Tag: Body Fat
How to Lose Upper Body Fat
Losing fat can be a slow and frustrating process. Whatever diet or exercise routine you use, the results can never come quickly enough. It’s even harder to lose fat from specific areas of your body, such as your lower abs or thighs.
That’s because spot reduction, or losing fat from one area of your body, is impossible. Your body stores fat randomly and globally and burns it much the same way.
That’s not to say you can’t lose fat from your upper body. It’s just that you’ll need to lose it from the rest of your body at the same time. Sadly, when it comes to losing fat, you cannot target just your upper body.
That said, most people need to lose fat from all over, even if they mostly care about one particular body part. Lowering your overall body fat percentage will have the most significant possible impact on how you look, feel, and perform.
In this guide, we reveal the exercise, diet, and lifestyle strategies you need to use to lose fat from your upper body, midsection, and legs.
What Causes Upper Body Fat
Body fat, or, more scientifically, adipose tissue, is caused by several factors, including diet, lifestyle, and physical activity. But, in simple terms, you gain body fat when you consume more calories than you burn. This is called a calorie or energy surplus.
It’s estimated that a pound of body fat is equal to 3,500 calories, so if you eat 500 more calories than you need per day, you’ll gain about one pound of fat per week (seven days x 500 calories = 3,500/one pound).
Now, it’s important to understand that thermodynamics seldom works this precisely, and things like the rate of calorie storage vs. intake vary from person to person. However, it’s unequivocal that overeating, consuming too much junk food, and/or being too sedentary will lead to body fat accumulation and weight gain. High stress levels, too little sleep, certain medications, and genetics can also increase the risk of weight and fat gain.
As previously mentioned, your body stores fat globally, i.e., all over. Some people store more fat in their upper bodies, while others accumulate it in their abdomens or legs. Fat deposition is primarily the result of genetics and, as such, is something you cannot control or change.
The good news is that no matter where your body stores fat, you can eliminate it with diet and exercise. It might not go from where you want initially. But stick to your fat loss plan, and eventually, it’ll go from the places you want to lose it.
Fat Loss Basics
The best way to lose fat and keep it off is to make exercise and healthy eating habitual. Taking positive daily action for many weeks and months will produce better results than crash diets and extreme workout plans that only last a few days.
While workouts that promise to burn 1000 calories can lead to weight loss, the chances are that you won’t be able to maintain such an intense training program for long. The same is true for crash diets, where you only eat a few hundred calories a day. Hunger and cravings are inevitable, and it won’t be long until you cheat or quit your diet.
As such, it’s generally best to adopt a more moderate and enjoyable exercise program and combine it with a sensible diet.
So, forget about things like trying to lose 30 pounds in 30 days and, instead, settle in for the long haul and plan on losing 1-2 pounds a week. This will be far more enjoyable and sustainable, and your chances of success will be exponentially higher.
There are three key components to losing weight and keeping it off – all of which are outlined below.
1. Create a Calorie Deficit
Body fat is stored energy, and the only way to burn that energy is to create a calorie deficit. This means reducing your food intake to below maintenance level. For example, if you need to eat 2,500 calories to maintain your current weight, eating 2,000 would create a 500-calorie deficit. This will force your body to start burning fat for fuel.
It’s generally recommended that you should avoid reducing your calorie intake more than 1000 calories below maintenance. In fact, most people should aim for a 500-calorie-per-day deficit.
There are several ways to create a calorie deficit, including:
Eating smaller meals
Eating fewer meals or missing meals entirely, i.e., intermittent fasting
Eating less fat and fewer high-fat foods
Eliminating certain foods or food groups, e.g., cutting out junk food or carbs
Cutting out alcohol
Replacing high-calorie foods and meals with lower-calorie alternatives
However, any interventions MUST be sustainable. There is no point in starving yourself for a week only to overeat the next. Instead, whatever changes you make must stick, so you can continue doing them for as long as it takes to reach your goal weight or body fat percentage.
In terms of what you should eat to lose fat, this actually isn’t all that important, provided you reduce your calorie intake. However, weight loss is invariably easier when you eat natural, wholesome foods as they tend to be more filling and lower in calories than processed and junk foods.
For example, a typical small cookie contains 60 calories, whereas an apple also has about 60 calories. Needless to say, one cookie is never enough, but very few people feel like eating more than one apple.
Nutrient and fiber-rich foods digest more slowly and help keep you feeling fuller for longer. They also release their energy more smoothly, so you should experience fewer energy dips and cravings. They’re healthier, too, and a healthy body is better at burning fat.
The final thing to remember is that food is one of life’s great pleasures, so you should enjoy what you eat. If you hate your meals or they make you feel unwell, you have a readymade excuse for quitting your diet. Make sure you are comfortable with your dietary interventions, so you can stick with them for as long as necessary.
Use this calculator to determine your ideal calorie deficit for weight loss.
2. Develop A Sustainable Workout Routine
Cutting calories from your diet is only one way to create a caloric deficit. Exercise and general physical activity can also help you to go “overdrawn at the calorie bank.”
Firstly, let’s talk about exercise…
While it is possible to lose weight and burn fat without exercise, it’s much easier with it. In fact, numerous studies suggest that exercise plus diet is much more effective for weight loss than diet or exercise alone [1]. It’s a case of one plus one equals three!
Exercise serves several purposes for fat-burning and weight loss:
Increased caloric expenditure
All types of exercise burn calories at an accelerated rate. Exercising several times per week means you’ll create a more significant weekly calorie deficit. The bigger the calorie debt, the more fat you’ll burn and weight you’ll lose.
For example, let’s say you adjust your diet and create a 500-calorie-per-day deficit, which leads to a one pound per week weight loss. However, you also exercise four times a week, burning an additional 2,000 calories (a not unreasonable 500 calories per workout).
This adds up to a deficit of 5,500 calories, or about 1.57 pounds. Needless to say, this is a significant improvement over what can be achieved with diet alone.
Preservation of muscle mass and resting metabolism
It’s common to lose a little muscle as you lose fat. This causes a reduction in your basal metabolic rate, which is the number of calories you expend during 24 hours at rest. The last thing you want is to burn fewer calories, as doing so will make weight loss even slower.
Exercise, especially strength training, helps preserve muscle mass, reducing the risk of any metabolic slowdown.
This is because your body operates on a system of “use it or lose it.” By engaging in activities that challenge your muscles, your body is less likely to allow them to waste away, knowing it will need them for future workouts.
In addition, losing fat and muscle together can leave you skinny fat. Sure, you’ll be slimmer, but your body will be soft and weak. You’ll look good in clothes, but much less so in your bathing suit.
For this reason, exercisers who want to lose fat should engage in cardio AND strength training for best results.
Focus on your problem areas
While there are no specific exercises or workouts that target upper body fat – spot reduction being a fitness myth – that doesn’t mean that upper body training is a waste of time.
In contrast, it can be very valuable.
Upper body strength training lets you focus on any weak, soft muscles you want to tone up. You may even want to increase muscle size. Developing your upper body means that, as the fat starts to come off, what’s left will look healthy and athletic.
You can work on your chest, shoulders, upper back, core, and arms with strength training. However, don’t neglect your legs, as lower-body training burns more calories and is just as important as your upper body.
Increased dietary latitude
Eating less is one of the most important things you can do for weight loss. However, relying solely on a diet means you’ll have to be very strict with what you do and don’t eat. You may even have to reduce your caloric intake so much that you often feel hungry.
While being hungry is expected on a weight-loss diet, it can wear you down and eat away at your willpower, making it harder to maintain your reduced-calorie diet.
Adding exercise into the mix means you won’t have to slash your food intake so aggressively. You can eat a little more and still lose weight. You can even increase your exercise volume so you can enjoy eating foods that might otherwise derail your progress.
That’s not to say exercise gives you a license to cheat on your diet. However, it does earn you a little more latitude, so you can afford to relax from time to time.
In terms of how much and what type of exercise you should do, that’s up for debate. Some people swear by cardio, while others are fans of strength training. Some experts say you must exercise daily, while others recommend just 3-4 weekly workouts.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to choose activities you enjoy and a training frequency you can stick to. For example, if you only have time for three workouts a week, then that will have to suffice. But if you enjoy working out daily, then by all means, do so.
However, combining strength training with cardio is probably the best approach for most exercisers.
3. Lifestyle Factors
While the food you eat and your workouts will probably have the biggest impact on your weight loss and fat-burning success, certain aspects of your lifestyle can also be very influential.
Avoid sabotaging your hard work in the gym and the kitchen by paying attention to the following lifestyle factors:
Sleep
Poor sleep is often linked to weight gain and difficulty losing weight [2]. Not getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night can rob you of the energy you need to work out, lower your motivation and willpower, increase hunger levels, prime your body for fat storage rather than fat burning, increase cravings, and interfere with blood glucose and insulin levels.
Many people view sleep as a luxury when, in reality, it’s one of the best things you can do for your fitness and mental and physical health. Getting more sleep is usually a matter of going to bed earlier.
You can read more about the importance of sleep for fat loss and muscle gain here.
Stress
Stress is part and parcel of modern life, but too much can lead to weight gain and make fat loss harder than it needs to be. Prolonged stress causes a chronic increase in cortisol levels, a hormone that causes muscle breakdown. Losing muscle lowers your basal metabolic rate and, therefore, your fat-burning potential.
Stress also causes a rise in blood glucose, essentially putting the brakes on fat burning and priming your body for fat storage.
Constant stress also reduces your energy and willpower, and who hasn’t eaten junk food or drunk alcohol in response to stress?
Needless to say, lowering your stress levels can help make losing weight easier. Ways to reduce your stress levels include:
Guided meditations
Breathing exercises
Spending time in nature
Reading
Warm baths
Moderate exercise
Avoiding perfectionism
Better time management
Learning to delegate
Having a morning routine
Cutting down on caffeine and alcohol
Getting enough sleep
Physical activity
Exercise is only one way to burn more calories per day. Non-exercise physical activity (NEPA) also increases your daily caloric expenditure.
Many people are largely sedentary. Even if you exercise five hours a week if you have an office job, drive to and from work, enjoy passive hobbies, and don’t have kids or pets, you may not do enough physical activity to lose weight.
More and more of us earn a living in front of a computer screen. We drive to and from work, get our food delivered, watch TV to relax, and play our sports on game consoles. It’s easy to go several days without doing any meaningful physical activity.
Needless to say, this makes it much harder to lose weight and burn fat.
So, look for ways to inject your life with more movement. Anything that gets you up off your butt and moving your body will increase your caloric expenditure. Examples include:
None of these activities are particularly tiring, so you should have no problem doing plenty of them each day. In fact, if you do enough NEPA, your need for exercise is significantly lower. In fact, you could burn an additional 1000 calories a day just by staying busy:
Activity
Duration
Calories burned (male)
Calories burned (female)
Cleaning gutters
30 minutes
174–249
108–198
Cleaning or sweeping
1 hour
156–228
126–80
Moderate walking
60 minutes
348–498
276–396
Shoveling snow
30 minutes
183–264
147–210
Washing dishes
30 minutes
87–126
69–90
Total
3.5 hours
948–1,365
726–1,074
Try setting the alarm on your watch to sound every hour or so to remind you to get up and move. Even a few minutes will help, and done often enough could add up to several hours of calorie-burning non-exercise physical activity each day.
How to Lose Upper Body Fat – FAQs
Do you have a question about losing upper body fat or weight loss in general? No problem, because we’ve got the answers!
1. What are the best exercises for burning upper body fat?
Sadly, because spot reduction is a fitness myth, there are no exercises you can do that preferentially burn upper body fat. Fat accumulates globally and is used for fuel in much the same way.
There is no way to predict or influence which body fat stores your body will use first. Some people lose fat from their abdomen first, while others may lose it from their hips and thighs. This is genetic and determined by your hormones.
So, work out and diet for general fat loss, and eventually, that fat will come from your upper body, but this may not happen when or as soon as you want it to.
2. Which diet is better – keto, intermittent fasting, or paleo?
Keto Breakfast fried eggs, salmon, broccoli and microgreen.
Any diet that puts you into a caloric deficit will lead to fat loss, and there are a lot of different diets to choose from. While it’s generally best to avoid very low-calorie crash or fad diets, as they can be impossible to stick to, almost any diet will work, including the aforementioned keto, IF, and paleo.
The key to dietary success is picking a plan you can live with. Not for a week or a month but for as long as it takes to reach your target weight or body fat percentage. So, do some research and see which diet resonates with you.
For example, if you don’t like eating lots of protein and fat, keto is not the plan for you. Similarly, if you like eating three meals plus snacks per day, you’re probably going to hate intermittent fasting.
Alternatively, instead of following an off-the-peg diet, you could create your own healthy eating plan. Check out this guide to find out how.
3. How long does it take to lose upper body fat?
The rate at which you’ll lose fat depends on how much exercise you do and how large your caloric deficit is. For example, if you create a 500-calorie-per-day deficit, you should lose about one pound of fat per week. But, if you double that to 1000 calories per day, you could lose as much as two pounds per week.
However, more significant deficits are usually harder to maintain. Hunger can grind down your willpower and cause you to cheat on your diet. That’s why most experts recommend losing between 1-2 pounds per week.
While this might not sound like a lot, it’ll add up over time, and your progress will be more sustainable. When it comes to losing weight and keeping it off, slow and steady is generally best.
4. Which is better for fat loss – steady-pace cardio or high-intensity interval training?
Broadly speaking, there are two types of cardio – low-intensity steady state (LISS) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). It’s often said that HIIT is better for fat loss, but this is not necessarily the case.
HIIT workouts burn more calories per minute than LISS, but they tend to be shorter, too. Also, because they’re so darn hard, you may not be able to do them every day.
In contrast, LISS burns fewer calories per minute, but you can go for a long time and potentially do them more often. As such, you may be able to burn more calories using LISS than HIIT.
Ultimately, both workouts can help you lose fat, so try them both and see which you prefer. Alternatively, do HIIT one day and LISS the next to enjoy all the benefits these two different workouts have to offer.
Read more about LISS vs. HIIT cardio here.
5. How can walking help me lose weight?
Walking is arguably one of the easiest ways to accelerate fat loss. It’s low intensity, so you can do lots of it, and it won’t tire you out or take anything away from your more strenuous workouts. In fact, walking can speed up your recovery by increasing general blood flow and flushing away exercise waste and byproducts.
But how much should you do to lose weight? There are a couple of ways to answer this question.
Firstly, you could choose a specific number of calories you want to burn and then determine how much walking you need to hit that goal. Use this calculator to estimate your walking needs.
Alternatively, you could clock up a certain number of steps each day, e.g., 7000, and then see how much weight you’ve lost at the end of the week. Not losing weight fast enough? Increase your step count by 15-20%. Most people can get good results by walking 10-15,000 steps a day.
Related: How to Walk for Fitness and Fat Loss
Finally, you could try incorporating rucking into your workouts. Rucking is walking with a weighted backpack and is arguably the best way to walk for fat loss. You can read more about rucking here.
Regardless, when it comes to deciding how much walking to do for faster fat loss, the answer is usually “do more.” You’ve got nothing to lose but fat.
Related:
How to Lose Upper Body Fat – Closing Thoughts
Sadly, there is no diet, exercise, or workout that preferentially targets upper body fat. Spot reduction is a myth. If spot reduction worked, everyone who did lots of abs training would have a rock-hard ultra-defined six-pack. You only need to look in the abs class at your local gym to see that isn’t the case!
So, instead of trying to burn fat from your upper body, train your body as a single, cohesive unit, and lose it from all over. Combine cardio and strength training with a sensible diet, and you WILL lose fat.
Be patient, let your body do its thing, and eventually, you’ll lose that upper body fat and the fat around your hips, thighs, and abs, too.
References:
Joseph G, Arviv-Eliashiv R, Tesler R. A comparison of diet versus diet + exercise programs for health improvement in middle-aged, overweight women. Women’s Health (Lond). 2020 Jan-Dec;16:1745506520932372. doi: 10.1177/1745506520932372. PMID: 32597335; PMCID: PMC7325539.
Papatriantafyllou E, Efthymiou D, Zoumbaneas E, Popescu CA, Vassilopoulou E. Sleep Deprivation: Effects on Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance. Nutrients. 2022 Apr 8;14(8):1549. doi: 10.3390/nu14081549. PMID: 35458110; PMCID: PMC9031614.
Female Muscle Growth: Unleash Your True Potential
Traditionally, muscle and women haven’t gone together. The overriding view has been that muscle will make a woman look manly, less athletic, and less feminine. Thankfully, we are entering into a more enlightened age. Millions of ladies around the world have discovered the truth about what eating and exercising to add muscle to their physique can do for them. Building muscle can help women:
Improve their figure
Eliminate body fat
Improve aesthetics
Boost strength, self-confidence, and inner conviction
As a personal trainer, I’ve spent 35+ years introducing women to the benefits of muscle training and working with them to get serious about weight training and nutrition to create a toned, athletic, muscular body.
In this article, I lay out a complete beginner’s guide to female muscle growth.
Taking Stock
When you start on a journey, you need a roadmap. It’s the same thing with building muscle. That roadmap begins with an assessment of where you are starting from. To find that out, you need to take some vital statistics.
Take the following body measurements:
To do this, you’ll need a smart scale. You can pick up a good one for around $80. These scales pair to a phone app to provide you with important data, including your lean body mass and body fat percentage.
To take your body measurements, you will need a tape measure.
Measure the following body parts:
Upper arm (flexed)
Chest
Stomach (around the belly button)
Hips
Mid Thigh
Take these body measurements once every week to assess your progress. Be aware, though, that you will be reshaping your body by both losing fat and adding muscle. Because muscle is heavier than fat, you may not lose as much weight on the scale as expected. The key parameters to focus on are your body fat percentage and lean body mass.
How Should Women Train?
The idea that women are delicate beings persists. As the saying goes, they are the weaker sex – the rose to the man’s thorn. Men are meant to be the strong ones. It may be sexist and stereotypical, but it’s still stuck in our collective mindset.
That’s why you can still walk into any gym and see the racks of heavy iron on one side, all dark and imposing – and then the tiny, cute pink dumbbells on the other. That’s the women’s side. Well, it’s time to blast the notion that men and women, with the same goal, need to train differently out of the water once and for all.
Muscle is Muscle
Women do not need to train differently than men to build muscle. Until one of us – men or women – starts restructuring our cell’s molecular composition or growing new types of muscle fiber, we all need to train in the same manner. You see, whether a muscle belongs to a man or a woman, it will react to stress in the same way. It will need the same type of stimulus to grow, the same form of fuel to repair itself, and an identical amount of rest to recuperate. So, fundamentally men and women should train the same.
Differing Goals
Weights are a tool. What we want to achieve from the tool will dictate how we use it. Some female weight trainers desire muscular size and strength gains, while others are after a toned, shapely look. Those goals require different workout plans.
For size and strength, you’ll train super heavy with lots of sets to failure and relatively low reps. Those more intent on defining and shaping the muscle should perform sets in the 8-30 rep range and include isolation exercises. Notice, though, that it is the goal and not the gender that determines the nature of the weight training. After all, there are many women out there who do desire larger, stronger muscles. These women will train just like men to achieve their goals.
Meet Your Muscles
The first step toward adding lean muscle mass to your body is to become aware of the different muscles that make up your amazing body.
Here’s an overview:
Shoulders
The shoulders consist of three muscles — the front, side, and rear deltoids. The shoulders pull the humerus (upper arm bone) out to the side (middle delt), out to the front (front delt), and behind the body (rear delt). Here are shoulder workouts for designed for women.
Chest
There are two parts to your chest muscles — the pectoralis major and minor. The pec major sits on top of the pec minor. The main job of the chest is to push your arms away from your body and towards its center line.
Trapezius
The trapezius, or traps, is a kite-shaped muscle that covers the area from your neck to the mid-spine. It allows the scapular bones to move up and down and in and out.
Latissimus Dorsi
The latissimus dorsi (or lats) is a large muscle that originates at the ribs and inserts at the top of the humerus. Well-developed lats give a pleasing ‘V’ shape to the torso.
Erector Spinae
The erector spinae are the muscles at the base of the spine. They run all the way from the pelvis up to the neck. Its main job is to extend or pull back the spine.
Biceps
The biceps are a two-headed muscle. Their main function is to flex the elbow, bringing the wrist up towards the shoulder. They also assist in wrist supination. Here are three arm workouts specifically designed for women.
Triceps
The triceps, at the back of your upper arm, is a three-headed muscle group. All three heads originate at the shoulder joint and insert on the elbow. The job of the triceps is to straighten the arm through elbow flexion. It is the antagonist (opposite) muscle to the biceps.
Abdominals
The abdominals are a flat muscle band covering the lower front torso. These muscles allow for flexion of the torso, bringing the chest toward the knees.
Quadriceps
The quadriceps comprises four heads, which run from the hip/pelvis to the knee. These muscles combine to perform flexion and extension of the knee, as well as lateral and medial rotation.
Calves
Two muscles make up the calves — the gastrocnemius, which flexes the ankle, and the soleus, which assists in that ankle flexion.
Glutes
There are three parts to your glute (butt) muscles — the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. These muscles combine to allow for hip extension, abduction, and rotation. Additionally, here are three glute workouts specifically tailored for women.
Hamstrings
The hamstrings are sometimes known as the leg biceps. That’s because they do the same job as the biceps, which is to flex and extend the limb’s joint — in this case, the knee. It is the antagonistic muscle group to the quadriceps.
How to Get More Out of Your Muscle Growth Workouts
Building muscle is hard work, and it’s even harder for women than it is for men. That’s because they have less testosterone coursing through their veins. If you want to be successful, you need to be totally locked in when you are on the gym floor. Here are five training tips to help you optimize your workouts:
1. Get Rid of Distractions
When you are in the gym, you need to be in the moment with what you are doing. Every distraction needs to be eliminated so that you can focus like a laser beam on the movement that your body is undergoing.
That means the gym is not a place for your smartphone, social chit-chat, or daydreaming about what you’ll do on the weekend. Leave that to the wannabes who will be spinning their wheels for the next five years.
You also have to turn off the negative voice inside your head that is constantly telling you that you can’t do what you intend to do. We all have that voice. It’s the ones of us who can quash it who are the ones who make real gains. When you can override the voice that tells you to bail out of a set because you could be late for the next appointment or overtrain, you can push your set to the required limit.
2. Two Key Body Position Changes
The positioning of your elbows and your sternum is something that most weight trainers don’t really think about. However, they are vital to optimal performance. Rather than starting a lift with rounded shoulders, think about pulling your shoulders back and extending the chest. You can do this by pulling the shoulder blades back and together while also lifting the sternum.
When you are performing any pulling type of resistance exercise, don’t think about pulling with your hands. Rather focus on pulling from the elbows so as to bring them back and behind your torso. Consider your hands and forearms simply to be the hooks that connect your elbows to the resistance.
4. Put Yourself on the Clock
You’ll recall that earlier I stated that the gym floor is no place for your smartphone. The exemption to that rule is that you can utilize the stopwatch function on your phone to increase the intensity of your training. Of course, you can only do this if you have the discipline not to use any of the social media features of your phone while you’re training. If you can’t, go out and buy a simple stopwatch!
The first thing you can do with your stopwatch is to limit your rest between sets. This could be 30, 60, or 90 seconds, according to your training goals, but the key is to keep it consistent.
You can also use your stopwatch on finishing exercises in order to get the most out of your body-part training. For example, let’s say that you’ve come to the end of your shoulder workout.
Set your stopwatch for 60 seconds and then grab a relatively light pair of dumbbells and hold them out at a 45-degree angle from your body as the stopwatch counts down for 60 seconds. As soon as your time is up, start pressing the weights overhead. Your goal is to get to 50 reps, but you won’t get there. Let’s say you get to 29 reps and then can’t do another one. Now you have to immediately go back to that static hold but this time for 30 seconds. Once that is done, continue your pressing reps. If you get right through to 50 reps, then you are done. But if you fail before 50, you have to do another 30 seconds hold before continuing.
This is a great finisher that can be adapted to any body part.
4. Minimize Energy Links
Many lifters are losing out on a lot of their strength potential by inadvertently causing energy leaks. Often these occur through the core area. In effect, they steal away from the upward-lifting power you exert by using it for horizontal bracing.
You can easily overcome this problem by bracing or tightening your core on every repetition that you perform. You can do this by pulling your lats down while tightening your abs and squeezing your pectoral muscles.
Another important cue that will allow you to stop energy leaks is to forcefully squeeze your glutes at the top of a rep. This will ensure maximum stability.
5. Descending Sets
Descending sets are a great way to extend a set to eke out the last bit of possible movement from the target muscle. It involves performing a set number of reps with a given weight, then dropping the weight slightly, and going for the same number again. Repeat this process for four or five drops until you are working with half of your original weight (though it will feel like twice as much).
As an example, consider the standing overhead shoulder press. Stand in front of a dumbbell rack and grab a pair that will allow you to get a good six reps. Perform your set and then
re-rack the weight. Immediately pick up the next pair and rep out another six reps. Keep going down the rack for another three drops without any rest. Your delts will be on fire, and your gains will be guaranteed.
What Really Happens When You Work Out?
You’re at war with the weight when you’re in the gym. You imagine that the weight is mocking you, laughing at your inability to lift it. So, you throw yourself against it with maximum intensity. You leave nothing on the gym floor. When you walk out of there, your muscles are quivering and pumped to the max.
And, yet, you haven’t built one ounce of muscle.
In fact, you’ve done just the opposite. Your intense training has broken your muscles. The immense challenge of lifting all that weight has caused minute tears in their
fiber. When you walk out of the gym, you are in a catabolic (muscle-depleting) state.
It’s what happens after the workout that determines whether or not you build any mass. That’s because growth happens during the recovery phase, not during the training phase.
The Importance of Recovery
Your workout has paved the way for muscle growth. What is needed now is muscle recovery, which involves re-feeding, resting, and recuperating. By doing these things, you can
repair the microfiber damage that has been done to the muscle fiber. If you provide it with the correct nutrients and sufficient recovery time, your muscle will grow bigger and stronger.
If you don’t recover sufficiently, however, the opposite will happen. Rather than getting bigger and stronger, your muscles will get smaller and weaker. That’s because you won’t be giving it
the opportunity to repair the damage you’ve inflicted upon it during your workout.
Here are four tips to help you to optimize your workout recovery:
Know When to Stop
We’ve all heard the phrase, “No pain, no gain,” right?
Well, many trainers lack the experience to understand the difference between beneficial muscle extension and contraction pain that engorges the muscle cell with blood and lactic acid and the pain that is actually harming their body.
As a result, they slip into an overtrained state, which dramatically impairs their recovery ability.
You don’t want to push your body to the limit in every single workout. Sure, there’s a place for taking your training to the limit, but there’s also a place for pushing just a little beyond your comfort zone.
Make it your goal to do a little bit more than you did last workout, not to destroy the muscle.
Take Stretching Seriously
Most people who work out don’t take stretching seriously. If they do it at all, it’s usually just a few seconds that mimics the exercises they’re about to do. Stretching, though, is an important part of the muscle-building and recovery equation.
A stretched muscle is a more flexible muscle. Stretching the muscle allows you to perform your exercises through a complete range of motion. However, stretching after your workout is even more important.
During your training, you have built up a great deal of muscular tension. Incorporating stretching as part of your cool-down routine will reduce this tension while lessening post-workout muscle soreness.
Improve the Quality and Quantity of Your Sleep
Sleep is an underrated part of recovery. Yet, it is the period when the vast majority of the muscle recovery process occurs.
When you get 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night, your body can go to work to repair and rebuild muscle tissue that has been broken down during your workout. It can do this more effectively because it doesn’t have to carry out the myriad of other daytime functions it is called upon to perform.
During deep sleep, two vital muscle-building hormones are released at maximum levels. These two hormones – testosterone and growth hormone – will greatly boost the muscle repair process.
For the effects of sleep to provide maximum recovery benefits, you need to stick to a regular night-time schedule that gives you 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Take a slow-release casein protein supplement 30 minutes before bed to provide your muscles with the required nutrients for cell repair.
Stay Hydrated
Your entire body performs better when you drink water. You will be able to absorb nutrients more quickly and effectively, which will help you get crucial amino acids into the muscle cell more quickly.
Aim to drink half a gallon (around 2 liters) of water daily.
Nutrition for Female Muscle Growth
What you eat is the most important factor for adding muscle to your body. Food provides the nutrients that fuel your muscle cells and the building blocks to create new muscles. All the training in the world will not bring results unless it is supported by sensible, quality nutrition.
Macros
Food has three main, or macro, nutrients — protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
We measure the energy in foods in calories. There are four calories in one gram of protein and carbs and nine calories in one gram of fat.
All three of the macros are needed by the body. When it comes to building muscle, however, the most important macro is protein. Proteins are made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle tissue. Carbohydrates are also important as they provide the energy to fuel you through your workouts.
We suggest the following macronutrient ratio:
50% carbs
30% protein
20% fat
Focus on lean protein sources:
In terms of carbohydrates, concentrate on green leafy vegetables, starches such as sweet potatoes and yams, rolled oats as well as fruits like bananas and apples.
Supplements for Female Muscle Growth
Working out places a lot of stress on the body. To meet those demands and undertake the needed bodily repair and recovery, you need more nutrients than sedentary people. Even when you are following a healthy, balanced diet, there are several nutrients you probably won’t get in sufficient quantity to meet your body’s needs. That’s where supplements come in.
Here are seven proven muscle-building supplements that you should consider:
1. Beta-Alanine
During your workout, when insulin levels are high, beta-alanine rushes into the muscle fiber, where it combines with the amino acid histidine to form carnosine. Carnosine helps buffer the acidity level inside muscle fibers so they can contract with more strength for longer periods.
Research shows that supplementing with beta-alanine increases muscle strength, power, and endurance. [1]
Ideal dosage for females: 2-4 g
2. Creatine
Several studies have shown that creatine can improve power and strength when combined with resistance training. It delivers the extra phosphocreatine your body needs to restore its ATP (adenosine triphosphate) stores. ATP is the body’s main energy source. Yet, after around 10 seconds of intense exercise, your body will exhaust its ATP supplies. Creatine will provide the boost you need to complete those last couple of muscle-stimulating reps. [2]
Many people choose to take their creatine separately from their pre-workout.
3. Tyrosine
The amino acid tyrosine has been clinically proven to increase training endurance without any jittery side effects. It also improves stamina and focus. The body uses it as a precursor to the key neurotransmitters epinephrine and dopamine. [3]
Ideal dosage for females: 1-3 g
4. B Vitamins
The B-complex vitamins, especially B6 (pyridoxine) and B12 (cobalamin), are vital for the body’s energy-producing process. Their main job is to convert food into energy. Other B-complex vitamins to look out for are thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), and folate (B9). [4]
Ideal dosage for females: B6 (50-100 mg); B12 (50-400) mcg [micrograms]
5. Caffeine
We all know that caffeine is a powerful central nervous system booster. However, the voluminous research on the world’s most popular stimulant has also been shown to be a powerful strength and muscle builder and a blunter of muscle pain. Look for the anhydrous form of caffeine, which has been shown to be the most effective. Be sure to stay under the maximum recommended dosage to avoid a dramatic energy crash and jittery reaction. [5]
6. Citrulline
The body takes citrulline and converts it into arginine. It then becomes nitric oxide (NO). To achieve a pump in the gym, you need to boost your NO levels. NO is a vasodilator that expands the blood vessels to allow more blood to surge into the muscle.
Taking citrulline before arginine will boost the body’s blood levels of arginine. Arginine taken directly will see a lot of it taken up by the intestines. [6]
Ideal dosage for females: 3-6 g
7. Arginine
Arginine converts directly to nitric oxide in the bloodstream. To get as much arginine as possible, look for alternatives to L–arginine as arginine-AKG or arginine-HCL. [7]
Ideal dosage for females: 3-5 g
6 Myths About Women & Weights — Busted!
Weight training has come a long way in the last few decades. Years ago, even men were told that lifting weights would make them slow and muscle-bound; that athletes would lose their edge; and that, really, there was very little benefit to the whole thing.
Today, we know that none of those things are true! But when it comes to women and weights, many myths still prevent women from getting the figures they want in the gym.
It’s time to set the record straight once and for all with six of the most common misconceptions about women, weight training, and muscle.
1. Weight Training Will Make Women Look Masculine
Dana Linn Bailey via @danalinnbailey
Let’s get this right from the outset: women will never develop the muscles of a man unless they take a whole lot of artificial testosterone (i.e., steroids). Women simply do not have enough of it naturally. Testosterone, the main driver of muscle growth, is a male hormone, meaning women have between 90 and 95 percent less of it than a guy.
The result of lower testosterone levels is that women will have to work very hard and with a lot of determined focus to add every pound of muscle to their bodies. They won’t get bulky by accident!
The great thing about weight training is that it is a tool that allows you to shape your body the way you want. If you want to achieve a slightly bulkier body like Dana Linn Bailey, you can do that. However, if your goal is to end up with a lean, athletic body like three-time Bikini Olympia champion Ashley Kaltwasser, then you can do that, too!
2. Women Should Train Differently From Men
Of course, there are some major anatomical differences between men and women. When it comes to our skeletal muscles, however, we are pretty much identical. There are obviously differences in muscle size, and women have more slow-twitch muscle fibers than men. However, men and women have the same muscle insertion and attachment points, and the fibers travel in the same direction. That’s all that counts when it comes to working out with weights.
Take the quadriceps muscles. You have four of them (hence the name). So does every guy. All four of those quad muscles attach and insert in the same places. That means the exercises that will best strengthen and build the quadriceps for you are the same ones that will strengthen and build the quadriceps for a guy.
The same thing goes for every muscle in your body.
Bottom line: The same exercises are needed for women and men to get bigger and stronger muscles.
3. Olympic Lifting is Too Dangerous for Women
Olympic lifting mainly refers to two specific lifts;
There are several variations of these two moves, which are done in the gym. They are all functional compound movements that will make you get strong fast. They will also help you burn off body fat and improve your muscular and cardiovascular endurance.
Olympic lifting can be dangerous, but so can running on the treadmill. So long as you learn the proper technique, warm up properly every time, and progressively increase your resistance, you will benefit immensely by adding Olympic lifts to your routine. Start with just an unloaded bar and go from there.
4. Women Should Use Light Weights & High Reps to Get Toned
There’s no such thing as ‘toning’ a muscle. There is only making it stronger, bigger, and more defined. As we have already discovered, working on your nutrition is key to getting defined muscles. Calorie-burning exercises like full-body compound strength training workouts will also help remove body fat and enhance your muscular definition.
Light weights are beneficial as part of a complete weight training program. Your body has two types of muscle fiber: fast twitch and slow twitch. Doing high reps (as high as 50 reps) and low reps (as low as 6 reps) will help you develop all of your muscle fibers. But concentrating on high reps in the belief that it will get your muscles more defined is a myth that needs to be buried once and for all!
5. Stick to the Treadmill to Get Lean
Getting lean includes:
Stripping off body fat
Developing muscle
When it comes to removing fat from your body, 75 percent of your results depend on what you put in your mouth. To lose fat, you must create a caloric deficit, which requires eating fewer calories daily than your body burns.
You also need to expend more energy throughout the day. The best form of exercise to do that is debatable, but one thing is certain: weight training helps remove fat while strengthening and building muscle. Walking, or even running, on the treadmill will not build muscle.
A smart training plan will combine strength training with a high-intensity form of cardio training called HIIT — exactly like you’ll find in my FitQueen Challenges.
6. Older Women Should Avoid the Weight Room
Nothing could be further from the truth!
A plethora of research over the last few years is establishing strength training as the most important thing people over 50 can do to turn back the signs of aging. In the past, the few seniors who discovered the benefits of strength training in these studies did so as part of their rehab program after an injury or accident. We now know that proactively beginning a strength training program in your 40s or 50s can help prevent accidents or injuries from occurring in the first place.
Studies conducted over the past decade have shown that regular strength training can significantly reduce the symptoms of the following age-related conditions:
Arthritis
Poor balance
Diabetes
Osteoporosis
Obesity
Back pain
Breathing problems
Depression
Dementia
In addition to making you far less likely to suffer from these and other health conditions, strength training will make you more functional in your everyday tasks.
And don’t think that just because you’re in your 60s or 70s, you need to stick to the baby weights. Your muscles, joints, and bones will respond just as well to heavy weights as those of a 20-year-old!
Wrap Up
The days of women working out with pretty pink weights to ‘tone’ their bodies are over. Today’s woman wants an athletic, muscular, lean physique, and she knows that she’s got to get serious in the gym to get it.
In this article, we’ve discovered that you have to train just as hard and heavy as the guys to build muscle. We’ve also seen that what you eat matters. Focus on lean proteins, complex carbs, and the key supplements we identified. Train consistently, eat smartly, and focus on recovery and you will steadily add the lean muscle that you desire.
References
Derave W, Ozdemir MS, Harris RC, Pottier A, Reyngoudt H, Koppo K, Wise JA, Achten E. beta-Alanine supplementation augments muscle carnosine content and attenuates fatigue during repeated isokinetic contraction bouts in trained sprinters. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2007 Nov;103(5):1736-43. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00397.2007. Epub 2007 Aug 9. PMID: 17690198.
Cooper R, Naclerio F, Allgrove J, Jimenez A. Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sports performance: an update. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2012 Jul 20;9(1):33. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-9-33. PMID: 22817979; PMCID: PMC3407788.
Ipson BR, Green RA, Wilson JT, Watson JN, Faull KF, Fisher AL. Tyrosine aminotransferase is involved in the oxidative stress response by metabolizing meta-tyrosine in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Biol Chem. 2019 Jun 14;294(24):9536-9554. doi: 10.1074/jbc.RA118.004426. Epub 2019 May 1. PMID: 31043480; PMCID: PMC6579467.
Kennedy DO. B Vitamins and the Brain: Mechanisms, Dose and Efficacy–A Review. Nutrients. 2016 Jan 27;8(2):68. doi: 10.3390/nu8020068. PMID: 26828517; PMCID: PMC4772032.
Fisone G, Borgkvist A, Usiello A. Caffeine as a psychomotor stimulant: mechanism of action. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2004 Apr;61(7-8):857-72. doi: 10.1007/s00018-003-3269-3. PMID: 15095008.
National Center for Biotechnology Information (2023). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 9750, Citrulline. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
McConell GK. Effects of L-arginine supplementation on exercise metabolism. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2007 Jan;10(1):46-51. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e32801162fa. PMID: 17143054.
Fat vs. Muscle Weight: How to Tell the Difference
Many exercisers judge their progress by their body weight. Religiously they hop on the scales, hoping to see their weight moving toward their goal. Whether you want to build muscle or lose fat, stalled scales can be a source of frustration, leaving you wondering if you need to change your diet or your workout – again.
Here’s the problem with relying on your weight to assess your progress: the scales cannot differentiate between fat, muscle, or any of the other substances that make up your total body mass.
As such, you could be succeeding despite the reading on the scale. For example, you could lose fat, gain muscle, and your weight remains unchanged. This may look like a failure on paper, but in reality, it will have a significant impact on how you look, feel, and perform.
In this article, we discuss the differences between fat and muscle, and how to really tell if you are making good progress.
An Introduction to Body Composition
When you get on your scales, whatever device you are using measures your total body mass. This includes whatever clothes you are wearing and any food in your digestive system.
Broadly speaking, your body mass can be broken down into two components:
Fat mass
Fat-free mass (FFM)
The relationship between your fat mass and FFM mass is generally referred to as your body composition, which is expressed as a percentage. This percentage, e.g., 15%, is the amount of your total weight that’s made up of body fat. The remaining percentage is deemed to be your fat-free mass.
Your FFM can be sub-divided into several more components, including:
Water
Skin
Organs
Bones
Substrates and chemicals
So, when you lose or gain weight, the quantities of any of these components could have changed. For example, you could be more or less hydrated, have more or less glycogen (stored glucose) in your liver and muscles, or have lost bone mass.
Your weight can even fluctuate throughout the day. Most people gain and lose several pounds each day. For example, you may weigh less after a workout because of dehydration but more after a meal because of the undigested food in your stomach. Most people are lightest on waking and heaviest at the end of the day.
However, none of these transitory changes means you’ve gained or lost muscle or fat. Instead, the only thing that has changed is your body weight. This is akin to weighing yourself naked and then fully clothed.
Because of all these potential variables, your weight is an unreliable indicator of your body composition. Instead, you need to be able to differentiate between changes in fat and fat-free mass. Body composition changes are MUCH more important than your body weight and tend not to fluctuate as much.
Related: FFMI Calculator: Find Your Fat Free Mass Index
Body Fat Basics
In simple terms, body fat is stored energy. When you eat too much food, your body converts it into fat for later use. Fat cells are called adipocytes, and body fat is stored as adipose tissue.
Cosmetologist Using Caliper To Measure Body Fat
Then, if you fail to consume enough food and have insufficient energy, your body will release and burn body fat for fuel. It’s estimated that one pound of body fat contains around 3,500 calories.
However, body fat is more than just an inert substance your body can use for energy; it’s also an organ with several additional functions. That’s why very low body fat levels are often considered unhealthy and can even be dangerous; you NEED body fat to live and function correctly.
The additional functions of body fat include:
Shape
Insulation and temperature regulation
Protection of internal organs, including the brain
Storage and utilization of vitamins A, D, E, and K
Protein utilization
Hormone regulation, e.g., production of the satiety hormone leptin and the hunger hormone ghrelin
Body fat can be classified according to where it’s located in your body – visceral and subcutaneous (1). Visceral fat is stored around the internal organs and is considered to be a risk to health. Visceral fat is also known as belly fat and can only be accurately detected by MRI or CT scan.
In contrast, subcutaneous fat is found between the skin and muscles and presents less of a health risk than visceral fat. You can see and even pinch subcutaneous body fat. You also store a small amount of fat in your bone marrow.
Body fat can be divided into two more categories – white fat cells and brown fat cells.
White fat makes up the majority of fat in adults and is used for energy and energy storage. Brown fat, on the other hand, is mainly used for thermogenesis or heat production. Babies have a lot of brown fat and use it to stay warm in infancy, while adults tend to have less.
Because of its myriad functions, a certain amount of body fat is deemed essential, and lowering your body fat below this level could harm your health.
The percentage of essential body fat is:
2-5 percent for men
10-13% for women
While athletes can achieve very low levels of body fat, e.g., for bodybuilding competitions, they usually only maintain this level of extreme leanness for a few days or weeks. Then, out of season, they return to a more sustainable and healthy body fat percentage.
Try: Body Fat US Navy and Body Fat Skinfold Calculator
Muscle Basics
There are three types of muscle tissue in the human body. Each is highly specialized and has specific functions. The three types of muscle tissue are:
Cardiac muscle – found in the heart
Smooth muscle – used to make tubes and organs
Skeletal muscle – responsible for movement
Of these three, skeletal muscle is the most important for body composition.
There are over 600 muscles in the human body, ranging from huge to tiny. For example, the gluteus maximus is the biggest skeletal muscle, the sartorius is the longest, and the stapedius, an auditory muscle, is the smallest. Some muscles are very well known, such as the biceps, while others are much less so, such as the quadratus lumborum.
Muscles are contractile, meaning they shorten to produce force. Innervated or controlled by motor nerves, muscles cross joints and are connected to your bones by tough fibrous cords and straps called tendons. Muscles are made up of bundles and bundles of muscle fibers. The smallest contractile unit of a muscle is called a sarcomere.
Broadly speaking, there are two types of muscles:
Tonic
Phasic
Tonic muscles produce low amounts of force for long periods to maintain your posture. They’re the endurance muscles of the human body. In contrast, phasic muscles produce force intermittently and on demand to produce movements. Phasic muscles tend to be more powerful but are quick to fatigue.
All muscle fibers fall into one of three types:
Type 1a – also known as slow twitch muscle fibers. Type 1a fibers are red in color and have an excellent blood supply. They are very enduring but are not very strong, and nor do they have much potential for hypertrophy or growth.
Type 2b – also known as fast twitch muscle fibers. Type 2b fibers are white and have a relatively poor blood supply. They’re very powerful but also tend to fatigue quickly. They have the greatest potential for hypertrophy.
Type 2a – this type of fiber is trainable and adapts to the demands placed on them. They can become like type 1a or type 2b fibers depending on the kind of workouts you do. They can switch back and forth between jobs as required, e.g., if you quit lifting weights and take up running.
Your muscle fiber mix is determined by your genetics. Some people are slow-twitch dominant and naturally good at endurance activities such as long-distance cycling. Other people are equipped with more fast-twitch fibers and tend to be naturally stronger, faster, and more muscular.
Regardless of this, because of type 2b fibers, you can always train and improve your strength or endurance despite the dominance of one particular fiber type. However, your potential is limited by your genetics, which is why some people are better at certain sports than others.
Fat vs. Muscle – The Differences
Now you know a little more about fat and muscle, let’s take a moment to compare these two types of tissue:
Contractility
While you can flex and contract your muscles, you cannot contract fat. This is why someone can be big but weak or small but strong.
Sure, strongman competitors and some powerlifters carry a lot of body fat, but beneath that fat are some massive muscles. Many heavyweight lifters believe that “it takes mass to move mass,” and the extra weight can be helpful in dragging and pushing events.
Summary: Muscle contracts, while fat does not.
Blood Supply
Muscle tissue has e very good blood supply, even those muscles deemed to be fast twitch. This ensures they receive a steady supply of oxygen, and that carbon dioxide, the by-product of aerobic respiration, can easily be removed.
Blood supply increases with training, so even more, oxygen can be delivered to the working muscles. This is achieved through capillarization, which is the increase in the number of capillaries (thread-like veins) that supply the muscle.
Adipose tissue also has a blood supply. However, it tends to be lower than for muscle tissue.
Summary: Both muscle and fat have a blood supply. However, the blood supply to muscles tends to be greater.
Metabolic Activity
Metabolic activity is the amount of energy your body burns at rest. It’s also known as your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, and is expressed in calories per 24 hours. A higher BMR can make it easier to lose or maintain a healthy body weight and body fat percentage.
Muscle is more metabolically active than the same amount of fat. For example, it’s estimated that a pound of muscle uses 4-7 calories per hour. In contrast, a pound of fat uses just two (2).
As such, depending on body composition, two people who weigh the same can have very different resting metabolic rates, with the more muscular person burning more calories per 24 hours, even without added physical activity. This explains why some muscular people need to eat more to maintain their weight.
Summary: Muscle tissue burns 200-300% more calories than fat.
Density
Contrary to what many people believe, muscle is not heavier than fat, and a pound of fat and a pound of muscle both weigh one pound!
However, muscle IS denser than fat. This means a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. Because of this, you can lose fat, gain muscle, and completely change your clothing size despite your body weight remaining relatively unchanged.
Fat has a density of about 0.9g/cm3, and muscle has a density of 1.06g/cm3 (3+4). So, if you put one pound of muscle and one pound of fat on a scale, there would be more fat than muscle.
Summary: Muscle is roughly 10% more dense than fat. As such, fat takes up more space than the same amount of muscle.
How to Tell If You Are Gaining or Losing Fat or Muscle
Because of things like fat vs. muscle density and how changeable your body weight can be, it’s clear that the scales are not a reliable way to assess your progress. In fact, the scales can tell you are failing when, in fact, you are knocking it out of the park and making significant changes to your body composition.
So, how can you tell if you are gaining or losing fat or muscle? Use the following strategies and discover the truth.
Get a body composition assessment
Body composition assessments determine your body fat percentage. There are several assessment options to choose from, all offering varying degrees of accuracy. But, at the end of your test, you will have an estimate of your body fat percentage.
Assessment options include:
Monitoring your body fat percentage over the coming months will reveal if you are losing or gaining fat or muscle.
You’re gaining weight but losing inches
Gaining or maintaining weight while losing inches, e.g., around your hips or waist, is an excellent indicator that you are shedding fat while building muscle. Remember, muscle is denser than fat, so fat takes up more space on your body. The process of losing fat while gaining muscle is often called recomping.
Read more about recomping here.
You’re getting stronger
Strength increases are a good indicator that you’re building muscle. After all, muscle is contractile tissue, whereas body fat is not.
However, you can also get stronger because of improved neurological function and better lifting technique. That said, if your lifts are increasing from week to week, it’s a safe bet that at least some of your progress is due to increased muscle mass.
Conversely, while the occasional bad workout doesn’t mean much, if you are getting consistently weaker, you could be losing muscle. Although, consistent training should make this less of a likelihood.
Your muscle definition is improving
Has the outline of your abs started to emerge? Can you see some separation between your quadriceps or deltoids? Are your veins more visible? Congratulations – this strongly suggests your body fat percentage is starting to fall.
Most of your body fat is subcutaneous, i.e., between your skin and muscles. As your levels of subcutaneous body fat decrease, there will be less tissue between your skin and your muscles, so the underlying musculature will become more visible.
The best way to see and track this is with progress photos.
Remember, though, your definition will worsen if you gain body fat. So, if your abs and veins are fading away, it may be because your body fat levels are starting to rise.
Changes in clothing size
Your clothes are an excellent way to measure your progress. For example, if your pants are getting loose around the waist, it’s safe to say you are losing fat. Conversely, if they’re getting tight, you are probably gaining fat.
Your belt notch is often a much better indicator of body composition changes than your scales.
Body composition assessments are the most accurate way to determine if you are gaining or losing fat or muscle. However, you can also use things like your clothing sizes, gym performance, and definition to assess your progress.
While these things aren’t as quantifiable as body composition testing, they will tell you subjectively if your muscle and fat mass are changing, which is something the scales cannot do.
Fat vs. Muscle Weight – FAQ
Do you have a question about fat vs. muscle weight or body composition? No problem, because we’ve got the answers!
1. Can I lose fat and build muscle at the same time?
Contrary to what many people think, you can gain muscle while losing fat. As you know, fat and muscle are entirely different things, and they exist independently. As such, you can burn fat for energy and use that energy to work out and build muscle.
However, it is worth noting that pursuing these two goals simultaneously often means slower progress than focusing on one goal at a time, i.e., bulking and then cutting.
2. What is the ideal body fat percentage?
The ideal body fat percentage varies from person to person. For example, a competitive male bodybuilder may get their BF% as low as five percent for a competition. In contrast, a heavyweight powerlifter could be strongest with their body fat at 30%.
As such, your body fat percentage should match your goals. That said, the accepted fat percentages by gender and age are:
Sex
Age
Low
Normal
High
Very High
Female
20 – 39
< 21
21.0 – 32.9
33.0 – 38.9
39
40 – 59
< 23
23.0 – 33,9
34.0 – 39,9
40
60 79
< 24
24.0 – 35.9
36.0 – 41.9
42
Male
20 – 39
< 8
8.0 – 19.9
20.0 – 24.9
25
40 – 59
< 11
11.0 – 21.9
22.0 – 27.9
28
60 – 79
< 13
13.0 – 24.9
25.0 – 29.9
30
3. Is it possible to be fat and fit?
Having a high body fat percentage doesn’t mean you can’t be fit. There are many examples of overweight athletes performing incredible feats of strength and endurance. Football, baseball, wrestling, boxing, and field athletes are often heavy, and yet they compete at the highest level of their chosen sports.
That said, there is a massive difference between being fit and being healthy. Fit means you can handle the demands of your chosen activity, while healthy means the absence of disease. As such, it’s entirely possible to be fit but unhealthy.
For example, being over-fat can increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, all of which can shorten your life.
So, yes, you CAN be fat and fit, but it’s much harder to be fat and healthy.
4. What is the best body recomposition workout and diet?
Body recomposition involves losing fat while building muscle. Invariably, achieving these goals consists of a combination of strength training, cardio, and an intelligent diet.
Strength training is critical for maintaining or increasing muscle mass and is usually involves a bodybuilding-style program. Cardio helps burn fat by expending additional calories. In addition, your diet needs to support training, recovery, and muscle growth while reducing your calorie intake to promote fat burning.
While it’s beyond the scope of this article to tell you how to achieve body recomposition, you can read all about it in these two articles:
5. What are the best exercises for burning fat and building muscle?
The best exercises for body recomp are challenging, burn a lot of calories, and provide plenty of overload for the target muscles. They are usually compound in nature, meaning they use multiple joints and muscles together.
Good examples include:
Squats
Deadlifts
Bench press
Overhead presses
Pull-ups/chin-ups
Exercises that combine two or more movements are also good options for body recomp. Examples include:
Front squat to push-press (thrusters)
Clean to overhead press
Sumo deadlift high pull
Burpees
Clusters (squat clean and thruster)
Read more about the best body recomp exercises here.
Fat vs. Muscle Weight – Closing Thoughts
While there is nothing wrong with keeping track of your body weight, the scales don’t tell the whole truth about your progress. In fact, they can be very misleading and even make you think your workouts and diet are failing you.
That’s because the scales cannot tell the difference between fat and muscle weight, and, as you know, these are very different substances.
Tracking your body composition is much more accurate and will reveal far more about your progress.
So, stop living and dying by your daily weigh-ins. Instead, pay more attention to how your clothes fit, your waist measurement, your gym performance, and your muscle definition. Better yet, get a body composition assessment and discover your true body fat percentage.
After all, your weight doesn’t really matter, and it’s what that weight is made up of that counts.
References:
Mittal B. Subcutaneous adipose tissue & visceral adipose tissue. Indian J Med Res. 2019 May;149(5):571-573. doi: 10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1910_18. PMID: 31417024; PMCID: PMC6702693. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6702693/
University of New Mexico: Controversies in metabolism https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/metabolismcontroversy.html
Abe T, Thiebaud RS, Loenneke JP. The mysterious values of adipose tissue density and fat content in infants: MRI-measured body composition studies. Pediatr Res. 2021 Nov;90(5):963-965. doi: 10.1038/s41390-021-01376-y. Epub 2021 Jan 27. PMID: 33504969. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33504969/
Ward SR, Lieber RL. Density and hydration of fresh and fixed human skeletal muscle. J Biomech. 2005 Nov;38(11):2317-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2004.10.001. Epub 2004 Dec 30. PMID: 16154420. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16154420/
This Is What Your Body Fat Percentage Really Looks Like
Cutting The Fat
As fitness enthusiasts working out and being healthy is at the top of our list. The human body can be a great machine if you use it right. But as bodybuilders we know that all the fitness in the world won’t give you quite the same satisfaction if you have nothing to “show” for it. There are science-backed methods behind fat-loss and we will give you all the tools you need to customize your own fat-burning routine. There is no one way to burn fat, especially for bodybuilders.
The big show is a big part of bodybuilding, and if you can’t quite hit that balance between aesthetics and size you’ll always feel incomplete. The main hindrance between most builder’s and the perfect ratio is fat. Fat can be the stubborn veil keeping all your hard earned gains from seeing the light of day.
But how far are you, and what do you have to do to look like the shredded monsters you see on the internet? Losing stubborn belly fat and weight, while retaining muscle is a 24/7 job. It requires you to eat healthier foods in calculated amounts, train hard in the gym, and sleep more than what you’re currently sleeping now. Here’s what you need to know about how to burn fat. We’ve got your complete guide down below.
The problem is that there’s a lot of talk about body fat but very few actually show what this looks like on an actual person. Sure you know what 5% – 10% looks like, this is the range for most fitness models. But what about the not so flattering part? The beginning, before the contract offers start rolling in?
5-9%
You’re a golden God. No really, this is the stage where you would probably be sculpted in ancient Roman Times (Michelangelo anyone?). You’re definition and vascularity are awe inspiring as the nooks and crannies of the human muscular system are all on full display.
How to get there
“Genetics.” Yes we know that’s want you want to hear so you can start making excuses but the truth is this takes HARD WORK…sorry guys. If you’re at this stage you either get paid to do this or you should. You’ve sacrificed cheat meals, you’re on a strict diet that involves eliminating certain macronutrients, probably low carb, and each meal is planned out. Ice cream? What’s that? The thing is, losing fat is a science with a lot of nuances and therefore we have many different diets.
10-15%
You’ve definitely got a six pack and vascularity to boot. You’ve got ropey arms and you’re ripped, just not as ripped as the creme de’ le creme class above.
How to get there
Adhere to a strict diet, count the calories going in and out of your body, eat clean for most of the week and then once in a while splurge on some wings. Cheat meal? yes. Cheat day? No. This range tends to fluctuate from 9-12 % as they’re not as regimented as the 5% group.
16-20%
At the lower end of this range you’ve got some vascularity and definition in places but your lower abs probably aren’t popping like you want them to. At the higher end, maybe the top top abs are showing but the smaller cuts in the biceps and triceps can’t be seen. You don’t have a “dad bod” but there’s definitely some fat hiding your shape.
How to get there
Be health conscious by eliminating major no-no’s like fried foods, burgers without the bun, simple sugars, but at the same time you’re still able to have a beer with the fellas on weekends. 80-20 rule is probably best depending on your metabolism.
While many builders strive for the lowest body fat possible you have to remember that to a certain degree fat is good. Your body needs at least 3% body fat in order for your organs to function. A good guide of body fat % is key to long term goals. This means most casual builders will probably fall into the 10-20% range to look cut and still feel strong. Ultimately it’s up to you, all 3 ranges can maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Try Intermittent Fasting
One of the diets and eating patterns that has risen in popularity the most in the health/fitness space is intermittent fasting, often abbreviated to IF. We all know that fasting refers to the abstinence from food, but what else does it entail?
There are various protocols that exist for IF. Some of them include alternate day fasting, which is when you simply fast every other day and eat normally during your non-fasting days. Another type of IF that exists is the Warrior Diet, which is when you fast all day and eat all of your allotted calories in one sitting.
Despite all of the different protocols out there, the type that’s most commonly used in bodybuilding and fitness circles is the 16:8 protocol, also known as time-restricted feeding. This is when you fast for 16 hours and then you have an 8 hour “feeding window”, where you consume your daily calorie allotment. Since this is the most popular type of fasting in the bodybuilding and fitness industry, this is what will be referred to when the abbreviation “IF” is used.
But one thing to remember here is that IF is not a type of diet, technically. It is actually a type of eating pattern. The goal is to consume the same number of calories and macronutrients that you would consume if you were following a standard meal schedule. The only aspect of your nutrition that you’re modifying here is meal frequency, not types or quantities of food.
The times that one would have their fasting and feeding windows are completely up to the individual is why this diet has become so popular. It allows people to be able to make mealtimes conform to their schedule, rather than trying to force smaller, more frequent meals, which has been often promoted in the fitness more recently.
This higher meal frequency theory comes from the common misconception that eating more frequent, smaller meals will “speed up” your metabolism, making you burn more calories at rest. This is simply not true. What matters the most about nutrition regarding body composition goals are the total amount of calories that are consumed, not how often you’re eating.
Fat Burner
In addition to a well-adjusted diet and fasting period, fat-burners are proven to accelerate fat loss by enhancing metabolism, reducing cravings, and increasing intra-workout energy.The best ones even go the extra mile to protect against muscle breakdown and maintain muscle.
The right fat burner can accelerate metabolism, increase mobilization of stored body fat (to be used as energy), fight against hunger and cravings, reduce muscle breakdown, improve lean body mass and keep you healthy overall.
Although there is no magic pill, most value products that combine high-quality ingredients, natural ingredients and a proven track record. Our list of highly recommended Fat Burners rate, research and test brands to ensure you only get what’s on the label, and nothing more. Testing for purity, quality, and safety go hand in hand with assuring you have the best possible Fat Burner on hand for cutting fat or improving your physique overall. Even more important is having a third-party test supplements within a lab for individual ingredients that are all-natural, free of synthetics and or additives.
What’s more important? Nachos on game night or a deeper V for your waistline? You be the judge.
Be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Jim Stoppani Debunks The Biggest Body Fat Percentage Myths
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Jim Stoppani explains body fat percentage realities for athletes vs average individuals.
Ronnie Coleman once stated that during his prime he held under 1% body fat. Many accused this as being a lie. That it’s impossible to bring your body fat percentage lower than three or four percent due to vital organ fats your body needs to function. But in the world of extremes such as bodybuilding, there are athletes who truly aim to reach these kind of goals. Is it really possible? In our latest GI Exclusive interview partnered with Barbend, Jim Stoppani debunks the biggest myths about body fat percentage and the real possibilities (and dangers) of extreme fat loss.
In the world of bodybuilding, getting as conditioned and shredded as possible is always the ultimate goal when stepping on stage. The hard work put into sculpting a physique can be shown best without soft fat hiding the “goods” so to speak. But not only is the general act of “cutting” for a competition dangerous, having unrealistic goals of extreme low body fat percentages is unhealthy as well. As an athlete, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to look conditioned – but where is the real line? How low can you go and stay healthy?
And even when opening up to the general public – the expectations on how a person “should” look has led to a variety of eating disorders and body dysmorphia. That’s why we connected with Jim Stoppani to talk about the real facts behind body fat percentage, what’s realistic and what myths we can debunk here and now. Let’s jump into it.
What is a normal body fat percentage range?
Body fat percentage is the relative amount of fat you are holding on your body compared to your overall weight and size. That’s why we speak in terms of percentages rather than specific units of measurements. Depending on your height and overall weight – the ideal numbers can be different.
So when it comes specifically to body fat percentage – the healthy amount is often much higher than individuals seem to realize. Jim Stoppani explains that the average healthy range of body fat tends to be somewhere between 15-20%. These values shift depending on if you are a man or a woman. Women tend to carry more body fat genetically.
Jim Stoppani, however, land squarely at 5% body fat typically. This is due to his consistent and fitness focused lifestyle. As you can see, that’s a big gap from the typical healthy average. And it’s this kind of gap that can lead an average non-athlete individual to expect a lower number. Jim Stoppani wants to clear the air for those who focus to heavily on their body fat percentage. If you are in a 15-20% range, don’t worry. You’re not fat. And it’s not a sign, generally, that you are unhealthy.
Could Ronnie Coleman’s below 1% body fat claims be true?
It’s impossible to know whether or not Ronnie Coleman’s past statement about being below 1% is true. However, it is possible despite what many would have you believe. Typically, it’s understood that an athlete cannot go below 3-4% body fat due to the vital fat your organs need to function. This is true. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to bring that percentage lower.
Jim Stoppani explains that Ronnie Coleman, theoretically, could have gotten his body fat down to below 1%. However, to do that he would have had to turn to some serious drugs. No only that, but the very act of burning such vital fat is extremely unhealthy and dangerous. So yes, it is possible. But no, you shouldn’t aim for such a goal.
Jim Stoppani can’t speak for Ronnie Coleman, but he does have a fair understanding about pro bodybuilding. He reminds us that it’s an extreme sport and we’ve seen athletes go to extreme measures to succeed. Ronnie himself shattered the barrier of just how massive and shredded a bodybuilder could be on stage. So it’s not beyond reason to think he would have pushed hard to some dangerous areas to bring his body fat down extremely low as well.
Ultimately, this is all speculation. We can’t determine the validity or the actions of Ronnie Coleman regarding his body fat claims. But it is important to know the truth. While it’s not naturally possible, there are ill-advised ways to bring your body fat below 3%.
When should you worry about having too high body fat?
So how much fat is too much fat? When should you start actually worrying about that percentage number as an average non-athlete individual? Jim Stoppani explains that you should only be worried if you are over 30% body fat. That’s when you are considered obese. Anything below that should not be a worry from a general health standpoint. Unless you are trying desperately to look muscular and shredded – don’t get too bent out of shape over a 16% or 18% body fat level.
Wrap Up
Whether you are a competitive bodybuilder or just a fan, it’s easy to get sucked into the alternate reality of body fat percentages in bodybuilding. However, it’s important to remember that there is a wide difference between average healthy body fat percentages and what pro athletes do (and risk) to be the best in the world.
You can watch Jim Stoppani explain in detail, and debunk some common misconceptions, in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
The Best Ways To Keep Body Fat Low During A Bulking Cycle
Basic of Bulking Cycle A bulking cycle is an anabolic steroid cycle which is done for increasing the muscle weight and mass. The bulking up can be done at the gym when you are working most of your upper parts. A bulking cycle is usually a method which is […]
The post The Best Ways To Keep Body Fat Low During A Bulking Cycle appeared first on What Steroids.
How To Win The War Against Body Fat
If you are looking for ways to get rid of those extra pounds that cause you headaches then you came to the right place. Burn them out using the info shared below and enjoy the body you worked so hard to obtain. Fighting against body fat means, first of all, finding a diet you can […]
The post How To Win The War Against Body Fat appeared first on What Steroids.
How Bobby Cut His Body Fat in HALF in Just 90 Days
How was Bobby able to cut his body fats half in just ninety days? That’s supposedly an impossible goal to achieve. Bobby Samuel was actually a graduate of 90-day transformation coaching service. This has really helped him lose twenty-seven pounds. In addition to that, he made it his goal to […]
The post How Bobby Cut His Body Fat in HALF in Just 90 Days appeared first on What Steroids.
This Is What Your Body Fat Looks Like
Cutting The Fat
As fitness enthusiasts working out and being healthy is at the top of our list. The human body can be a great machine if you use it right. But as bodybuilders we know that all the fitness in the world won’t give you quite the same satisfaction if you have nothing to “show” for it.
The big show is a big part of bodybuilding, and if you can’t quite hit that balance between aesthetics and size you’ll always feel incomplete. The main hindrance between most builder’s and the perfect ratio is fat. Fat can be the stubborn veil keeping all your hard earned gains from seeing the light of day. But how far are you, and what do you have to do to look like the shredded monsters you see on the internet? We’ve got your complete guide down below.
The problem is that there’s a lot of talk about body fat but very few actually show what this looks like on an actual person. Sure you know what 5% – 10% looks like, this is the range for most fitness models. But what about the not so flattering part? The beginning, before the contract offers start rolling in?
5-9%
You’re a golden God. No really, this is the stage where you would probably be sculpted in ancient Roman Times (Michelangelo anyone?). You’re definition and vascularity are awe inspiring as the nooks and crannies of the human muscular system are all on full display.
How to get there
“Genetics.” Yes we know that’s want you want to hear so you can start making excuses but the truth is this takes HARD WORK…sorry guys. If you’re at this stage you either get paid to do this or you should. You’ve sacrificed cheat meals, you’re on a strict diet that involves eliminating certain macronutrients, probably low carb, and each meal is planned out. Ice cream? What’s that?
10-15%
You’ve definitely got a six pack and vascularity to boot. You’ve got ropey arms and you’re ripped, just not as ripped as the creme de’ le creme class above.
How to get there
Adhere to a strict diet, count the calories going in and out of your body, eat clean for most of the week and then once in a while splurge on some wings. Cheat meal? yes. Cheat day? No. This range tends to fluctuate from 9-12 % as they’re not as regimented as the 5% group.
16-20%
At the lower end of this range you’ve got some vascularity and definition in places but your lower abs probably aren’t popping like you want them to. At the higher end, maybe the top top abs are showing but the smaller cuts in the biceps and triceps can’t be seen. You don’t have a “dad bod” but there’s definitely some fat hiding your shape.
How to get there
Be health conscious by eliminating major no-no’s like fried foods, burgers without the bun, simple sugars, but at the same time you’re still able to have a beer with the fellas on weekends. 80-20 rule is probably best depending on your metabolism.
While many builders strive for the lowest body fat possible you have to remember that to a certain degree fat is good. Your body needs at least 3% body fat in order for your organs to function. This means most casual builders will probably fall into the 10-20% range to look cut and still feel strong. Ultimately it’s up to you, all 3 ranges can maintain a healthy lifestyle. What’s more important? Nachos on game night or a deeper V for your waistline? You be the judge.
Be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
The Best Way To Burn That Stubborn Body Fat For A Real Physique
Melt that flab and get super lean for all your desired physique goals.
Lifting weight is the end all be all of bodybuilding training and working to burn body fat. Or least that’s what a great deal of lifters believe. Though it may be true that the only way to grow some massive muscle is through heavy resistance training, it’s also true that lifting alone can’t get you into shredded condition to show off all that hard earned muscle. The culprit is quite obviously body fat. The higher your body fat percentage the harder it is to see the muscle that you’ve cultivated underneath. So, when is a good time to start the process of burning body fat?
The early bird gets the worm they say and it’s true of bodybuilding and fitness as well. Starting your day off with a fat burning exercising routine can be key to melting fat off your frame and keeping it off. Training at a high intensity first thing in the morning is a great way to attack body fat and melt away the blubber. Maybe you can get into the gym, maybe you can’t. There’s more than one way to get lean. But say you have no equipment on hand to get your body temperature rising in the morning, what then?
The answer is simple: bodyweight exercises.
Though it may not grow your muscles quite like other methods of resistance training, body weight exercises can be a low impact, easy fix to get your core temperatures rising and in turn begin the process of torching body fat. So how exactly should you go about getting rid of that body fat in order to be ripped and lean?
It’s simple. Start your day off the right way with this routine and watch the fat melt off of your frame. Remember, the key to burning fat is to perform these movements with high intensity with shorter rest periods. Resting for thirty seconds to a full minute should do the trick. Plus, you start your day off to give you a real energy boost before you’ve even had your first cup of coffee.
Benefits Of Bodyweight Exercises
While bodyweight exercises will not give you that massive physique you want most, they are still highly effective in working to shed that unwanted body fat. Of course, strength training is vital but it would be foolish to neglect some of the amazing benefits that a good bodyweight routine can do for you (1).
Benefits of bodyweight exercises include:
Highly effective workouts: Bodyweight exercises can work many muscles at once and really target muscle growth and fat loss making them highly effective workouts.
Only progression: You only can really progress with bodyweight workouts so the pressure to perform is how much you want to grow.
Improve balance: By working on better balance and coordination, you can build a sense of proper movements without worrying about how much weight you are lifting.
Still work those muscles: Bodyweight exercises will still allow you to target your muscles so you can give them a chance to grow.
Incredibly convenient: These can be done anywhere and at anytime so there is never an excuse to not have them done.
Highly Effective Bodyweight Workout To Burn Fat
In order to get started on this fat loss journey, knowing some great exercises to get you started can prove to be highly effective and worth your while especially as you seek to drop that stubborn fat. You can perform these anywhere and at any time so you never have an excuse to not get these done.
The Workout
Push-Ups: 100 reps
Bodyweight Squat: 100 reps
Mountain Climbers: 100 reps each side
Alternating Lunge: 100 reps each side
Reverse Lunges: 100 reps
Jumping Jacks: 150 reps
Burpees: 50 reps
High Knees: 100 reps
Jump Rope: 50 reps
Included with a workout like this could be something like high-intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT is a form of cardio where you perform fast-paced intervals that are alternated with recovery-style ones to keep you working hard, keep your heart rate up, and keep you shedding that unwanted fat. These workouts are great for working at maximum capacity without totally gassing yourself so you still have a chance to complete the workout while still getting a great workout (2,3).
Best Supplement For Burning Body Fat
For many of us, working hard just isn’t enough and we need an extra boost from a great supplement so we see some real gains start to happen. A fat burner is a great option, either a fat burner for men to really see that massive physique, or a fat burner for women for those women looking to sculpt and tone. Either way, this supplement can work wonders when it comes to seeing that desired physique you want most (4).
Burn Lab Pro
Burn Lab Pro is an all-around great fat burner with an innovative design and research-backed benefits to really enhance your results as you seek to burn belly fat. Instead of an unhealthy, stim-driven formula, Burn Lab Pro is 100% natural, safe, and caffeine free to give you an effective supplement without any fear of jitters or crashing. Burn Lab Pro allows you to shed more body fat from every workout, gain more lean muscle, see better results from diet and exercise, and give you a safe and natural fat burner supplement to tackle any issues, like muscle maintenance and lack of an energy boost. With 5 powerful and research-backed ingredients, this advanced formula is designed to target all of your weight loss needs from a fat burner supplement.
Price: $59.00
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Check out our individual review for Burn Lab Pro here!
Check out our list of the Best Fat Burners On The Market for more great fat burning products!
Wrap Up
Losing that unwanted body fat can be difficult, but knowing the proper steps can be the best option for you. Bodyweight exercises and the many benefits associated with them can work wonders and lead you down a road you definitely want to go. When it comes to those supplements to help boost weight loss, look to a fat burner for what it can do for all your gains. You won’t be disappointed by the results.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Burn Lab Pro and Envato
References
Harrison, Jeffrey S. (2010). “Bodyweight Training: A Return To Basics”. (source)
Martins, Fernanda M.; Souza, Aleteia; Nunes, Paulo; Michelin, Marcia; et al. (2018). “High-intensity body weight training is comparable to combined training in changes in muscle mass, physical performance, inflammatory markers and metabolic health in postmenopausal women at high risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized controlled clinical trial”. (source)
Laursen, Paul B.; Jenkins, David G. (2002). “The scientific basis for high-intensity interval training: optimizing training programmes and maximizing performance in highly trained endurance athletes”. (source)
Jeukendrup, A. E.; Randell, R. (2011). “Fat burners: nutrition supplements that increase fat metabolism”. (source)