Less Food or More Work?

It's easy to get stuck in a rut with fitness goals, especially when they revolve around weight loss, fat loss and trying to figure out the nutrition end of it. We know that to get the weight off we must create a calorie deficit. That means either eating less food or doing more work. Which should you choose? A calorie deficit could be created by doing either, but if you've been working at this a while and need a boost my vote is for more work.

Eating less and less food to lose weight is a nasty cycle. I've been on that ride before. Your body is designed to adapt and survive. It will learn to survive on less food (you can only give up so much). And guess what? In case of a famine your body decides it would rather hang on to the fat and give up the muscle. So cutting your calories dangerously low or for an extended period of time eventually backfires. I'm convinced my long ago time period of eating as little food as possible blew my metabolism. Your body needs an adequate amount of good, nutrient dense, clean fuel for general operation, and even more so to power you through your workouts. So as tempting as it is to start slashing calories right and left, it's a wild cycle I would not recommend. Start first with cleaning it up and getting compliant.

Another thing to remember is that just because you lose weight, it doesn't necessarily mean that weight was fat. Hmmm.

So, for me, looks like it's more work.

More work doesn't have to mean longer work. Ramping up intensity may do the trick, such as lifting heavier, adding more sets or reps, or even doing combinations of heavy lifting plus circuits and intervals. Interval training has been shown to be very effective for fat loss (hallelujah!) and when done right it's a lot of work in a little bit of time. The beauty of interval and other metabolic work is the bang you get for your buck in terms of continuing to burn calories after the actual workout. This helps blast fat. Newbies do not need to be intimidated by resistance training or interval training. Even beginners can do it. Some of the most effective exercises are the basic ones you've been hearing about for years, and if you are just starting out you can get results from using your bodyweight for resistance. Squats, deadlifts, lunges, step-ups, rows, presses and chin-ups can do wonders. Same is true of interval training. You don't have to do wind sprints. It's relative to your level of fitness now and can progress over time.

In addition to intensity, it may truly boil down to adding more work over the course of a week to keep your metabolism fired up. I find that while 3 days of resistance training a week is effective for me and necessary for muscle recovery, it's not enough total activity for me. I am my leanest when I keep the burn going by incorporating work on the resistance days that revs my metabolism up and then adding interval training and/or select body weight workouts on the off days to keep that fire going.

Lastly, we've just got to get up and move and spend more time on our feet than on our backsides. Now it's time for me to get off the computer and go do something.

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Workout Plans and Intensity

Workout Plans and Intensity

The other day a woman commented to me at the gym that she wished she could work out the way I do. We had a nice conversation about our workouts and talked about the differences in them and a couple of things she could immediately incorporate.

First I'll attempt to describe why I might have even drawn any attention in the gym. My favorite tank top is hot pink. I literally pour sweat. Occasionally I grunt when I am lifting, and when I get fatigued I blow when I exhale, so if you walked in front of me I would for sure part your hair. I'm all over the place using free weights, cable machines and bodyweight exercises. I'm one of about 5 women there on M-W-F that even goes near the barbells. I'm not afraid to ask to work in a set with guys that could probably use me for bicep curls and I use weight plates for swings since they don't have kettlebells. Now you probably have the picture.

However, as I talked with this lady there were two things that immediately surfaced when we started talking about working out. She comes to the gym without a workout plan and she lacks intensity. These are two things that are totally within her control. If she incorporated a specific plan and a higher level of intensity, think of the progress she might make and the sense of accomplishment she would have when she leaves the gym! I get excited about this type of thing.

If I go to the gym without a plan I find that several undesirable things happen.

1. It's hard to get my mind around my workout on the way there because I don't yet know exactly what I'm going to do.
2. I tend to gravitate toward the exercises I like, which means my workout is probably not balanced.
3. It's difficult to keep my rest periods tight if I'm picking and chosing my next exercise.
4. It's easier for me to talk myself out of the last set.
5. I just don't work as hard.

With a plan, I know exactly what I'm going to do before I get there. I can get my mind around it and be ready to work hard. My warm-up is more effective because it's based on the workout itself. I'm compelled to do the exercises that are in the plan (and in the correct order) whether I like them or not and I can keep my speed up because I know what's coming next. I always complete my workout because I'm determined not to wimp out.

Developing a sound, balanced workout plan takes some knowledge, so it's not to be taken lightly. There are several options out there if you don't have that knowledge. Access a certified personal trainer through your gym or community. Join a small workout group. Attend a local bootcamp session. Purchase a plan from a reputable trainer. One I would suggest that you can obtain online is Turbulence Training.

The other component that is easily incorporated into your current workout is intensity. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned athlete you can still step it up a notch. There are many ways to do this. Some suggestions would be:

1. add circuit training workouts
2. choose 2 exercises to superset and do as many sets as possible in 10 minutes
3. add interval training
4. decrease your rest between sets
5. add weight
6. increase your reps or sets
7. add plyometric exercises
8. add a series of bodyweight exercises such as squats, jump squats, jumping lunges, dynamic lunges, mountain climbers (you get the picture) as a finisher at the end of your workout

I could go on and on. I love hearing ideas about increasing intensity! If you want to blast fat, have fun and like kicking your own tail, step up the intensity and use your time efficiently by hitting the gym with a plan!

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Burn, Baby, Burn

Which Workout?

Bodyweight Workouts