This is a post originally written by Albert Medrano from Escuela de Culturismo Natural.
Losing body fat is one of the most common challenges in fitness. While building muscle is important, eliminating body fat is also essential to achieve a more defined and muscular appearance, ultimately showcasing the hard work we’ve put in over many months. Today, we’ll show you 10 tips to lose adipose tissue.
Here are 10 effective recommendations to achieve successful fat loss in a simple, sustainable way, and without the much-dreaded rebound effect.
1. ESTABLISH A CALORIE DEFICIT
The fundamental basis for losing fat is creating a calorie deficit, which means consuming fewer calories than you burn.
You need to calculate your daily caloric intake and ensure you stay below that number so that your body uses stored body fat as an energy source. However, bear in mind that an extremely low-calorie deficit can result in muscle loss, so it’s important to find the right balance.
It’s recommended to calculate the calories you consume outside of the cutting phase. These are the calories that allow you to gain muscle mass without gaining fat. Based on those calories, cut around 20% while maintaining or increasing your protein intake.
2. PLAN YOUR DIET WITH THE RIGHT MACRONUTRIENTS
The proper distribution of macronutrients is crucial for optimising fat loss while maintaining muscle mass. Make sure to get enough protein to preserve muscle and also to aid recovery after training.
Carbohydrates should be adjusted to meet energy demands, and healthy fats should be included in moderate amounts for hormonal and metabolic functions. Additionally, carbohydrates have a significant anti-catabolic function, so they should be maintained at a medium/high intake level.
3. PRIORITISE WEIGHT TRAINING
Weight training is essential for bodybuilding and also fundamental for fat loss. It increases muscle mass, which accelerates your metabolism and helps you burn more calories at rest. If we work with high loads and heavy weights, we “force” our muscles to stay strong to withstand the workouts. This minimises muscle loss. Moreover, resistance training promotes lipolysis, the process of breaking down fat cells to release energy.
4. INCORPORATE CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE
Although weight training is vital, cardio also plays an important role in fat loss. Cardio sessions can help you burn additional calories and improve cardiovascular health. This shouldn’t be a burden, so choose activities you enjoy, such as running, swimming, or cycling, to maintain motivation and consistency.
It’s not as important what type of exercise you do as staying consistently active. When we’re in a calorie deficit, we tend to unconsciously reduce daily activity. It’s a self-regulation process of our body. That’s why we must make an effort to move more.
5. USE HIGH-INTENSITY TRAINING
High-intensity training, such as HIIT (high-intensity interval training), is an excellent tool for maximising fat loss. These exercises alternate bursts of high intensity with lighter recovery periods, increasing calorie burn during and after the workout.
But don’t use it recurrently, only during stagnation periods or to achieve that final detail.
6. GET ENOUGH SLEEP
Adequate sleep is essential for recovery and fat loss. It’s the most important part of the entire preparation. During sleep, the body regulates important hormones related to appetite and metabolism. Lack of sleep can increase hunger and reduce the body’s ability to burn fat efficiently.
Aim to sleep between 7 and 9 hours per night to optimise your fat loss efforts.
7. CONTROL STRESS
Chronic stress can negatively affect your fat loss efforts. Stress releases hormones like cortisol, which can increase appetite and promote fat storage in the abdominal and hip areas.
Find ways to manage stress, such as meditation, yoga, or engaging in relaxing hobbies.
8. MAINTAIN PROPER HYDRATION
Drinking enough water is important to keep the metabolism running and support fat loss. Water can also help control appetite and improve performance during training. Ensure you stay properly hydrated throughout the day.
As a general guideline, drink a minimum in litres equal to the decimal digits of your body weight. For someone who weighs 60 kilograms, water intake should be between 4 and 6 litres. It may seem like a lot, but it acts as a tremendous anti-catabolic agent and helps us lose body fat.
9. AVOID EXTREME DIETS
Extreme diets that severely restrict calories or food groups can be harmful to the body and can affect your ability to train intensely.
Instead of following restrictive diets, opt for a balanced and sustainable approach that includes variety and enjoyment in your meals.
10. BE PATIENT AND PERSISTENT
Losing fat takes time and effort. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see quick results. Be consistent with your fat loss plan and stay patient. Celebrate small achievements and remember that every step counts towards your final goal.
Remember that competition athletes, who typically maintain around 11-13% body fat for men and 14-17% for women off-season, spend more than half a year reducing their body fat to aesthetic levels.
So take things slowly and persist in the plan, but without drastic reductions or excessive exercise. Time is our best ally.
In summary, fat loss in bodybuilding is a combination of a proper diet, weight training, cardio, rest, and stress control. With patience and dedication, you can achieve a muscular and defined appearance while maintaining the muscle mass you’ve worked so hard to build.
And you, if you want to lose fat, achieve a critical improvement in your health and optimise your physical appearance, contact us and start now!
