Fitness Guide

The purpose of this page is to show the reader the difference between losing weight and losing fat. Throughout the page there will be numerous ways shown for easy, effective fat loss. Detailed workout plans and fat loss explanation will be provided helping those who are both new to the fitness world and those who have been training for years.

Difference between fat loss and Weight loss

Weight loss

There is a huge difference between losing weight and losing fat however currently in society in general that difference isn’t recognised. the idea of standing on the scale and seeing the number reduce each week id very appealing to most people, however most may not no that the majority of what they are losing is muscle and water. By reducing your calorie intake to more than below 500 under your basic metabolic rate ( you will be shown how to calculate this further down the page) you are at risk of your body using up muscle as fuel instead of fat which in the long term can lead to significant muscle loss and therefore a slower metabolic rate. As every pound of muscle uses 50kcals a day in order to work and survive, losing muscle will effectively lead to less calories being burned overall which will make the likely hood of gaining more fat in the long term very high.

Effective ways of losing fat

Cardio

Cardio is very important for both fat loss and overall good health. there are two types of cardio which can be performed and these are high intensity training (Hiit) and Low intensity training (Liss). Both forms of cardio have their benefits and their drawbacks.

What is Hiit?
Hiit is a short and intense cardio workout that involves you pushing yourself to your limits. An example of hiit training is performing a set of 30 second sprints with a recovery period of 60 seconds. as you can see this involves a short high intense burst of energy with a longer rest period between each sprint. the purpose of hiit is that it increases your heart rate to around 85% thus significantly increasing your energy expenditure.

When should it be performed?
Due to hiit being very intense the optimum amount of sessions is 2-3 per week. As hiit workouts are only around 25 minutes long , it is very easy for even the busiest people to perform.

What is Liss?
Liss is the most common performed cardio and involves a lower intensity session but over a longer period of time. An example of Liss would be to spend 45 mins jogging on the treadmill. Liss unlike hiit is less demanding and therefore easier for both beginners and people with heart conditions.

Pros and drawbacks of Hiit?
Hiit training has many pros, one being that you only need a short 25 minutes to complete a high intense workout. Secondly the overall calories (including afterburn) are a lot higher than the overall calories burned by Liss. Finally Hiit training is brilliant for maintaining and even building muscle as it targets fast twitch muscles.

A drawback of Hiit is that it doesn't focus on cardio endurance. Another disadvantage is that the calories burned by hiit are mainly from carbs and not fat. Finally it is hard for very overweight people or people with bad joints to perform due to the intense nature of the exercise.

Advantages and Drawbacks of Liss:
A Low Intensity Cardio advantage is that it is a lot easier on people who are overweight and out of shape. This is due to the low intense nature of the exercise. Secondly and most importantly, there is a higher proportion of calories burned from fat during Liss than Hiit. Lastly Liss focuses a lot on endurance as its performed over a longer time period ie. 45 mins.

However a disadvantage of Liss is that the calories burned overall are not as high as the calories burned overall by Hiit. Secondly Liss won’t work on fast twitch muscles which some people may prefer. Finally due to low intense cardio taking so long to perform, it can sometimes be very boring.

In conclusion low intensity cardio burns more fat as your body is in the fat burning zone throughout the workout however high intensity cardio burns more calories overall. Both are effective for losing fat therefore it is up to the individual which type they prefer.

With the right info and the determination , you can achieve anything including getting the body you have always dreamed of!

Effective ways of losing fat (part 2)

Weight training

What is weight training?

Weight training is training with the use of weight such as dumbells, barbells and bodyweight. Weight training is very effective for people looking to lose weight as it burns a lot of calories both at the time of the exercise and also in the following 24 hours (afterburn). beginners starting weight training can gain a significant amount of muscle within the first few months which is mainly down to their bodies not being used to it. The increase in muscle will lead to higher overall calories burned daily due to one pound of muscle requiring 15 calories to survive. This doesn’t sound much however multiply that 15 with the number of days in the year and you can see that a gain of one pound of muscle will lead to 5475 calories burned annually which is around 1.5 pounds of fat (fat contains 3500 kcal per pound).

Beginner workout:

The idea of starting weight training can be a daunting one especially for those who have not performed it in the past. However as goals are passed and the weight increased weekly the gym can become a fun, motivating place to go and burn fat!

The beginner workout is a simplistic one which can be used by people of all weight:

Monday- chest and arms
1. Bench press- 3 sets of 8-10 reps
2. Incline dumbell press (bench placed at 30 degree angle) – 3 sets of 8-10
3. Chest Flyes – 3 sets of 8-10 reps
4. Tricep dips (bodyweight or assisted) – 3 sets of 8
5. Tricep rope pull-downs- 3 sets of 8
6. Bicep Curls- 3 sets of 8

Tuesday- rest day ( or cardio if preferred)

Wednesday- leg day (not to be feared lol)

1. Squats (lightweight) – 3 sets of 10
2. lunges ( bodyweight) – 3 sets of 15
3- calf raises (bodyweight or lightweight)- 3 sets of 15

Friday- Shoulders and Back:

1. Dumbell shoulder press (lightweight) – 3 sets of 8
2. Front lateral raises – 3 sets of 8
3. Pull ups (bodyweight or assisted)- 3 sets of 8
4. Barbell rows (light) – 3 sets of 8

Due to this being a workout for beginners, the exercises should be performed with light weight. As you become stronger you wlll be able to add more and more weight each week leading to a fitter and stronger you!

More advanced weight lifters:

for more advanced weight lifters a workout comprising of all the main compound movements (which are squats, bench press, Deadlifts and shoulder press) is needed.In order to maximise fat loss each set should contain few reps with a heavier weight. This will in turn burn more calories as more energy is being exerted and tearing more muscle fibres leading to a higher afterburn effect.

A 5×5 or 6×6 workout is suitable:

Monday- Chest and Back

1. Bench press – 5 sets of reps
2. Incline Bench press – 5 sets of 5 reps
3. Chest flyes – 3 sets of 10 reps
4. bent over rows- 5 sets of 5
5. Deadlifts- 5 sets of 5 reps

Tuesday – rest

Wednesday- leg day

1. Squats- 5 sets of 5 reps
2. straight leg Deadlifts- 5 sets of 5 reps
3. Leg extensions- 5 sets of 5 reps
4. calf raises- 3 sets of 10

Thursday- Biceps and triceps (arm day)
1. Tricep rope pulldowns – 5 sets of 5 reps
2. Tricep dips- 5 sets of 5 reps
3. Bicep barbell curls- 5 sets of 5
4. Preacher curls- 5 sets of 5

Friday – rest (cardio)

Saturday- Shoulders

1. Barbell shoulder press- 5 sets of 5 reps
2. shoulder press (dumbells)- 5 sets of 5 reps
3. shrugs – 5 sets of 5 reps
4. front raises – 3 sets of 10 reps

Sunday – rest or cardio

Intensity?

For a more intense and calories burning workout , lower the rest periods in between sets. generally for a 5×5 routine a rest period of 90 seconds is perfect however this could be lowered to 60 seconds giving a faster , more intense workout.

Eating and Calories!

Calories

The idea of weight loss is simple, in order to lose weight you must consume less calories than your body burns. A pound of fat contains 3500 kcals, therefore in order to burn one pound of fat a reduction of 500 kcals a day is needed.

Steps to workout calories needed:

1. First workout your Basic metabolic rate or BMR which is easily worked out through a BMR calculator on google
. Your BMR tells you how many calories you would burn if your where to do nothing all day.

2. Take your BMR result and add 400 if your a very active person however if you are not , increase it by 200 kcal.

3. After step 2 reduce that figure worked out in step 2 by 500 kcal.

Protein, fat and carbohydrates:

The quality of calories consumed is just as important as the quantity. For fat loss a diet high in protein is needed. The reason for this is that protein is the building block for all parts of the body and is a thermogenic. This means that when you consume protein your body's temperature rises leading to a portion of those calories being burned. As well as having a thermogenic effect, protein will keep you feeling fuller for longer as opposed to a diet high in simple carbs such as white bread and pasta which is due to the slower digesting process required to breakdown protein.

Many websites and diets will tell you that in order to lose fat you must significantly lower your fat intake however that is being increasingly argued against. Fats can be your friend with fats such as omega 3,6 and 9 ( this can be found in foods such as fish and nuts) helping the body to burn fat.

The types of carbohydrates that you consume are also very important. Carbohydrates when consumed lead to an increase in insulin which in turn leads to an energy spike and the increase that glycogen will be stored as fat if not used. By eating whole-grains, oats and brown pasta/rice you will decrease the glycogen stored. This is because complex carbs such as whole-grains, are harder to breakdown by the body leading to energy being released over a longer period of time, effectively reducing the spike in insulin. Simple carbs such as white bread are easily turned into glycogen and cause a rapid, sharp increase in insulin and energy which may lead to glycogen being stored as fat.

Lifestyle not a Diet:
To lose fat and to keep the fat off you should be thinking of this as more as a lifestyle change and not a diet. By substituting simple carbs such as white pasta with whole-grains you can help keep your energy levels sustained throughout the day. Reducing the intake of junk food and sticking to a healthy diet of high protein meat such as chicken and turkey, and healthy green vegetables will lead to a healthier and fitter you!

Supplements

What are Supplements?

Supplements are to be used to supplement your diet and not replace it. They can be very useful for you to increase your nutrient and protein intake which some people may struggle to do with whole food.

Supplement List:

Whey Protein:
Whey protein the is purest for of protein you can buy and is a great way of getting more protein in your diet. During weight training, the use of protein shakes can help with significantly with recovery.

Multivitamin:

When on a calorie controlled diet, some people may not be able to get all of the nutrients and vitamins that their bodies require which is where a multi-vitamin comes in. A lot of exercise and reduction in calories can lead to a lower immune system which a multi-vitamin can help to look after.

Fish Oil:

Fish oil contains omega 3 and 6 which are very good for heart health. As well as supporting health heart it can also help with fat loss.

Conclusion

In conclusion by employing both healthy eating and exercise it can be very easy and enjoyable to lose fat. Losing fat will decrease chances of heart disease and can lead to a happier, more active life. Thanks very much for taking the time to read my page and if you have any comments, feel free to post below!