Tuesday, April 19, 2011

by Alex Chaple

Being over-weight creates a huge problem for the health care industry. The list of problems that occur inside the body once body fat starts to accumulate on the outside is long and enough to scare anyone in to finding a solution. A lot of the negatives we know already and has almost become repeated so much it falls on deaf ears. The biggest problem I see on a day to day basis is people not realising just how serious excess body fat can be. We now KNOW that carrying "a few extra pounds" is not quite that straight forward...

Now more than ever men are catching on to just how necessary seeking help in fat loss is. The causes of fat accumulation are specific and individual. There is no "one size fits all" model of fat loss that will work time-after-time and, without the right approach, fat loss can become a long and frustrating process. Most health professionals I have seen offer no kind of individuality or insight in to the "whys" of fat loss and end up fighting a losing battle.

With 4 years of consistent success in fat loss I feel I am in some position to point out some of the most common reasons men struggle to strip body fat. Everyone is different and every case will require a new approach, but these are the basic (the "bread and butter" if you will - Haha) problems men face!

1. Lack of sleep

Most men I train do not get good quality sleep. Whether it is working hard to support a young family or wanting "down time" (aka TV-watching time) in the evening, not sleeping enough will kill your efforts to lose body fat. I have now seen it countless times and can't over-state it enough. Without good sleep, 9 times out of 10, you will struggle to lose body fat - particularly from your stomach and hips (not to mention sabotage your health in a big way).

2. Training your mirror muscles only

On the plus side, guys do not have as much of a problem entering the weight room as females (at first). However, only training your biceps, pecs and abs does not provide significant results in terms of improved body composition. To produce the biggest metabolic effect through training you need to prioritise big lifts recruiting large amounts of muscle mass in a well structured training plan - Leave the side planks and Tricep kick backs for another time.

3. Resting long enough to send a text message

Number one; you should NEVER have your phone in the gym to begin with! Number two; you are training to produce the largest HGH (human growth hormone) response possible post-workout. This is the hormone of improved body composition and is optimised by relatively short rest periods between sets of intense work. Leave your phone in your locker and spend your rest time trying desperately to catch your breath instead!

4. Skipping breakfast

There seems to be a trend amongst male trainees of skipping breakfast in order to get to the office in a hurry. You NEED a high protein breakfast if you are ever going to lose a decent amount of body fat and build lean muscle mass. Skipping breakfast is stressful to the body and stress causes fat to accumulate body fat around the stomach - Not good.