Rocky Marciano
1. 100% Dedication
One of the main things I’ve found with myself and clients I have worked with, is that we all have the capability to lose inches around our waste line. We start off great, maybe shedding an inch in our first week or two, then completely fall off the wagon.
We have excuses like friend’s birthdays that we had to go “all out” for. Or cravings that we just couldn’t quell. But the reality is, we all have the ability to have the body we’ve always dreamed of, the reason why most of us never see that body in the mirror is due to a lack of dedication and effort.
Whether you’re trying to build lean muscle or simply shrink your waistline, you have to be supremely dedicated if you’re going to get there.
Have a plan and stick to it word for word, none of this “as much as you can” stuff. In the grand scheme of things you’re not going to miss out on much, and the feeling you’ll get when you see a six pack in the mirror will be well worth the hard workouts and healthy eating.
2. Less Calories in Bigger Portions
Eating to lose fat doesn’t mean eating less, actually in some cases it means eating more or larger portions that just have less weight in calories.
Much like you want your workouts to give you the most “bang for your buck”, the same can be said for the foods you’re eating. How do you achieve this?
First, have the majority of the carbohydrates you eat come from vegetables. Veggies are high in nutrients and vitamins but are also very low in calories. So you can have a massive amount of veggies in size, which are also low in calories.
Second, consume lean proteins with every meal. Whether its fish, chicken breast, lean red meat such as beef or bison, or even dairy products such as cottage cheese. Proteins are the hardest of the three energy sources (fats, carbs are the other 2) for your body to break down and convert to energy – this means that they also give your metabolism the biggest boost.
3. Train to Build Muscle. Eat to Burn Fat
Just because you’re trying to lean out and lose fat doesn’t mean that you should be only focusing on high reps and tons of cardio. Continue to mix your workouts up with the goal of building lean muscle.
The only way you’re going to look lean, cut, or toned is if you have some muscle definition. At the same time, having more muscle boosts your metabolism as your body needs to “feed” this muscle, pump blood to it and provide it with nutrients to repair and recover from the workouts you’re doing.
So, don’t just think “fat loss” when trying to lose fat, thing “building muscle” and the fat loss will come with the right diet and a bit more cardio than usual.
4. Add in A Bit More Cardio
In order to lose any weight, fat included, you have to burn more calories than you’re taking in. You have to be at a calorie deficiency. One of the ways to achieve this is eating fewer calories, the other in burning more calories.
The best way would be a balance of both. So add a bit more cardio into your routine. The best time to do it is after a weights workout or early in the morning. If for some reason I’m trying to lean out, I’ll go from doing cardio for around 10 minutes 2-3 times a week, to cardio in longer durations for 3-4 times weekly.
I like “activity-based” cardio, something fun like sparring, a bike ride, sprints etc… It keeps things somewhat exciting.
5. Your Metabolism Can Be Your Best Friend, Or Your Worst Enemy: Make it Your Friend!
I just went over different tips to help you shrink your waste line, most of which have a positive effect on your metabolism which is one of the most important aspects to fat loss – you want to boost your metabolism. Here are a few other tips to help you achieve this:
- Green tea helps boost your metabolism – aim for 3 cups a day.
- Coffee before a workout is proven to improve fat loss during exercise – for best results have 2 cups.
- Get 8 hours of sleep. A lack of sleep results in stored fat, a lack of intensity in your workouts, and inefficient muscle recovery from your workouts.
- HIIT (interval training) can boost your metabolism for up to 24 hours after exercise. Whether doing cardio or weight training, always go at maximum intensity, not necessarily maximum duration.
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If you could add one more tip what would it be?
