| How many times have you heard a friend say, "I am | | | | Here is how you do it. Simply, losing fats just means |
| on a diet"? Then what happens is your friend would | | | | you must burn more calories than you consume. |
| lose some weight for a while before putting them all | | | | Period. |
| back on again. I'll bet you have also seen someone | | | | Lift weights with compound exercises - Forget those |
| say that "Cardio is the best for losing weight". This | | | | puny biceps curls and tricep push downs. Go for big |
| person would then religiously pound the treadmill but | | | | muscle groups like legs, back and chest routines. Why? |
| results are agonizingly slow. Soon, he gives up and | | | | Because you are working with bigger parts with more |
| gains back all the weight he had lost, and sometimes | | | | mass, and that means more body parts are working, |
| even gaining some extra kilos! | | | | translating into more calories being expended. If you |
| Ah, so you thought you've finally found the answer to | | | | are fit, do giant sets (4 or more exercises or sets with |
| permanent weight loss. You went on a strict diet and | | | | no rest in between sets or exercises). |
| ran your heart out. You dropped kilos real quickly. But | | | | Here's an example. Do only one set of each exercise |
| somehow, something is wrong when you look into the | | | | with no rest in between the exercises. Choose a |
| mirror in your birthday suit. Yes you have lost some | | | | weight of about 60%-70% of what you normally lift |
| weight, but somehow your body shape isn't as | | | | and go for at least 25 reps. Do more if you can or until |
| flattering as you would like it to be. And then suddenly, | | | | your muscles are fatigued, then stop. Leave the gym. |
| you hit a plateau. | | | | The whole routine should not take you more than 40 |
| No matter how strict your diet and cardio workouts | | | | minutes. |
| are, your weight just simply refuses to drop any | | | | After thoroughly warming up, start with squats, then |
| further. Then horrors of horrors, you actually start to | | | | dip, bench press, barbell row and military press. Sounds |
| gain some weight! You get disillusioned because with | | | | simple? Not so. You will be huffing, puffing and |
| the unrewarding program and soon you succumb to | | | | sweating profusely. What is achieved? You will have |
| 'guilt food' more often, and the weight comes right | | | | combined a cardio workout with a lifting workout and |
| back up once again. The program fails and you blame | | | | your metabolism will burn for the next several hours. |
| it on your bad genes. Why??? | | | | Do this 3 times a week with at least a day's rest in |
| Here's why. Firstly, take a good look at the title of this | | | | between lifting days. |
| article. It's to "Fend Off Fats" and not "lose weight". My | | | | After 4-8 weeks, change the sequence of the |
| point is, by merely losing weight, you will also lose some | | | | exercises. So if you usually squat first, then squat last. |
| muscle mass in the process. By losing muscles, you will | | | | Then after another 4-8 weeks, change some of the |
| lose body tone and thus your metabolism rate for | | | | exercises, like substituting squats with dead lift, or bar |
| burning calories will slow down. Therefore, you have | | | | bell rows with lat pull down. This is to shock your |
| got to build muscles while losing fats. You may even | | | | muscles so that they continue to adapt and grow. |
| gain some weight because muscles are heavier than | | | | For cardio, go for a run first thing in the morning before |
| fats. | | | | breakfast. If you are jogging at normal speed, sustain |
| To lose fats and keep them off permanently, you | | | | the jog for at least 45 minutes. If you are running at |
| have to combine healthy eating habits, incorporate | | | | 65% to 80% of your maximum heart rate (you will be |
| cardio exercises and lift weights to build muscles. For | | | | panting and unable to sing or complete a sentence |
| every kg of muscles you pack, you will burn an extra | | | | while running), then 20-30 minutes will be enough. |
| 70-100 calories per day even without doing anything. | | | | Anything more than that may cause muscle break |
| Can you imagine the benefits of building up 5kg of | | | | down. You may intersperse the speed with slower |
| extra muscles? You will be burning 350 to 500 extra | | | | jogs in between to catch your breath. Do these 5-6 |
| calories a day even if you just laze around. You'll be | | | | times a week. |
| burning a Big Mac everyday! To further illustrate my | | | | Eating habits? Just eat less of what you normally eat. |
| point, 1 kg = about 7,700 calories, thus if you burn 500 | | | | For example if you have 2 slices of bread with 2 eggs |
| calories a day because of the extra muscles you | | | | in the morning, now take just one slice and an egg. |
| have, you will be burning off about 1 kg every 2 weeks | | | | Just eat half of what you eat but eat more regularly. |
| simply because of your higher metabolism rate! | | | | Have 5 to 6 meals a day if you can. This is to feed |
| You'll also look good, healthy and well-toned too! Is it | | | | your body frequently so that it will not go into |
| any wonder why body builders eat so much but do | | | | starvation mode and start to conserve fats. At the |
| not put on fat as easily? | | | | same time, it will boost metabolism because your body |
| Everyone knows that intensive cardio and strict diets | | | | burns calories while digesting the food. Chuck away all |
| cause you to lose muscle mass along with fats. So | | | | soft drinks, sugared drinks and stop adding sugar into |
| while you will lose some weight at the beginning, you | | | | your coffee and tea. Just by abstaining from sugary |
| will look like, well, just a smaller version of you without | | | | drinks, you may already have gotten rid yourself of |
| any muscle tone. That's not what we want is it? | | | | 200 calories per day. Drink plenty of water instead and |
| So, as you lose more and more muscles, your | | | | double the amount if you can. |
| metabolism begins to slow down. On top of that, your | | | | Oh, by the way, all work and no play makes Jack a |
| body will start conserving fats and 'eat' your muscles | | | | dull (and very tired) boy. Do choose a day to relax a |
| for energy because it is reacting to your strict diet. | | | | week. No exercise on that day. Indulge in your favorite |
| What happens then is that you will hit a plateau and no | | | | food if you must. Hey, pat yourself on the back and |
| matter what you do, you will not reduce anymore | | | | reward yourself for passing another grueling week. |
| weight and your fats will start creeping up again. This, | | | | After all, your body needs to recover too. |
| in a nutshell, is the 'yo-yo' dieting effect that we hear | | | | As you reach your fat loss goals and you are happy |
| so much about. | | | | with your muscular development, you can then take |
| Losing fats is simple. And notice that I said 'simple' but | | | | things a little easier. Hit the gym less frequently, have |
| did not say that it is 'easy'. My pointers will be simple to | | | | shorter runs and even relax a little in your diet. |
| understand, but the execution will take determination | | | | Because of your greater musculature, your body is |
| and discipline on your part. It is a lifestyle change to | | | | now a fat-burning machine. You have earned that |
| keep the fats off permanently and you will be glad you | | | | luxury. |
| did because you will get used to the changes in only a | | | | Simple? Sure. But do you have the determination |
| few weeks. By then, it will become a cultivated habit | | | | enough to lose those fats and keep them off |
| for you, especially when you are rewarded with a | | | | permanently? Who said you must go on a strict diet to |
| fitter, healthier, hunkier you, together with a glowing | | | | lose weight and keep the fat off forever? It's your call |
| complexion to boot! | | | | folks! |