5 Common Mistakes for Fat Loss:
The Momentum Small Group Body Composition P.T has been ticking over smoothly for the last 8 weeks. We have a very consistent bunch of hard working members who are taking the additional steps required to improve their body composition, get lean and improve overall health. A big part of this is education and lifestyle changes outside of the gym.
Improving ones body composition is not as simple as increasing the training volume. The “more is not better” philosophy apply’s here, a calculated approach needs to be taken to see a steady change in lean muscle mass to body fat ratios. Many people wasting time and effort in the gym trying to get lean without following a smart training protocol, without changing their diet or lifestyle habits. Exercise is only part of the bigger picture and to be honest most of your fat loss comes for balancing your hormones correctly with nutrition and sleep.
The new phase of phase of the Small Group Body Composition P.T is going to focus on building some strength. A large portion of the session will be dedicated to lifting some heavy weights and gradually progressing towards a 5RM in 4 weeks time. Strength training is an important part of building a lean physique that many clients unfortunately avoid. Here are 5 common mistakes that fat loss clients often make:
5 Common Mistakes for Fat Loss:
1. Doing steady state cardio – If you’ve been sitting on the couch for months eating pizza, watching Friends, and the only training you’ve been doing is pressing the buttons on the TV remote or walking to the fridge to get a magnum, then some steady state cardio can be good place to start. Although the initial results will be good, the body will quickly adapt to the stress of aerobic training and your results will soon plateau.
Steady state cardio utilises oxygen as the primary fuel source to produce energy. If your goal is to improve you body composition you need to be burning fat as fuel source and building lean muscle mass. The bulk of energy that is burned in the body comes from your resting metabolic rate, which is a function of the proportion of lean muscle mass you have. Body fat on the other hand reduces metabolic rate and produces various substances that actually make you fatter. Steady state aerobic training has it limitations when it come to fat loss, and its not the best bang for you buck when it comes to body composition training.
2. Not training to improve strength – Some bodybuilding “gurus” still preach that “if you train for shape, strength will follow” as this false gospel spreads, so dose the size of your belly. By following the right strength training program it is possible to get in share by building lean muscle, eating the right nutrition, and taking the correct supplements. “If you train for strength, shape will follow,” its time to strap on a hard hat and find a nappy, as shit is about to get real. Its time to get STRONG!
A common concern for many female clients is gaining body mass with strength training. Even lean muscles gains seem to be a concern to those who believe the media hype around strength training. It can take some time to convince these clients that lifting heavy weights won’t make them massive. A well design strength program will build lean muscle and burn body fat, resulting in a lean and toned look. Taking it to the next step of getting ripped and looking muscular requires a lot more hard work and effort than most can handle and it should not be a concern. The excuse of “getting big” is an excuse of not being able to train hard and eat right, get over yourself and put in the hard work.
3. Restricting fats in the diet – “I eat low-carb” is often what people like to believe. “I eat low-crap” is more often what people are trying to say. Fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates (CHO), and they don’t make you fat. Nobody ever got fat from eating vegetables. Far too many clients don’t eat enough food! Yes, you are fat because your hormones are totally screwed and by not eating enough food you are destroying your metabolism and losing all of the hard GAINZ you are making in the gym.
Many of us know that sugars (CHO) have a large role to play in the obesity epidemic, and we try to minimise our intake. If you are going to cut back on the CHO, you are going to need to replace these calories with something else? Protein and Fats are the only remaining macros you can choose from and they can both help balance our hormones and improve our body composition.
Every single cell in our bodies has a cell lining that is made up from fat. The quality of this cell lining depends on the quality of fat you are eating. Ideally we want our cells to be made from natural healthy fats like unrefined animal fats, avocado, seeds, nuts, olives, fish, coconut oil, dark chocolate, and real whole butter. Omegas-3 fats can help improve insulin sensitivity, decreasing inflammation, helps us burn more fat as energy, and improving energy levels and metabolism.
We also need to avoid the “bad” fats like soy, peanuts, corn, sunflower, and canola oils that have been refined. They tend to be high in omega 6 and highly susceptible to oxidation during processing, which makes them damaging to our bodies health.
Fats are high in calories (9cals per gram) and can make you feel full. Fat can lead to greater satisfaction and curb hunger and cravings, unlike CHO’s. Eating greater portions of fats can help to balance hormones, increase fat loss and build/maintain a lean physique much easier.
The bottom line is that healthy fats can help you lose fat by eliminating cravings, improving metabolism, and balancing hormones.
4. No eating a high protein breakfast – “I don’t have time to eat a big breakfast in the morning” simply means you don’t have time to lose weight. Not eating breakfast is one of BIGGEST mistake you can make when it comes to improving body composition. Eating a breakfast high in CHO (bread, cereals, vegetable and/or fruit juice) is also a big mistake for those looking to lose body fat. A meal replacement shake (protein shake) is not breakfast, as it will not boost your metabolism or help balance your hormones. If you honestly want to lose fat and get lean you WILL find the time to wake up in the morning and prepare a high protein breakfast (eggs, bacon, steak, fish, chicken, organic tofu, etc..)
5. Not getting enough sleep – for some stupid reason people think that sleep is for the weak (and fat). Well its exactly the opposite, sleep is for the strong and lean. Between the hours of 10pm and 2am our bodies go though a process of making hormones that help us recover and rebuild. If you are not asleep between these hours your body will skip this process as it has other important things to do like detoxification. You are better off going to bed early and waking up early (to make a good breakfast) then you are going to bed late and waking up late.
If you are honestly looking to lose fat and improve your body composition you are going to need to put in the hard work, both inside the gym and outside. If you were too lazy to make lifestyle changes then you need to find someone to help motivate you are keep you on track. Or you need to get involved with the Small Group Body Composition P.T session at Momentum.