At this time of year we are coming towards the period when New Year Resolutions may well be on the wane and this probably applies to the fitness industry more than any other.
So, how is your New Year fitness resolution going? If it was to lose some weight, how have you got on so far? If you have managed to lose some weight then congratulations, but if you haven’t found it easy then I have some “good news” for you.
Don’t worry about losing weight, concentrate on losing fat and gaining muscle.
By focusing on reducing your body fat and increasing your muscle mass you are making great improvements to your health, body shape, strength and fitness, whatever your scales tell you when you stand on them.
To give you an example, let’s take two people that both weigh 15 stone; one person has a body fat of 17% and one has a body fat of 30%. Both people clearly weigh the same but who is going to be the fitter, stronger and healthier? Clearly the person with the body fat of 17%.
The more muscle you have, the more fat you burn and the slimmer you look!
Average Body Fat Percentages for Men
Age: 18-21 14-20%
Age: 21-30 15-22%
Age: 30-35 18-24%
Age: 35-40 19-25%
Age: 40-45 20-27%
Age: 45-50 22-28%
The above numbers represent an average percentage for a particular age range and act as guidelines for your fat-loss
So, how do you go about losing fat? You must use a two-pronged attack: Your food/drink and your exercise levels
Regarding the food, aim to reduce the following:
Then you want to increase the following:
These two lists could go on, but you get the general idea hopefully. Make these changes gradually and you will stick to them and you will get results!
Aim to train 3 times per week
In the gym, focus on working the big muscle groups at least 2 x week. The big muscle groups are Chest, Back, and Legs.
Focus on exercises such as Press Ups, Pull Ups, Squats, Deadlifts and Lunges
Aim for 45 min, focused intense sessions; don’t go for an hour and just wander around the gym aimlessly.
Go for HIIT on your cardio, not steady state: e.g. if you use the bike then perform 20secs on/20secs off for 10 mins rather than just 10-15 mins at a slower pace. This applies to any piece of cardio in the gym.
Vary your exercise on a regular basis so you are challenging your body: change your gym programme every 4 weeks, change your running route, speeds/distances etc.
General Points
