There are many misconceptions on how to lose weight. In my opinion, losing weight falls into three categories: cardio, lifting weights, and focusing on nutrition. You can get as deep into the weeds with each, but I am going to start with the basics that lead to success. Once you have the basics down come talk to me.
Cardio
The first way to burn some fat is fasted cardio, usually performed right when you wake up or 4-5 hours after you eat. The key is intensity. It needs to be low—not high—and you should be able to hold a conversation the entire time.
This can be extremely boring, but it is effective because it teaches the body to prefer fat over carbs as fuel. I typically do this for 60-90 minutes, depending on my goal. You can also get the same effect doing cardio right after an intense gym workout.
The second form of cardio that burns fat is short, high-intensity intervals. At the gym we use the rower, SkiErg and airdyne. They work the entire body and can get the heart rate extremely high in only a matter of seconds.
Experiment with different distances, times, and formats. Some of the formats we use are ladders (500-400-300-200-100 meters), times (30 sec on, 1 min “off”), and distances with holds (250 m with a plank for the amount of time it took).
The key with these formats is high intensity. Most of these efforts need to be “all out.” You should not be able to hold a conversation, nor will you want to for a while after.
Weight-lifting
How do you lose weight by weight-lifting? The first way to have success is whole-body movements with heavy loads. These movements jack up post-exercise energy consumption. Have you ever seen the guy in the global gym doing curls and tricep extensions? Most the time that guy is fat and has a big gut. These are the movements I do not recommend. Instead, do compound movements such as squat press, clean-and-press, front squat, overhead squat, deadlifts and many more.
Let’s continue on the thought of using heavy loads for weight loss. Most people tend to be afraid of these lifts, but when you do them correctly and safely, you can actually enjoy them. Big lifts cause a strong hormonal response, which triggers testosterone and HGH secretion. Both of those things boost fat metabolism for the next 24 hours.
Typically in a week we do 1-2 big lift days. It involves working up to a heavy lift (dead lift, front squat, back squat, OH squat, bench, clean-and-jerk) followed by some type of rep scheme at 70-95% 1RM. Make sure you know what you are doing before you work up to your max, and ensure that you always use good range of motion and perfect form.
Remember repetitions determine goals. Power is 1-3 reps, strength is 4-7 reps, hypertrophy is 8-12 reps, and endurance is >15 reps. Training to failure will also add hypotrophy.
Nutrition
You can count calories, weigh your food and even diagnose the macro and micro nutrients. Before you get into that, implement some basic standards into your life and you will have success.
The easiest thing that you can control is drinking 100 oz of water a day. This should be easy and no one has an excuse for not doing this. Buy a water bottle, fill it up and drink it. When you go to pee, refill your water bottle and repeat. If you can’ t do this, there is no need to read further because you clearly don’t care about what you put in your body.
Do not eat more than 500 calories per meal. If you do, you will cause insulin secretion, which makes you store more fat. This means you will need to eat 5-6 times per day and never skip breakfast. Include protein, fats, and carbs in each meal. If you only have access to one, choose protein.
Liquid calories also cause an insulin secretion, which tells the body to store excess calories as fat and suppresses fat metabolism. So limit alcohol and get rid of sodas.
The last thing you need to do is eat more fiber and fat. Eating fat does NOT make you fat. Some good fats are avocado, nuts and olive oil.
Putting it all together
Now that you know what to do with cardio, weight lifting and nutrition, start putting them all together. A typical day should look something like this:
Day 1
• Wake up from 8-9 hours of sleep
• Drink water and coffee, eat a good breakfast (eggs, bacon, avocado or oatmeal, nuts, milk, etc.).
• Work out, warm up, work up to a heavy lift, perform sets at 70-90%, throw in an interval circuit (30 sec cardio hard, 1 min “rest” of 15 push-ups, 10-20 times), cool down
• Eat a lunch with protein, fats and carbs totaling 500 calories
• Continue to drink your water
• Eat another snack less than 500 calories
• Continue to drink your water
• Eat another snack less than 500 calories
• Go home, walk your dog, walk with your significant other, do some easy cardio
• Eat dinner—mainly with protein and your carbs from vegetables
• Recover and tell your body you are going sleep
Remember: working out and eating for a sport is a lot different than eating for weight loss. Don’t confuse the two. Have some discipline, form a habit, set some goals, and have some patience. If you treated your body poorly for a year, it is going to take at least that long to get back to where you want to be. Changing your lifestyle is your first step, and don’t be afraid to start.
