What does it take to get fit/lose fat/gain muscle?

There are a lot of factors to be taken into consideration when you are looking to either quantify your results so far or to judge how long it will take to get to a certain level. I could literally write a post on each of these and I think I have done a separate article on each of them at some stage.

I’m too lazy to look 😉

Drumroll please…

The Genetics Factor

Genetics play a vital part in the results you are going to achieve. Simply  because your genetics are there to stay. You are either assisted by them or they will get in your way.

For Example…

If you are naturally broad and 5’ tall… I’m afraid no amount of training or dieting can change that. You can get phenomenal results but you are always limited by genetics. That does NOT mean you can use it as an excuse and blame your genetics. Work with what you have and maximize your results.

The Lifestyle Factor

I know a lot of people, myself included, who occasionally use the following rationale:

‘I eat lots of protein and I lift weights…how come I’m not RIPPED?’

When it comes down to it, you probably only had 4 hours sleep this week, drank alcohol 3 times and ate out for lunch everyday…

Hmmm… not exactly ideal is it?

The Body fat Factor

Whether you goal is fat loss or muscle gain, the bodyfat factor is ALWAYS a factor. There is a misconception that you MUST gain fat in order to gain muscle. And there is also a misconception that when you gain weight and you lift weights…its all muscle.

Sorry but that just isn’t the case… most people who are trying to gain muscle and ‘Bulk up’…just got fat.

Majority of people that are attempting to lose weight, starve themselves and lose muscle and not fat… their ‘weight’ on the scales goes down but the majority of the weight is muscle loss and water.

The Training Factor

If you are literally only performing cardio and eating like a rabbit you will definitely…DEFINITELY drop muscle, its inevitable. Your body will see no reason to maintain muscle mass…

If you train with weights and eat intelligently then you will maintain muscle mass and lose bodyfat…cool eh?

What I’m trying to say is your fat loss efforts are somewhat reliant on your training efforts. Not entirely…

If you want to lose fat, your training programme will look different to those who want to ‘tone up’…. Or will it?

NEWSFLASH…

Toning up is just simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain…you stay the same/similar size but you look better, tighter and more defined…WIN

The Nutrition Factor

Following on from ‘The Training Factor’…

You cannot… I repeat… You CANNOT out-train a bad diet. And you sure as hell can’t. compensate for one either.

I’ve heard ridiculous things like;

‘I had a panini for lunch but its okay because I ate an apple afterwards…’

Eating something ‘healthy’ after eating crap doesn’t cancel out the crap…your just throwing healthy calories in on top of crap calories further compounding the problem…

Eat clean if you want to be lean…. (I had to throw something cheesy in there)

The Supplement Factor

‘Supplements should not be used to compensate for a bad diet…they should be used to complement a good one’

Just as people think apples cancel out panini’s and crap diets. The majority of people think you can compensate for eating junk by taking fat blockers and fat burners.

It doesn’t quite work like that…

Fat blockers like ALLI and other stupid crap would have to be taken by the packet ful to block any appreciable amount of fat. And even if it did block all the fat that is also a problem. You block all the good fats… good fats like omega 3 actually help you burn fat so that doesn’t make sense either.

Does it?

Similarly people who want to gain muscle take 3 protein shakes per day and then eat chocolate all day… I hate to break it to you but a whole source of protein like eggs or a chicken breast kicks a supplement in the ass anyday.

Eat your protein and then use a supplement as an addition to your current diet…

Not to replace real food.

It doesn’t make sense!

Supplements you should add to your diet now are:

1. A good ‘Greens’ Supplement or multivitamin and mineral…

2. A good quality Fish Oil Supplement

Truth is there are a number of factors at play here but it only takes a little effort on you part to slowly address each one and come to terms with the genetics factor…the one you can’t change, just deal with 🙂

I hope this post clarifies thing and puts your training goals into perspective.

Thanks For Reading…

B