Tag: burn fat

  • The 20 best ways to lose weight for good

    The 20 best ways to lose weight for good

    If losing weight was easy we wouldn’t be bombarded with ads, promotions, and articles for the next revolutionary diet or miracle pill. Truth is: neither of those things exist. It comes down to smarter decisions when it comes to working out, eating, and living your life in general.

    Related: Everything We Order from Whole Foods Every Week

    But, there is one really great thing about weight loss being so hard. You’ll appreciate it a whole lot once you’ve figured it out and accomplished it. We’re not able to control everything in our lives, but successful weight loss is 100% controllable. You can lose weight and build the body you always wanted. The question is: are you will to make the right changes and stick to it?

    Here are the 20 best ways to start you journey to losing weight—and keeping it off for good.


    1. Lose weight by lifting heavy

    Lifting heavy requires increase energy expenditure. It is also a surefire way to increase muscle mass. More muscle = Increased metabolism = More fat loss. Check out any of our 35+ FREE complete workout plans.

    2. Lose weight with high-intensity interval training

    High intensity interval training is another method many athletes use to peak growth hormone levels and to burn large amounts of energy in short to medium lengths of time. This is a good option for people who don’t have time for those long treadmill cardio sessions or prefer a more intense session. Check out our collection of the 30 best HIIT workouts for weight loss.

    3. Lose weight by progressively work harder

    Increase your workload with each set keeping the rep range the same every time. Progressive overloading will get you stronger and leaner. Heavier sets burn more energy. Apply this particular methodology to the 6-week Redemption plan or the 4-week Reconstruction plan.

    4. Lose weight by changing up your reps

    Our bodies are amazing and can rapidly adapt to the stresses of our environment. If you have been using one rep range for a long time and you have hit a weight loss plateau consider mixing it up and try a different rep range or routine. Don’t allow your body to get comfortable. For examples of how to do this, plus other unique ideas, check out the 7 euphoric pump-producing training techniques.

    5. Lose weight with morning workouts

    At the end of a long day at work you are less likely to want to train than you are in the morning. Getting it done at the start of the day ensures that each weeks worth of exercise is getting done and not being skipped.

    6. Lose weight by eating less than you need

    This one is just math. If energy in is less than energy out you’re going to lose weight. Simple. For a more in-depth understanding and analysis on how to eat what’s right for you, check out this massive informative piece on intuitive eating for lean muscle.

    7. Lose weight by eliminating processed junk from your diet

    Processed foods have far less nutritional value than their whole food counterparts and are often high in fat, salt and sugar. None of which are overly conducive for weight loss. Cut the crap. Check out our curated list of the 25 best muscle-building foods.

    8. Lose weight by eating more protein

    Protein due to its slower absorption rates (in comparison to carbohydrates and fats) keeps you fuller for longer which can help reduce the likelihood of cravings and over consuming. Eat more protein to reduce cravings and to stay fuller for longer.

    9. Lose weight by filling up on fiber

    Fiber is a contributing factor for healthy digestion and bowel movements. The more fiber you have, the less waste material ends up trapped in your digestive tract and the less you will weigh.

    10. Lose weight by reducing your fat intake

    Fat contains approximately 2.25x more calories than carbohydrates or protein. By reducing your fat intake or replacing them with carbs and protein you are essentially cutting your calories from fat in half.

    11. Lose weight by eating up those dark leafy greens

    Dark leafy greens supply us with excellent range of vitamins and minerals that the body needs in order to sustain optimal metabolic function and enzyme production aiding with fat loss processes.

    12. Lose weight by learning how to control portions

    This one is pretty simple; if there is less food on your plate there are less calories in your stomach. This one is good for those who want to lose weight without changing their diets. Depending on your diet and how often you exercise, it still might not be enough.

    13. Lose weight with meal prep

    The 5p’s: Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. It’s a lot easier to stick to a diet and keep the weight off when all your meals are healthy and are ready to go. No more buying junk food simply because you don’t have time.

    Although it may seem wise to skip breakfast due to decreased calorie intake, often later in the day it will leave you craving fats, sugars and other salty foods that you would not otherwise be craving if you had a high protein meal for breakfast. Also your body is more likely to hold on to body fat after eating your next meal as it doesn’t know when the next meal will be.

    14. Lose weight by grocery shopping with a full stomach

    If your craving food when you head to the grocery store you more likely to buy those little treats and unhealthy snacks than if you were feeling full. Always eat before you go food shopping.

    15. Lose weight by working out on an empty stomach

    First thing in the morning your body is still mobilizing fat as fuel from the night before. By doing fasted cardio we are taking advantage our natural fasting period and increasing its effects, burning up to 20% more fat than a normal cardio session. There’s some conflicting data on this, but it’s worth a try.

    16. Lose weight by eating carbs after a workout

    If you time your carbohydrates around training your body will utilize the energy from carbohydrates for training and muscle glycogen replenishment. This reduces the chance that the carbohydrates will be converted and stored as fat.

    17. Lose weight by drinking more water

    Drinking water before a meal and throughout your day can help suppress appetite. Also the more hydrated your cells are the better they function and the more effectively your body can remove waste product from your system. Fewer waste products, less weight.

    18. Lose weight by sitting down and setting goals

    Set a target and break it down into small steps. If you have a plan, you know where you are going and you are less likely to stray from the path, skip a workout or have a cheat meal. Have your goal in mind. Check out the blog, how to always have your best possible workout.

    19. Lose weight by setting a deadline

    Research suggest that you are more likely to achieve your weight loss goals by setting a reasonable time frame and making each day as important as the next. If you never set a time frame, your goals are always set in the future and you can easily put them off and not feel bad about it. That old saying “ I’ll do it later” but it never gets done. Don’t be one of those people.

    20. Lose weight by holding yourself accountable

    Whether it’s putting money on the line, joining a 12-week challenge or telling your friends your going to drop the weight. Get accountable and be responsible for your own success.

    Get long-term results with a long-term plan


  • FAQ: Why are there different reps, sets, and rest periods in a workout plan?

    FAQ: Why are there different reps, sets, and rest periods in a workout plan?

    For increasing strength, rep ranges are typically around 6-10. For increasing muscular size, 8-12. For endurance, 12+. For power development, reps are usually under 6 and explosive in execution.

    As for rest periods, endurance or high rep exercise is usually on the lower end (30 seconds or less) to keep you working to build up that endurance (and if you’re training at high reps, that usually means you’re training with lower resistance and you can naturally recover a bit quicker than if you were going very heavy).

    Strength and power rep ranges usually are longer in the 60 second to 2 minute, or even 3+ minute range to allow the muscle to recover between very heavy bouts of exercise. Muscular size rest periods usually vary, they can be as low as 30 seconds to as high as 60 or 90 seconds. There are some caveats and nuances to this (lots of science-y stuff), but for the most part it’s to allow enough recovery while still keeping the muscle working.

    The one thing that remains relatively consistent no matter the goal is sets: the total amount of work. It’s usually in 3-5 set range, and can vary based on how often you’re training, what level of fitness you’re at, and if you’re scaling up or scaling down your workouts.

    Related FAQ: How long does it take to see results from a workout plan?

    Also, the type of exercise and style of training plays a role. Take box jumps, for example. In CrossFit, you’ll see high reps for speed or time. They are used as a power move and a conditioning move. But traditional athletic trainers would argue it’s a power exercise and the reps should be very low. And bodybuilders, which would be another category, don’t typically even use them at all.

    Here’s a good way to approach your reps, sets, and rest periods during a workout:

    Want to build a leaner, stronger physique and less interested in being a professional athlete or OCR champion? Focus on strength and size reps (6-10 / 8-12) and rest periods (30 – 60 seconds on higher reps; 60, 90, 120 seconds on the lower reps) as the priority. Old school bodybuilding approach to exercise works best for this physique-driven goal. If you want a little more well-roundedness, work in the higher rep endurance stuff and even a few power moves but keep the focus on the other stuff.

    Basic example: two-four weeks of low reps, high rest followed by two-fours weeks of high reps, lower rest. Or, alternate between low reps and high rep weeks.

    Related FAQ: Is cardio the best way to lose weight?

    Want to optimize your athleticism? A good base of strength and endurance will take you far, but smart programming for power (and agility: not mentioned here) would be wise. For exercises and following training plans that replicate your sport also makes sense. Example: OCR athletes, surfers, soccer players, etc.

    Here are plans for your physique: our 30+ free workout plans
    And here’s how programming for an athlete might look: The contender’s plan

    For personalized consultations, go to digitalfitnessadvisor.com

  • The 12-Week Accelerated Starter’s Plan

    The 12-Week Accelerated Starter’s Plan

    Due to the high demand for a program more squarely focused on beginners, we’ve decided to create The 12-Week Accelerated Starter’s Plan.

    The 12-Week Accelerated Starter’s Plan was designed to help you progressively build lean muscle while improving strength and endurance. The workouts include basic (but effective) exercises with a conservative amount of volume to start you out slow and steady. Then, things will increase in difficulty as you progress. 

    To start, you’ll begin with the Foundation workout plan for 8 weeks. During the first 4 weeks you’ll quickly notice an increase in strength—that’s your neuromuscular system adapting to the challenges. The 4 weeks following that will be where you aggressively work to double-down on those gains by adding weight and pushing to your failure points. At the 8 week point you’ll follow a brief “recession” or “de-load” to prevent plateauing or burn out. This recession will give you more time to recover, but will still stimulate your muscles for growth. The final two weeks are an introduction to circuit training—this is where you’ll put the fat loss into overdrive. Upon completion of your 12 weeks you can cycle through again or move onto another program like The Size, Strength, and Shred Cycle.

    The 12-Week Accelerated Starter’s Plan is a streamlined PDF that you can download or print out. No more waiting for web pages to load!
    • Purchasers of The 12-Week Accelerated Starter’s Plan get access to our exclusive Premium Members group on Facebook where you can ask questions, post before and after photos, or simply interact with other folks on the plan too.
    • If you decide to track your progress, save your photos and send us a message at the end of a change to be interviewed and featured here on humanfitproject.com

    The 12-Week Accelerated Starter’s Plan is available for $18.99. Web-based versions of our individual programs will remain free here.

    If you’re looking for tips on nutrition or diet, check out the following free resources here on HFP:

    What are you waiting for? Download the 12-Week Accelerated Starter’s Plan now!