I recently saw a magazine cover that promised you could get "8 pack abs in 4 weeks!"
First, I call BS on the four weeks part, and second, what kind of genetic freak are you if you have an eight pack? I went and checked out my copy of Frederic Delavier's Strength Training Anatomy just to be sure and counted: one, two, three, four, five, six abs. Not eight, but six.
I've already busted myths about extremely rapid weight loss, and I've also extolled the virtues about losing weight slowly, but I also know that slow and steady may not work for everyone.
Some people's mentality is all or nothing. Some people are ready to just flip the switch and go hard, starting right now, doing a 180 degree shift in lifestyle in order to achieve ambitious fitness goals in a short period of time. Some people are gluttons for punishment.
So if you really do want to get in shape fast, I'll give you a plan. Keep in mind that it's going to be tempered with realism because I don't want you to hurt yourself. And please note that I don't really advocate this approach, but if slow and steady isn't going to work for you, then you can try this.
Oh, and this is going to cost money -- probably quite a bit. But the return on investment will be worth it if you can stick with it.
1. Diet Changes
You can make a complete diet shift all at once, because although you can't start running marathons on day one, your body can handle going from all junk to all healthy in one day.
What you need to do is read my seven diet tips in this article and adopt them all right now. If weight loss is your goal, the way to do it is to abolish all junk food and focus on healthy, calorie-restricted eating. You also probably want to count calories just to ensure you are creating regular caloric deficits.
2. Exercise Adoption: Weightlifting
You need to lift weights for three reasons:
* It makes you look good.
* It makes you healthier, stronger, and more resistant to injury.
* The act of weightlifting burns calories, and if you're looking to lose weight you need to burn calories.
Recall, however, that simply having muscle doesn't burn a bunch of extra calories. That's a myth.
I've written a number of articles on weightlifting, so here is a list of all my articles that you can scroll through to read up on the subject. You'll also need to hire a qualified personal trainer to show you the ropes and design a program for you. Take note: I don't see someone with a weekend certification and who also sells memberships at the gym as qualified. Get someone with a degree in kinesiology along with a high-level certification or three who is a full-time trainer and can provide referrals.
I don't want you to injure yourself, but this is still going to be painful. Try this for a graduated adoption of weightlifting: 3 X 30 min for the first two weeks, then 3 X 45 min next month, then after that, 4 or 5 times a week and start pushing to an hour. Don't forget to keep changing it up.
3. Exercise Adoption: Aerobic Training
This is where you'll burn most of your calories leading to greater weight loss, so you have to do this too.
Running
Again, it's something I've written a lot about in this column so check out my articles for more specific advice. It is one of the best and most flexible calorie-burners around, so here is a rapid adoption plan:
* Go to a running store and buy all your gear.
* Sign up for a 5km race one month from now, a 10km race two months from now, and a half marathon four months from now.
* The running store likely has clinics that will teach you how to prepare for each of these distances, so sign up for them too. (I told you this would be expensive.)
Cycling
When you get tired and sore from running, you can burn extra calories doing this. Check my article for advice on how to become a cyclist.
Fitness Classes
Here is an article I wrote about fitness classes -- another way to burn calories. If you're doing lots of weightlifting then you may wish to focus on classes that are more aerobically oriented, like spinning, rather than one with weights or a lot of short-burst power movements.
Other Aerobic Activities
There are lots of other ways to burn calories, but the above are some really good ones that I happen to know about. Use your imagination and find something that gets your heart rate elevated for a sustained period of time, and then do lots of it.
This is about as far and hard as I think anyone can reasonably push it when it comes to going from donut-scarfing couch potato to diet-conscious workout warrior, and the results you achieve are going to depend your how far gone you are to start with, your level of dedication, and your genetics.
So if you've got some fancy beach vacation scheduled four months hence and want to look your best, this plan can help get you there. If it's too hard and you can't handle it, then the slow and steady approach will always be there for you.
