Fat Loss Chapter 1 -
6 Ways To Make Weight Loss Painless
1)
Weight Training
It may come as a surprise
to some people, but it’s now clear that resistance training with weights
can lead to increased fat loss. It's crucial to understand that in addition
to cardiovascular or aerobic exercise, resistance training is an important
element in any effective fat loss program.
Muscle tissue is
metabolically active in the body-in general terms, the higher your
percentage of muscle mass, the higher your resting metabolism. Strength
training will increase your lean muscle mass resulting in an accelerated
metabolism; in other words, if you add more muscle, you'll burn more
calories. And this, of course, can translate into an increase in fat burning
as well.
So, in addition to the
other health benefits associated with resistance training-increased strength
and energy, healthy bone density, protection against injury, etc.- engaging
in two or three brief and intense weight training sessions per week carries
the major plus of allowing your body to burn more calories even while at
rest. So let’s hit the weights!
2)
Take It One Step At A Time... Each Step Gets Easier and Easier After The First
"An object at rest
tends to stay at rest. An object in motion tends to stay in motion."
The statement in its
original form was actually a law of motion created by some character named
Newton a very long time ago, but nonetheless, it certainly remains true
today, whether we're talking about your body or your bank account.
Of
course, if you're having a difficult time getting the fitness ball in gear,
the first step toward getting it in motion is the first step you take out
the front door and into the direction of the gym. Once you can incorporate
the basic changes into your life, coupling routine exercise with healthy
eating, the momentum will have your fitness drive on auto-pilot.
You'll
see, after a few months, that you'll be looking for excuses to GET to the
gym, or you'll be finding ways to squeeze exercise time into your frantic
schedules.
3)
Utilize the Best Nutritional Supplements Available
A
recent study showed that dietary supplements can dramatically increase
weight loss… by up to 300%.
People in the
bodybuilding and fitness world have long known the power of supplementation
in aiding in the struggle for fat loss. As with any supplement, it’s advised that people
check with a qualified health care professional before using any dietary
supplement.
4)
Push past fatigue… you
will discover that it is only a temporary feeling.
Have you ever had one of
those days? Work, family, stress, nothing seems to go right. The last thing
you’ve got the energy for is to go exercise. Maybe it’s just me,
but it seems that as the years go by those hectic and eventually low-energy
days seem to come a bit more frequently than they once did.
Well, the way I look at it none of us has it easy every day. And while
you don’t always have control over what the day holds in store for you,
you can control how you deal with it.
You can sit there and moan "woe is me" and use the "bad
day" excuse for not getting to the gym and getting your training in
(we’ve all done it before); or you can get tough and do what has to be
done.
Here’s a few other
simple things you can try to get yourself over the hump:
Before you start to train, take a couple of quiet minutes to clear your
head. Sure you may be running late, but slow down for a minute to put the
day behind you and focus on the task at hand.
After a tough day, I’ll pull into the gym parking lot, turn the radio off,
open the window, and just catch my breath for a minute or two. I won’t
think about what I did earlier or what I have to do later. I’ll just
relax. Remember what that’s like?
If you’re truly pressed
for time, don’t be afraid to cut back on your usual training program for
the day. Some of the best workouts I’ve ever had have lasted just 20-30
minutes.
No one says you have to do 12 sets for chest and 8 sets for biceps every
time you go to the gym. In fact, it’s foolish and counterproductive to
train this way.
Whatever it takes, and however you get yourself mentally and physically
through those most difficult of training days, you should always attempt to
do so.
Not only will training
actually relieve some of your stress and make you feel significantly better,
but also the unique sense of accomplishment you’ll have from getting the
job done will truly make it worth every bit of effort.
Once you push past fatigue, you will discover that you really had a
lot of energy left but you just needed to get the ball rolling.
5.
Supplement With Creatine
A recent study published
in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise supports the
notion that those supplementing with creatine do get stronger and as a
result add more lean muscle mass.
The study conducted at
Penn State found that those using creatine can lift more than those who
don't and also noticed muscle fiber changes in those supplementing with the
popular product.
Test subjects in the
study were split into two groups: those using creatine and those given a
placebo. All the subjects were then trained for 12 weeks under supervision.
At the end of the 12
weeks, both groups showed gains in lean body mass, but the creatine group
showed twice the gains as the placebo group (6.3 percent increase vs. 3.1
percent increase).
What's more, muscle fiber
samples in the creatine group showed an increase of approximately 35 percent
as compared with only 6-15 percent in the placebo group. Bench Press
strength went up 24 percent in the creatine group, 16 percent in the placebo
group.
With creatine
supplementation, you are able to increase the intensity of the individual
training sessions and over 12 weeks, those extra reps every workout add up.
6.
Go to the health club, but
realize what you are there for.
Don’t confuse the
health clubs for social clubs. Gab leads to flab. Get in there, do whatever
you came for, and get out so you can enjoy the rest of your life.
Refusing to warm up.
Always give your body a quick rev first. Always do a few minutes of
low-intensity cardiovascular exercise (like walking briskly) before you
touch any weight.
Not allowing muscle
recovery. Time heals all muscles. Give yourself a day of rest between going to the gym.
Going on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday is ideal for most since it
gives you the weekends off and it corresponds to the normal 5 day work week.
Working
through injuries. If you feel any sharp pain, stop what you’re doing
immediately! Mild soreness
happens occasionally, especially when you’re first starting out, but any
sharp pain is a signal from your body that it wants you to stop!
Go
To Chapter 2
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