You want to lose fat as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Time is a factor. Mental resources are limited. Your energy has to be managed.
The common trope is to increase your activity, go to the gym more and make time for lots of extra cardio.
But just like the saying goes: the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Will lots of extra cardio help you burn body fat? Yes, but it comes at an expense to your
- Time
- Mental energy
- Physical energy
- Career/work focus
- Free time
Fortunately, there’s a much better way. And that’s to focus a majority of your efforts on executing a proper strength training program 3-4 days per week
The Top 3 Tips To Burn Fat Without Excessive Cardio
1. Focus on Compound Lifts And Efficient Workouts
Compound lifts are the big, multi-joint movements, such as:
- Squats
- Pull-ups/chin-ups
- Rows
- Deadlifts
- Bench press variations
- Shoulder press variations
- Dips
- Lunges
- Hyperextensions
With these movements alone, you can do nothing but 3-4 simple weight training sessions per week, all under 45 minutes per workout, and watch the fat melt off your belly week over week.
2. Create A Caloric Deficit Through My Boring But Effective Diet (BBED) Guidelines
The biggest disaster you will create when eating for fat loss is attempting to follow a complicated eating plan that consists of too many rules, too many food choices, and a complex meal timing protocol.
My plan is very simple and effective.
But one thing first: Boring doesn’t mean Bland.
Here’s a snapshot of my dinner last night.
This meal contains the following macros:
~60g protein
~40g carbs
~24g fat
My BBED guide has 4 rules:
- Maintain a caloric deficit on a fixed amount of days per week (4-6)
- Focus on hitting macronutrient goals for protein, fat and, carbohydrates
- Stick to a fixed meal schedule of uniform, predictable meals that work for you (3-4 meals per day is enough for most)
- Focus on nutrient-dense whole foods 85% of the time
That’s it. If you can stick to this, you will win every single time.
3. Prioritize Sleep, Rest, And Recovery
Sleeping enough each night will do more for getting rid of your love handles than any special diet or training program ever could. And this is because sleep helps regulate your body’s metabolism, cellular repair, and cognition.
Eight hours of rest per night is the goal, more if possible, but anything less is going to yield subpar results. As a result, if you’re unable to get a full eight hours each night, training will have to be adjusted to help with recovery.
Why Weight Training > Cardio For Fat Loss
Fat loss is a product of exercise and a caloric deficit. And since your time is very valuable, you had better spend it wisely using the best tools for the job.
Weight training takes time and burns calories. Cardio training takes time and burns calories.
But weight training helps maintain and build muscle, while cardio only really burns calories. The benefits of weight training are twofold, while the benefit of cardio training is singular when we’re focusing purely on fat loss.
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