The summer is less than two months away. This is a good amount of time to produce some serious results. Here’s how to get started and avoid mistakes. Below is a step-by-step guide to get you fit.
Achieve weight loss with a team
To achieve weight loss you must set a specific goal and just as importantly, a deadline for that goal. A goal without a deadline is just daydreaming.
You can set any kind of goal. Lose a certain amount of weight, get into a certain clothing size, eat veggies X number of times everyday, drink X amount of water a day. It doesn’t matter what it is, so long as you can track it and it produces the results you are looking to achieve.
Next break it down into micro-goals. If you want to lose 10lbs over 10weeks that means you need to lose a pound a week. One pound seems achievable and the short timeframe gives you something to focus upon. Every thing you do that week will contribute to you losing that pound. This way you pay better attention to the activities that can help get you fit.
So set a weight loss goal, a clothing-size goal, or have a specific piece of clothing (e.g. jeans or a dress) that you want to fit into by summer.
Exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once are the most effective
Pick two ab, glute, and leg exercises. The more they make you huff and puff the better. Pick a certain number of repetitions for each exercise (10 reps for example). Now pick a certain number of rounds (one round is doing all the exercises once). So if you did 6 exercises of 10 reps for 5 rounds you would have a good workout.
Take no rest between exercises or rounds. That will get you into the after-burn zone. What is the after-burn zone? It’s where you keep burning fat and calories long after your workout is done.
Research shows high-intensity workouts like the format described above will have you burning fat for hours after it is done.
How to Tone Your Abs
You could do sit-ups and crunches all day long to get great abs and there is nothing wrong with that approach. But if you want to spend the least amount of time for the biggest results, there is another approach.
Choose exercises that work your abs but often have a strong effect on other muscle groups. For example planks are great for the abs, but why not do push-ups instead. It’s basically a moving plank where you get to work your chest, shoulders, and arms as well as your core.
Or try mountain climbers. Great for abs, but also a great glute workout too.
How to Tone Your Glutes
Glute bridges are very effective but you don’t work the rest of the body very much with this move. Instead do lunges and squats to develop the glutes and the legs.
How to Tone Your Legs
As above you get great leg toning from lunges and squats but you must include speed exercises like running A’s, quick feet, total body extensions, and mountain climbers to get your heart-rate climbing while toning the legs, glutes, and abs.
How to Lean Down Fast
Here is how you want to eat to get lean: high protein, moderate fats, moderate carbs, high fiber, lots of veggies, and 2 cheat meals per week. Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too.
Why will a high protein diet help me lean down? The body is always breaking down and building up protein. If you aren’t eating enough protein you will be breaking down more than you build up. This means you are losing your precious fat-burning muscle.
Sample Diet Day
- Breakfast - 2 eggs fried in a tbsp. of coconut oil
- Lunch – Protein shake, 2 scoops of any good low-carb protein shake (a good low-carb shake will have 25-30g of protein per scoop and 5 or less grams of carbs per scoop), 1 tsp of all-natural peanut or almond butter, water
- Snack – 1 piece of fruit
- Dinner – Palm-size portion of meat, poultry or fish, fist-size portion of healthy carbs (sweet potatoes, rice, quinoa, etc.), 2 cups of veggies
Have 2 cheat meals per week. Eat until full but not stuffed. Have your cheat meals on the same day of the week. This is the only day you can consume alcohol. Preferably have alcohol at night and limit it to 3 drinks.
If you eat clean 90% of the time, 10% cheating will actually help you lean down. Planned calorie boosts, particularly of carbohydrates, will encourage your body to burn calories more rapidly versus sustained low-calorie eating. Eating low-calorie for long periods of time will cause the body to become more efficient and slow-down calorie burning.
Stick to whole foods. By eating whole foods you prevent consuming sugars and bad fats hidden in processed foods. A simple way to do this is avoid boxed or canned foods for the most part. Shop the outside isles of the supermarket where the fruits, veggies, and meats are located.
Coaching will make a big difference in your level of success
There is no magic pill or powder that can help you get fit. The strongest thing you have is your mind. So let’s get some supplements for that so-to-speak.
Support & Accountability are huge factors for your fitness success. The Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center at the Miriam Hospital in Rhode Island did a study back in 2012 and the average weight loss of their 44 particpants was 9% of their bodyweight over 24 weeks. What was the contributing factor for such a high level of success? Having a coach.
Research suggests that having the accountability to a coach increases not only your results but also how long you will stay with your fitness plan. A trainer, a boot camp coach, or just a training partner can improve your chances of results dramatically.