BODY BOOK
Body expert
No break. Supersets ramp up fat loss.
Can I really get a six-pack in a month? You can reveal your abs sooner than you think if you employ portion control and exercise to increase metabolism.
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How quickly you can reveal your six-pack depends largely on how committed you are — and how prepared to ignore the standard advice. For example, health authorities advise dropping no more than 1kg a week for healthy weight loss. Not only is that based on poor assumptions, it’s also totally unambitious. First, it assumes exercise isn’t part of the plan. Why? Because the second assumption is that weight loss is achieved by restricting calories. That’s in spite of mounting evidence suggesting losing weight isn’t as simple as a calories in/out equation. Besides, getting a six-pack is not about losing weight — it’s about burning fat. And losing 1kg-plus of fat per week isn’t just possible, it’s
the real way to reveal your abs. I routinely see clients lose 10kg of fat in eight weeks. This is done through portion control and by using diet to regulate the hormones controlling blood sugar and appetite. I also train clients in a way that stimulates muscle growth, as well as creating a “metabolic disturbance” that keeps their metabolism — the body’s fat-burning mechanism — high for up to 36 hours after training (see below). In fact, you can eat more thanks to the metabolism change that comes from building new muscle tissue. This will support further lean tissue growth as well as ensuring the body doesn’t feel “starved” and hold on to fat, thereby concealing your abs.
THE EXPERT NAME: CHRIS WALTON SPECIALITY: METABOLISM
CARB ALARM A lot of people go carb-free when trying to lose fat. This is a mistake — the body reacts badly to a low-carb intake after two or three weeks. First, your thyroid slows production of the cells responsible for metabolism, and second, there’s an increase in production of the hormone cortisol. As well as storing fat around the belly, this breaks down muscle tissue and causes insulin resistance, which all spells bad news for fat loss. So, yes, it’s totally possible to see your abs in four weeks. If you’re overweight it’ll take longer, but the immediate changes should be dramatic enough to keep you going until a six-pack starts taking shape. ■
METABOLISM DISTURBERS Start your workouts with supersets that put your body in fat-burning mode fo 1A DEADLIFT Works the back of the lower body
2B CHINUP Works the back of the upper body
CH he the ody 2A Wo fro lower body
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MEN S FITNESS
APRIL
2016
