Tag: Weight
Average Curl Weight For Males and Females on Dumbbell and Barbell Curl
Let’s face it; most serious lifters are insecure about the weight on their bar. They don’t want to be seen lifting weights that are considered light by their fellow exercisers. Don’t believe us? Watch the average curling weight across the gym floor increase by at least 5 pounds when a pretty lady walks into the gym.
Although “How much do you bench?” is the most popular question amongst the bros, “How much do you curl?” takes a close second. Unlike the squat, bench press, or deadlift, the curl is an isolation exercise, meaning it uses a single joint and muscle group. For this reason, the weights you can lift on the biceps curl will be significantly lower than the big three lifts. Contrarily, if you have a bigger curl than the squat or bench press, you have some soul-searching to do.
Your maximum curl weight depends on factors like your age, weight, gender, form, and experience level. Furthermore, your average and max curl weight will vary depending on the exercise. Most lifters have different average curl weights on the barbell, dumbbell, cable, and strict curl.
You shouldn’t expect a 50-year-old beginner male to match a 24-year-old professional’s barbell curl max. At the same time, the senior should not be boasting about beating a fit lady’s dumbbell curl max.
In this article, we cover the average curl weight for men and ladies on dumbbells and barbells, factors affecting your curl weight, how to find your one-rep max, the correct curling form, and how to increase your curl weight. Long story short, this guide will answer all your questions about curling. So, without any further ado, let’s get into it.
Why Should You Know the Average Curl Weight?
Knowing the average curl weight for your group will tell you how you stack up against your peers. These benchmarks will give you a goal, allow you to track your progress, and keep you accountable.
Furthermore, many rookies set themselves up for injury while training, as they try to do too much too soon. Knowing the average curl weight for your experience level will help you set realistic targets for yourself.
Average Curl Weight For Dumbbells Curl
Contrary to what most lifters think, your weight on the dumbbell curl will not be the same as that on your barbell curl. Give below are the average curl weight for males and females on dumbbells and barbells. Use this data to select the right weight for your next workout.
Average Dumbbell Curl Weight For Males
The information presented below is derived from the analysis of 1,910,923 lifts conducted by Strength Level based on a person’s one-rep maximum (1RM).
Weight (in pounds)
Beginner
Novice
Intermediate
Advanced
Elite
130
10
23
42
66
96
140
11
25
44
70
100
150
12
27
47
73
104
160
14
29
50
76
108
170
15
30
52
80
111
180
16
32
54
83
115
190
18
34
57
85
118
200
19
36
59
88
121
210
20
37
61
91
124
220
21
39
63
93
127
230
23
41
65
96
130
Note: These weights are for one dumbbell.
The average dumbbell curl weight for a male intermediate lifter is 52 pounds. On the other hand, the average curl weight for beginners is 14 pounds, 29 pounds for novices, 80 pounds for advanced lifters, and 113 pounds for the elite.
According to the data, novice male lifters are capable of curling nearly twice the amount of weight as beginners across the weight classes. The disparity in dumbbell curl weight between inexperienced and elite athletes diminishes as body weight increases.
Average Dumbbell Curl Weight For Females
Men are generally stronger than their female counterparts, and this can be seen in curl weight comparisons throughout this article.
Weight (in pounds)
Beginner
Novice
Intermediate
Advanced
Elite
110
6
13
25
40
58
120
6
15
27
43
61
130
7
16
28
45
63
140
8
17
30
46
66
150
9
18
31
48
68
160
9
19
33
50
70
170
10
20
34
51
72
180
11
21
35
53
73
190
12
22
36
54
75
200
12
23
38
56
77
On average, a female intermediate lifter can dumbbell curl 30 pounds. However, for beginner athletes, the weight capacity is around 8 pounds, 17 pounds for novices, 47 pounds for advanced athletes, and 67 pounds for elite lifters.
While the difference between the male and female lifters is 6 pounds at the newbie level, it widens to 46 pounds for the advanced exercisers in the dumbbell curl.
Average Curl Weight For Barbells Curl
The average barbell curl data is based on 1,647,530 lifts. The participants used an Olympic barbell (45 pounds) for this test.
Average Barbell Curl Weight For Males
Here is the average barbell curl weight for males across different weight groups:
Weight (in pounds)
Beginner
Novice
Intermediate
Advanced
Elite
130
27
49
79
117
160
140
30
54
85
124
169
150
34
58
91
131
177
160
37
63
97
138
184
170
41
67
102
145
192
180
44
72
108
151
199
190
47
76
113
157
206
200
50
80
118
163
213
210
54
84
122
168
219
220
57
88
127
174
225
230
60
91
131
179
231
Male intermediate lifters typically have an average barbell curl weight of 103 pounds. In comparison, beginners can curl 38 pounds, novices can lift 66 pounds, advanced lifters can handle 149 pounds, and elite athletes can manage an impressive 201 pounds.
Average Barbell Curl Weight For Females
Here is the average barbell curl weight for females across different weight groups:
Weight (in pounds)
Beginner
Novice
Intermediate
Advanced
Elite
110
10
24
45
71
103
120
12
26
48
75
108
130
13
29
51
79
112
140
15
31
54
83
117
150
16
33
56
86
121
160
18
35
59
90
125
170
19
37
62
93
128
180
21
39
64
96
132
190
22
41
67
99
135
200
23
43
69
102
139
On average, female lifters can curl 54 pounds with a barbell. However, beginners typically start with 14 pounds, novices can manage 31 pounds, advanced lifters can lift 85 pounds, and elite female athletes can curl an impressive 120 pounds.
Factors Affecting Curl Weight
These factors can influence your curl weight:
Age
For people between 15-90, the average curling strength maxes out at 25 for elite athletes and stays constant up to 40, after which it starts tapering. You should go all out between 25 and 40 if you want to set a monster biceps curl PR.
Gender
On average, males exhibit greater strength than females. Men in the same age, experience, and weight bracket will be able to lift heavier than their female counterparts.
Weight
Heavier folks will generally be able to lift more than their peers in the same age and experience group. The additional weight provides more strength and stability required to lift heavier weights.
Experience Level
More experienced lifters will, on average, be able to curl heavier weights than those with lesser experience. It is mainly because experienced lifters have spent more time mastering their craft and have the muscle power to back it up.
Exercise Variation
You shouldn’t expect to curl the same weight on the standing barbell curl as the barbell preacher curl. Furthermore, your grip (overhand or underhand) and hand placement also play a role in determining how much weight you can curl.
Training Goal
People training to compete in a strict curl competition can curl more than a recreational lifter. Strength-focused athletes use the 1-5 rep range to go as heavy as possible. On the flip side, people focusing on aesthetics stay in the 8-12 rep range.
Form
Your exercise form plays a crucial role in how much you can curl. Lifters using a lousy form and a lot of momentum will be able to lift heavier than folks using a strict form. Despite the allure of lifting heavy, you should stick to a strict form, as neglecting your form increases your risk of injury.
How To Find Your 1RM Curl Weight
The weights listed in this article are one-rep maxes. Notably, attempting a one-rep max without the right skills and experience can lead to injury. You must perform a 1RM under expert supervision, especially if you are a rookie.
Use a one-rep max calculator to find the maximum weight you can curl on a particular exercise variation. You, however, need to perform the exercise before using the calculator. Input the weights you used and the reps you were able to complete on the exercise with the perfect form to get your one-rep max number.
How To Curl With the Correct Form
This is how to perform the barbell and dumbbell curl with the correct form:
Dumbbell Curl
Stand tall with a hip-width stance while holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral (palms facing each other) grip.
The dumbbells should be resting on the outside of your thighs at the starting position.
Keeping your elbows pinned to your sides, curl the dumbbells to your chest height.
Turn your palms toward the ceiling during the concentric (upward) movement.
Pause and contract your guns at the top.
Slowly return to the starting position.
Repeat for recommended reps.
Pro Tip: Turn your palms inward at the top for optimal biceps peak contraction.
Check out our complete dumbbell curl guide here!
Barbell Curl
Stand upright with a hip-width stance.
Hold the bar with a shoulder-wide underhand grip.
Keeping your elbows pinned, curl the bar to your shoulder level.
Pause and contract your biceps at the top.
Rinse and repeat.
Pro Tip: Control the weights on the eccentric (lowering) motion. Letting the bar drop to your thighs removes the tension from your biceps.
Check out our complete barbell curl guide here!
How To Increase Your Maximum Curl Weight
Use the following tips to improve your biceps curling performance:
Progressive Overload
To lift heavier on the biceps curl, you must constantly engage in challenging workouts. Contrary to what most lifters think, you don’t always have to lift heavy weights in each workout to get stronger.
Advanced training techniques like dropsets, supersets, and intraset stretching can provide the stimulus required for muscle and strength gains. Furthermore, you could also increase your training intensity and volume to spur growth.
Diet
You cannot out-train a bad diet. If you want to grow bigger and stronger, you must follow a balanced diet. Stick to your daily caloric goals and a high protein intake. Seek expert help if you lack the knowledge to design an effective diet.
Rest
Training your arms every day might sound like a good plan to build strength and muscle mass; it, however, can stall your growth because of overtraining. Your biceps are a small muscle group and require at least 48 hours of rest between workouts to recover optimally. Training them too frequently can increase your risk of injury.
FAQs
How to know if I’m curling sufficient weights?
Your ideal curl weight will depend on your age, gender, weight, experience level, and exercise variation. Use the average weights given for the barbell and dumbbell curl above to tally your performance. You’ve nothing to worry about If you’re curling more than the average for your weight class.
How much weight should I use for bicep curls?
Again, the weights you will use will depend on your age, gender, weight, experience level, and exercise variation. You will also have to adjust your weights according to your training goal. Lifters training for hypertrophy should use a weight that allows them to complete 8-12 reps with a picture-perfect form. On the other hand, folks focusing on strength gains will be better off in the 1-5 rep range. [1]
Also Check Out:
Average Bench Press By Weight, Gender, and Experience Level
Average Deadlift By Weight, Gender, and Experience Level
Average Squat By Weight, Gender, and Experience Level
Average Pull-Up and Chin-Up By Weight, Gender, and Experience Level
Average Power Clean By Weight, Gender, and Experience Level
Wrapping Up
Knowing the average curl weight for males and females can help you set realistic goals. You must, however, ensure that you don’t bite off more than you can chew. After you have found the average curl weight for your age, weight, gender, and experience level, you shouldn’t take on that weight in your first gym session.
Use progressive overload techniques to develop the necessary strength to lift the average curl weight for your group and then some more. Remember, always prioritize lifting with the correct form over moving heavy weights. Best of luck!
References
Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Van Every DW, Plotkin DL. Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports (Basel). 2021 Feb 22;9(2):32. doi: 10.3390/sports9020032. PMID: 33671664; PMCID: PMC7927075.
How To Stick To A Diet, Lose Weight and Keep It Off
How To Have A Successful Weight Loss Transformation
Most of the people who join a gym after a sudden rush of motivation strike them soon get off the bandwagon because of a variety of reasons. Before you get a gym membership, you need to understand that a physique transformation takes time and you can’t ‘hack’ your way to weight loss.
In this article, we’ll talk about why the fit-life beginners can’t follow a diet, lose and/or keep off weight. Treat the points below as principles for fat loss, and you’ll be on your way to achieving your dream physique.
Sticking To A Diet
Design a Customized Nutrition Program
One of the biggest and the most common errors fitness noobs make is that they follow generic weight loss programs available on the internet that are usually made (and sold) by self-proclaimed fitness experts.
Know Your Macros
If you’ve never counted calories before, it’s time you get used to tracking your macros. It’s not nearly as intimidating as it might sound. Apps like MyFitnessPal make keeping track of your food a walk in the park. Get in the habit of reading labels before buying packaged food.
You’re setting yourself up for failure if the diet doesn’t match your lifestyle. If you can’t live without your favorite weekly pizza (there is nothing wrong with that, btw), you should stay away from a program that asks you to look away every time you’re passing by a Domino’s.
Best Way To Lose Weight
No matter how strict, well calculated or fancy your diet is, if you want to lose a considerable amount of weight, you need to have a form of exercise in your program. Most people make the mistake of joining a gym even though they hate training.
You aren’t bound to running on a treadmill or performing burpees. In fitness, many different paths can lead to the same destination. Join a physical activity that you like doing and stick with it. It could be a dance class, swimming, tennis or even ax throwing.
Accountability
You need to have accountability in one form or the other if you’re serious about losing weight. Peer-pressure can be an incredibly effective tool in shedding fat. Most people drop out of a weight loss program because they don’t have to be answerable to anyone for their failure.
As soon as you decide on getting rid of the spare tire, share your goal with at least one confidant. Brownie points if you can get that person to join the gym with you. Share your transformation goal on social media if you don’t have anyone in your immediate circle to keep you accountable.
Have a Target AND a Deadline
Your fitness journey doesn’t end at losing weight. You have to make sure that it doesn’t come back as is the case with many people who join the fit lifestyle. Remember – you either go forward or backward in your fitness journey – there is no staying put.
Once you’ve reached your weight goal, set a new target for yourself. It could be gaining 5lb of lean muscle mass in a year or running a marathon. You have to be constantly shocking your body to remain in the best shape.
What is your current fitness goal? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
10 Tips To Lose Weight In A Jiffy
Lose Weight Quickly With These Techniques
Contrary to popular belief, losing weight isn’t as hard as some people take it to be. Many people make the wrong decisions in their diet, training, and recovery programs which is why they don’t see results.
It might come as a surprise to you, but you can lose a significant amount of weight in a couple of weeks and be on your way to your dream physique. Be it summer or bulking season, you’ll have abs year-round if you follow the tips mentioned in the article.
Count Your Calories
If you want to lose weight, your first goal should be to design a diet for yourself and get comfortable counting your calories and macros. You can’t afford to depend on eyeballing the food and trusting yourself to make the right food choices every time.
Become A Cardio Ninja
If you want to lose weight in a hurry, you need to be doing two cardio sessions in a day. The first session will be a 30-minute fasted low-intensity steady-state (LISS) workout and the second a 10-minute high-intensity interval training session.
Cycle The Carbs
Changing your daily consumption of carbohydrates can have a major impact on your body fat percentage. You should follow a diet plan where you have three low-carb days (100 grams or less), followed by a single high-carb day (2 to 2.5 grams per pound of body weight).
Say No To Dairy
The regular intake of dairy products can hinder the fat loss process. The elimination of dairy products can come as a shock to some people, but if you’re someone who has stubborn body fat, you should consider cutting out dairy products from your diet.
Drink Plenty Of Water
Some people think that their body fat is nothing more than water weight and they try to get rid of it by reducing the amount of water they drink. For a successful weight loss journey, you need to make sure you’re drinking at least a gallon of water every day.
No Cheat Meals
Depending on your fat loss goals and the time duration of your program, you’ll need to stay away from the cheat meals. Eating a single serving of junk food can set you back by weeks if you’re on a schedule.
Have Smaller But Frequent Meals
Since people directly relate food and their body fat percentage, some make the conscious decision of having bigger but less frequent meals. Eating more but less frequently can be counterproductive as it slows down your metabolism which can fasten up the fat storage process in your body.
Use Supplements
With the advancement in sports nutrition, there are many supplements on the market that can aid fat loss. Supplements like fat burning pills, L-carnitine, Citrulline Malate are some of the favorites as they boost thermogenesis.
Say No To High Fat Food
Although food containing high-quality fats is essential for your body’s optimal functioning, you shouldn’t stock up your cupboards with nuts. If you’re looking for something that you can snack on, your options should be made of foods with high carbs and protein, and low-fat content as the latter is much harder for your body to burn.
Rethink Your Beverage Consumption
Whatever your poison of choice might be (beer, whiskey, rum or coffee), if you are a regular consumer, they’re probably hindering your fat loss progress. On the other hand, if you don’t consume caffeine regularly, consuming it before a workout can help in shedding weight.
Header image courtesy of Envato Elements
Are you bulking or shredding? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
How to Gain Weight Faster in 5 Simple Steps
How to Gain Weight Faster in 5 Simple Steps (And Without Just Getting Fat) If you are a person who is desperate to gain some weight without getting fat, then this article is all that you need to achieve your goal. This will be your best article with tips on how to gain weight fast […]
The post How to Gain Weight Faster in 5 Simple Steps appeared first on What Steroids.
6 Reasons Why You’re Not Losing Fat
Avoid These 6 Mistakes To Lose Weight
Many people get a gym membership to lose weight, and most of them are not happy with their progress. Losing fat is easier said than done. While people might take different approaches to lose weight, most of them fail for the same reasons.
Indiscipline
You need a high level of discipline to lose fat. Some people think training for a couple of days a week is enough to lose weight. They set themselves up for disappointment with this approach and then act shocked when they don’t get the desired results.
You need to be disciplined with your training, diet, and recovery programs if you want to shed the extra kilos. You can’t afford to miss a single training session, meal or undersleep if you want the needle to budge in the right direction.
Undervaluing Your Training Program
Some people make the mistake of thinking a diet plan is all that matters in a weight loss program. They completely overlook their training plans, spend a comfortable half an hour on a piece of cardio equipment, and call it a day.
If your goal is to lose weight, you’ll have to follow a structured cardio training plan which should include a HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) or LISS (Low-Intensity Steady State Training). You should be willing to give your training sessions all you’ve got.
Setting A Goal
When setting out to shed the extra kilos, most people make the mistake of not having a specific weight loss goal. You need to quantify the amount of weight you want to shed in order to have the right diet and training plan.
Having a specific goal can help you follow a timeline and will keep you accountable. If you don’t see the desired results after setting a goal and making a plan to achieve it, you can go back to the drawing board and make the necessary adjustments.
Not Following a Customized Diet Plan
Many people don’t want to spend the time, energy or money on a customized diet plan. They instead follow a vanilla diet plan given to them by a gym bro and are surprised and anxious when they don’t see results.
Every person has a different lifestyle, and their diet will vary depending on their goal. You need to figure out your daily calorie intake goal with your macronutrient targets and design your diet according to your lifestyle.
Not Understanding The Role of Fats and Carbs
In recent times, thanks to the internet, more people have come to know about macronutrients. Many people mistake the role of fats and carbs in their diet. They think eating fats are what causes fat to deposit on their body and go on to cut it from their diet.
After they cut fats and still don’t see results, carbohydrates become their easy second target. In the process of cutting these two essential macronutrients from their diet, they do more harm to their bodies than good. Reducing the carb and fat intake below the recommended levels can cause problems in your body functioning.
Improper Recovery
While cardio and training play a vital role in losing weight, some people take it to the next level by pushing their bodies to the extremes. On top of it, these people don’t give their bodies proper time to recover from their workouts.
Being overtrained is worse than not training at all. If your recovery time doesn’t seem to work and you feel sore for more than a couple of days after your workouts, you should consider taking supplements to improve your recovery.
Header image courtesy of Envato Elements
Are you satisfied with your weight loss?
Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The Best Way To Lose Weight – Fast
The Guaranteed Way To Lose Body Fat
Many people get a gym membership to lose body fat but most of them quit after their high hopes die down. If losing fat was as easy as joining a gym, almost no one would have excess fat on their bodies.
A lot is said about weight loss, and most of what you hear from the bro-scientists is probably wrong. With this article, our goal is to break all the myths around fat loss so that you are empowered with the right knowledge.
Have A Goal
Most people make the mistake of not having a specific weight goal when they start on their weight loss journey. All they know is they want to lose fat. You need to have a specific goal if you’re serious about achieving your dream physique.
Without a specific goal, you can’t design a diet plan for yourself as you wouldn’t know how much weight you need to lose every week. Your daily caloric intake is dependent on your current and goal body weight.
With the amount of weight you want to lose, you should also set a time goal for yourself. Doing so will help fasten up the process, keep you on the timeline and will make you accountable.
Fix Your Calorie and Macro Goals
To be honest, weight loss isn’t as intimidating as many people make it. Your diet, training, and recovery are all you need to take care of. Setting a daily calorie goal is the first step towards cutting away your body fat.
Once you have your daily calorie goal, you can set your macronutrients goal as per your needs. If you don’t have the proper knowledge and skills to design your own diet, you should consult a professional to save yourself time and effort.
If you’re not losing the right amount of weight every week, you can make adjustments to your daily calorie and macronutrient intake goals. Hitting the right calorie goal for yourself can take some trial and error and you should be willing to experiment with different food.
A basic thing you should know is that you need to cut down 500 calories from your current daily calorie intake to lose 1lb of fat in a week. Make sure you don’t go crazy and keep the calorie deficit between 500-1000 calories a week.
Never Skip Cardio
We wish losing body fat was as easy as fixing what you ate. You can’t take cardio out of the equation when it comes to losing weight. If you want to lose weight fast, you should consider doing two cardio sessions in a day.
The first cardio session should be a 30-45 minute LISS (Low-Intensity Steady State training) session which you should ideally perform on an empty stomach. HIIT should be the second cardio session which should last anywhere between 10-20 minutes.
Avoid Starting A Fancy Diet
Many people make the mistake of starting a fancy diet when they want to lose weight. You should look to change your lifestyle so that the weight loss is sustainable and the weight doesn’t come back when you stop the specialized diet.
While IIFYM, Keto, IF, etc. might all sound like great ways to lose weight, you shouldn’t get too excited about trying them. Making adjustments to your lifestyle will pay better dividends in the long run as compared to experimenting with new diet plans.
Header image courtesy of Envato Elements
Which is your weakest muscle group? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
10 Fat Loss Myths That Are Ruining Your Health
Most people get a gym membership to lose weight but how many of these people do you think achieve their goal and how many end up falling for the fat loss myths? If you don’t want to look into the stats, just look around yourself and figure out how many of your friends and family joined a gym but soon gave up on their new year’s resolution.
Fat loss isn’t as hard as it is made out to be. Most people fail to shed the extra kilos because of the ill-advice they receive from the bros at the gym and the fat loss myths that surround the process.
The other thing about weight loss is that it is a process. You need to do a series of things right if you want to see progress. While many people get most of the things right, they mess up a few things which keep them from achieving their dream physique.
In this article, we will try to cover most of the aspects that play a role in helping you lose the spare tire. If you do nothing else but avoid falling for these fables, you’d be doing better than the average Joe at your gym.
Avoid These 10 Fat Loss Myths
Eliminate Fats & Carbs From Your Diet
When people start training, one of the first things they’re told is that fats and carbs are their enemies. Most noobs associate the macronutrient fats with the tire around their bellies and they make cutting fats out of their diets the sole mission of their lives.
Carbs are the second soft target. Don’t forget not all carbs and fats are created equal. Good fats and carbs are responsible for the health of your skin, nails, hair, joints, brain, energy levels, and overall proper functioning of the body.
Saunas Are Your Best Friend
Since sweating is related to fat burn, many people assume that sitting in a sauna for a few hours every week will help them trim down a few inches off the waistline. It is the reason you see overweight men socializing in saunas. After bars saunas are probably the second most favorite place for unfit men to hang out.
What you lose sweating your balls off in a steam room is not fat but water weight. Ever felt thirsty and dehydrated after a sauna? That’s because you got rid of a lot of the stored water in your body. Worst yet, the lost water weight will be added back as soon as you eat a salty meal or drink your favorite soda.
Fat Loss is Just a Matter of Few Weeks
People who start their weight loss journies overestimate what they can do in a short period of time and underestimate what they can achieve in the long run. Although some people narrow down the concept of weight loss to “calories in, calories out,” the truth is it is a little more complicated than that.
Each person has a different set of hormones, metabolism, environmental factors, and potential underlying health issues that could all play a role in how much weight you lose. A newbie should never give their weight loss process a deadline – unless they want to be disappointed.
You Can Target Fat Loss – Probably the Biggest Fat Loss Myth
Sport reduction remains to be one of the biggest fat loss myths. Some people join the gym with very specific demands. They either just want to lose their love handles or the cellulite on their thighs. The sad news is, no matter how much spot reduction is promoted and how many products for it are introduced, it’s never going to work.
You can lose overall weight and body fat by eating the right foods and following a diet plan but you can’t pick and choose the spots from where you want to lose weight first. So, get that sauna belt off off your underarms already.
Exercise Alone Can Save You
It’s common knowledge that you need to be moving and challenging your body to shed the excess fat. The problem here is that some people get over-dependent on exercise and forget the other things that go hand-in-hand with it.
While spending countless hours on the treadmill can make you feel like you’re making progress but the needle won’t budge in the right direction if you’re not eating the right diet or letting your body recover from your workouts.
Cut Everything You Can From Your Diet
Some people perceive switching to a low-calorie diet to be a quick method of losing weight. If you’re one of the people who prefer opting for the low-calorie crash diet, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Always remember that under-fueling is as risky as over-fueling.
Juice Cleanse is the Solution
One of the newest fads of the fitness industry is the juice cleanse. They are promoted as the perfect way to detox and lose weight quickly. Although the juice diet reduces your calorie intake drastically, it can spike your blood sugar levels as you’ll be consuming a lot of sugar. The sugar spike can lead you to gain weight which is the exact opposite of why you started the juice cleanse.
HIIT Are The Most Effective
Due to their effectiveness, HIIT workouts have gained a cult for themselves. But if your sole aim is to lose weight, doing only HIIT cardio isn’t a good idea. Adding lower-intensity workouts to your routine is as important as HIIT because they lower your body’s level of cortisol (a hormone responsible for making your body store fat) which is a big culprit in weight gain.
Cheat Days Are Okay
Most people like to have a cheat day in their schedule as they feel it helps them satiate their cravings and refuels their body with a boatload of carbs. Instead of scheduling cheat days, stick with cheat meals or small treats that don’t derail the progress you’ve made.
Once You Stop Training, You’ll Gain All The Weight Back
This is one of the biggest misconceptions amongst people who never join a gym. They think all their efforts will go in vain because all the weight they’ve lost will be back as soon as they stop working out.
Adding the weight back depends on factors like if you’ll go back to your old unhealthy lifestyle or if the weight you lost was water weight – in which case there’ll be high chances of adding it back. If the weight you lose is through the right means and process, you won’t be putting it back on unless you make some bad lifestyle choices.
Which myth did you fall prey to when you started training? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Get Rid of Your Double Chin – Fast!
“I love my double chin,” said no one ever.
Let us begin by saying that spot reduction is not a thing. Meaning? Your double chin is not going away if you do a few neck stretches every day. Going crazy with these spot reduction exercises will leave you with cervical pain at best.
Some people take the spot reduction fiasco a step further by going for skin treatments and other face fat-reducing therapies. These people are anguished when they see fat pilling under their faces just after a few months of their procedures.
We don’t want to sound pessimistic, but if you think you’ll cheat your way to a superhero jawline – that’s not going to happen. Losing face fat is absolutely possible, but it’s going to take weeks’ worth of hard work. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.
Why You Have Face Fat
Genetics
Just like with other things fitness, genetics play a major role in your body composition. All of us are built differently. While some people have a chiseled jawline, the others have an oval-shaped face that can accentuate the roundness (and bulkiness) of their faces.
Some people are more genetically dispositioned to gain fat on their face. On the other hand, you probably know a few people who are overweight but could cut a pizza with their razor-sharp jawlines.
Apart from the structure of the face, facial features can have an impact on our appearance. We can reduce the amount of fat stored on our faces but no amount of dieting or exercise is going to change the underlying structure.
Body Fat Percentage
It goes without saying – if you’re generously overweight, no amount of sharp facial features can hide your face fat. Most of the fat in our bodies is stored under our skins and is distributed to all our body parts in varying degrees.
The thing about face fat is, it’s pretty hard to hide. Unlike with your love handles, you don’t have the option to cover them with layers of clothing. The new face mask lifestyle does help though.
Reducing your body fat percentage is the only way that double chin is going away. As you start to lose weight, you’ll see the fat shedding off your cheeks, jawline, neck, and overall body. But how do you lose body fat, you ask? This brings us to our next section.
How To Lose Face Fat
Follow a Calorie Deficit Diet
The quickest and the most effective way to shed body fat is to follow a calorie deficit diet. In a deficit diet, you’re burning more calories than you’re consuming. In a deficit diet since your body is short on energy, it burns stored fat to power itself. Quiet a robust system if you ask us.
Most people make the mistake of going too hard with the deficit. For losing 2-5 pounds every week, you should not be cutting out more than 100-150 calories from your diet. You should always ease into a deficit diet.
As you get comfortable with your new diet and your body starts responding, you should then take a call on cutting out more calories. Every person will respond differently to a reduction in calories and you should approach it with a trial and error mindset.
Cutting too few calories will result in an ineffective diet plan, and cutting too much will lead to a loss of muscle mass (if you have any). If you cut too much too soon, you’ll feel lethargic throughout the day and you’ll be more prone to binge eating and falling for cheat meals because of your cravings.
Weight Training
Resistance training is an underutilized tool when it comes to burning body fat. Heavy compound weightlifting can ramp up your fat loss process. Your metabolic rate jumps sharply between sets and post-workout while your body recovers.
The rise in the metabolic rate helps burn fat even when you’re not active. You should train at least 4-5 times every week to keep your metabolism in peak conditioning. Your workouts should be high intensity and high volume consisting mainly of compound lifts.
Studies have shown that targeting multiple muscle groups at once with compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and military presses can lead to an increase in metabolic rate, muscle mass, and strength.
HIIT Cardio
Cardio is probably the most expected thing on the list. While cardio is a great fat-burning tool, you shouldn’t spend all your time climbing a Stairmaster to nowhere. Most people walk on a treadmill like they are after a dangling carrot in front of their noses. What does it remind you of? It speaks volumes about non-smart work.
To get rid of the double chin at the earliest, you should do a HIIT cardio session after your resistance training workouts. A HIIT cardio session should not last more than 10 minutes. In the 10-minute session, alternate between one minute of all-out sprinting and one minute of brisk walking.
Make Protein Your Go-To
Protein is your best friend if your goal is to lose the double chin. Not only does protein help in gaining muscle mass and losing fat, but it also helps recover faster after workouts and in retaining muscle mass.
Protein is also great at making you feel full for longer periods of time. If you plan on going out with friends but don’t want to feast on junk food, your best bet would be to gulp down a protein shake before heading out.
You should also eat a protein-rich meal first thing after waking up as according to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, eating a high-protein diet in the morning—at least double what you’re eating now—can help you consume 400 fewer calories throughout the day and burn more fat over time.
Use Fat-Loss Supplements
Although we don’t want you to treat this as your primary option, fat-loss supplements can be an incredibly effective way of getting rid of the excess boy fat. Disclaimer: most of the fat loss supplements on the market are complete garbage.
Buy a fat loss supplement that has the following ingredients:
3 to 6 mg of caffeine per kilogram of your body weight
0.1 to 0.2 milligrams of yohimbine per kilogram of bodyweight
1 serving of Phoneix
You should use weight loss supplements only if you’re on a deadline and are not seeing the desired results.
Are you trying to get rid of your double chin? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.