4 Myths and 4 Realities of Fat Loss
Myth 1: Cutting carbohydrates to lose fat.
Cutting carbohydrates is a short-term fat loss goal. With low carbohydrate consumption, you become mentally and physically fatigued. Not only that, it is hard to produce fat burning muscle when you do not have the right amount of carbohydrates.
Reality: A better long term option for fat loss is healthy balanced eating. Consume meals that include protein, complex carbohydrates (with low glycemic index),and healthy fats (mostly unsaturated, omega 3 and 6). Balanced foods will make you feel full and slow down your digestive processes. You will be consuming less calories daily and lose fat by following this type of diet.
Myth 2: Performing sets with high repetitions and low weight will help me tone.
Your goal is to stimulate as many muscle fibers as possible. Weight training with high repetitions and low weight primarily stimulates slow twitch fibers.
Reality: To maximize fat burning muscle development, you should be training with varied weight and performing sets to failure (or near failure). This type of training stimulates slow and fast twitch fibers and challenges the cardiovascular system, burning fat efficiently.
Myth 3: Long steady bouts of cardio in the "fat burning zone" to lose fat.
Reality: This is an inefficient way to lose fat. Jogging at a steady 50% of you maximum heart rate will not get you the results you are looking to achieve. You want to perform short high intensity interval sets where you get your heart rate up to 80-90% max (220 minus your age x .80 or .90). You then have a short recovery time before going into your next weight set or cardio interval. Add a variety of whole body weight exercises. Include exercises like; skipping, squatting, mountain climbers, bear crawls, bench press on ball, lunge jumps, step-ups, chin-ups, pull-ups, hanging leg raises, rowing, and push-press. You can read about how I trained way to lose fat here.
4. Myth: Spot Reduction
Reality: There is no such thing. Doing millions of crunches is not going to help shrink that belly. Burning more calories by doing more whole body movements is a better choice for losing abdominal fat.
