“But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love and my endurance.” – 2 Timothy 3:10
In January, I covered Five Tips to a New You in the New Year. Two of the tips included nutrition and training. Today, I want to talk about the importance of nutrition and how combining a proper nutritional plan with a scientifically-proven resistance training program creates a synergistic effect that will skyrocket your fat loss while improving your overall health and fitness.
First, I need to be completely honest with you. Exercise alone is not enough to lose fat, gain lean muscle mass and improve your body composition. Let’s look at two recent research studies that confirm this:
A study at the University of Texas divided 100 inactive people into two groups. One group performed physical activity and the other group remained sedentary – there were no changes to their diet. Those that exercised completed about six hours of physical activity per week for three months. At the end of the study, the exercise group lost one (1) pound of fat and gained two (2) pounds of lean muscle mass compared to the sedentary group. This means that the group that exercised gained a total of one (1) pound at the end of the three months compared to their sedentary counterparts.
Another study at the University of Oklahoma was performed where participants either exercised about five (5) hours per week or remained sedentary. The study went on for about 2.5 months and the results were similar. The participants only lost 1.5 pounds of fat and gained 1.5 pounds of lean muscle mass.
I’m not telling you this to convince you that exercise is no good. Rather, I’m trying to make a much more important point: Exercise alone isn’t very effective at promoting weight loss.
However, when you combine a proper exercise program and the right nutritional habits, you get a synergistic effect within the body that accelerates fat loss, increases lean muscle mass and promotes body composition changes. It’s similar to having 1 + 1 = 3 (SYNERGY).
First, let’s review 10 proven nutritional guidelines that MUST be followed to lose fat, increase lean muscle mass and improve your health:
- Eat breakfast every day followed by a meal every 3-4 hours – Breakfast and small, frequent meals raise your metabolism and keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day.
- Eat protein with every meal – Protein helps build muscle and burn more calories. Eat plenty of lean meats, eggs, nuts, cheese, yogurt, protein shakes or meal replacement shakes to get a variety of protein with every meal and snack.
- Eat a fruit or vegetable with every meal and snack – Vegetables and fruits are the carbs you want to eat every day. Fruits and veggies are low-carb, low-calorie and full of nutrients to help you achieve your goals.
- Eliminate all processed carbohydrates – This means eliminating pasta, bread, white rice, crackers, cookies, pastries and other highly processed foods.
- Use healthy fats and oils freely – This includes olive oil, coconut oil, raw nuts and seeds, avocados and omega-3 fish oils. Your body needs healthy fat to get rid of fat!
- Eliminate calorie-containing beverages – This means no more soda (yes, even, diet soda), fruit juice, sports drinks, etc.
- Drink a minimum of half your bodyweight in ounces of water each day – If you weigh 150lbs, drink 75 ounces of water each day. Your urine should be clear. Drinking water will help you lose weight and is necessary for your body’s daily functions.
- Take a high-quality multivitamin and omega-3 fish oil – Vitamins (specifically made for men, women and children) are like insurance and fish oil caps are proven to help you lose fat and prevent many diseases.
- Keep a food journal – If you know what you put in your mouth every day, you’ll be more conscious of what you’re eating.
- Follow these guidelines 90 percent of the time and “splurge” the other 10 percent – It takes 90 percent compliance to reach your goals. Use your 10 percent “splurges” to enjoy the things you crave while still reaching your goals.
The next step is to use resistance training. Resistance training includes body-weight exercises, dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, bands, odd objects (kegs, sandbags, tires, etc.) and many other similar tools that create resistance that the body must overcome.
However, rather than using typical resistance training methods, I suggest taking it one step further and performing Metabolic Resistance Training (MRT) or Cardio Strength Training (CST). This type of resistance training uses the same tools mentioned before but combines resistance exercises in a format to create a fast-paced workout that provides cardiovascular and strength benefits while boosting your metabolism and burning a lot of fat.
Typically, metabolic resistance training or cardio strength training consists of moderate-to-heavy weights performed as supersets, circuits, timed sets or complexes with little-to-no rest in order to create a metabolic “disturbance” within the body.
Remember, resistance training is essential because it builds muscle, burns calories (during training and for more than 38 hours afterward) and increases your metabolism, strength, and bone density, improves your posture, and strengthens your heart and lungs.
There are numerous studies showing the benefits of metabolic resistance training and cardio strength training. When combined with a proper nutritional program, metabolic resistance training burns more fat and builds more muscle than diet or exercise alone. And both methods are far superior to aerobic exercise (steady-state cardio such as jogging, biking, etc.).
At Underground Fitness Revolution, we provide the nutritional guidelines and support our members need to reach their goals. In addition, we utilize training programs that include metabolic resistance training methods to assist with fat loss while increasing fitness levels and providing cardiovascular benefits.
If losing fat, gaining muscle and being in the best shape of your life is your goal, join Underground Fitness Revolution now. Our next New Member Orientation and Grocery Store Tour is scheduled for Saturday, February 27 and our next phase of training begins March 1.
Not sure if we are the place for you? Try us out for free! Call (352) 682-3310 to schedule your free session.
Well, the weekend is just about here – and so is Valentine’s Day. Hopefully, your significant other is going to get you some nice flowers or a card and NOT a big ole box of chocolates.
