The 8 BEST Summer Cutting Tips
Summer is coming and it’s time to show off all your recent hard work in the gym. But, like many people, you may be carrying too much fat to show your muscles to their full potential. Use these tips to shed fat, get ripped, and look great this summer…
1. Create a calorie deficit
To shed fat, you have to lower the number of calories you eat per day so your body is forced to make up that energy shortfall by using stored body fat.
A single pound of fat contains approximately 3,500 calories so if you want to lose a pound per week, you’ll need to eat 500 calories less per day. If you want to lose two pounds per week, you’ll need to drop 1000 calories per day.
Use a calorie calculator to estimate your daily calorie requirements and then calculate how much you need to eat to lose weight.
2. Pump up the protein
Protein is vital during a shred – it’s very thermogenic (burns fat) and will also preserve your muscle mass you don’t lose your hard-won muscle as you burn fat. Consume at least one gram per pound of bodyweight and up to 1.5 grams per pound if you are training especially hard. Choose low fat protein options such as fish and chicken to avoid consuming unwanted calories.
Getting enough protein is not always easy so consider using a protein powder that mixes easily with water in a shaker cup to make getting enough of the good stuff much easier.
3. Bulk up on veggies
Veggies, with the exception of potatoes, are low in calories but very filling. High in fibre and water as well as vitamins and minerals, it is virtually impossible to eat too many vegetables. Pile on the veggies at each and every meal to ensure you have plenty to eat, feel full, but still cut your calorie intake.
4. Cut the carbs
Carbohydrate-rich foods like bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes are high in calories and are easily converted to fat. Also, they are not that filling so you can eat a lot of them. Cut your carb intake to around 0.5 to 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight and replace those carbs with veggies. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, are also known for the anti-estrogenic properties which means they will naturally elevate testosterone levels. This will further enhance fat loss.
5. Drink more water
Water is essential for flushing out toxins, burning fat, keeping you hydrated, and also for making you feel fuller. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day making sure you drink one glass before all your main meals to prevent overeating. Drink even more water anytime you feel hungry.
6. Snack on protein bars
Cutting calories inevitably means you’ll be hungry and want to eat snacks. Most store-bought snacks are unhealthy and contain nothing but sugar and fat. Protein bars, however, might taste like candy bars but contain fewer calories and the extra protein will keep you feeling fuller for longer. Protein is also helpful as it boosts your metabolism leading to faster fat loss. Choose bars providing around 200 calories per serving. Steer clear of the 400 calorie plus mass bars; they contain too many carbs for during a fat loss diet.
7. Superset everything
Burn more calories by doing more work during your exercise program. This is best done by using supersets. Instead of doing a set of an exercise, resting a moment, and then doing another set, choose two exercises and alternate between them e.g. :
- Biceps curls & triceps push downs
- Bench press & lat pull down
- Leg extensions & leg curls
- Crunches & back extensions
Supersets save time and allow you to get more work done in less time or, better still, do more work in the same time.
Another option is to perform your workouts as circuits where you move from one exercise to another to another without resting. This also saves time and increases the calorie burning effect of your workout.
8. Add some cardio
Cardio will help you lose fat faster. Add some cardio to your non-weight training days. 30 minutes three or four times a week should produce noticeable results. Do your cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach for best results. Uphill walking, rowing, running, cycling, and using a stepper are all good choices. Drink a strong coffee and take some branch chain amino acids and creatine to give you energy without calories.
Don’t leave your summer shred to the last minute; allow yourself two or even three months to get in top shape. It’s better to lose fat slowly and preserve your hard-won muscle than try and lose fat too fast and lose a lot of muscle along the way.
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