress is gradual, steady, and sustainable. Cutting 500 calories from your diet will help you lose around a pound of body weight each week. Similarly, deducting 1,000 calories from your daily calories can result in shedding two pounds weekly.
However, you should not cut 1,000 calories from your diet. You must cut 500 calories from your diet and burn the remaining 500 calories through exercise. Remember, you must consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting a new diet.
Can I continue my weight loss journey after losing 50 pounds in six months?
Depending on your starting weight, you might experience your weight loss progress tapering close to the end of the program as your body gets used to your new diet regimen. Ideally, you must give your body a little break from dieting after six months and switch to a maintenance diet. Sticking to the same diet for a prolonged period can lead you to a plateau. Take some time off from dieting, regroup, and begin your weight loss program again after a 2-4 week break.
Note: The content on Fitness Volt is for informative purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice to diagnose, prevent, or treat health problems. If you’re suffering from a health issue, are pregnant, or are under 18 years old, you should consult your physician before starting any new supplement, nutrition, or fitness routine.
Wrapping Up
From optimizing your diet to increasing your physical activity, this article provides you with 23 wholesome tips and tricks that will help you in losing 50 pounds in six months and start living a healthier, happier life.
Following these weight loss tips is easier said than done. Adhering to these demands requires a strong mindset, determination, and patience. Remember, you might experience quick weight loss in the initial part of your weight loss journey; however, your progress might seem like it is stalling after you have shed your water weight. Nonetheless, you must keep your head down and put in the work. The results will follow.
Best of luck!
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Losing Weight.
Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Carbohydrate Goals.
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D’Amuri A, Sanz JM, Capatti E, Di Vece F, Vaccari F, Lazzer S, Zuliani G, Dalla Nora E, Passaro A. Effectiveness of high-intensity interval training for weight loss in adults with obesity: a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2021 Jul 20;7(3):e001021. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2020-001021. PMID: 34367654; PMCID: PMC8292807.
Bellicha A, van Baak MA, Battista F, Beaulieu K, Blundell JE, Busetto L, Carraça EV, Dicker D, Encantado J, Ermolao A, Farpour-Lambert N, Pramono A, Woodward E, Oppert JM. Effect of exercise training on weight loss, body composition changes, and weight maintenance in adults with overweight or obesity: An overview of 12 systematic reviews and 149 studies. Obes Rev. 2021 Jul;22 Suppl 4(Suppl 4):e13256. doi: 10.1111/obr.13256. Epub 2021 May 6. PMID: 33955140; PMCID: PMC8365736.
Stookey, J.D., Constant, F., Popkin, B.M. and Gardner, C.D. (2008), Drinking Water Is Associated With Weight Loss in Overweight Dieting Women Independent of Diet and Activity. Obesity, 16: 2481-2488. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2008.409
Welton S, Minty R, O’Driscoll T, Willms H, Poirier D, Madden S, Kelly L. Intermittent fasting and weight loss: Systematic review. Can Fam Physician. 2020 Feb;66(2):117-125. PMID: 32060194; PMCID: PMC7021351.
Hollands MA, Arch JR, Cawthorne MA. A simple apparatus for comparative measurements of energy expenditure in human subjects: the thermic effect of caffeine. Am J Clin Nutr. 1981 Oct;34(10):2291-4. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/34.10.2291. PMID: 7293955.
Rucking Basics for Fitness and Fat Loss
There are many different workouts you can use to get fit, lean, and healthy. And, contrary to what a lot of people will tell you, one is not better than the others. While some workouts may burn more calories per hour, the differences are marginal and easily offset by making small adjustments to your diet.
Rather, what separates a good workout from a great one is enjoyment and convenience. If you like what you are doing and can do it regularly, it’s more likely to provide results than the so-called best workout you hate and hardly ever do.
Because of that, it’s worth exploring all your workout options to find activities that fit best into your lifestyle and schedule.
In this article, we lift the lid on rucking, explaining why and how to do this popular workout.
What is Rucking?
Rucking is a military-inspired cardio workout that involves walking or hiking while carrying weight. In military circles, a ruck is a rucksack or backpack, so rucking means walking with a bag on your back.
As a cardio workout, rucking works your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. It’s an effective calorie burner and will help strengthen your core and legs. It’s a viable alternative to regular walking, jogging, running, cycling, etc., and provides a simple yet effective way to burn calories, get lean, improve your muscular endurance, and get fit.
Rucking is simple, low-tech, and effective, requiring no special athletic skills; if you can walk, you can ruck!
However, like most workouts, there is a right way and a wrong way to ruck. Mistakes can leave you exhausted and miles from home. That said, rucking is such a simple workout that such mistakes are easy to avoid, especially if you follow the guidelines in this article.
The Benefits and Advantages of Rucking
Not sure if rucking is the right workout for you? Consider these benefits and advantages and then decide!
Improved cardiovascular fitness
Cardiovascular fitness is your ability to take in, transport, and utilize oxygen, typically expressed as your VO2 max. Walking doesn’t usually have much of an effect on your cardiovascular fitness as the intensity is too low. However, that all changes when you strap on your ruck.
Rucking with weight will increase your heart rate as much as running, cycling, and other cardio workouts. As such, it can help you develop an impressively high level of cardiovascular fitness.
A higher VO2 max will make you more fatigue-resistant, help you recover faster between sets of strength training, improve your athletic performance, and may even help you live a longer, healthier life (1).
Stronger, more enduring legs
Walking briskly with a weight on your back feels very different from strolling without a backpack. It challenges your legs in a whole new way and will develop your muscular strength and endurance. Walking up and downhill is especially challenging, and as your heart rate soars, so too does the fatigue in your legs.
You can expect to feel rucking in your entire lower body, including your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and core.
It’s no coincidence that soldiers and long-distance hikers often have very well-develop legs. You can usually spot people who walk a lot by their well-developed (and often super-defined) calves.
An effective calorie burner
Several factors determine how many calories you’ll burn while rucking, including gender, age, speed, duration, and how much weight you are carrying. However, rucking could potentially burn as many calories as running. Walking with a weighted backpack will certainly burn more calories than walking without one.
As such, rucking can contribute to your weekly caloric expenditure and help you burn fat and lose weight. However, like all workouts, you’ll only lose weight if your diet is on-point.
Good for your posture and core
Walking is good for your posture. Firstly, it gets you up off your butt, onto your feet, and away from your keyboard or screen. Simply standing up straight can help fix your desk slouch and nerd neck.
Secondly, walking stretches and mobilizes your hips and lower back. This is also beneficial for your posture.
Finally, wearing a heavy backpack engages your deep core muscles. You must use your core to stop the pack from pulling you backward. A stronger core will also enhance your posture, as well as lowering your risk of back pain.
Accessible
You need very little equipment to start rucking. In fact, you probably have everything you need already (check out the next section for details). That means you can get started immediately and without having to buy any special equipment.
Rucking also requires no athletic skill, so it’s ideal for those with no sporting background.
As far as where to ruck, you can go anywhere you like. Put your backpack in your car and drive to the countryside or ruck around your neighborhood. You can ruck to and from work, ruck to the store to buy your groceries, or go rucking with your kids or dog – it’s a very convenient and accessible way to work out.
Remember, the best workout is the one that you can do frequently and that you enjoy. Rucking removes many of the barriers to regular exercise.
Low impact
While running is a popular cardio workout, it is not without risks. When you run, your feet hit the floor with a force equal to several times your body weight. All that impact can have an adverse effect on your feet, ankles, knees, hips, and lower back, plus all the associated muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
There is a reason that many athletic injuries are prefixed with the word running – such as runner’s knee and runner’s hip. Running-related injuries are very common.
In contrast, rucking is a low-impact activity, so despite the added weight, it puts far less stress on your joints. With a lower risk of injury, you are less likely to miss workouts because you are hurt.
Low-impact rucking is also an excellent workout for people who are overweight that would otherwise find running uncomfortable or risky.
Scalable
Rucking workouts can be modified to match your current fitness level. Start light and short, gradually increasing the weight and distance as you get fitter.
With this in mind, you can also ruck in a group of people with different abilities. For example, less fit individuals carry light packs, while the fitter members of the group carry heavier packs. With a little trial and error, everyone should be able to have a similar workout.
Sociable
Leading on from the point above, while there is nothing wrong with rucking alone, this workout is ideal for couples, families, and groups. You can ruck with your kids, your pets, your partner, or your friends.
If you enjoy group exercise classes but prefer to work out outdoors, rucking with friends could be perfect for you.
A functional workout
Functional workouts and exercises develop fitness that you can use outside of the gym. They prepare your body for the demands of daily life and sports.
For example, squats are very functional because the squat is one of the movements most people do many times each day. In contrast, machine leg curls are less functional because they aren’t an everyday movement.
Rucking is simply walking with weight, so it’s a very functional exercise. Humans have been doing it since they learned to stand on two legs.
Gear for Rucking
While rucking is a very low-tech, no-frills sort of workout, you still need a couple of things to do it.
A rucksack
The first thing you need to start rucking is a ruck, better known as a rucksack or backpack. Ideally, your ruck should be strong and sturdy, with a hip and chest strap to keep it secure on your back. The back panel and shoulder straps should be padded for comfort.
You don’t need a special rucking backpack, although such things are available. Rather, a standard hiking pack will suffice and is usually much cheaper.
Alternatively, you can wear a weighted vest. However, you’ll still need to find a way to carry water on your ruck, especially on longer workouts.
Weights
You can load your ruck with just about anything you have available. Small-denomination weight plates and dumbbells are a good option, as are tightly-sealed water bottles, bags of sand or gravel, rocks, books, and canned goods.
However, ensure that whatever you put on your ruck doesn’t poke you in the back. What started off as a mildly annoying pressure point can turn into a major pack rash when you start to get hot and sweaty. Wrap your weights in towels or old workout mats if you need extra padding.
You don’t need to buy specialist rucking shoes or military boots for your ruck workouts. However, your footwear needs to be supportive, cushioned, and comfortable. Trail running shoes are a good option, and walking shoes are another.
Regardless of what you choose, make sure your shoes don’t rub, as blisters can bring even the toughest soldier to their knees. This is not the time to wear new, untested shoes. Instead, stick with footwear you are familiar with and that you know are comfortable.
Appropriate clothing
The most important rule for rucking clothing is to dress for the elements. Wear layers when the weather is cold, and wear less on warm days to avoid overheating. Grab a wide-brimmed hat to protect your face from strong summer sunshine and warm gloves and a beanie in winter.
Remember, too, that the weather can change, and so too will your body temperature as your workout progresses. Make sure you can add or remove layers as conditions and your body temperature dictates.
And that’s all you really need to start rucking – a backpack, weights, shoes, and suitable clothes. That said, there are a couple of additional items that may enhance your workouts:
Water bottle – rucking is thirsty work. Wearing a rucksack means that heat cannot escape from your back, and your body temperate will probably increase more than usual. As a result, you’ll probably sweat more, which can lead to dehydration. Carry a water bottle and drink from it little and often to stay hydrated.
A smartwatch – handy for tracking steps, distance, and calories burned. Some can also be programmed with your rucking route.
Navigation app – downloading a navigation app to your phone means you can create and follow pre-planned routes. Navigation apps are an excellent alternative to a traditional map and compass. However, if you plan on rucking in wild country, you should also carry a map as phone batteries die, screens break, and apps crash.
Earbuds – rucking is a great way to unplug from technology and enjoy some time alone or with friends. However, if you prefer to work out to music or want to remain contactable during your ruck, earbuds will be invaluable. However, don’t turn the volume up too high, or you could fail to hear upcoming hazards, such as traffic.
First-aid kit – if you are rucking far from the maddening crowds, a first-aid kit is a must. While rucking is a very safe workout, you could still trip and fall, sprain an ankle, get snake-bit, get a blister, or otherwise get hurt. A first-aid kit means you can patch yourself up and get home safely.
Trekking poles – walking with trekking poles is very popular in Nordic counties. The poles are helpful for balance and extra traction on rough terrain and let you take some of the weight off your legs and put it on your arms. Using trekking poles turns a lower-body activity into a full-body workout.
How to Get Started with Rucking
While rucking is simple and accessible, it’s still possible to get it wrong and turn what should be an enjoyable workout into a painful nightmare. Follow these steps to ensure your first few rucking excursions go as smoothly as possible.
Pick your distance carefully
Walking with weight is much more challenging than walking while unencumbered. Short distances feel much further when you’re wearing a heavy pack. With that in mind, be conservative and keep your first few rucks relatively short. Choose distances you can cover comfortably in an hour or less, i.e., 2-4 miles.
While you’ll soon work up to rucking faster and further, not going too far too soon will make your first few outings much more enjoyable.
Be conservative with your ruck weight
While it might be tempting to load all the weight you can into your backpack, carrying too much weight too soon could put you off rucking for good. Heavy loads get heavier as you start to feel tired, and your shoulders and back probably aren’t used to being loaded down with a heavy pack.
So, start with no more than about 10% of your body weight. This will be enough to be challenging but not so heavy that you feel crushed under the weight of your backpack. If in doubt, use less weight rather than more. You can always increase the load on subsequent ruck outings if your pack isn’t heavy enough.
Start slow
While soldiers ruck at four miles an hour or faster, you don’t have to. In fact, you should start slow, feeling like you could go more quickly if needed. You can increase your speed as you get used to walking with a weight on your back. However, remember it’s the weight that makes rucking such an effective workout, and you don’t need to walk at top speed or break into a run for it to be effective.
Choose easy to moderate terrain
Rucking in wild countryside is an awesome workout, but uneven terrain and steep inclines can be too challenging for beginners. So, for your first few rucks, stick primarily to flat, easy paths and trials, saving the rough stuff for when you are more experienced.
Enjoy it!
Don’t turn your rucking workout into a race. Take your time, look around, open your ears, and enjoy your surroundings. Breathe deeply and easily, relax your shoulders and arms, and even try some moving meditations. Stay off your phone, and use your ruck as an opportunity to decompress.
Rucking Basics for Fitness and Fat Loss – FAQs
Do you have a question about rucking? No problem, because we’ve got the answers!
1. How fast should I walk when rucking?
There is no set speed for rucking. However, most people average between 3-4 miles per hour or 15-20 minutes per mile. Your rucking speed depends on the terrain, your fitness, how much weight you are carrying, and how far you plan on walking.
Adjust your speed so you are slightly out of breath but comfortable enough that you can maintain your pace for the duration of your ruck. However, if you cannot maintain three miles an hour, you may be carrying too much weight.
2. How far should I ruck?
Like rucking speed, distance is also dependent on numerous factors, including your fitness and the time you have available. If you are unsure how far to ruck, start with a couple of miles and increase gradually as you get used to the demands of the workout.
It’s usually best to under-commit and over-deliver, so you finish your workout feeling like you could have done more. This is a much better approach than a “death march” that you can only just complete and never want to repeat.
3. How often can I ruck?
While rucking is low impact, it will still take a toll on your muscles and joints, especially if you walk fast and with heavy loads. As such, you should probably do 3-5 rucking workouts per week.
While you could do more than this, e.g., every day, the accumulated stress could lead to aches, pains, and injuries.
So, you could do one “big” ruck per week, perhaps at the weekend, plus a couple of shorter rucks spread throughout your week. Experiment with different training frequencies to see what works best for you.
4. Do I need a specialist backpack or shoes for rucking?
While there are companies making and selling rucking-specific shoes and backpacks, you don’t need them for this style of training. In fact, all you really need is a hiking daypack and comfortable, supportive footwear, like your usual athletic shoes.
That said, if you plan on rucking over rugged terrain, a pair of hiking shoes may be beneficial.
So, while you can buy a specialist rucking pack and shoes, you don’t need them. If you are new to rucking, use the equipment you already have, and then upgrade if you make rucking part of your regular workouts.
5. Is rucking good for weight loss?
Like all types of exercise, rucking can help you lose weight when combined with a sensible, sustainable diet. It burns a similar number of calories as running. Still, the impact is less, so you may be able to do it longer and more often, making it potentially more effective for weight loss.
However, what makes rucking so great is how it requires no specialist equipment, and you can do it almost anywhere and anytime. The best workouts for weight loss are the most accessible and convenient, as you need to do them frequently and consistently for them to be effective.
Long story short? Yes, rucking is good for weight loss!
Closing Thoughts
Getting fit and losing weight often seem like complicated pursuits, but really, they don’t have to be. In fact, all you need to do is toss some weights in a backpack and go for a brisk walk. Eat a few more salads and a bit less junk food, and your body will start burning fat for fuel.
You see – not complicated at all!
That said, simple doesn’t mean easy, and working out and eating healthily are often incompatible with our modern, hectic lifestyles.
That’s why convenience and accessibility matter; the easier something is to do, the more likely you are to do it. Rucking is exceptionally simple yet extremely effective, providing a workout you can do almost anywhere and anytime.
So, if you are looking for an excuse-free workout, try rucking. It’s no better than any other type of training, but nor is it any worse. Instead, it’s just another tool you can use to lose weight and get fit.
References:
1 – Strasser B, Burtscher M. Survival of the fittest: VO2max, a key predictor of longevity? Front Biosci (Landmark Ed). 2018 Mar 1;23(8):1505-1516. doi: 10.2741/4657. PMID: 29293447. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29293447/
How To Lose 1 Pound a Day: Shedding Pounds Made Easy
Most people would be willing to shed a few pounds at the drop of a hat. Losing weight not only makes you look better, but it can also reduce your risk of contracting chronic health issues. These benefits make losing weight alluring, and it is also what sells gym memberships.
However, the weight loss process can be slow and meticulous, and most people do not have the patience to stick to a weight loss program in the long run. This is also why fad diets that promise significant weight loss in a short period are such a hit.
‘How to lose 1 pound a day’ is a common question personal trainers get asked by beginners. Before we dive into this subject, let’s get the record straight. Losing a pound each day is not entirely safe or sustainable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends limiting your weight loss to 1-2 pounds weekly to keep your physique transformation journey gradual, steady, and sustainable. [1]
According to JAMA, you must burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound of body fat. As you can probably tell, burning 3,500 calories daily is not sustainable, safe, or even possible for most folks. Furthermore, a pound of body fat doesn’t necessarily translate to a pound of body weight. [2]
Losing a pound each week means a daily weight drop of 0.14 pounds, which is a far cry from the goal of shedding a pound each day. Also, weight loss doesn’t happen overnight. It might take up to a couple of weeks before a beginner starts seeing progress after switching to a weight loss program.
Prerequisites For Losing 1 Pound a Day
You must enter a calorie deficit to lose weight, meaning you must expend more calories than you consume in a day. You could achieve a calorie deficit by eating less or exercising more. A balance of both is ideal for losing a pound a day.
Remember, each individual is built differently and will react uniquely to different diets and training stimuli. There is no way to promise a pound of weight loss each day for everyone. For example, your results might differ from your training partner’s.
The tips mentioned in this article will help streamline your weight loss process and ensure you get the best bang for your buck.
In this article, we go over the 15 most effective tips to shed the spare tire. We have also included five training programs to ensure optimal weight loss. To ensure your safety, we won’t recommend radical steps. Contrarily, we will only recommend ways that will help achieve safe and sustainable weight loss in the long run.
Sticking to these steps will help you achieve your body weight goal and promote a healthy lifestyle, which will pay dividends in the long run.
15 Steps To Lose 1 Pound a Day
Sadly, there is no magic pill that will help shave off a pound from your belly each day. Losing a pound a day is an ambitious goal that demands commitment, effort, and patience. The tips mentioned below will help you make sustainable lifestyle changes and improve your overall health and well-being:
Hydrate
Cutting water is one of the fastest ways to shed body weight. It is common to lose a few pounds in a single day by dehydrating yourself.
Most fitness models start cutting water 2-3 days before a photoshoot. It helps them get diced and achieve crisp conditioning. Professional bodybuilders take this a step further and use diuretics to get in shape for competitions. However, hobbyist lifters and the general public should stay away from these methods, as they are unsafe and unsustainable.
Plus, once you resume your regular water intake, you will rapidly regain the weight you had previously lost.
Prolonged dehydration can cause headaches, delirium, confusion, fatigue, dizziness, dry mouth, and constipation. Left untreated, it can contribute to kidney stones, kidney failure, and heatstroke, all life-threatening illnesses. [3]
Tip: Water Intake Calculator
Stay Away From Fad Diets
Many people flock to fad diets, such as the boiled egg diet and the cabbage soup diet, that promise significant weight loss in a short period. However, these diets have little to no scientific evidence backing them. Most of these diets gain popularity rapidly but are equally quick to disappear.
Most fad diets require you to completely cut out some food sources, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies. Sticking to an imbalanced diet for an extended period can lead to chronic health conditions, which can worsen over time.
While choosing a diet, you must analyze if it follows a balanced approach to nutrition. Cutting out certain foods from your diet can result in developing a negative relationship with food, which can make matters worse. Plus, the weight lost through radical diets often bounces back as soon as you switch to a regular diet.
You must consult your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise or diet program, especially if you are dealing with any health issues.
Patience
After your body starts adjusting to the changes, you will experience rapid weight loss in the initial days in the form of water weight. However, you might hit a plateau if you don’t consistently change your diet and training program.
Furthermore, setting more realistic objectives can assist you in cultivating more patience and perseverance in the process. For example, you could change your weight loss goal from losing one pound daily to losing 4-5 pounds in a month. This new goal is achievable and safe.
Checking off a monthly weight loss goal can help keep you motivated. It will also act as a reinforcement that you are on the correct path.
Count Your Calories
Calorie tracking is a must if you want to lose weight. You cannot just eat whatever you like and hope for a weight loss miracle. Based on your current weight, you must set a daily calorie consumption goal to meet your target body weight.
You could determine a calorie goal for yourself by using a TDEE calculator. Alternatively, you could use a calorie-tracking app like MyFitnessPal to account for your average calorie intake.
Log your meals in the calorie-tracking app to find out your macronutrient (carbs, proteins, and fat) split. Most calorie-tracking apps have a robust food and recipe database, which makes tracking your meals easy and convenient. Some apps also come with a barcode scanner for tracking the calories of packaged foods.
Enter a Calorie Deficit
After determining your average daily calorie goal, you must enter a deficit to lose weight. Cutting 500 calories from your diet will result in a one-pound weekly weight drop. Similarly, cutting 1,000 calories will help you shed two pounds a week.
For example, if you consume 2,200 calories daily, you must shift to a 1,700 kcal diet to shed the spare tire. Cutting 1,000 calories from a 2,200-calorie diet is not recommended. If you want to shed two pounds weekly, you should cut 500 calories from your diet and burn the remaining 500 calories through exercise.
Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods
On a weight loss diet, you must get your calories from nutrient-dense whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, non-fat and low-fat dairy, fish and seafood, unprocessed lean meat, and skinless poultry, nuts, and legumes.
Avoid empty calories such as alcohol, sugar-laden beverages, and highly processed foods. Eating nutrient-dense whole foods will keep you feeling full and supply the necessary nutrients to your muscles throughout the day.
Fiber is often overlooked in a weight loss diet. Folks following a 2,000-calorie diet should have at least 28 grams of fiber daily, as it helps with macronutrient absorption and getting the most nutritional value out of your food. It also promotes gut health, reduces bloating and the risk of constipation and diarrhea. [4]
Follow a Personalized Diet Plan
No two people will react to the same diet and training program the same. Your training partner might lose more weight than you while eating the same food and doing the same exercises as you. How your body responds to training and diet depends on multiple factors, including genetics, age, gender, body weight.
You must follow a suitable macronutrient split according to your body type and goals to fast-track your progress. Plus, you must plan your meals in advance to ensure you don’t fall off your diet regimen. Dedicate a day of the week to prepping meals; it will reduce the possibility of you ordering junk food from your favorite fast-food restaurant when you are starving and have nothing to eat at home.
To lose one pound a day, you must also watch your portion sizes. Using smaller plates and cutlery can reduce your meal size and calorie intake, helping you take inches off your waistline. You must eat your favorite healthy foods throughout the week to reduce cravings.
Though not necessary, you can also use dietary supplements, such as a whey protein supplement and fat burners, to help with your goal of losing one pound a day.
Avoid Binge Eating
Snacking on junk food is one of the biggest reasons for weight gain. Folks that do not follow a diet plan are at a higher risk of bingeing on snacks throughout the day. Following a structured diet plan keep you satiated and lowers your cravings.
You must avoid high-calories beverages. It is very easy to overshoot your daily calorie goal by chugging on sugar-laden drinks without even realizing it. Plus, you must switch to low or zero-calorie substitutes when and where possible. Making small changes in your diet can lead to big results in the long run.
When snacking, choose healthy snacks, such as mixed nuts, Greek yogurt and berries, and apple slices with peanut butter.
Read also 7 Ways To Stop Binge Eating
Stay Consistent
Consistency is key in a weight loss program. To lose a pound a day, you must be consistent with your daily meals, workouts, and sleep schedule. Consistency is even more crucial when you have a shorter timeframe to work with.
When you are consistent with your diet and training program, your body burns fat more efficiently. Furthermore, staying consistent with a fit lifestyle minimizes the risk of gaining excess body fat and improves your overall health and well-being.
Choose Healthy Fats
Many people blame fats for their excess body fat. However, this assumption is faulty. Consuming healthy fats is essential for optimal body functioning and health. Furthermore, it provides your body with essential nutrients and promotes the feeling of fullness, reducing your overall calorie intake.
Nuts, seeds, avocados, and fatty fish should be the primary sources of fats in your diet. Fats can help reduce inflammation and improve insulin sensitivity, leading to better weight management.
However, you must ensure that you choose healthy fats over unhealthy fats. Staying away from processed and fried foods can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes while promoting overall health.
Tip: Use Fat Intake Calculator
Stress Less
When you are stressed, your body releases the cortisol hormone into your bloodstream, which makes you hold onto body fat. Chronic stress is one of the leading causes of weight gain and increases the risk of health issues like high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Increased cortisol levels can also increase appetite and cravings for unhealthy foods. [5]
Chronic stress can also hamper your motivation to train, eat healthily, and stay consistent with a fit lifestyle.
To lose a pound each day, you must keep stress at bay. Meditation, yoga, and exercise are among the best ways of combating stress. Nonetheless, you must consult a healthcare professional if you are dealing with high levels of stress and are unable to control it using these three methods.
Try Fasting
Fasting is an incredibly effective method of shedding body weight. Intermittent fasting (IF) is a rage among fitness enthusiasts. It involves cycling between voluntary fasting and non-fasting. The 16/8 protocol is the most popular IF method, involving fasting for 16 hours a day and eating in the remaining eight-hour window.
Beginners should start with easier fasting protocols, such as the 14/10 method. It involves fasting for 14 hours and a 10-hour feeding window. Advanced lifters can opt for the ‘OMAD’ protocol, which involves eating one meal a day. Fasting protocols with longer fasting windows are more effective at helping you lose a pound each day.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleeping for at least seven to eight hours is essential to allow your body enough time to rest and recuperate. Since losing one pound a day requires you to follow a stringent diet and training program, you must take your recovery just as seriously.
Get ready for what we are about to say next. It is so polarizing that ‘the hardest workers in the room’ might lose sleep over it. Ready? Here we go — don’t hesitate to hit the snooze button. Alarm clocks have a snooze button for a reason. They help you get in the much-needed sleep.
Quality sleep helps balance your hormones, which can help control hunger, satiety, and metabolism. Fatigue due to a lack of sleep increases your risk of feasting on junk food and skipping exercise.
Workout
Although you could lose a pound a day just by cutting your calorie intake, it is not sustainable or healthy. Engaging in cardiovascular and strength training can help speed up your weight loss progress and tone your muscles. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an incredibly effective way of promoting weight loss while keeping your workouts short and exciting.
You must follow a personalized training program to optimize your weight loss, meaning you should choose a workout regimen based on your experience level. Punching up your weight class can lead to burnout and increase your risk of injury. Regular exercise can also help regulate hormones related to appetite and metabolism, such as insulin and cortisol.
Move More
Besides sweating it out in the gym, you must ensure that you are constantly moving throughout the day. A sedentary lifestyle increases your risk of contracting chronic health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
Set a daily step goal for yourself and reorganize your day to ensure you hit your objectives. You could start with a 5,000-steps-a-day goal and make your way up to walking 10,000 steps daily.
Tip: Try Walking Calorie Calculator
5 Workouts To Lose 1 Pound a Day
Following a balanced training program that includes strength and cardiovascular training will optimize your weight loss. We will focus on HIIT workouts in this article to lose one pound a day.
HIIT Workout 1 — Tabata Workout
Tabata workouts include doing eight rounds of 20 seconds of strenuous exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. Perform each exercise for eight rounds before switching to the next exercise.
Eight rounds of exercise, including working time and rest, will add up to four minutes. Three exercises in this Tabata workout and two recovery periods will take you 14 minutes to complete.
Exercise
Sets
Time (in seconds)
Rest (in seconds)
Burpees
8
20
10
Recovery
60 seconds
Jumping Lunge
8
20
10
Recovery
60 seconds
Spiderman Plank
8
20
10
Many people compromise their form during a HIIT workout to make the exercises easier. However, doing this hampers the effectiveness of the lifts and increases your risk of injury.
HIIT Workout 2
The second HIIT workout in our quest to lose one pound a day includes a balance of strength training and cardio exercises. You will need a pair of dumbbells to perform this workout. This workout comprises performing two rounds of the following circuit:
Exercise
Time (in seconds)
Rest (in seconds)
Close-Grip Chest Press
30
30
Leg Raise
45
30
Squat Hold
45
30
Renegade Row
30
30
Plank
45
30
Dumbbell Overhead Press
30
30
Thruster
75
30
High Knees
45
120
Rest for 30 seconds between exercises in the circuit. You are allowed a two-minute rest between circuits. To stick to the rest duration between exercises, keep all the equipment near you before starting the circuit.
Since the rest durations between exercises are short, use that time to take your position for the next lift. You must complete this workout within 20.5 minutes.
HIIT Workout 3 — EMOM
Every minute-on-the-minute (EMOM) workouts are an underutilized form of HIIT workouts. In an EMOM workout, you must complete an exercise within 60 seconds. Your goal with EMOM exercises is to complete each exercise as quickly as possible as the remainder of the 60 seconds is used as rest between exercises.
Time
Exercise
Reps
Minute 1
Dumbbell Squat
15
Minute 2
Renegade Row Push-Up
20
Minute 3
Squat Jump
15
Minute 4
Sit-Up
20
Minute 5
Burpee
10
Complete the 15 dumbbell squats as quickly as possible without slacking on your exercise form. Use the remainder of the minute as your rest before moving on to the next exercise at the beginning of the second minute.
HIIT Workout 4 — AMRAP
In the following workout, you must complete as many reps as possible (AMRAP) of the following exercises within nine minutes. AMRAP workouts are excellent for competitive folks. In these workouts, there are no defined rest durations. You can take as long as you want between exercises to rest. Furthermore, you can also break an exercise to catch a breath. Your ultimate objective is to complete as many reps as possible within nine minutes.
Exercise
Reps
Butt Kicks
100
Jumping Jack
80
Mountain Climbers
60
Side-To-Side
40
Abdominal Row
20
After completing 100 reps of butt kicks (50 right side and 50 left side), move onto the jumping jack without stopping for rest — if you can. The total number of reps you can complete will be your final score. Challenge your friends to beat your score. You can also set your score as a benchmark for yourself and try to beat it in a subsequent workout.
HIIT Workout 5 — Ladder Workout
When used correctly, ladder HIIT workouts can melt fat off your body. The rep structure of a ladder workout is like climbing a ladder. You start with a few reps and work up to high-rep sets. The rest between exercises increases with the total number of reps. Like in real life, you must also come down a ladder. After performing the set with the highest number of reps, work towards the small rep sets. Also, you must do all of this within a specific time limit.
In this HIIT ladder workout, you’ll perform two exercises on a single ladder rung. For example, for this workout, you will perform one rep of the wall ball and dumbbell thruster before moving on to the two-rep wall ball and thruster.
Exercise and Reps
Rest (in seconds)
1 Wall Ball and 1 Dumbbell Thruster
0
2 Wall Ball and 2 Dumbbell Thruster
10
3 Wall Ball and 3 Dumbbell Thruster
15
4 Wall Ball and 4 Dumbbell Thruster
15
5 Wall Ball and 5 Dumbbell Thruster
20
6 Wall Ball and 6 Dumbbell Thruster
20
7 Wall Ball and 7 Dumbbell Thruster
25
8 Wall Ball and 8 Dumbbell Thruster
25
9 Wall Ball and 9 Dumbbell Thruster
30
10 Wall Ball and 10 Dumbbell Thruster
45
After completing 10 wall balls and dumbbell thrusters, continue back down the ladder as far as possible within the remaining time.
Note: The content on Fitness Volt is for informative purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice to diagnose, prevent, or treat health problems. If you’re suffering from a health issue, are pregnant, or are under 18 years old, you should consult your physician before starting any new supplement, nutrition, or fitness routine.
Wrapping Up
Many people follow fad diets to help them drop their body weight quickly. However, most of these extreme methods are unsafe and unsustainable. To lose one pound a day, you must focus on making lifestyle changes that promote weight loss while improving your overall health.
Although the 15 healthy lifestyle tips and five workout routines detailed in this article might not make you drop a pound daily, it will put you on the right path to sustained weight loss. Now that you have all the knowledge you need to shed the spare tire, go ahead and put it to good use. Best of luck!
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Losing Weight. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html
Wishnofsky M. CALCULATION OF DIETS. JAMA. 1957;163(5):384–385. doi:10.1001/jama.1957.02970400056024
Taylor K, Jones EB. Adult Dehydration. [Updated 2022 Oct 3]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555956/
Miketinas DC, Bray GA, Beyl RA, Ryan DH, Sacks FM, Champagne CM. Fiber Intake Predicts Weight Loss and Dietary Adherence in Adults Consuming Calorie-Restricted Diets: The POUNDS Lost (Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies) Study. J Nutr. 2019 Oct 1;149(10):1742-1748. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxz117. PMID: 31174214; PMCID: PMC6768815.
McEwen BS. Neurobiological and Systemic Effects of Chronic Stress. Chronic Stress (Thousand Oaks). 2017 Jan-Dec;1:2470547017692328. doi: 10.1177/2470547017692328. Epub 2017 Apr 10. PMID: 28856337; PMCID: PMC5573220.
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Straight Facts: What Determines How Much Fat You Burn During A Workout?
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Jerry Brainum breaks down optimizing fat oxidation during a workout in this week’s Straight Facts.
Diet is the most important factor to losing weight. But that doesn’t mean you can’t help improve your fat burning capabilities via workouts and aerobic exercise. Yes, exercising can help you add a bit more fat loss into your goals – but it’s not always easy. Basic exercise does not guarantee fat loss. This is a fact that has frustrated many across the globe as they try to lose pounds. In our latest episode of Straight Facts, Jerry Brainum breaks down the key factors that help increase fat oxidation and improve fat loss during a workout.
Jerry Brainum starts today’s episode with a very important reminder. What you eat is the key determining factor in how much fat you burn or gain. While exercise can help burn fat – even the most perfectly performed aerobic training routine will only bring minimum fat loss. If you’re looking to truly transform your body and weight – a lifestyle change in your diet is necessary.
With that being said, fat loss via exercise can also be very helpful alongside a proper diet. Which is why Jerry Brainum uses research studies to help break down the key determining factors in burning fat during a workout. Let’s jump into the main points.
Carbohydrates, workouts, and fat loss
The key to losing fat while exercising is fat oxidization. So for the entirety of this episode, Jerry Brainum breaks down the best ways to improve fat oxidization during your training routine. One of the most important factors to consider is how many carbohydrates you consume before a workout. Carbs provide fuel and energy for your body. So when you exercise while loaded on carbs, your body will chose the carbs over fat to fuel your workout.
On basic terms, this means that if you exercise while loaded up on carbohydrates, you will burn less fat. However, in practice this seems to make little difference. Studies have shown that fasted cardio does not help increase fat loss.
HIIT training and fat loss
Nearly everyone knows that aerobic exercise is the key to burning fat through exercise. But there are various ways to train aerobically. Which training style or strategy is best to burn the most fat? Typically, studies have shown that your body starts truly oxidizing fat over carbs after exercising for more than 60-90 minutes. Jerry Brainum wouldn’t recommend that individuals train every day for over 90 minutes though.
Instead, High Intensity Interval Training (aka HIIT) has shown to bring the best benefit to weight loss. HIIT training is so high intensity, that your body wants fast fuel. This would come from carbs. That sounds bad, right? However, studies have shown that HIIT training increases your metabolism for hours after you finish exercising. This leads to fat oxidation and fat loss for a few hours throughout your day.
The key with this, though, is to ensure you are truly performing HIIT training correctly. The goal of HIIT is to bring up your heart rate to 90% of its max. If you aren’t pushing hard enough to hit that point – you won’t see those same fat burning boosts.
An additional note for those focusing on aerobic exercise. Studies have shown that standing exercises burn fat better than sitting. So it’s best to move from cycling to running if possible.
How Your Environment Helps You Lose Fat
Studies have shown that if you are training under very hot temperatures, that your body will oxidize fat less. This is only slight – but something of note. On the flip side, Jerry Brainum explains that some studies have shown extremely cold environments help boost fat loss. This is due to your body using fat and turning it into heat for your body.
Fat Burner Supplements and Workouts
Fat Burner supplements are everywhere these days. But do they really work? Jerry Brainum warns that fat burners are not miracle pills. They do not burn fat at all. Instead, they help mobilize fat. So in order for a fat burner to work – you absolutely need to exercise. Taking a fat burner but not exercising will do absolutely nothing for your fat loss journey.
In addition to fat burner supplements, caffeine is also a great substance to help mobilize fat. This is good news for all those coffee drinkers out there. Studies have shown that approx. 3-4 cups of coffee per day can help improve fat loss when you exercise.
Wrap Up
Jerry Brainum goes into far more detail about the best factors to help improve fat loss during a workout. However, as he states at the very top – exercise is the least effective way to lose weight. A proper diet and lifestyle change is most important to meeting your weight loss goals.
However, if you want to give yourself an extra edge alongside your diet – Jerry Brainum’s guide using past research studies will help you optimize your fat loss during a workout. Make sure to watch the entire episode of Straight Facts for the full details above. And don’t forget to visit Generation Iron every Wednesday for new episodes each week!
Best 4 Kettlebell Exercises To Boost Fat Loss & Shred Down
Work to lose fat with these top kettlebell exercises.
Working with kettlebells allows us the opportunity to see great gains when it comes to those effective kettlebell exercises. As a worthwhile fitness tools to have in our routine, the ability to increase strength, enhance stability, and see full body progress is important. However, with kettlebells, the ability to tackle intense workouts can lead to fat loss and help us as we seek to shred down.
Combining strength training with higher intensity work is a great way to burn fat for it allows us to put on muscle, shed calories, and change our body composition for the better. Often times, equipment like dumbbells and barbells can seem challenging to use, especially with higher intensity work. But what you will find with kettlebells are easy to hold options that work effectively so you can tackle those fat loss gains with ease.
We’ll show you some top kettlebell exercises to burn fat and shred down as you seek that desired physique. Kettlebells are great fitness tools to enhance your workouts and with the right kettlebell product, you can achieve these goals with no problem.
Benefits Of Kettlebells
Kettlebells offer great benefits and can work to shape your routine for the better. With an influence on training and performance, knowing the benefits will make you want to put kettlebell exercises into your routine.
Benefits of kettlebells include:
Full body workout: Kettlebells target many muscle groups and increase strength, endurance, and flexibility to provide for a full body workout to save you time and get the most out each session (1).
Promote strength & power: Improved power output at an intense pace for increased lean muscle mass will allow gains for other powerful movements for either sport specific or functional movements (2).
Improved balance, stability, & coordination: Enhance mind-muscle connection and work to improve technique and form so you stay more balanced and stable and keep your body working as one unit.
Burn fat and tone: Easy to use and functional pieces of equipment allow us to burn fat and tone our physiques with things like HIIT.
Best 4 Kettlebell Exercises For Burning Fat
Let’s take a look at 4 fat burning exercises that can work to shed calories, tone us out, and aid in that desired physique. Adding these to our routine can work to enhance any training session for that extra layer of fat burn.
1. Kettlebell Squat & Press
What you will find with the kettlebell squat and press is an exercise that works to target your lower body and upper body. The squat portion allows for your legs to get some work done and the press will increase strength and stability in those shoulders.
How To: With your feet about hip-width apart, hold the kettlebell firm and bend down into a squat. Once you reach your max range of motion, drive up from the squat and push the kettlebell overhead into a press. In a controlled motion, lower the kettlebell and repeat for your desired number of sets and reps.
2. Kettlebell Swings
This compound movement offers a total body workout to increase strength and size while also getting your heart rate up. An intense movement, this is a nice fat burning exercise and fits well into any HIIT training routine.
How To: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and let the kettlebell hang with your arms extended down. Starting in a semi squat position, keep your core tight and move the kettlebell through your legs to around chest level. Continue this movement at a good pace for your desired number of sets and reps.
3. Kettlebell High Pull
The kettlebell high pull is a good exercise to improve strength and power and the nature of the movement at a faster pace will get your heart rate going so you burn some calories. With a similar movement to kettlebell swings, you will see the connection if both are in your routine.
How To: Hold the kettlebell in front of you and with a neutral spine and tight core, swing the kettlebell through your legs, similar to kettlebell swings, but once at the top, give it a pull up towards your shoulders. Keep up this movement for your desired number of sets and reps.
4. Kettlebell Goblet Lunges
Kettlebell goblet lunges are great for evening out your lower body and the continuous movement makes this efficient at burning calories. For your lower body routines, this is definitely one to consider.
How To: Hold the kettlebell with both hands under your chin. Your feet will be together and you will engage your core. Step one foot out in front of the other and bend at the knee. Step that leg back and repeat with the other. Continue switching legs for your desired number of sets and reps.
Why Kettlebells Are Great Workout Tools
Kettlebells are great workout tools because they are easy to use. The handle and design of a kettlebell allows you to hold and move with any workout. Anything that can be cumbersome to move with just won’t cut it so having a quality piece of fitness equipment is exactly what you need to see the best gains.
Also, kettlebells come in many different weights which allow you to change as you increase strength and build more muscle. The downside to kettlebells is that in order to have different weight options you need to own a variety of kettlebells which can just add up. However, some companies are creating adjustable kettlebells, similar to adjustable dumbbells, to alleviate the hassle of paying for more kettlebells and taking up space.
Check out our list of the Best Kettlebells for more great fitness products!
Wrap Up
Kettlebells are great pieces of fitness equipment and can work to burn fat so you see great results to your physique. As convenient and versatile pieces of equipment, you will find that kettlebells will help you move with ease and work to capitalize on those goals as effectively as possible. Give yourself the benefit of a great fat burning workout with kettlebells today.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Kravitz, Len. “Kettlebell Research Update”. (source)
Beardsley, Chris; Contreras, Bret (2014). “The Role of Kettlebells in Strength and Conditioning: A Review of the Literature”. (source)
Transparent Labs PhysiqueSeries Fat Burner Review
Everything you need to know about Transparent Labs PhysiqueSeries Fat Burner supplement.
Product Overview
If a good fat burner is working for you, you will feel lean and see that desired physique pop. But finding that right fat burner supplement can be hard with so many on the market. Transparent Labs PhysiqueSeries Fat Burner is one that can offer great results while keeping you healthy and looking great.
While there is no magic fat burning pill, PhysiqueSeries Fat Burner is great for those looking to lose weight fast without sacrificing muscle in order to achieve that toned physique. There are three ways to lose fat being increased metabolic rate, the suppression of hunger cravings, and a lifestyle that you can enjoy.
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Transparent Labs Fat Burner is a great burner to expedite weight loss in 3 ways. A 100% honest label ensures quality ingredients and optimal effectiveness.
Like many fat burning supplements, PhysiqueSeries Fat Burner will provide you with all three to make your weight loss goals attainable and fun in the process for an enjoyable weight loss lifestyle.
With no added artificial sweeteners, coloring, or preservatives, Transparent Labs prides themselves on a transparent and honest label to ensure you get the highest quality ingredients with no hidden formulas. Each product has clean ingredients at clinically effective doses.
Transparent Labs products are manufactured in a state-of-the-art facility in Utah that is certified current good manufacturing processes (CGMP) and registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). With each product third party tested, the quality remains high and your buying experience becomes easy and affordable.
Transparent Labs Fat Burner Highlights
PhysiqueSeries Fat Burner offers the benefit of increased fat loss while also maintaining that lean muscle mass you’ve worked hard for in the gym. With 9 simple ingredients and no additional artificial sweeteners, coloring, or preservatives, you can find comfort in a clean and trustworthy fat burner. The easy-to-swallow veggie capsules make this product easy and convenient for all of your needs.
This product will increase your metabolic rate to levels that healthy nutrition cannot do alone, while also suppressing your appetite and hunger cravings to avoid snacking and keep you feeling great. While the physical benefits alone make this product unique, the effects on reducing mental and physical stress are perfect to curb the jitters and keep you in a healthy state of mind to power through fat loss.
Ingredients To Lose Fat, Maintain Muscle & More
Forslean, consisting of 10% forskolin, is a high quality extract that aids in fat loss. It can stimulate the release of fatty acids and works as an herbal metabolism booster. Aside from aiding in weight loss and changing your body composition, it can also increase bone mass and testosterone levels (1).
Green tea and the benefits surrounding it have been studied for a long time and is known to decrease fat synthesis and increase glucose utilization (2). It also increases your metabolic rate to keep your body burning calories efficiently to lose weight for the most effective weight loss. This will also help with normal caffeine consumption, so you don’t take in too much caffeine.
5-HTP stands for 5-hydroxytryptophan and is good for curbing cravings to suppress appetite and can result in a decrease in your caloric intake (3) and aid in weight loss and those fat loss efforts with an increase calorie burn.
L-Tyrosine
L-tyrosine improves your fat loss outcome by working as an anti-stress amino acid. It can reduce the amount of mental and physical decline that results from poor sleep and high-level performance (4), providing positive impact when it comes to stress and cognitive decline.
L-Theanine
L-theanine is commonly found in green tea and works to reduce jitters and increase focus (5) to keep your workouts or daily routine running smoothly. It also works to increase serotonin and dopamine levels to increase mood.
Other Ingredients
While the ingredients listed above make up the large part of PhysiqueSeries Fat Burner, other ingredients are present as well, including: caffeine anhydrous, white willow, cayenne pepper, and synephrine. These all aid in the fat loss process to suppress appetite, increase your metabolic rate, and help with caloric expenditure, raising your energy levels, and stimulating thermogenesis (6, 7). All of these ingredients are quality tested and clinically-dosed to ensure a healthy formula and a solid fat burner for your fat loss needs.
Number Of Servings
60
Serving Size
2 Capsules
Stim Or Non-Stim
Stim
Best Way To Take
Take 2 capsules with 8-10 ounces of water, twice daily, 30-60 minutes before meals.
Price & Effectiveness For Shedding Body Fat
Transparent Labs PhysiqueSeries Fat Burner is a great supplement to shred down and keep that lean muscle mass. The easy-to-swallow veggie capsules make this product very easy and convenient. With 60 servings per container and 120 capsules included at a price of $49, PhysiqueSeries Fat Burner is an easy, clean, and affordable fat burner that beats out many currently on the market.
Pros
Clean and effective ingredients
Fully transparent label
Benefits to fat loss and lean muscle mass
From a reputable company
Cons
Premium priced option
Only available on their website
Price: $49.00
How Transparent Labs Fat Burner Can Help Overweight And Obese Men Lose Weight
It is important to start this by saying you should work a fat burner into a well-structured diet and workout routine. In obese women and men, this fat burner, as listed above, may work to help things like suppressing appetite and killing unhealthy cravings while promoting more energy and thermogenic effects.
With proper nutrition, the supplement industry and those products can be helpful, however, physical activity is advised and one should know that supplements work differently for everyone.
If you are looking to lose more fat and operate with a reduced appetite, fat burner products may be right for you. Always consult a doctor or expert if you have questions about how this supplement may affect your overall health and wellness. For those looking to avoid caffeine, there are stim free fat burner options that may be right for you.
Sponsored Athlete
Transparent Labs welcomed strongman Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson to their team as a spokesman for their top of the line products. His famous role as “The Mountain” on HBO’s Game of Thrones is matched by his wins at the Arnold Strongman Classic, Europe’s Strongest Man, and World’s Strongest Man competitions to make him the first to win all three in the same year and hold his reign atop strongmen. Transparent Labs helps Björnsson get to where he needs to be as an elite athlete.
Check out our list of the Best Fat Burners for more great fat burning products!
Overall Value
Transparent Labs PhysiqueSeries Fat Burner is a great choice for your fat loss needs as you look to burn body fat. From a company that prides itself on transparency, you can be sure that no hidden formulas or ingredients ruin this product. For those looking to lose weight fast yet keep on that lean muscle, PhysiqueSeries Fat Burner will give you an effective product, with no fillers or additives, to keep you on track for that stellar physique. What you are really buying is a great fat burning supplement from a reputable company, that ensures benefits both inside and out of the gym. Try Transparent Labs PhysiqueSeries Fat Burner today and get that physique you want most.
Try Transparent Labs Fat Burner Today
Generation Iron may receive commissions on purchases made through our links. See our disclosure page for more information.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Transparent Labs, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson Instagram, and Envato
References
Godard, Michael P.; Johnson, Brad A.; Richmond, Scott R. (2005). “Body composition and hormonal adaptations associated with forskolin consumption in overweight and obese men”. (source)
Grove, Kimberly A.; Lambert, Joshua D. (2010). “Laboratory, epidemiological, and human intervention studies show that tea (Camellia sinensis) may be useful in the prevention of obesity”. (source)
Ceci, F.; Cangiano, C.; Cairella, M.; Cascino, A.; Del Ben, M.; Muscaritoli, M.; Sibilia, L.; Rossi Fanelli, F. (1989). “The effects of oral 5-hydroxytryptophan administration on feeding behavior in obese adult female subjects”. (source)
Neri, D. F.; Wiegmann, D.; Stanny, R. R.; Shappell, S. A.; McCardie, A.; McKay, D. L. (1995). “The effects of tyrosine on cognitive performance during extended wakefulness”. (source)
Smith, Jessica E. (2011). “Caffeine, theanine and anxiety: fMRI and behavioural studies”. (source)
Gutierrez-Hellin, Jorge; Del Coso, Juan (2018). “Effects of p-Synephrine and Caffeine Ingestion on Substrate Oxidation during Exercise”. (source)
Hodgson, Adrian B.; Randell, Rebecca K.; Jeukendrup, Asker E. (2013). “The Metaabolic and Performance Effects of Caffeine Compared to Coffee during Endurance Exercise”. (source)
The Top 20 Simple Weight Loss Tips
toIf you want to lose weight, you need to eat less and exercise more. This creates a calorie deficit that forces your body to burn fat for fuel. There are no ways around this – you must reduce your calorie intake and increase your calorie expenditure. Period! But, as simple as this process looks on…
Binge Eating – Causes and How To Overcome It
The cause of binge eating and how to get past it.
What is binge eating? Binge eating is defined as the consumption of an unusually large amount of food in a short period accompanied by a sense of loss of control. An eating disorder can lead to obesity, depression, hypertension, and many other physical and mental problems.
Overweight people give various reasons for their weight gain like having heavy bones, bad genetics or some unique disease which is limited to them but they never admit that they are binge eaters.
The Causes of Binge Eating
Self-judgment
A negative self-image is largely based on one’s shape, weight, and self-control. When an individual starts believing that they can never lose weight and get in shape, they start to take comfort in binge eating.
Mood Fluctuations
The more volatile your mood, the more you’re prone to binge eating. The reason for this is that eating highly palatable foods makes us feel better during that brief moment of sadness, happiness, loneliness, frustration. Binge eating also serves as a temporary distraction from negative emotions.
Many people also fall upon binge eating because eating acts as an escape from their current situation. Finally, there are some people who can’t tell the difference between being hungry and being bored.
Following a Barbaric Diet
There is a high probability that you know someone who got in shape for a brief period before returning to their old selves. These people can’t keep the weight off because they follow too strict a diet to achieve their goal. Once their program ends, they tend to eat everything they can get their hands on.
Overcoming Binge Eating
Eating Small and Frequent Meals
If your goal is to lose weight, you should consider switching to a diet plan where you eat 5-8 small meals in a day as compared to the usual three big meals. These meals should come at a gap of three hours.
Eating frequent meals will not only limit your chances of binge eating by keeping you full throughout the day, but it can also help you in your weight loss journey by spiking your metabolic rate. It means that you’ll be burning fat even while you’re Netflix and chilling.
A Little of Everything
While on a diet, many people make the mistake of having a forbidden food list. These foods turn into “trigger foods” in that their consumption can cause considerable anxiety and can prompt binge eating.
Instead of going cold turkey on them, you should limit them to cheat days or a couple of days a week – if your diet plan allows. Once there are no forbidden foods, you don’t have to worry about random binge eating encounters.
Join a Physical Activity
Don’t worry, we’re not asking you to get a gym membership or train for a marathon. Research shows that working out for at least three days a week can help improve and maintain your health.
When you put in the effort to improve your physique, you’re less likely to let that hard work go to waste by picking up a donut with the coffee. Make a list of physical activities that bring you some pleasure and follow them for at least three days a week.
What is your favorite cheat meal? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
10 Essential Tips to Shed Body Fat For Good
Shed Body Fat with these 10 Tips
Whether you are a professional bodybuilder or someone who has got a gym membership to lose weight, excess body fat is a foe. If losing body fat was easy, everyone who joins a gym would be in shape.
Losing fat can be complicated and since you’re reading this article, we’re assuming you’re toiling with the same problem. The truth of the matter is that there is a lot of misinformation out there about losing fat. No, there’s no exercise that targets fat loss in specific areas.
No, there is no “cheat” to lose fat faster and easier. And yes, the sad reality is that major fat loss comes from your diet rather than exercise. Losing weight is truly a lifestyle change – not a temporary challenge you need to overcome, complete, and then move back to normal.
With that said, the right guidance and a right approach to your diet, training, and recovery can help you achieve your fat loss goals.
1. Don’t Follow a Program
Save yourself the trouble of finding a fat loss program because they don’t work. Programs have a start and an end date, but losing fat forever needs you to make lifestyle changes. Perhaps some sort of cleans or diet program can help initially kick start you into healthy habits – but the key thing to remember here is that true fat loss only comes from permanent lifestyle changes.
This is especially true as you get older. The hard trugh of it is – as you get older you won’t be able to eat like you used to and still stay healthy and thin. That’s just life. It may suck – but it’s important to really come to terms with that fact if you want to see real change. Don’t go on a 60-day low-calorie diet thinking you’ll get rid of the fat for once and all.
2. High-Intensity Workouts
Be it cardio or weightlifting if you want to lose weight, you need to be following HIIT (high-intensity interval training). Shorten your rest periods between exercises and sets, and try to get done with the workouts as soon as possible.
3. Drink a Lot of Water
For most people, excess body fat stores can be due to an increased carb and fat intake which can be the result of excessive eating. Drinking plenty of water can make you feel full and eat less. Water is also the medium in which most cellular activities take place, including the transporting and burning of fat.
4. Eat 5-6 Meals a Day
Most people make the mistake of skipping meals in order to lose weight and shed fat. Skipping meals is counter-productive when it comes to losing weight. You should be eating 5-6 meals a day at regular intervals and calculate your daily macros in line with your macronutrient goals. Eating at regular intervals will keep your metabolism rate high and you will be burning fat throughout the day.
5. Limit Sugar Consumption
Sugar is the main culprit behind putting on weight. Taking in simple carbs (sugar) right after a workout replenishes muscles, but excess sugar consumed at other times will be stored as fat. Replace sugary beverages like soft drinks and juice with water, coffee, or tea.
6. Eat a Balanced Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You eat something after 6-8 hours after you go to sleep and this is why it is called a break-fast. Make sure your breakfast includes all the essential micro and macronutrients and is in line with your daily nutritional goals.
7. Drink Black Coffee Before Working Out
Caffeine can cause the body to use fat for fuel during a workout, rather than glucose. Drink 1-2 cups of black coffee (depending on your tolerance) before a workout. Avoid drinking coffee at other times of the day and skip sugar and cream while you’re at it.
8. Don’t Over-Rely on Fat-Burners
Supplements can be incredibly effective in helping you reach your goals, but you shouldn’t be overly dependent on them. Fat burners aren’t magic pills and you shouldn’t expect them to work on an unhealthy diet.
9. Use Cheat Meals
There is a difference between junk food and cheat meals. Foods like french fries and potato chips are junk food which only consists of calories. Pizza, hamburgers, etc have other nutritional value and are better suited to be a cheat meal. Eating a cheat meal can bump up your metabolism and can make your body work harder to digest the food. Remember to eat the cheat meal for flavor and don’t turn the cheat meal into a cheat day.
10. Meet Your Daily Protein Requirements
If you want to put on muscle mass, you should be consuming at least 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. For example, if you weigh 100 lbs, you should be consuming 100-150 grams of protein daily.
What is your weight loss goal? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
How Alcohol Affects Fat Loss & Ways To Avoid It For Gains
Stop losing gains because of alcohol.
We all indulge in an adult beverage here and there. It’s just part of our routine. Whether it be a nice dinner with family, a night out with friends, or a casual drink to decompress from the day, alcohol is something we enjoy. But for those serious about bodybuilding, fitness, and their health, alcohol can hinder your fat loss goals if you aren’t careful. Knowing why this happens and how best to avoid it will prove to be effective in the long run.
In moderation, alcohol can be completely fine to drink. It’s casual, a social thing, just something part of our society. Too much and we all know what can happen. If you’ve ever tried lifting, or worse, running, after a night out of drinking, you have seen the effects. On top if it all, you probably don’t feel too good either.
When we look to our fat loss goals, we eat well and train hard, yet sometimes we still feel like we aren’t exactly hitting our intended goals. We might dissect our nutrition plan to see what we are doing wrong or go into our training plan and see how we can fix it. But we may not be privy to the fact that alcohol is stunting our fat loss gains.
Let’s take a look at how alcohol affects fat loss and what we can do to avoid it. Having a drink here and there won’t be the end of the world, but it will be hinder the results we want to see. The right approach to it and knowing what to watch out for can be a game changer as we look to see great results.
How Alcohol Affects Fat Loss
Your fat loss goals are important, especially as you seek that shredded aesthetic. But alcohol is something that can easily ruin those gains (1). What you will find is that alcohol contains what some refer to as “empty” calories, meaning it contains many calories without any nutritional value. Beer is known for its high amount of carbs and a mixed drink tends to have a lot of sugar as a result of juice and added sweeteners.
By consuming high amounts of this, it leads to a build up of body fat and heavy beer drinkers will build that dreaded beer gut (2). Extra weight from something so empty only leads us to watching that six pack slowly wither away, something we absolutely do not want.
While too much alcohol alone can lead to weight gain, by consuming alcohol in excess, or even just a little, we tend to lose our inhibitions and following that strict diet seems to go out the window. With a loss of inhibitions, we invite those foods that will ultimately lead to fat gain. While we may enjoy those foods, eating in excess only urges us to eat more and more of it, adding to our unfortunate weight gain.
We must also be cautious of how alcohol affects our sleep and digestion, vital components to staying on track when it comes to our health and fitness goals (3). Knowing how alcohol affects our fat loss can help us prevent it so we keep our gains on track.
Ways To Avoid It
While drinking alcohol can have negative effects, there are ways to avoid it so we don’t hurt our gains while still enjoying a beverage here and there. Focusing on those alcoholic drinks that are low in calories is a good start. Companies have started making health conscious alcohol beverages that are low in carbs and calories for those watching their weight. Hard alcohol, in moderation of course, can be a game changer as you look to improve your fat loss goals as well.
For those unwanted cravings and not so healthy foods that alcohol invites to the party, it takes discipline to fight that urge to want the worst foods for our gains. Finding healthier alternatives may be wise, but if you can avoid eating at all, going straight to bed might be the best move. Sticking to a good diet throughout the day will also help alleviate some of those cravings come late night.
Having someone to keep you accountable as well is always helpful. This not only goes for drinking, but also working out and sticking to a solid nutrition plan. By having that person in your life to keep you in check reinforces support and will prove to yield effective gains in the long run.
What Are The Best Alcoholic Choices?
We all have a preference on our favorite drink but focusing on things like a glass of wine or a lower calorie alternative that companies are coming out with are smart choices. If you tend to mix liquor will sodas or sugary juices, see if there are lower calorie and lower sugar alternatives to throw in the mix. Beer can be a killer but for those beer connoisseurs, watching your intake will still allow for the inclusion in beer, just maybe mix in a lighter one as opposed to a heavier, more hoppy option.
Can I Still Drink To See Gains?
Ultimately, it’s all about moderation and working to control excessive drinking tendencies. It is possible to still see gains if you have control and put your health and fitness goals as a top priority. You work to build muscle, lean out, and have an aesthetic others will envy. By keeping those at the forefront, you can still see gains while enjoying an alcoholic beverage here and there.
Wrap Up
We all enjoy a drink and we all know the consequences of drinking too much. Our gains are valuable and the time put into the gym cannot go to waste. By working to control our intake we better set ourselves up for success and won’t let alcohol destroy our fat loss goals. Stay on track and watch your gains flourish all while enjoying alcohol in moderation.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Suter, P. (2005). “Is alcohol consumption a risk factor for weight gain and obesity?”. (source)
Schutze, M.; et al. (2009). “Beer consumption and the ‘beer belly’: scientific basis or common belief?”. (source)
Britton, A.; et al. (2020). “The association between alcohol consumption and sleep disorders among older people in the general population”. (source)