Ways to Lose Weight Fast
As a man over 40 you might have tinkered with programs such as P90X, gone to “classes” or tried doing crazy amounts of running on the treadmill to lose weight fast.
The problem with these methods of trying to lose weight is they aren’t sustainable, enjoyable and eventually the inevitable happens which is burnout.
These crazy programs aren’t designed for men over 40, we need something different.
I’ve seen this happen time and time again, guys start off their new year resolution with a “I must kill myself and lose the weight” attitude, but we only have so much willpower and if you don’t get injured doing those crazy workouts, you’ll feel tired and frustrated in the process.
This article is centred around much more enjoyable and downright effective ways of losing weight for men over 40, keeping it off and not resorting to crazy diets or training programs in the process.
Simplicity
First, let me start off by saying that in order to lose weight fast you need to keep everything as simple as possible, it shouldn’t be hard knowing what to do and as Bruce Lee once said, “simplicity is the key to brilliance.”
This statement is so true when it comes to losing weight and fitness, the more the complicated you make it, the less results you’re going to get!
If I thought complicated training programs or diet strategies would help you lose weight fast, then I’d advocate them, the reality is the best ways of losing weight as quickly as possible for men over 40 comes down to two things, lifting weights and nutrition.
Might I add, you don’t need diet pills, potions or supplements as part of the equation!
If you get those two things nailed in correctly, lift weights using compound movements 3 times per week and eat a slight caloric deficit with a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats you’ll lose weight as quickly as your body will allow.
Weight Training
But I don’t want big muscles? I hear this all time, but weight training is needed to sustain or build new lean muscle when you restrict calories.
If you lift weights like I teach, you’ll build a nice, natural amount of muscle that looks awesome on anyone, not big bulky, “puffy” looking muscles.
I’m talking about a bodyweight of 170-190 pounds, with a bodyfat percentage of 10-12%, lean enough to see the abs, but not super ripped.
The lean, natural look that’s achievable by training and eating correctly.
If you were eating in a calorie deficit (which needs to happen to lose weight) and just do cardio for example, you’d drop muscle and fat.
Dropping muscle when losing weight is NOT what you want.
Muscle is responsible for giving you those broad shoulders, narrow waist, defined chest and legs.
But most importantly it’s needed to keep your metabolism running at maximum i.e. burning calories even at rest.
When you lift weights and eat at a calorie deficit, you’re telling the body to hold onto its muscle while it drops fat giving you an awesome appearance.
The problem with doing excessive amounts of cardio is it makes you feel ravenous and strips away muscle which is the last thing you need when trying to drop fat.
As a man over 40, what weight training exercises should you focus on in order to lose weight fast?
Compound Movements
Compound movements are weight training exercises that are known as the “big” exercises. That means they train 2-3 bigger muscle groups at the same time from one movement.
An example of a compound movement could be the Incline Barbell Press. This exercise will train the muscles of the chest, shoulders and triceps in one movement.
The advantages of compound movements for men over 40 are as follows:
- Train 2-3 bigger muscle groups, saving time
- Boost testosterone
- Build lean muscle
- Joint friendly
- Won’t cause overtraining if done correctly
Isolation Exercises
An isolation exercise on the other hand, isolates each muscle group separately. For example, the dumbbell biceps curl is an isolation exercise because it trains just the biceps muscles.
Because isolation exercises don’t demand as much from the body, they burn less calories and don’t trigger as much testosterone production in the body.
Does that mean you should stick to compound movements exclusively?
No. Your focus should be compound movements and isolation exercises should be added in to strengthen the routine.
Some isolation exercises prevent injury, the L-Fly for example is a simple exercise performed with a light dumbbell that will strengthen the muscles of the rotator cuff.
The rotator cuff muscles need to be kept strong to prevent injury from the bigger compound movements.
And some isolation exercises add benefit to the workout, the dumbbell lateral raise for example trains the outer head of the shoulders, which isn’t impacted so much with compound pressing movements.
The bottom line is to focus on the compound movements that train all the muscles of the body and strengthen the routine by adding in strategic isolation exercises.
Nutrition
Now we’ve briefly discussed the training aspect, it’s time to talk about nutrition. Nutrition is the difference between losing weight and not losing weight.
If you’re eating too many daily calories i.e. taking in more calories than what your body burns per day, you won’t lose fat even if you’re doing strength training exercises.
Bottom line: You need to be in a calorie deficit to lose fat, but this is where a lot of men over 40 screw up.
If you go too low in calories, you risk negatively effecting metabolism. And if you decide to go low carb, you’ll feel hungry, weak and decrease your testosterone.
When you’re trying to lose weight, never cut out or go too low in any macronutrient.
Fats are very important for testosterone production, even more so for men over 40 as testosterone production is already taking a hit.
The best strategy is to eat slightly less (300-400) calories than your BMR, which is the calories needed to sustain your current weight.
When you’re in a slight calorie deficit, body weight cannot stay the same.
But it’s key you’re providing your body with enough foods to stay full and satisfied. In my course, Ripped Abs Over 40, I discuss a nutrition strategy that has you leaning down whilst eating 2-3 bigger meals per day.
The benefits of eating 2-3 bigger meals per day is you’ll stay full and keep testosterone at peak production whilst leaning down.
You’ll be eating enough protein to support muscle retention, enough carbs to support training and adequate fats to maintain peak testosterone production.
It’s an exceptional way to drop fat for men over 40.
Key Takeaways
The most important message for this post is to focus your efforts on compound movements that are both productive, safe and joint friendly.
When it comes to nutrition you need to be eating a slight calorie deficit that needs to be sustainable over the long term.
For that to happen you need to be eating 2-3 bigger meals per day and consuming approximately 0.8 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight per day.
If you’re ready to stop winging it and want a course that’s proven to be extremely effective for losing fat, getting lean and looking awesome you’re going to want to check out my premium course, Ripped Abs Over 40.