What are the best strategies for fat loss? Fat loss is a bit of a maze. Most people go in with a fair idea of what they want to achieve and how they should go about it, but, inevitably, most folks fail. But why does this happen? Why does something seemingly straightforward trip so many people up? Mostly, it all comes down to having a solid plan of action. Today, we’ll go over four bodybuilding strategies for fat loss.
Lifting weight regularly is one of the best strategies for fat loss.
When we think of ‘ fat loss,’ we rarely consider lifting weights. Prevailing wisdom suggests that we should instead do endless amounts of cardio and follow a proper diet.
But, there is a benefit to lifting weights if you want to lose fat. Lifting weights is important because it trains your muscles. This stimulus then signals to your body that muscle tissue is essential and should not be used for energy.
As a whole, this allows you to keep your muscle mass and instead lose mostly fat–which is the goal.
But, if you don’t impose that stress on your muscles, the body doesn’t have as good of a reason to keep this metabolically costly tissue around, so you lose a lot more muscle alongside the fat.
Doing more work in less time at the gym is another of the best strategies for fat loss.
You might think:
“But I don’t have the time to lift weights! My schedule is jam-packed as is.” We hear you–it can be challenging to find the time. The good news is, you can lift weights and you can make it work even if you don’t have more than 20 to 30 minutes for a workout.
To do that, you can use techniques such as
- Drop sets–progressively using lighter and lighter weight without taking a break.
- Supersets–pairing two exercises and doing them back-to-back without rest.
- Circuits–similar to supersets, but here you pair multiple exercises and do them back-to-back without rest.
Following a high-protein diet is one of the best ways for fat loss.
“A high-protein diet? What does that have to do with fat loss?” Indeed, prevailing wisdom suggests that high-protein diets are only suitable for bodybuilders and professional athletes.
But if your goal is to lose fat, then eating more protein is vital. For one, protein is highly satiating and makes it much easier to stick with a calorie-restricted diet without feeling hungry all the time. Second, protein has a thermic effect of 20 to 35 percent. Meaning, for every 100 calories you get from protein, your body actively expends between 20 and 35 calories to break it down and absorb the amino acids.
And finally, in combination with resistance training, consuming more protein ensures that you better maintain your muscle mass and lose mostly fat.
How high of protein intake should you have? Well, research seems to suggest anywhere between 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.
Stay in a calorie deficit is a guaranteed way to burn fat.
All the diets, training programs, supplements, and ancient Chinese secrets won’t help you lose fat unless you’re in a calorie deficit. You need to consume fewer calories than you burn, thus forcing your body to tap into its fat stores for energy.
For example, if you need to eat about 3,000 calories to maintain your current self, putting yourself in a 500-calorie deficit will help you shed about one pound of fat per week.
