Uncomfortable fact: Most men who go to the gym are fat.
Yes, they train hard. Yes, they’re often pretty strong.
But…
… they’re still fat.
Sure, I imagine a lot of them don’t particularly care, and that’s fine. Their body, their rules.
However… a significant minority of them do care and if that’s you then this will be the most important message you will ever read.
Here’s why: Today, I’m going to explain the likely reason why you’re fatter than you want to be, and, more importantly, what you need to do about it.
First – the why.
Most men vastly overestimate the amount of exercise they do and vastly underestimate the amount of food they eat.
Regrettably, pumping iron three or four times per week and going for a walk every now and again is insufficient if you’re serious about building a powerful, lean physique.
I’ll concede it’s a lot more than the “average” person will ever manage, but considering how out of shape Mr Joe Average is these days, this isn’t much of an achievement.
Harsh?
Perhaps. But deep down, you know it’s true.
Onward.
Food-wise, the chances are you’re eating too much.
You know, I had a lovely chat with my father-in-law the other day. He’s in his mid-60s and does several Ironman triathlons every year. Anyway, a lot of guys he works with ask him for advice on how to lose weight.
His solution…
“Take your plate of food, throw half of it in the bin, and eat the rest”
Not the exact advice I’d give, but it illustrates the point which is…
… If you’re fat, you’re eating too much. (Unless you have some sort of medical condition, in which case you should consult an appropriately qualified medical professional).
So, what to do?
Train more. Much more. Not gut-busting, balls-to-the-wall, crazy-heavy weight workouts in the gym. That would be silly and unnecessary.
What I mean when I say “do more” is go for a long walk every day. At least 30 minutes – 60 if you can. By “every day”, I mean every day. You don’t need a rest day from walking because it’s not “working out”.
On top of that, add in some bodyweight work a few times per week. Pushups, situps, squats, burpees, chin-ups, that sort of thing. Pick a couple of exercises and do 50-100 reps of each. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, do a little circuit (e.g. five rounds of 15 squats, 10 situps, and 5 pushups with a 60-second rest between rounds).
And, of course, you ought to do some “hard” conditioning work too. Sprints (of the hill or flat variety), intervals, pull sled, push prowler, barbell complexes, etc., etc., etc. Experience tells me most guys can handle this a couple of times per week – it’s often convenient to tack this stuff onto the end of your gym workout.
And speaking of your gym workouts – you probably need to reign them in a little. Yes. Really. If getting into shape is your priority, there’s no need to lift 4, 5, or 6 days per week.
2 or 3x/week is plenty sufficient. Lower your weights and learn to work hard and efficiently. Pick a main lift (e.g. the squat, bench, deadlift, press, or one of their variations), a pull (chins, rows, pulldowns, face pulls), maybe another lift, and some abs then go to town.
Train the main lift hard not heavy – if you’re grinding reps out, there’s too much weight on the bar, and do the assistance work “bodybuilder-style” – so, 50-100 reps, done light to get a pump.
It’s true, your strength will take a nosedive when you first start getting into shape. This is normal, and the more out of shape you are, the bigger nosedive it will take.
No matter. Your strength will return eventually and you’ll be in much better shape.
As for what you should eat?
Less… and better.
Listen: I am not a “diet guy”. The way I see it is if you just eat right 90% of the time (and we all know what “eating right” means whether we’re prepared to admit it or not), and avoid behaving like a glutton you’ll be all right. Even more so if you make being active an integral part of your life and not just something you do at the gym X number of times per week.
And that’s it. That’s all I have to say on the matter. For now.
But before I go, if you’re sick to the back teeth of training hard but not looking the part, The Phil Tyreman Letter could be right up your street
Info below:
www.philtyreman.co.uk/information
Thank you,