We’re back with another 10 tips to help you shred fat and carve out a physique that you can be proud of.
If you haven’t read Part 1 yet then we’d suggest having a read through those tips first.
Why?
Because these next 10 tips built on the foundations you’ve shredded out previously. And a house without foundations won’t stay up for long… no matter how strong it looks on the outside.
So without any more delay, let’s look at today’s 10 tips to shred down your body fat…
The value of drinking sufficient water each day can’t be understated.
Numerous studies have reported that 500 ml of water – just a couple of cups – before meals boosts metabolic rate and reduces overall food intake – both key features of successful energy balance.
Water also helps your body work optimally – just a small decrease in hydration can result in a number of physical and cognitive side effects.
And even as little as 3-5% loss of water can slash your strength and endurance significantly.
Water regulates how your cells work and controls how fats are transported around your body, so it’s a good place to start when it comes to shredding fat and staying lean
If you look at all of the popular diets they all cause weight loss for one reason – they create a calorie deficit.
And whilst their creators might tell you something different, it’s not because they have some special power that adapts your physiology, it’s purely that it helps you slash calorie intake.
Carbohydrate cycling is one of the easiest dietary approaches to follow. And because it’s easy to follow, many people find that it suits them better than more aggressive diets such as keto or 5:2.
Carb cycling is simple…
On days where you’re training in the gym or out for a run you have more carbs in your diet and take your calories up a little (but still keep in a calorie deficit) and on non-activity days you drop them down. But don’t eliminate them altogether.
Research shows that following a carb cycling plan can increase mood, recovery and insulin resistance, but at the same time lead to fat loss – as much as 6.4 kg over a 6-month period.
Not only is coffee great tasting and practically calorie free, it can accelerate fat loss too.
Caffeine-rich coffee is a nootropic – it stimulates your central nervous system and blocks your adenosine recptors (these are the ones that keep you relaxed and sleepy).
That means that this popular drink boosts concentration, athletic performance, alertness, and memory. It also improves your health and reduces your chances of cognitive disease too.
Studies have shown that coffee boosts fat loss by improving insulin sensitivity and increasing metabolism by providing a potent thermogenic effect.
Those that drink 330 mg of caffeinated drinks around 60 minutes prior to exercise have been found to experience a much higher rate of fat oxidation during and after the workout than those that don’t.
Good quality fat burners help you hit your shred targets faster.
Not only do they increase your metabolism, ramp up fat oxidation and increase your energy, they help curb hunger and depress your appetite too – making it much easier to hit your calorie deficit.
Look out for nutrients such as green tea, cayenne pepper extract and piperine for that metabolic boost, B vitamins for energy, and glucomannan and green coffee bean to slash hunger and keep you satiated.
Make sure you’ve the upper hand on your war with body fat.
How exactly does social media help you shred fat?
Joining private fat loss groups online can help you on your journey for a number of reasons.
They offer community support from like-minded people and both motivational and inspirational stories from people who were once in the position you are in now.
The better groups also offer information, education and recipes to support you day-by-day.
And lastly, being part of a group where you actively share your progress, and even before and after photos offers accountability too.
Performing the same workout over and over again is monotonous.
Imagine going to the movies 3 times a week, but seeing the same film – you’d soon get bored, and eventually you’d know the script off by heart with little effort.
The beauty of modern gyms is that they offer so much variety. If you get bored of indoor cycling classes for example, then you could give circuits a try. If you’re tiring of dumbbell work then you could give kettlebells a whirl.
One of the biggest obstacles you have when it comes to exercise adherence is interest.
By mixing up your sessions and trying new things, you’ll soon be waiting outside the gym door waiting eagerly for opening time.
And if you’re unsure of what to try, book in a session or two with a personal trainer – the small investment is well worth what you’d learn from them.
In part one we talked about progressive overload – adding load, reps and sets to your strength workouts in order to force your body to continually adapt.
And now you’ve been doing that, you’re probably ready for a new challenge… and challenging it is.
Reducing your rest times allows you less time to recover. Your heart rate, body temperature and breathing don’t get chance to return to normal – and that means that each set gets harder and harder.
It’s like adding in cardio to your weights session. And the amount of calories you’ll burn will increase exponentially too.
Keep your rest times to a maximum of 2 minutes if you need to, but where possible work towards a 60-90 second window, this will make all the difference.
One of the most powerful (and probably enjoyable) tools you have when you’re shredding fat is sleep.
There are numerous research papers that link sleep deprivation to an increase in body fat – mostly because lower-than-optimal sleep quality and quantity is associated with an increase in hunger and a drop in physical activity.
Achieving 8 hours of solid sleep might be easier said than done to begin with, but once you get there you’ll find your fat loss goal is much more attainable.
Bear this in mind. Carbs and protein will give you 4 kilocalories for every gram you eat. Fat will give you 9 kilocalories.
Do you know how many alcohol gives you?
7 kilocalories for every gram. That’s a hell of a lot, particularly when you’re on a shred. And that’s before you add in all of the additional sugars and fats you’ll find in your tipple of choice.
So many people don’t achieve the results they’re after. They work hard all week, keeping to the plan and achieving a calorie deficit from Monday to Friday. But as soon as the weekend comes, they ‘reward’ themselves with a few drinks – a few too many that is.
And it’s so easy to outdo all of your hard work from your previous few days.
So whilst one or maybe two drinks a week won’t hurt, be careful not to ramp up the unnecessary calories.
It’s a dark, cold evening and you know you need to be at the gym. But for all of your good intentions you just can’t muster the energy or motivation to get off the couch.
But wait – it’s not just you you’re letting down, it’s your friend you said you’d meet there too.
Having a workout buddy offers social support and accountability. And research says this is much more likely to help you achieve your shredding and fitness goals than if you go it alone.
And where you can, try and pick a partner that’s just that little bit fitter than you.
Why?
When two people work together on a task, the member that needs more support becomes motivated. This stems possibly from a need to match the partner’s performance – it’s what’s referred to as the Köhler effect. And it keeps you motivated to succeed.
Instant Knockout was designed to help pro MMA fighters make weight and shred fat during intense periods of training. It went so well that we decided to offer it to you.
If you’re sick of dieting or fed up with the lack of results from your shred then you need this powerhouse supplement.
Using only natural ingredients such as green tea extract, piperine and chromium GTF, Instant Knockout is the difference between winning and losing.