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Training Database Cardio Articles Fat Loss For Beginners - Eight Tips For Getting Started
EVERYONE
who wants to get leaner should read this article. Yes, I know it
says "Fat loss for beginners," but sometimes we veterans forget
what we once knew or we don't practice what we now know. If you're
a beginner, this will be an introduction. If you're experienced,
let this be a reminder.
1. JUST
GET STARTED - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION!
There are
so many opinions about how to lose body fat that many people end up
completely confused and they don't do ANYTHING!
They've
read about 27 ways to diet, 34 ways to do cardio, 101 ways to lift
weights and 79 supplements to take. But they still don't have a
clue how to start.
You stuff
your brain with so much information it feels like it's going to
explode, but then you never do anything about it. You're like a
deer stuck in headlights. Sound familiar?
I call
this the "paralysis by analysis" syndrome.
The most
important thing you can do is take action. Just begin the journey
and figure it out as you go. Better still; get a coach or trainer
right from the start.
Actually,
losing fat is not that complicated. You don't need a PhD in
exercise physiology to figure out that any exercise is better than
no exercise. You don't have to be a genius in nutritional
biochemistry to figure out that an apple is better than a pop tart.
Getting lean is simple: Exercise. Eat healthier foods. Eat smaller
portions. Isn't this stuff just common sense? Didn't your mother
tell you this?
So what's
stopping you? What makes you freeze up?
If you're
like most people, FEAR is stopping you. You're so afraid of doing
something wrong, you choose to do nothing rather than make a
mistake or look foolish.
What you
must understand is that people who accomplish much and people who
accomplish little BOTH have fears. The difference between the two
is that the latter feels the fear and lets it immobilize them. The
former feels the fear and does it anyway.
Begin the
process. You can always fine-tune your program as you go.
Naturally, it's better to aim and then fire, but its better to fire
and then adjust your aim later than not to fire at all. You can't
win a battle by hiding in the trenches.
2.
WALKING IS A GREAT WAY TO START A CARDIO PROGRAM
Ok, so
you've decided to forge ahead in spite of your fear and start
working out. Congratulations. Now what? How do you choose between
Stairmaster, Tae Bo, Lifecycle, Yoga, Kickboxing, Elliptical
machine, jogging, swimming, etc.?
Any
exercise is better than no exercise so stop over-analyzing: just
pick something and start. Just do it.
If you
can't make up your mind, then here's the simplest, easiest, most
guaranteed way for any beginner to successfully start a fat loss
program:
Walk!
Here's
why:
It
requires no equipment
It requires no knowledge of exercise technique
It can be done by almost everyone, regardless of experience
It can be done almost anywhere
It's safe
For all
these reasons, walking is the perfect way to begin. However, the
better your condition becomes, the more you'll need to advance to
higher levels of exercise intensity to reach higher levels of
fitness.
I'm not
saying you should abandon walking, but if you decide to keep
walking, a casual stroll will no longer do. For an experienced
exerciser, I would consider walking a method of locomotion more
than a serious workout.
There's a
big difference between walking for health vs walking for fat loss.
Even a 10 or 15-minute casual walk has health benefits. But if you
want to turn walking into an effective, fat-melting workout, you'll
need to push yourself for 30 minutes or more several days per week.
Walking briskly uphill (or on an inclined treadmill) is an
excellent fat-burning workout for anyone.
3.
DON'T GET CAUGHT UP IN MINUTIA - FOCUS ON
FUNDAMENTALS
Read any
book about success and it will tell you "pay attention to detail."
Sounds like good advice - unless you haven't mastered the
fundamentals yet. In that case, it's the worst advice you could
follow.
Every day
people send me questions like these:
"Should
I use a fast acting protein powder like whey or would casein be
better? What if I mix both and also add a little bit of Soy? If I
use all of them, what ratio of the three would be ideal and when
should I take them?"
"I want
to do the ephedrine-caffeine stack and it says to take 20 mg of
ephedrine with 200 milligrams of caffeine. The ephedrine comes in
25 milligram tablets, so should I chip a little bit off the tablet
to get the right ratio?"
Do you see
the problem here?
These are
legitimate questions, but they're completely moot if you're eating
doughnuts and sitting on the couch all day long. Fix your diet and
get your butt moving first, then worry about the little
things.
Emerson
said, "The height of the pinnacle is determined by the breadth of
the base." The heights you reach will depend entirely on how broad
a foundation you build. Great coaches such as Vince Lombardi and
John Wooden credited most of their success to drilling their
players on fundamentals.
Forget
about ALL the minutia until you have the fundamentals down
cold!
Forget
about supplement dosages
Forget about macronutrient cycling
Forget about tempo manipulation
Forget about glycemic indexes
Forget about the latest Bulgarian or Russian periodization
program
Master the
fundamentals first!
The
fundamentals of fat loss include: (1) Do your cardio, (2) Lift
weights, (3) Burn more calories than you consume (4) Eat 5-6 small,
frequent meals and never skip meals, (5) Keep your fat intake low,
but include small amounts of good fats, (6) Eat natural foods;
avoid processed & refined foods, (7) eat more complex carbs,
fruits & vegetables, (8) eat lean proteins with each meal, (9)
Think positive: visualize yourself as you would like to
be.
If you're
not doing all these things, and you're looking for the perfect
supplement stack or the optimum periodization plan, I'm afraid
you're barking up the wrong tree.
I don't
want you to think that details don't matter - they do. The "Law of
Accumulation" states that every success is a matter of hundreds or
even thousands of tiny efforts that often go unnoticed or
unappreciated. Everything counts. Everything either helps or hurts.
Nothing is neutral.
The
problem is when you get bogged down in minutia before you've even
learned the basics. Minor details produce minor results. Major
fundamentals produce major results.
Don't
major in minor things. Lay your foundation first, then move on to
the finer points. And remember, as Jim Rohn says, always be
suspicious of someone who says they've found a new
fundamental.
4. KNOW
YOUR CALORIES
The most
important dietary factor in fat loss is not how many grams of
carbohydrate, protein or fat you eat, the most important factor for
fat loss is calories. Eat more than you burn each day and you will
store fat. Eat less than you burn each day and you will lose
fat.It's just that simple.
Where the
calories come from is important too, but unless you understand the
calorie concept, nothing else matters.
I'm
appalled at how many people claim to sincerely want to lose body
fat who admit they haven't a clue how many calories they
eat.
Get
serious! If you don't have the faintest idea how much you're
eating, how can you expect to make any progress?
Did it
ever occur to you that your ONLY problem might be
overeating!
Do you
realize that too much of anything gets stored as fat?
That's
right - even if you're eating nothing but "natural and healthy"
foods, if you eat too many of them, you're still going to get
fat.
Portion
control, my friend, portion control!
On the
other hand, maybe you're under-eating and slowing down your
metabolism. There's a fine line.
For all
the details on your daily calorie needs, refer to my article Calorie
Calculators
5.
NEVER, EVER QUIT! MAKE FITNESS A LIFESTYLE!
Do you
know what is the biggest mistake made by beginners?
They
quit!
Remember
in the January issue, where I mentioned how attendance in our gym
shoots up for about 6-8 weeks around New Year's? Well, it's back to
normal now because all the quitters dropped out already.
What's
especially sad is that most people quit right when they're on the
verge of making substantial progress.
Remember:
You're never a failure as long as you're working on the progressive
realization of a worthy goal. But the second you quit, then it's
official - you're a failure.
Quitting
should not even be an option because...
FITNESS
IS A LIFESTYLE!
Don't let
these four words slip by you just because it's an oft-repeated
cliché. This is an important mindset! You have to stop
thinking of getting in shape for a New Year's resolution, vacation
or wedding (or a contest, you bodybuilders). You must start
thinking about getting healthy and in shape FOR LIFE.
When
you're just starting out, firmly resolve that quitting is not even
an option. Don't approach this endeavor with an "I'll try"
attitude. If you accept quitting as a possibility, you might as
well not even start; just grab that remote control, a bag of chips
and get back on the couch where you were before.
Also,
understand that results may come slowly in the beginning if you're
not the genetically-gifted type. This process requires great
patience and persistence for most people.
Most
beginners never allow themselves the time it takes to get any
momentum going. They expect too much too soon, get discouraged and
quit.
It takes a
big push to get started. It's like getting a rocket off the ground
- it uses most of its fuel just launching off the pad, but once
it's in the air and the inertia has been overcome, it can keep
going with very little energy expenditure. Don't quit just because
it's difficult to "launch!"
6. GET
A PERSONAL TRAINER, COACH, OR MENTOR
Life is
too just too short to learn everything there is to know on your
own. Don't waste time climbing the ladder only to find it's leaning
against the wrong wall! Learn from the experts. Get a trainer,
personal coach, or mentor to help you start right - right from the
start.
Don't know
what to look for in a trainer? Read my new article about personal
trainers. You'll find it in the Fitness Renaissance website library
here:
www.fitren.com/res3art.cfm?compid=18&artid=86
7. JOIN
A GYM IF YOU CAN, BUT A SET OF DUMBBELLS ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO
GET YOU STARTED
I admit
I'm showing my bias by saying everyone should join a gym (I'm in
the health club business), but I sincerely believe nothing beats
working out in a high quality health club. In a well-equipped gym,
the possibilities are endless, the atmosphere is motivational and
people are there to help you.
More often
than not, however, beginners start at home. That being the case, I
admit that you don't need a gym to get started. You also don't need
any of that garbage advertised on late night TV. The only piece of
equipment you need has existed for over 100 years - that's right,
the humble DUMBBELL!
Remember -
don't overcomplicate this - think basics, basics, basics (and
dumbbells are as basic as it gets.)
Dumbbells
are the single most versatile piece of equipment in existence. You
can perform hundreds, even thousands of exercises with
dumbbells.
Ladies, a
set of 3 to 20 pounds will be more than sufficient. Guys, a set
from 10 to 40 pounds should do the trick (for now). I've also heard
wonderful things about Powerblock dumbbells for space-saving,
although I don't have first hand experience to cite.
If you
also get yourself a bench and clear out a little corner in your
favorite room, then you're ready to roll!
Here it is
- The beginner's all-dumbbell routine:
1.
Dumbbell bench press (chest)
2. Dumbbell side lateral raise (shoulders)
3. One arm dumbbell row (upper back)
4. Dumbbell extension behind head (triceps)
5. Dumbbell Bicep curl (biceps)
6. Dumbbell Lunges (thighs)
7. Dumbbell One leg calf raise (calves)
8. Dumbbell leg curl (hamstrings)
9. Crunches (abs)
There you
have it. Simple and effective. At home or in a gym.
If you're
just starting, do this routine for 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps per
exercise, except calves and abs which you can go up to 20 reps.
Rest 1 minute between sets. You'll train your whole body in each
workout, 2 -3 three days per week, non-consecutive days.
After 3 -
6 months, you'll probably need to add exercises and move up to a
split routine. (So I guess I have to do another article, called 8
tips for intermediates: How to keep going).
8.
WEIGHT TRAINING IS NOT OPTIONAL - IT'S MANDATORY!
It's is a
common misconception that you should start with aerobic workouts
and lose the fat first before adding weight training.
Unfortunately, the best you can hope for from diet and aerobics
alone is to become a "skinny fat person." You may lose weight, but
you'll have a poor muscle to fat ratio and a "soft"
appearance.
Obviously,
weight training is the key to developing strength and muscle. What
few people realize is that weight training also increases fat loss,
although it occurs indirectly.
Weight
training is anaerobic and burns carbohydrates (sugar).Cardio is
aerobic and therefore burns fat. So it seems logical to focus on
aerobic training for fat loss.
However,
something interesting happens "beneath the surface" when you lift
weights. Weight training increases your lean body mass - aerobic
training does not.
Low
calorie dieting and aerobic training without weight lifting can
make you lose lean body mass. If you lose lean body mass, your
metabolism slows down, and this makes it harder to lose
fat.
If you
increase your lean body mass, you increase your metabolic rate and
this makes it easier to lose fat. With a faster metabolism, you'll
burn more fat all day long - even while you're sleeping!
If you
have limited time, and your main priority is fat loss, then do a
very brief weight training program and spend the majority of your
time concentrating on cardio. But never neglect the weights
completely - always do both, and if possible, devote equal
attention to each.
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder,
personal trainer, gym owner, freelance writer and author of "Burn
the Fat, Feed The Muscle" (BFFM): Fat Burning Secrets of the
World's Best Bodybuilders and Fitness Models. Tom has written over
140 articles and has been featured in IRONMAN magazine, Natural
Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Muscle-Zine, Exercise for Men
and Men’s Exercise. Tom is the Fat Loss Expert for
Global-Fitness.com and the nutrition editor for Femalemuscle.com
and his articles are regularly featured worldwide on literally
dozens of other websites.
Learn the Truth About Diets, Weight Loss Programs And
Fat Burning Supplements
To get the FACTS on exactly how, what & when to
eat and how to train to achieve maximum fat loss, without losing
muscle or slowing down your metabolism... AND to discover the
shocking truth about the diet, weight loss and supplement
industries, Check out Tom’s e-book online here: www.burnthefat.com
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