Losing that last bit of fat!

[preds2011]

Hi,

I have been training for around about 2 years now and Im finding it hard to lose the last bit of fat from around my abs area.

I do 4 sessions of weight training per week, working all my main muscle groups (Chest,Back,Arms,Abs,Shoulders and Legs) and look to do about 3-4 cardio sessions per week.

I am happy with the way my Shoulders, Chest and Arms are looking but going a bit lower, I'm struggling to lose that last bit of fat from around my Abs/Stomach area and have slight "love handles"

Diet is quite a struggle for me as I am a Ceoliac sufferer, which means I am unable to process foods which contain gluten but despite this, I have a healthy diet eating plenty of lean meats and fish. I have cut down my Carb and Fat intake and eat 6 small meals per day, incorporating protein shakes to take in enough protein to build muscle.

I am keen to lose the fat which I am holding but don't want to lose any muscle mass in the process and on reading and researching how I can do this, I have came across contradicting advice which has confused me - mainly what my CV workouts should contain... Some places say short (15-20 minutes) but intense workouts are best for losing fat yet some say that your body will not start the weight loss process until 15-20 minutes of exercise has been completed.

Can anyone guide me or give a bit of advice on what I can do to lose this fat and my my abs visible without affecting my muscle mass? I am happy to take any suggestions whether it be Diet, supplement or exercise related but remember any food or supplement suggestions must be Gluten-free.

Thanks in advance.

Peter

[azxangeles]

Hey man you should try eating good fats like almonds or peanut butter the body wont lose stored fat unless its getting good fats. I always eat about 5 to 12g of good fats every meal. Also try sprinting 3 full sprints this will kick up your metabolism real high. Or just a short 4-15 minute very intense HIIT cardio workout. You wont burn a lot of calories during that time but it will raise your metabolism and you will be burning calories all day long. Also try drinking freezing cold water in between meals to keep your metabolism high.

Hi,

I have been training for around about 2 years now and Im finding it hard to lose the last bit of fat from around my abs area.

I do 4 sessions of weight training per week, working all my main muscle groups (Chest,Back,Arms,Abs,Shoulders and Legs) and look to do about 3-4 cardio sessions per week.

I am happy with the way my Shoulders, Chest and Arms are looking but going a bit lower, I'm struggling to lose that last bit of fat from around my Abs/Stomach area and have slight "love handles"

Diet is quite a struggle for me as I am a Ceoliac sufferer, which means I am unable to process foods which contain gluten but despite this, I have a healthy diet eating plenty of lean meats and fish. I have cut down my Carb and Fat intake and eat 6 small meals per day, incorporating protein shakes to take in enough protein to build muscle.

I am keen to lose the fat which I am holding but don't want to lose any muscle mass in the process and on reading and researching how I can do this, I have came across contradicting advice which has confused me - mainly what my CV workouts should contain... Some places say short (15-20 minutes) but intense workouts are best for losing fat yet some say that your body will not start the weight loss process until 15-20 minutes of exercise has been completed.

Can anyone guide me or give a bit of advice on what I can do to lose this fat and my my abs visible without affecting my muscle mass? I am happy to take any suggestions whether it be Diet, supplement or exercise related but remember any food or supplement suggestions must be Gluten-free.

Thanks in advance.

Peter

[preds2011]

Hey man you should try eating good fats like almonds or peanut butter the body wont lose stored fat unless its getting good fats. I always eat about 5 to 12g of good fats every meal. Also try sprinting 3 full sprints this will kick up your metabolism real high. Or just a short 4-15 minute very intense HIIT cardio workout. You wont burn a lot of calories during that time but it will raise your metabolism and you will be burning calories all day long. Also try drinking freezing cold water in between meals to keep your metabolism high.

Thanks for the advice, I do try to take in some good fats, as far as im aware Egg Yolk is a good source? am I right in thinking this?

I try to drink as much water as possible every day.

As for the sprints and the HIIT cardio workout i'll definately give it a go!

How many of these sessions would you recommend per week?

[azxangeles]

Just eat 1 egg yolk a day they are packed in nutrients theres plenty of articles on them. I sprint 2-3 times a week on average sprinting gets my legs very sore for days for some reason but it definite helped getting me shredded

[preds2011]

Thanks for the help, i'll let you know how i get on!

[Sean Tierney]

I do 4 sessions of weight training per week, working all my main muscle groups (Chest,Back,Arms,Abs,Shoulders and Legs) and look to do about 3-4 cardio sessions per week.

Peter

What type of cardio are you doing? Steady state? H.I.I.T.? How long are the sessions?

[preds2011]

What type of cardio are you doing? Steady state? H.I.I.T.? How long are the sessions?

Hi,

My Cardio sessions consist of 1 competitive game of 5-a-side football/soccer, which is high intensity and last 50 minutes, along with my 10 minute warm up.

For the remainder of my sessions, ive been running between 3 - 6 miles at a pace of about 8:30 per mile.

I have read that your body doesnt start to burn fat until 20 minutes into exercising so im going for the longer distance runs at the minute as opposed to shorter high intensity session, but ive also read and been told contradicting information and confused myself which is why Im asking for advice on here.

It seems that for my goals, the short, high intensity methods would help me a lot more?

[Sean Tierney]

Hi,

My Cardio sessions consist of 1 competitive game of 5-a-side football/soccer, which is high intensity and last 50 minutes, along with my 10 minute warm up.

For the remainder of my sessions, ive been running between 3 - 6 miles at a pace of about 8:30 per mile.

I have read that your body doesnt start to burn fat until 20 minutes into exercising so im going for the longer distance runs at the minute as opposed to shorter high intensity session, but ive also read and been told contradicting information and confused myself which is why Im asking for advice on here.

It seems that for my goals, the short, high intensity methods would help me a lot more?

Yes, I’d have to agree with you there - HIIT is the way to go for cardio if losing that last little bit of fat is your primary goal. In my experience and with clients, running has been the worst way to do cardio when you’re trying to cut fat and preserve muscle…especially the 3-6 miles you mentioned. I’d suggest switching those 3-6 mile runs to 20 minutes of HIIT style cardio instead. My personal preference is to do about 40 seconds of all-out effort (i.e. sprinting), combined with 1-2 minutes of steady state moderate effort (ie. quick walk). Do that for no more than 20 minutes.

With the whole 20-minute rule, yes that’s what the physiology textbooks will tell you, but what’s more important is how many calories you burn from that workout in the 24-hour period after the session. And that’s where HIIT is superior; your 24-hr energy expenditure will be higher as a result of post-exercise oxygen consumption and other metabolic activity. HIIT can also have a positive impact on many other factors too such including insulin sensitivity as well as catecholamine and GH release (key fat burning hormones). Another key thing to remember about the 20-minute rule is that it doesn't really apply if you do your cardio in the morning on an empty stomach. At that time, your blood glucose, insulin and potentially even your glycogen levels are lower then where they would be after a few solid meals during the day.

[preds2011]

OK, Thanks a lot for the information, its really cleared things up for me. Hopefully now I can go and get rid of my last bit of fat!

I better get looking for a watch with an interval timer!

[preds2011]

Yes, I’d have to agree with you there - HIIT is the way to go for cardio if losing that last little bit of fat is your primary goal. In my experience and with clients, running has been the worst way to do cardio when you’re trying to cut fat and preserve muscle…especially the 3-6 miles you mentioned. I’d suggest switching those 3-6 mile runs to 20 minutes of HIIT style cardio instead. My personal preference is to do about 40 seconds of all-out effort (i.e. sprinting), combined with 1-2 minutes of steady state moderate effort (ie. quick walk). Do that for no more than 20 minutes.

With the whole 20-minute rule, yes that’s what the physiology textbooks will tell you, but what’s more important is how many calories you burn from that workout in the 24-hour period after the session. And that’s where HIIT is superior; your 24-hr energy expenditure will be higher as a result of post-exercise oxygen consumption and other metabolic activity. HIIT can also have a positive impact on many other factors too such including insulin sensitivity as well as catecholamine and GH release (key fat burning hormones). Another key thing to remember about the 20-minute rule is that it doesn't really apply if you do your cardio in the morning on an empty stomach. At that time, your blood glucose, insulin and potentially even your glycogen levels are lower then where they would be after a few solid meals during the day.

One more question if you dont mind answering?

Would it matter first of all what time of the day I do the HIIT training? would it be more benificial to do this at the start of the day or at the end of the day?

Also, Should I avoid doing the HIIT training on weight training days? and keep my cardio days seperated from weight training days? or will i still see results if I do cardio and weight training on the same day?

Thanks

[Sean Tierney]

One more question if you dont mind answering?

Would it matter first of all what time of the day I do the HIIT training? would it be more benificial to do this at the start of the day or at the end of the day?

Also, Should I avoid doing the HIIT training on weight training days? and keep my cardio days seperated from weight training days? or will i still see results if I do cardio and weight training on the same day?

Thanks

There is some research to suggest that cardio training can interfere with weight training when done in close proximity together (either before or after doesn't matter). Ideally, if you could start your day with 15-min of the intervals and hit the weights in the afternoon or evening that would be the best scenario. If you want to really take advantage of the post-exercise calorie and fat burning, try to wait about an hour after the cardio to eat breakfast. As soon as you eat it will blunt the GH response, reducing the fat burning effect. Of course be careful not to go hypoglycemic....and at the first sign of weakness, tiredness, dizziness...etc...EAT right away! There are different opinions out there on morning fasted cardio and people feel strongly one way or another....I've always preferred cutting with morning fasted cardio and that's what I'll use with clients whenever possible. You don't have to separate your cardio days and weight days, but I wouldn't suggest doing the sprints on the same day you train legs.

[ds41]

Great advice in here. Not trying to jack your thread, but I am in pretty much the exact same boat. Lifting 4-5 times a week, been at it for a few years now, have made great gains, but now I just have that last bit of fat covering the abs and slight love handles going on.

I have been doing 3-4 sessions of cardio per week...4mph @ 10 incline for 15 minutes on the treadmill. Sounds like I need to switch that weak ass cardio out for a good 12-15 min HIIT session 3-4 times a week.

8-8.5MPH @ 6 incline for 45 seconds to a minute, walk 3.8MPH @ 8 incline for 1.5-2 min, repeat for 12-15 minutes, 3 times a week minimum...Would something like this make for a decent post lift cardio session?

[Sean Tierney]

Great advice in here. Not trying to jack your thread, but I am in pretty much the exact same boat. Lifting 4-5 times a week, been at it for a few years now, have made great gains, but now I just have that last bit of fat covering the abs and slight love handles going on.

I have been doing 3-4 sessions of cardio per week...4mph @ 10 incline for 15 minutes on the treadmill. Sounds like I need to switch that weak ass cardio out for a good 12-15 min HIIT session 3-4 times a week.

8-8.5MPH @ 6 incline for 45 seconds to a minute, walk 3.8MPH @ 8 incline for 1.5-2 min, repeat for 12-15 minutes, 3 times a week minimum...Would something like this make for a decent post lift cardio session?

lol weak ass cardio! ha Sometimes you just gotta mix it up and keep challenging your body and that means cardio workouts too not just weights....If your body has become accustomed to walking on an incline for 15 minutes, its definitely time to change things up. I like your suggested HIIT workout - that will work. I personally like to keep changing every HIIT workout so I rotate from treadmill, elliptical, stepmill, crosstrainer to keep it interesting. I stick to the 40-45 seconds of all out and 1-2 minutes of rest depending on how much time I have. The only thing that changes is the equipment I'm using to get it done. I'll even go outside to a track and do interval sprints at a school if its warm enough.

[ds41]

lol weak ass cardio! ha Sometimes you just gotta mix it up and keep challenging your body and that means cardio workouts too not just weights....If your body has become accustomed to walking on an incline for 15 minutes, its definitely time to change things up. I like your suggested HIIT workout - that will work. I personally like to keep changing every HIIT workout so I rotate from treadmill, elliptical, stepmill, crosstrainer to keep it interesting. I stick to the 40-45 seconds of all out and 1-2 minutes of rest depending on how much time I have. The only thing that changes is the equipment I'm using to get it done. I'll even go outside to a track and do interval sprints at a school if its warm enough.

Great, thanks for the advice! I'm going to start getting after the HIIT starting tonight!