The majority of our clients want to lose weight and tone up. Occasionally we get clients who want to bulk up with muscle, which, whilst having its own challenges, is often a lot simpler.
Weight loss in theory is actually rather simple: ensure that energy out is greater than energy in. Basicaly this means become more active and reduce caloric intake accordingly.
Some clients want to build muscle and lose fat at the same time - a very tricky task. To build muscle you generally need an excess of calories. The trick is to change the proportions of macronutrients in the diet and to time the intake of proteins and carbohydrates (carbohydrates should generally fall either side of training and, besides the post workout recovery drink/snack, should generally be low GI.
The fastest way to achieve that lean, defined look is to use specific loading parameters and time under tension (with incomplete rest between sets) in order to create high levels of blood lactate. This triggers a huge growth hormone response, and growth hormone not only helps us build muscle but also burns fat.
Optimal nutrition, effective training, and adequate rest (combined with increasing incidental exercise, such as walking to work) will ensure the best results.
The problem comes with adherence and motivation. Often, overweight clients are not entirely truthful about what they are eating (and drinking). If they are training well but go home and drink Coke and eat sweet foods or foods high in saturated fat they are likely to be disappointed with their rate of progress, and disappointment leads to despondency with training.
It is sometimes not enough to encourage clients to keep a food diary. Many will only make progress if their nutritional needs are spelled out for them - daily, easy to follow, menu plans. With some clients, appropriate supplements may make the nutritional side easier or more effective.
Generally, for those wishing to lose weight and build lean tissue, I recommend L-Carnitine (especially just prior to training), L-Glutamine (before and after training), Branch Chain Amino Acids (before and after training), a good quality whey protein, Conjugated Linoleic Acid, Essential Fatty Acids, and (for those who need an extra boost), a thermogenic supplement (i.e. Maximuscles Thermobol or Muscletech's Hydroxycut).
It's also important to protect the immune system with vitamins A,C and E and zinc and magnesium supplementation. Drinking soluble vitamin C (high potency) during training helps to blunt the effect of cortisol, thus preserving lean tissue.
Weight loss in theory is actually rather simple: ensure that energy out is greater than energy in. Basicaly this means become more active and reduce caloric intake accordingly.
Some clients want to build muscle and lose fat at the same time - a very tricky task. To build muscle you generally need an excess of calories. The trick is to change the proportions of macronutrients in the diet and to time the intake of proteins and carbohydrates (carbohydrates should generally fall either side of training and, besides the post workout recovery drink/snack, should generally be low GI.
The fastest way to achieve that lean, defined look is to use specific loading parameters and time under tension (with incomplete rest between sets) in order to create high levels of blood lactate. This triggers a huge growth hormone response, and growth hormone not only helps us build muscle but also burns fat.
Optimal nutrition, effective training, and adequate rest (combined with increasing incidental exercise, such as walking to work) will ensure the best results.
The problem comes with adherence and motivation. Often, overweight clients are not entirely truthful about what they are eating (and drinking). If they are training well but go home and drink Coke and eat sweet foods or foods high in saturated fat they are likely to be disappointed with their rate of progress, and disappointment leads to despondency with training.
It is sometimes not enough to encourage clients to keep a food diary. Many will only make progress if their nutritional needs are spelled out for them - daily, easy to follow, menu plans. With some clients, appropriate supplements may make the nutritional side easier or more effective.
Generally, for those wishing to lose weight and build lean tissue, I recommend L-Carnitine (especially just prior to training), L-Glutamine (before and after training), Branch Chain Amino Acids (before and after training), a good quality whey protein, Conjugated Linoleic Acid, Essential Fatty Acids, and (for those who need an extra boost), a thermogenic supplement (i.e. Maximuscles Thermobol or Muscletech's Hydroxycut).
It's also important to protect the immune system with vitamins A,C and E and zinc and magnesium supplementation. Drinking soluble vitamin C (high potency) during training helps to blunt the effect of cortisol, thus preserving lean tissue.
Nevertheless, no matter how good the exercise programme and the nutritional advice, many clients simply lack the discipline to stick with it. Training not only needs to be effective, for some people, it also needs to be fun, and varied. If you don't achieve adherence in your clients then they may get short term results before returning to old habits. Long-term changes come long-term repetition of the desired behaviour. Is it better to have the "perfect" programme which the client won't adhere to, or the mitigated programme which keeps them coming back for more. At some point, perhaps after months or even years, the client may be ready for the most efficient way to train, but until then it's important to meet their psychological need for variety and enjoyment, leading them all the while towards better and more effective ways of training.
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