Throughout my over 20 years in the Fitness industry, I have noticed a common mistake that has caused women substantial frustration with their goals to get fit and lose body fat.
Some of these mistakes can cause injury, slow metabolism and even add body fat. I have preached since day one that we are as individual as our thumbprint, which is awesome, and means not everything works the same for everybody!
Finding what works best for your body is a scientific endeavor. The loss of body fat, increase of lean tissue, maintaining your lean tissue and having the energy to do so, all comes from a balance of quality calories coming in and enough calories going out. Health should always be your number one goal. Why? Because a healthy body will lose excess fat, gain and keep lean tissue and produce the hormones necessary for good health.
Below are three of the most common mistakes women can make in trying to meet their fitness goals. Please take the advice to heart in order to avoid these pitfalls in building a better you.
Mistake 1: "I will just do a lot of cardio to get in shape"
NO!, the benefits of cardio are to strengthen the heart and build stamina, but too much cardio can ,and will, backfire causing fat gain (especially internally) with visceral fat. I always encourage clients to do 3 days per week of 45 minutes keeping heart rate at about 70% of max, 2 days per week of 20-30 minutes at 80-90% of max heart rate (this could include activities such as a boot camp, HITT training, Spin, etc). For the remaining 2 days of the week, just be active - take a walk outside, an easy hike, ride a bike, or even sex. Remember, 3 orgasms a week decreases heart disease!
Mistake 2: "I don't lift weights because I don't want to have bulky muscles" or "I just lift light weights with high reps".
You should be lifting weights that cause failure on the 3rd set, which keeps VITAL lean tissue, strengthens bones, keeps joints healthy and gives an incredible increase to your metabolic burns. What I like about this the most is keeping the body producing collagen and that means tight skin. I have seen many, many times when women drastically cut calories, live on cardio and look 10-20 yrs older than they should.
Mistake 3: FOOD!
When it comes to food, there is an incredible amount of misinformation out there. Cleanses do not cause fat loss! Yes, you will lose weight, BUT it is lean tissue and you will, I promise, gain it right back. Not eating before exercise only works for a small number of athletes. You have fasted all night and need nourishment 30 minutes upon waking. Start with a scoop of protein in water. A small serving of a carb with fat and protein is always smart before a workout. A quick and easy snack is 1/2 an apple with almond butter.
I always tell clients to prove it to themselves. Lift weights for 6 weeks, eat every 2-3 hours with nutrient-dense food, drink plenty of water with lemon, cut out alcohol, get 8 hours of sleep a night, smile more, speak positive about yourself and you will see bigger changes than any pill, doctor, diet, or radical workout routine.