Hierarchy of Fat Loss Methods

EmilyBlog, WorkoutsLeave a Comment

So we all know there are a lot of ways to burn fat and many different approaches you can take, it can be overwhelming sitting through all of it.

Here are my guidelines to one approach that has worked for myself and for the people I have coached . This is not to say this is the only approach that will work, but this has always been successful for me.

Hierarchy of Fat Loss Methods:
1.Nutrition
2.Strength Training
3.HIIT
4.Steady State Cardio

When it comes to fat loss, the goal is to lose body fat while eating as much as possible and doing as little cardio as possible. You want your body’s metabolism to be SO on point that you don’t have to rely on excess cardio or starving yourself to lose weight.

Human bodies are INCREDIBLY adaptable. Your body’s primary goal is survival, not being aesthetically pleasing! If from Day 1 you start out a fat loss program by starving your self AND trying to lift 7 days a week, AND HIIT 4 days a week, AND Cardio morning and night… you will be miserable.

You also won’t efficiently burn fat. You will initially drop weight, sure, but a lot of that will be muscle and you will likely plateau in about 8 weeks. Once you stop losing… you’ll have no more stops to pull.

So, If you are starting to exercise for the first time, or getting back into it after falling off the wagon for a long time, Here is my suggestion to set yourself up for success!

Step 1- Nutrition: Start tracking what you are eating. Just write it down to start, it is fascinating how power full that small piece of accountability can be. Then progress toward a calorie or intake goal. See how you respond to pulling some calories first. Don’t get excessive. If you pull too much then you will have nothing more to remove later in the process. 200 calories should be enough to see results in the beginning.

Step 2-Strength training: You should be lifting weights or doing some sort of resistance training if you want to change your physique. Cardio alone will make you a smaller version of the same shape. Building a good physique is about both building muscle and burning fat, so for me personally and the clients I coach, – a strength routine is the first step.

Step 3-HIIT: Start day 1 of your training by adding some HIIT training.  I always recommend you  start with 1 or 2 days and see how you respond to that. Don’t exceed 15-30 minutes. If you can exceed that time doing HIGH INTENSITY interval training, you aren’t training hard enough.

Step 4-Steady state cardio: This is usually the last tool I implement. On rest days or between lifting days, I will incorporate a low impact cardio activity like lap swimming or a brisk 45 minute walk to help with recovery and lower cortisol; but for MOST, You should be seeing results from the first 3 methods without having to do an excessive amount of cardio.

This is about a lifestyle approach and long term results. Don’t cut corners and try to burn fat as quickly as possible… you need to develop these habits slowly so you can sustain it for the long term.

 

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