What else do I need to do to lose body fat?!
Question: I've been trying to get to lean down to 12% body fat over the past year and I think I've hit a dead end. I have been doing all the things necessary to lean down that includes:
- Eatting 5 - 6 small (high protein, low carb) meals of day.
- Working out 3 - 4 times a week; (45min - 1hr) each session.
- Mixing up my workout (alternating between cardo and resistance sessons with each workout and doing mixed workout routines in each session.)
- Taking dietary suppliments to reduce body fat.
Although I have made some great gains by in the past year (previously 170lbs with 25% body fat), I am no longer seeing any more changes. I am 38 years old, 5'7 and currently now at 140lbs with 22% body fat. I have been at this for over a year or more. Can anyone offer any other suggestions? Thanks.
Answers: I've been trying to get to lean down to 12% body fat over the past year and I think I've hit a dead end. I have been doing all the things necessary to lean down that includes:
- Eatting 5 - 6 small (high protein, low carb) meals of day.
- Working out 3 - 4 times a week; (45min - 1hr) each session.
- Mixing up my workout (alternating between cardo and resistance sessons with each workout and doing mixed workout routines in each session.)
- Taking dietary suppliments to reduce body fat.
Although I have made some great gains by in the past year (previously 170lbs with 25% body fat), I am no longer seeing any more changes. I am 38 years old, 5'7 and currently now at 140lbs with 22% body fat. I have been at this for over a year or more. Can anyone offer any other suggestions? Thanks.
Here is a simple solution. Start doing your cardio at 60% to 70% of your maximal heart rate. Atr this level, you are burning fat as energy. Above 70% is aerobic conditioning for your lungs.
At 170 with 25% body fat you had 42 pounds of fat.
At 140 with 22% body fat you have 30.8 pounds of fat.
You lost about 11 pounds of fat but a total weight of 30 pounds. You sacrificed some valuable lean muscle muscle tissue.
Again, do your cardio at 60% to 70% of your maximal heart rate. Also, on days you do not train, reduce your calories from carbs since you wont burn as many calories that day.
That sounds pretty good to me as it is. I think that you will need some serious research. Are you doing all of the same types of exercises? Try switching things up a little.
Try shocking your system by adding high amounts of good carbs for a week or two.
Also for your age, I am right behind you, your workouts need to be increased some. If you can only commit 1hr a day then go 5-6 days a week. 3 days cardio at 45-1hr and 2-3 days strenght training at 1hr. If you can afford 2 hours a day then go as you are but do at least 45 min for just cardio.
The hype out there that 20 min a day cardio,as seen on tv info ads, gets results isn't true. The body doesn't really start to burn fat until around 30-40 minutes.
Hope this helps a little.
P.S. As for supplements, go old school. Take protein and BCAA's (branched chain amino acids) BCAA's are the most important in creating lean mass. Just look at your better proteins, alot say highest amount of BCAA's avail. I go for the str8 BCAA supp tho.