Get the Results You Want

Many people set fitness goals, but not all of them are successful. And the problem is not that people are not willing to put in the work. I see plenty of people that are eating right and putting in the time at the gym, yet they still come up short. Why? Logic says if we eat fewer calories and become more active, we should lose weight and look how we want, and to some degree this is true. Eating less calories, monitoring our macro balance, and working out will help you lose weight, but for many people the goal is not simply just to lose a few pounds. People want to lose the fat, but they also want to look better, which can mean an infinite number of things depending who you are talking to. If one persons goal is to lose fat and build up their chest and shoulders because they a disproportionately smaller then their back , while another person wants to lose fat and wants focus on building their hamstrings and glutes because they have hip and leg imbalances, why are so many of these people doing the same workouts they found online, in a magazine, or got from a “buddy”? Why are they trying the same fad diets? For goals to be reached and maintained, these factors must be tailored specifically for those goals.

The first thing are the workouts be done line-up with the goals. If losing body fat is the priority, but only 30 minute workouts three times per week are being done, then the goal will not be met, or will take much longer than anticipated. Since the body does not start metabolizing fat at its highest rate for up to 30 minutes, it will be very difficult to lose body fat in a timely manner. Workouts lasting 50-90 minutes total are recommended to burn body fat optimally. Now consider someone who wants to lose total body weight, but is 15% bodyfat doing crossfit style workouts. Now losing weight is difficult, but for different reason. To gain large amounts of muscle mass, every muscle must be specifically targeted, and high volume, low rest workouts are are the type of workouts that would be used. This is the basis of crossfit, so now someone who does not have an abundance of body fat to lose (3-7%) has conflicting workout styles and goals due to the muscle building nature of crossfit style workouts. In both these cases the workout routines and the goals were not matched and must be adjusted to optimize the work being done.

The next thing to consider is whether or not the time and resources are available to attain those goals. If someone wants to lose fat and gain small amount of lean mass, they can run or bike in their neighborhood and work out at home with dumbells, kettlebells, and/or resistance bands. The time commitment needed is 3-4 days per week, training one hour each time. Someone looking to build serious strength or power will need substantial equipment at home, or a gym membership. Many people like to use classes to help them reach their goals, as accountability and camaraderie can really help motivate them. So people must balance what their needs and goals are with their wants, and the time and resources available to them.

The last is the diet. Just eating less does not assure body composition will change. Protein is generally consistent from day to day; .75-1g/lb of body weight. Cutting carbs while increasing protein and fat intake is very popular right now. Everyone from athletes to soccer moms are asking about it. Some people will lose weight and look better and be successful doing that, while others, specifically those who train at higher intensities or long durations, are going to find maintaining their performance level with such a diet extremely difficult. Active lifestyles outside of weight and cardio routines will struggle with low carb diets as well. So before cutting all those carbs, think about training style, and also consider when the carbs being consumed. Carbs before and after workouts are necessary to perform at a high enough level to stress the body into changing, and to recover properly. The more work performed, the quicker reaching those goals becomes, so going into a workout feeling hungry and drained is never a good idea. The last part to consider with diet is the fat. Although the verdict is still out on high fat diets, a few things are should be noted. Diets with high saturated fat content have been linked to cardiovascular disease, so this should be kept at less than 10% of your total calories, regardless of your total fat intake. The body has been shown to increase its overall fat metabolism during the use of a high fat diets, but this is only due to it being the more abundant fuel source, and does not translate to more overall body fat loss when compared to a diet of equal total calories containing normal carbohydrate loads (40-60% total calories). So whether you are just starting a new routine, or are looking to progress further, a diet of 40-60%Carbs, 25-30%Protein, and 20-30%Fat (ranges based on body type and goals) will assure that the diet will have everything needed for the training required to burn fat and build lean mass.

A person never begins a new fitness routine with the intention of failing, but many times does not set themselves up for success. What your goals are must be set within the constraints of time, ability, and resources. Your goals will be dictated by exercise and diet, so both must be specifically designed to meet those goals. Always start with a plan that is specific for your needs, and when constructing that plan ask yourself: Why am I doing this/What purpose does it serve? Is the purpose aligned with my priorities?