Fat Loss For
Beginners - 8 Tips For Getting Started
Author: Tom Venuto
Date: May 01, 2002
Publisher: Bodybuilding & Fitness
Secrets
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.
This article was provided courtesy of Tom Venuto
and
www.burnthefat.com. Tom is a lifetime
natural bodybuilder, personal trainer, gym owner,
freelance writer, and author of Burn The Fat Feed
the Muscle: Fat Burning Secrets of the World's Best
Bodybuilders and Fitness Models. |
