This is by far the MOST asked question I get this time of the year…
Q: What exercises should I do to lose weight (get lean…lose belly fat…etc.)?
However, my answer to this question is usually not exactly what they are looking for…
A: There are no “Fat-Loss-Specific Exercises”.
ALL exercise/movement CAN generate fat loss, and there are certainly different TYPES of exercise that will speed along your progress. However, I would be very weary of any program that makes bogus promises like “Drop 3 inches of your waist with these 5 simple exercises”. Yes of course this SOUNDS enticing (who doesn’t want the easy way out?), BUT there are no “magical-fat-targeting” exercises that melt away fat in your problem areas.
Sorry to play the Debby-downer here…but wouldn’t you like this year to be THE year you finally drop that weight and gain back your confidence FOR GOOD?
Before we tackle exercise, let me be as blunt as I can…You MUST address nutrition FIRST if you have a fat loss/body composition goal…
No matter how hard you work, how much you sweat, or how many hours you spend in the gym…You will NOT achieve weight loss success if you simply ignore your nutrition. Need some simple instructions to get started?
Start here…
1) Cut all the processed crap (focus on WHOLE FOODS)
2) Make sure every meal has a solid source lean protein (about the size of the palm of your hand)
3) Drink ½ your body weight in ounces of water.
This alone should get you on track if you follow through consistently.
OK so NOW on to answer the ever-popular fat loss exercise question…
Well, here’s the short the version of the long answer:
You first need to LIFT…lift with your WHOLE system…and continue to lift MORE!
TOTAL body resistance training should be your number one priority if your goal is SUSTAINABLE weight loss. You need to strengthen your ENTIRE system. As your muscles begin to gain strength, your body becomes MORE effective in burning fat. THIS is what creates TONE and improves body composition.
**CONSISTENT full-body strength training on a PROGRESSIVE program is the KEY!**
IF your first knee-jerk reaction to being fed up with your current weight is to kill yourself daily with cardio until it melts away…you will most likely be disappointed with your results (OR how hard it is to keep the weight away once you’ve lost).
Why? Here are a couple things that happen when you introduce high volumes of cardio WITHOUT strength training:
1) You only burn the calories “in the moment” of cardio (It does not create a LASTING burning effect such as strength training or interval work)
2) While cardio does help to burn some fat, it can also burn away MUSCLE (preventing you from the definition you desire, AND leaving the system more vulnerable to weight-gain when your nutrition slips)
SO, here’s the skinny (see what I did there? ;-)) …
If you’ve set a goal for fat loss in 2020, I highly recommend you put up your blinders to all the “shiny objects” tempting you with “quick fixes”, and give this PROVEN Fat Loss System a try:
1) Get your nutrition RIGHT
2) Strength Train 3 days/week
3) Cardio/Interval Train 2 days/week
4) Move EVERY day (aim for 10k steps/day)
I can assure you that you will NOT be disappointed in the NEW YOU if you follow this system!
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