Fat Loss

Whether you're a rugby player, a runner, a dancer, a bodybuilder, or just someone who wants to look and feel great for your summer holidays, your wedding, or just because you take pride in your appearance, low body fat is always desirable! Words such as ‘lean’, ‘toned’, ‘defined’ and 'cut' are all terms associated with the perfect body, and having a low body fat level not only looks great, but improves sports performance too.

Fat Loss Training

Train with weights

When you train with weights, two things happen; first by positively stressing your muscle through exercise, you stimulate growth of new muscle tissue. This results in you burning more energy, which means you also burn more calories. Secondly the body will burn additional energy to maintain the muscle tissue that is being regularly stressed.

Many women worry that by weight-training they'll get big muscles - this is not the case. By weight-training, you'll tone, tighten and shape your physique! You can find some training advice here.

Do cardiovascular exercise at least twice a week

Low to moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise plays an important role in any fat loss program. Of primary importance, low intensity cardiovascular exercise stimulates the release of fatty acids from tissue. This has two benefits: Firstly, you're actually burning fat, secondly, your body will up-regulate the enzyme systems necessary for burning fat more efficiently. So you’re burning more fat and you’re burning it faster.

The second reason why you should perform regular cardio work is that it helps protect your heart. Good cardiovascular health is vitally important to your long term condition and longevity. Take care of your heart and it will take care of you.

Diet and Nutrition

Eat the right types of food

Meal Frequency could be the most important aspect of your nutrition program. If you do this right you will build muscle, burn fat, and with a proper resistance training program, be well on your way to achieving the body of your dreams. When you eat small meals, insulin and blood sugar remain stable. This facilitates weight loss because keeping insulin and sugar-levels balanced helps drive amino acids into muscle, carbohydrates into the liver and muscle glycogen storage and helps us to utilize the fat we eat - and more importantly the fat we have stored. Meal-replacement products are a convenient way to make sure you're supplying your body with enough nutrients and also a good way to keep your body burning calories whilst maintaining muscle.

Eat enough Protein

Without adequate protein, synthesis of new muscle tissue comes to a standstill. Furthermore, inadequate protein intake will eventually compromise your immune system and will certainly result in muscle tissue losses. Eating protein is crucial and you should aim for at least 1g per pound of bodyweight for males and 0.8g per 1lb for females. In order to get the amount you need, we recommend using protein supplements such as USN's 100% Whey or Pure Protein

Commitment and Focus

Plan ahead and Think Positive

To avoid falling into these traps, it's vital to be clear and positive about your motivations for losing weight. It's also vital to plan goals that will enable you to make lifestyle changes you can both achieve and maintain. A goal can be something as simple as losing 5 pounds in 1 month, or as detailed as transforming your entire body and changing your life. The important thing to remember is to set realistic goals that are within your ability to achieve. Write them down before you start your weight-loss programme for example:

"Your chosen goal, eg. walking for 30 minutes every day for the next month."

Training Guidelines and Tips

1. Training Journal
   Write down the daily routines and weights you used. Pick a few every week to improve on, not only in weight, but in any of the above training principles. Routines that put unnecessary strain on weak areas, like the back, can then be eliminated.
2. Eat several small meals per day
   Glycogen production and supply depends heavily on the constant supply of carbohydrates, and a constant supply of carbohydrates boosts the metabolism. Constant flows of amino acids ensure nitrogen retention and muscle repair. Water-soluble vitamins constantly leave the body and need to be replaced to fulfill its synergetic function. A good exercise routine will not counteract poor eating habits.
3. Vary your Program
   Vary the order, and type of exercises you do, also switch the muscles you train on the same day. This created muscle confusion which leads to renewed gains.
4. Increase the Weight
   Eventually, you also need to increase the resistance which forces muscle to compensate by renewed growth.
5. Train Smart, not Long
   45 to 90 minutes is all you should spend in the gym, longer than that you either waste your time, or you over train. Limit time between sets so the body "thinks" the whole exercise is one long set. Rest roughly two times the time it takes you to complete a set. Focus on your form, you can rather use a smaller weight, but do it with great form, no swing, no cheat, high intensity, and work on the negatives/eccentric (going down). If your next machine is occupied, proceed to the next and come back later, don't hesitate to ask how many sets a person has left.
6. Aim at a complete physique
   Concentrate more on the parts of your body that lack, and less on your strong points. Abs, calves, and shoulders are common weak points. If you have excess fat, work a cardio session into your routine, it's no use having a good physique under a camouflage of fat!
7. Isolate the applicable muscle
   Do the exercise in such a way that it is not as easy as can be, but that it strain the targeted muscle as completely as possible. Like when you do a bench press, lower the weight slowly to the end of your chest as close to your throat as possible, turn the elbows as far out as possible, pause at the bottom to stretch the pectoral muscles through its full range of motion. Finish the movement at the top by pushing all the way up to fully contract the pectorals.
8. Breathing
   However you choose to breath, exhale on the up or down movement; never hold your breath against force. This causes an increase in the blood pressure in the brain and poses a danger to health.
9. Do not lock
   Keep constant tension on a muscle by avoiding the lock at the top of a lift. This "resting time" interrupts a set.
10. Peak Contraction and Range of Motion
    Always squeeze at the point of fullest contraction, and move through the whole range of motion to the point of maximum stretch.
11. Rest
    A muscle should rest for 72 hours after a strenuous training session.
12. Cross-train Legs
    All of the muscles on the upper body get the chance to cross-train with other muscles, like when you do chest, you also use triceps and front delts, and when you do shoulders, the chest and triceps work hard too. The legs however very seldom get the change to cross-train, which is the main reason why most men have under developed leg muscles compared to their upper bodies. Work in an extra set of heavy lunges on another day.
13. Positive Muscular Gain vs. Negative Skeletal Strain
    Each person differs, many routines may suit one person, but not another, but don't decide a routine doesn't suit you just because it is working on your weak point. There is a healthy trade-off between positive strain on the muscular system, and negative strain on the skeletal system. Routines like Squat, Dead lift, and Stiff leg dead lift must only be done by advanced athletes involved in a sport where it forms a critical part, like Power lifting, Weight lifting, Strongman etc. Otherwise the negative skeletal strain outweighs the positive muscular gain.

USN Products for Fat Loss

Xédra-Cut XT

Xédra -Cut XT’s potent 5 variable action formula combined with the Nano Dispersed Organic Complex (NdOc-600) is a revolutionary fat-burning supplement. The different ingredients have been carefully selected to accelerate and regulate the body’s metabolism, regulate the blood sugar levels and play an antioxidative role.

View more detail on Xédra-Cut XT

 

CLA 1000 (Ultra Lean)

CLA enhances fat loss and increases lean body mass it also increases the activity of hormone sensitive lipases, which results in the breakdown of stored fat.

View more detail on CLA 1000 (Ultra Lean)

 

Diet Fuel

USN Diet Fuel delivers a variety of high quality protein substrates for improving protein synthesis and overall health. Just enough carbohydrates are used to fuel your workout, replenish depleted glycogen and push your metabolism into hyper drive.

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Xédra-Cut Stimulant Free

Xédra-Cut Stimulant Free is especially formulated for individuals wishing to eliminate stimulants from their diet. It can also be used in combination with Xédra-Cut XT to continue the fat burning effect during the night as well as over weekends, resulting in 24-hour fat-burning potential.

View more detail on Xédra-Cut Stimulant Free