The 10 Commandments of Fat Loss: Part 1

The 10 Commandments of Fat Loss: Part 1

Having some guidelines to follow makes things much simpler.

Kind of like having instructions when building a flat pack wardrobe. It can make the task a lot more straight forward.

If you use the google machine and type in ‘How to lose weight’ you will get hundreds of thousands of results in 0.2 seconds. Each one will give you various answers, some similar, some contradicting.

But what do you do with all this info? What do you do? How do you do it?

It’s a minefield isn’t it, having to decipher the info you find to piece together some direction of what to do.

You may be motivated to make a change but you haven’t a clue where to start.

Your Normal

Yes, your totally normal. Most people have doubt sand uncertainties on where to start with dieting and how to keep it going.

What I wanted to do was write out a list of 10 things, or commandments for you to follow to make dieting easy.

I have split this into 2 parts as I want to keep things quick and short so you can digest the info more easily.

So here is part 1 of the ‘Ten Commandants of Fat Loss’

#1 Maintain A Calorie Deficit

This is THE number one commandment to abide by. The ONLY way to lose weight is to have a Calorie deficit. You could eat literally anything you wanted and still lose weight. THIS man lost 27lbs by eating just twinkies! Is that healthy? Hell no. But it demonstrates how important it is to take note of the calories you eat.

You want to lose weight? You need to be in a calorie deficit. Here’s a simple way of finding your own calorie deficit.

First, you need to find your bodyweight in pounds. There’s 14lbs in a stone, and 2.2lbs in 1 kg. So if you’re working in Kilograms just multiply your weight in KGs by 2.2 and you will get your weight in pounds.

Now all you need to do multiply your body weight by 10-12 and whatever number you get is how many Calories you should eat daily.

If you are relatively lean, you should use 12, if you are quite overweight then it would be wise to use 10.

So let’s say I weigh 180lbs the equation would be something like this: 180 X 12 =2160Kcal. This means I would need 2160 Calories daily to maintain a healthy and sustainable Calorie deficit.

Remember this isn’t set in stone, so monitor your body weight over a two-week period. If you have gained weight or stayed the same then you will need to lower the Calories by approximately 300-500Kcal. If you have lost anything from 0.5-2lbs then don’t do a damned thing because you’re smashing it!

#2 Eat Your Protein

Most people don’t eat enough protein. Our body needs protein in order for it to function, repair and grow.

This means that regardless of the type of exercise you are participating in consuming protein will be highly beneficial as it will mean you will repair your muscles from the micro damage done to them when you trained.

This is its primary function.

Take my Online Coaching Client Matt for example.

He would always hit his protein goals! Not only did it help build the body he has now but helped him maintain his muscle mass whilst dropping the stubborn bodyfat he had around his midsection to bring out his abs.

Making sure He has eaten enough protein has done 2 things:

1. Enabled him to grow and gain strength

2. Helped prevent Muscle loss during fat loss which is a key element of improving body composition.

Protein itself has 2 main functions. We have established that it is responsible for repairing your muscles after you have done a ‘sick workout brah’.

Its other function is energy. That’s right, you can use protein as an energy source much in the same way that fat is an energy source. It is processed in a similar way and requires an aerobic pathway to create energy. This is just fancy for saying it need oxygen to be processed into energy.

You see all those stories you heard about excess protein being ‘disposed of’ (wee or pooped out) are all lies. Protein has a Calorific value, and just like any other calorie, if you eat too many of them and go over your maintenance Calories you will gain weight.

#3 Strength Train 2-3 x Weekly

Strength training can be a lethal weapon at your disposal when you are after fatloss. Not only does it burn a metric ton of calories, it will also increase your metabolic rate. Which simply means you will burn MORE calories at rest. This coupled with an increase in strength I think that’s a win-win kind of situation right!?

Strength training doesn’t mean you need to become jacked and bench press cars and deadlift buildings (although that is a provocative thought!) It can be a simple training program such as 3 or 4 sets of Squats for 10-12 repetitions, then 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions of a pullup/pulldown and into s the same for the bench press and 3 sets of 1 minute Planks.

Creating a strength training program can be very simple. Usually 3-5 exercises each day using repetitions between 6-12 and 3-4 sets of each one is a great place to start. Just use larger multi joint movements such as deadlifts over small muscle single joint exercises such as bicep curls.

You can split your body in many different ways: Here are a few common ones I program for my clients.

1 day weekly – Whole body
2 days weekly – 1x Upper body, 1x lower body
3 days weekly – 1x Upper body, 1x lower body, 1x whole body
4 days weekly – 1x Upper body, 1x lower body, 1x Upper body, 1x lower body
5 days weekly – 1x Upper body, 1x lower body, 1x Upper body, 1x lower body, 1x whole body

These are just guidelines. I’m not saying you MUST do this split but it does work. Really you need to look at what suits you, Maybe you want to do a different body part every day you train it really doesn’t matter too much as long as your getting it is.

#4 Fuck The Scales

No, seriously fuck ‘em!

All they do is tell lies. I know this sounds like something someone would say to excuse the fact they have gained 4 lbs in 4 days. In reality this can happen.

Think to yourself, have you ever been on vacation and come back 5lbs heavier in just 7 days? I know I have In fact I believe my personal record is 10lbs in a week!

I know that sounds like a lot, and you’ll probably starting looking at the scales and think to yourself ‘how have a got so fat in such a short period of time????’. Let me tell you a secret.

You haven’t!

It is near on impossible to gain that much body fat in such a short period of time. Your body just can’t do that.

So why Have you gained so much weight? It really a combination of 3 things.

Your carrying excess glycogen. This basically is the energy your body uses to fuel exercise. It is usually more prominent on people who don’t eat a lot of carbohydrates in their diet in general, and have probably had a few slices of pizza and sushi on their trip.
Your body will react differently in different climates and one reaction is that is carries more water. This can happen because of the extra glycogen you now have due to pizza! Also it tends to hold water if you aren’t drink enough too. So make sure your drinking plenty.
You may just have a bit more undigested food in your stomach than usual. Remember all the scales show is weight, not fat.

The good news is that as soon as you get your nutrition back on track those extra pounds you came back with will some take a vacation of their own.

My point is, that the scales are a tool used to monitor your weight of a period of time. Not 1 day, or 1 week and not even a month but rather a series of months. Check your body weight and track it as often as you can and if after 2 weeks or so it has stayed the same or gone up, its time to re-evaluate your nutrition. Sometimes doing all this on your own can be challenging, if only I knew a coach who could help with this process, hmmm?!

#5 Have Patience

This is a biggie!

Everyone is looking for that quick fix. That magic pill or celebrity detox juice paleo diet.

It just doesn’t exist. If they was something that could ‘melt 5lbs of belly in 5 days’ trust me when I say I would be on that like a shot!

Be honest now. How often do you find yourself looking for a quick way of losing a few pounds in a week? Weekly? Once a month? Every day?

Now think about this. If you spent 6 months looking for this easy quick fix latest trend doodad to only lose 2 lbs and spend a crap load of your hard-earned cash. In that 6-month period you could have lost anything between 12lbs and 24lbs!

Now think how long you’ve been looking for that quick fix for and how many lbs of body fat could you have lost in that time?

Things take time. Just be patient and persevere. It is a key part to an effective fat loss strategy.

So That’s Part 1 done!

5 super important things you should be doing if you are looking to drop off that stubborn belly fat.

Look Out for Part 2 in the coming weeks. But first make sure you get to grips with these, remember things take time. These all the steps I follow when I put together fat loss programs for my Online Coaching clients.

If You are unsure of the best way to approach fat loss then check out my online coaching options or just drop me an email Rhys@Specifixtraining.com

Thanks

-Rhys

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September 16, 2017December 30, 2017

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September 6, 2017December 30, 2017

How long should I rest during my workout?

You may or may not know of the importance of rest. That is resting between sets, exercises and training days. The amount of time you rest can play a significant role in both performance and also to how your body adapts. You may have experienced the difference in performance more than the adaptations (probably because you can’t feel the adaptations during your training session).

I know that some people will be in and out of the gym in an hour, 40 minutes and maybe even 20 minutes. Obviously the time spent resting can have an impact on how long you train for. But do you know how long you should rest for?

A study by S. Richmond and M. Godard, (2004) on the effects of rest periods and the effects on performance in a bench press revealed that resting 1 minute between sets halved the amount of repetitions being performed compared to resting 3 minutes and 5 minutes which both indicated a repetition range of 8-12 reps after completing 12 on the previous set and working to failure.

Another study by Willardson, Jeffery. M, Burkett and Lee. N, (2006) also showed that a rest period of 3 minutes showed significant improvement on the number of repetitions on both heavy loads (80% of 1RM) and light loads 50% 1RM) of the bench press.

These Studies show that the right amount of resting can play a significant difference in how we perform.

I Plan the rest periods to optimize performance with each and every program I send out to my Online Coaching Clients Like Alex. Who Improved his Speed, Strength and body composition.

Above: Alex- One of My Online coaching clients

The Science

I’m Going to Take you on a little Science lesson with this, (nothing too complicated)

The chemical your muscle uses during exercise is called Adenosine Triphosphate or ATP.

During a muscle contraction ATP which contains three Phosophate molecules is converted into Adenosine Diphosphate, or ADP, which contains only two Phosphate molecules. It is the reaction of the separation and utilisation of that Phosphate molecule which cause the muscle to contract. In order for your body to continue this process of ATP synthesis the body must utilise a series of processes using different ways to synthesise ATP, each one produces ATP at different rates. The way we synthesise ATP depends on how long we exercise for at anyone time.

Phosphogen

Our ATP is created by various systems in the body each have a different time scale in how fast ATP can be replenished. Initially ATP is synthesised using Phosphogens which are stored our muscles. This cause ATP to be produced the fastest but on,y for. Short period of time, 0-6 seconds is when this is on,y used for ATP production. A process called fast glycolysis which produces ATP from carbohydrates in the form of blood glucose or muscle glycogen, is then coupled with this production of ATP from the muscle Phosphogen stores to further the fast production of ATP for a further 24 seconds approximately. After this the fast glycolysis process is the primary source of ATP production due to the depletion of the muscle Phosphogens. Once you this our body uses other fuels to perform movements, all of which are slower to cause the muscle to contract due to the less rapid production of ATP. This is why you won’t be able to maintain your top sprint speed for more than 30 seconds.

Glycolysis

Glycolysis is the process of creating ATP using Carbohydrates as the source of energy. It happens by using a series of enzymatically catalysed reactions to synthesise ATP. The process is slower to occur than when using phosphates in the muscle as a fuel but can still happen fairly rapidly. Glycolysis has two levels of ATP synthesis, Fast Glycolysis also known as anaerobic Glycolysis and slow Glycolysis also known as aerobic glycolysis.

Fast Glycolysis (or anaerobic Glycolysis) uses the fast readily available Glycogen which is stored in the muscles and also the glucose in the blood stream (glycogen being stored glucose). Although this process is rapid it still takes longer to produce ATP than utilising the Phosphogens already in the muscle. The effects of fast glycolysis last for approximately two minutes maximum. As this process does not require oxygen to produce ATP meaning it is an anaerobic system.

Slow Glycolysis requires oxygen to take effect. When using glycolysis as the form of ATP production, the by produced of this is the formation of Pyruvate. This can be either diverted into lactic acid or if enough oxygen is present it will be shuttled into the mitochondria (special cells in the body with enable the use of oxygen) in the muscles to synthesise ATP through what is known as the Krebs cycle. This process is called Slow glycolysis, or as it is utilising oxygen it is aerobic it is also known as aerobic glycolysis. This process is slow to happen as it is essentially secondary to fast glycolysis which will always happen before slow glycolysis. This means that rapid powerful moments are not possible to be performed as the muscles cannot contract in the manner that they would need to. This process can last for a long period of time, depending on how well trained you are and the intensity of exercise being completed.

Recovery

When you rest, the body attempts to return to its previous state before exercise began (homeostasis). This means the levels of glycogen, and Phosphogens will restore but at different rates. This also depends on how long you exercise for during each set and the level of intensity.

If your intensity is great and are training for about 10-15 seconds, for example a set of 3 repetitions of the snatch, then the recovery should be approximately 2-3 minutes rest as this would be how long it takes to replenish the Phosphogens in the muscle to enable the same intensity to be completed again. The rest period must be adequate to allow the body to produce the fuels needed to produce ATP for muscle contraction whether it is from glycogen synthesis or Phosphogen replenishment from Creatine-phosphate.

The best way to calculate the rest periods is understanding the work-rest-ratios related to the intensity and length of exercise. This is all based upon the amount of time required for you body to perform in the same manner as previously trained in the previous set and at the same or similar similar.

Use this table to help determine the resting time.

Effort/Intensity %. Exercise time Work:Rest Rest Time

90-100 10-15 Seconds. 1:12 – 1:20 2-5 Mins

75-90 15-30 Seconds. 1:3 – 1:5 45 Secs – 2.5 Min

30-75 1-3 Minutes. 1:3 – 1:4 3-12 Mins

20-30 >3 Minutes 1:1 – 1:3 Exercise time X Rest ratio

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September 3, 2017December 30, 2017

6 Fitness Myths That must be CRUSHED

You only need to use the google machine for a quick search of strength training, or fitness or fat loss and you will find lots and lots of articles and videos and images of ‘experts’ telling you the got jacked in a super secret way. Or that you get shredded by doing hours of cardio every day and even some saying they lost 10lbs of fat in 3 days by taking this super special herbal remedy discovered in the deep dark underground of the amazon.

My Online Coaching client Alex came to me after believing a few of these (#1 and #6 specifically),

He really had put in an effort to get to where He wanted to be but couldn’t. He had

become frustrated and felt his efforts were wasted. After reassuring him that this is

completely normal We went to work to get the results He wanted.

I want to make sure that you are not fooled again by any of the rubbish distributed from the mouths of some fitness ‘experts’ and help you get the most out of your training and fat loss goals without being dragged into the trickery and nonsense of these Fitness Myths.

#1 Apple Cider Vinegar makes you lose fat

This is something that I have been asked a lot about in recent times. I think that it has started to sprout up in various gym environments. It has been popularised by crossfitters as a ‘secret of fat loss’ whereas realistically it does nothing to lose that belly fat or whatever they claim.

Drinking apple cider vinegar will NOT help you lose bodyfat. The only way to lose weight is by having a calorie deficit. Being consistent and having patience is the real key to dropping your weight over time.

#2 Deadlifts damage your back

This is a big one. As a powerlifter deadlifts are a staple of my training and I have NEVER one hurt my back doing them.

Realistically the only way you would hurt yourself doing any form of deadlifting is if your technique is bad, and your back is rounded.

What deadlifts do is build phenomenal back, leg, abdominal and grip strength. It is one of the only exercises which I consider a whole body movement due the amount of muscle recruitment required for the lift.

Not Only is the deadlift a great strength builder, but it can also burn a shed load of Calories and really ramp up your metabolic rate.

It doesn’t matter which variation of the deadlift (of which there are many, some more technical than others), just DO them. Period.

#3 Fasted Cardio Burns More fat

Fasted Cardio is something done a lot by bodybuilders who are looking to target purely fat loss as they enter the end stages of their competition prep. But does is work?

The answer is yes and no.

You see, doing cardio exercises such as walking or a gentle bike ride burns calories. Calories are a unit of energy measurement. When you do cardio for a long period of time (20+ minutes) then your body will use oxygen coupled with body fat as energy. Which means you will burn body fat whilst doing it. When doing cardio you will burn fat and glycogen (stored glucose used for energy) but if you then eat calories which is above or at maintenance level, your body weight will remain the same or you will put on fat. To lose weight you need to burn more calories daily than you eat in order to create a calorie deficit.

You can train fasted or eat an hour or so before it does not matter, do whatever you prefer. But if you want to lose weight then your nutrition is what you should focus on the most.

#4 Eating Carbs at Night will make you fat

Simply untrue.

The notion that your body knows what time of day it is, and that after a certain time it decides to store calories as body fat is ridiculous.

Your body will use whatever calories we give it throughout the day. If we give too much, it will store it as fat, If we don’t give enough then it will use stored bodyfat as energy.

It is that basic.

Your body doesn’t care if you eat once a day, twice a day or even ten times a day. As long as your calories are in check then you will lose body fat.

#5 Lifting weights will make women big and bulky

If this was true then I know a lot of women who should have bigger arms than me!

Building muscle is hard. Even harder if you’re a woman.

Think Hormones. The biggest factor in building muscle is the level Testosterone, this Hormone is the Daddy of muscle building and is the main reason why it is quicker and easier to build muscle as a Man.

The second reason is that results of weight training are very specific depending on the methods.

It is possible to gain strength without putting on size, no matter the goal it is hard work.

What will happen to you women when you lift weights:

You will improve overall body function,
You will get stronger,
You will get toned
You will get shapes in all the right places (think legs and butt)
You will increase your metabolic rate meaning you can burn fat more efficiently.

There are so many benefits of lifting weights as women. I always program strength training for any all of my Female Online Coaching clients

#6 Sit-ups and crunches will strip fat from your stomach

This is a myth that has been around for quite sometime, ‘spot reduction’.

This is the thought that if you train a certain body part then you will lose fat in that particular area of your body.

Let’s take the Abs as an example. If you want to see some Abs showing in the mirror, and you think to yourself ‘Im gonna get a sick sixpack, all I need to do is do like a thousand sit-ups and crunches everyday’ you’re kidding yourself.

Despite popular belief you can’t decide where your body loses fat.

It is just down to your body, what your genetics are like. If you want to increase muscle definition you will need to do some form of strength training and drop body fat overall. You will improve your body definition however your body wants to.

Now that you know, We can crush these myths together. It really is one of my pet peeves to see how much time and effort people put into their exercise and nutrition, but to only fall short due to one, if not more of these myths. I dont blame them at all. Often this advice comes from ‘Fitness professionals’ or a friend of a friend etc.

If they spent all of that time and effort doing what truly works based on scientific and evidence based methods, they would succeed big time.

Month: September 2017