3 Fat Loss Myths That Will Kill Your Resolution

Happy New Year every one in BombergerPT land! There's no doubt many of you out there are using the 2010 clean slate to set some new fitness goals and create yourself anew! You and many others like you are sure to be hitting the gym hard for the next month or two, hopefully with great success. No matter how great your intentions are or how much I support you, you're sure to tumble off the wagon if you fall victim to these three fat loss myths:


Fat Loss Myth #1: You have to do hours of cardio to shed fat!
Ehhhh! Wrong! In fact, most people are cardio-ing themselves fat by spending too much time on the elliptical, treadmill and in spin class. The problem with traditional steady state cardio is the body easily adapts to the energy demands because low intensity cardio is quite frankly not very metabolically demanding. Long, slow and low intensity sessions on the treadmill do not burn enough calories to see fast results, especially when you are on machines. After the first couple weeks of performing traditional cardio programs, your results will quickly plateau and you will see small gains in your fitness levels and even less results.


Quick Fix #1: Interval Training
Try any form of interval training to jump start your fat burning capabilities. If you're going to use traditional cardio equipment try this: kick up your speed or resistance for thirty seconds so that you're pushing at a high intensity, then back off for a minute and repeat this for eight to ten rounds. Want to really create some extra burn after your workout? Try performing jump rope, jumping jacks or mountain climbers for thirty seconds, take thirty seconds of rest and repeat for ten to fifteen rounds. Not only will you not be as bored, but your fitness level and fat loss will shoot out the roof!

Fat Loss Myth #2:Doing crunches will get you a six pack!
Nope. Neither will all the best ab exercises in the world, the Ab Circle Pro or the Bender Ball (ahhh how I love fitness gimmicks). While doing crunches and having a great ab routine is key to building the ab muscles, the only way to look shredded is to get rid the spare tire covering your abs! This is true for all muscles and all people! Sorry ladies, hundreds of reps on the abductor-adductor machine and hours on the butt blaster won't melt away cellulite! You can't spot reduce, so don't waste your time doing senseless exercises hoping you'll "tone" a specific area.


Quick Fix #2: Dial In Your Nutrition
Obviously exercise is a huge part of shedding fat and getting lean. Perhaps the most important ingredient to a lean and mean physique is fueling your body properly. You can get on track with your nutrition by following these easy steps:
- Eat four to six smaller meals a day
- Keep your simple sugar intake low and eat more complex carbohydrates
- Fill your diet with lots of veggies
- Load up on complex carbs in the first half of the day, and decrease carbs intake into the evening
- Get your protein from lean sources like tuna, chicken, lean turkey meat and fish

Fat Loss Myth #3: Body building routines are king when it comes to getting lean!
While body builders have incredible physiques, their dedication to nutrition, supplements and their routine is hardly general population friendly. Body building workouts are built around tons of isolation exercises and are extremely high in volume. This approach isn't biomechanically functional or entirely practical for most people, especially when it comes to losing body fat. Body building routines build muscle, but aren't necessarily overly demanding on the body's energy systems. If you want to lose weight, you want to kick your metabolism into high gear a different way...

Quick Fix #3: High Intensity Functional Training
To create the largest metabolic disturbance and stay a dynamic human machine, you'll get the most bang for your buck using a program loaded with compound movements and moving in all planes of motion. What requires more energy and burns more calories: arm day or a push day where you workout quads, chest and shoulders? Will you be more tired after you workout just your back or after you do a pull day when you work glutes, hamstrings, horizontal and vertical pull movements? The more muscles you use, the more calories you are going to burn during your workout and after! When it comes to getting lean, more calories burned in less time is the name of the game!