Fitness Truths

Fat vs Muscle You need to burn about 3500 calories to lose 1 pound of fat A pound of muscle is about the size of your fist A pound of fat is about the size of your forearm Muscle does not weigh more than fat – it’s just denser than it (a pound is always a pound)

Body Composition Being skinny does not automatically mean you have a low body fat. Body composition is what matters most. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn at rest. Muscle tissue eats fat at all hours of the day.

Body Composition You can’t calculate body fat percentage from height and weight alone (BMI)– you need to physically measure it. It’s harder to put on 10 pounds of muscle than it is to lose 10 pounds of fat. You can’t target fat loss – fat loss is systemic.

Muscular Appearance Direct abdominal exercises are not necessary to get good abs. Abs are used as stabilizers when you do squats, deadlifts, and many other exercises. Only a good diet will make them visible.

Cardiovasuclar Exercise You don’t need to do cardio to lose weight. You only need a calorie deficit. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a useful tool. The fat burning zone does not burn more total fat calories – only a higher percentage of calories from fat. Total calories burned is what matters.

Strength & Hydration Strength gains come from muscle hypertrophy and improved muscle fiber recruitment. Include a variety of rep ranges in your workouts. Dehydrating a muscle by 3% can cause a 10% loss of strength. Drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Sugar The average person can store 500 grams of glycogen. You can get glucose from both protein and glycerol – not just carbohydrates. Muscle glycogen is about 3 parts water to 1 part glucose. This can add water weight at the beginning of a strength training program.

Sugar Insulin and growth hormone have an inverse relationship. You must keep insulin under control if you want growth hormone to do its job of mobilizing fat. Only fat and protein are essential macronutrients – carbohydrates aren’t.

Dietary Habits Once an adult, fat cells can be created, but they cannot be lost – only shrunken. Eating at night does not make you fat – overeating does. You should never attempt weight loss at the expense of your health.

Points to Remember There’s a high correlation between the fitness level of the people close to you, and your own physical fitness. Strive to make progress by continually creating healthy eating habits. Consistency and patience are key to long term successful weight loss.

Final Thoughts Strive to feel better, to have more energy, to be less stressed. Notice the small things that exercise does for you quickly, rather than getting hung up on the narrow goal of the number on a scale. “There are two types of pain – the temporary pain of discipline or the permanent pain of regret.”