The Truth about Weight Lifting: Why you aren’t getting the results you deserve!
The Truth about Weight Lifting: Why you aren’t getting the results you deserve!
HEY SQUADIES!
Are you trying to get that bodybuilder bod for summer, but are not seeing the results you want to see? Do you spend hours in the gym, or spend hours meal prepping, but are STILL not seeing your wanted results? The truth is, for the most part, a traditional weight lifting/ body building style of working out is super impractical for the average person which is probably why you are not seeing the results you deserve.
As a former professional rugby player, I remember LONG DAYS in the gym, LIFTING EXTREMELY HEAVY, and EATING SO MUCH FOOD. Now, to some, this may sound appealing, but the honest truth is that it was EXHAUSTING. I was TIRED every single day and SORE all the time. These are often the realities of a traditional weight lifting regime. However, the good news, when I retired, I quickly realized I did not need to spend hours in the gym every day, nor did I have to EAT 8 chicken breasts a day to stay lean. Instead, the reality was the opposite. I can proudly say I workout less than ever before (4-5 times a week), have far more FLEXIBILITY in my eating, am equally as strong & lean, and most importantly MORE ENERGIZED AND HAPPIER than ever before.
SO, I am really excited to share with you some of the pitfalls of traditional body building style lifting that so many of us think we need, as well as some easy fixes to transform your exercising and nutrition and ultimately your body!!!!
1. Workout routine 
As a bodybuilder, you have to follow a very strict workout routine on a weekly basis. Most bodybuilder fitness routines consist of between 5-6 days a week of exercise, each day usually targeting a set of muscles on your body. Now each bodybuilding routine is different, but for the most part, you would be required to spend a TON of time in the gym. Not only do you have to visit the gym often throughout the week, but each visit is likely to be a long one. This is due to two facts: firstly, REST between sets is generally LONG and secondly, intensity is often low. Despite lifting heavy weights, for the most part, the heart rate is rarely elevated enough to really get you sweaty.
2. Diet
A bodybuilders diet is a very meticulous one. First off, you must calculate your daily macronutrients (macros), which requires you to do some work in finding out how much you weigh, your body fat percentage, how active you are, etc. For the most part, a bodybuilders macro’s are high in carbs and protein, and low in fat. Fat is more calorically dense than carbs or protein, so if you are eating high carbs, and working out on a regular basis, chances are you are going to be required to eat a TON of food each day. In fact, most bodybuilder diets consist of 6-7 meals a day! On top of the 6-7 meals, everything you put into your body must be carefully calculated and weighed out before you consume it in order to see results. This whole process all together is extremely time consuming. Similarly, it also severely reduces energy levels due to the fact that you are constantly asking your body to process all of this food. In turn, you get tired and lethargic while your body works overtime processing all of the food.
3. TIME & DEDICATION
As you probably can already tell from points 1 and 2, having the bodybuilder bod requires you to give a huge amount of time and dedication, which the average person does not have. For those of you who have a full-time job, this process would be next to impossible unless you do nothing more to do then go to work, eat, gym and sleep. Between being stuck at the gym for at least a couple hours a day, plus having to spend copious amounts of time weighing, cooking, and eating your food - more than half your day is already gone.
The good news is… you don’t need to follow a bodybuilders routine to achieve great results
Now, let’s talk about ways we can reduce time in the gym and kitchen WHILE STILL GETTING GREAT RESULTS!
Firstly, when you embrace the lean life and practicing a LEANSQUAD style routine can not only help you get LEAN but it can also help you BUILD MUSCLE!
As most of you know, here at LEANSQUAD, we are all about HIIT and EATING HEALTHY, ENERGIZING FOODS. Traditionally, HIIT is usually used to help lose weight and get lean - but by combining HIIT with lean lifting, you can gain tons of muscle! Just check out these lean-mazing results from a couple of our Squadies!
Ryan Fried
Michelle Loomis
Greg Edelsward
Lean lifting is all about lifting LESS weight with MORE reps (between 8-15). HIIT and lean lifting is also about taking SHORTER breaks (between 10-20 seconds) between sets in order to keep our heart rate elevated. Most of these workouts only require either a set of dumbbells or a kettlebell, so not only are the workouts faster, but they are also way more versatile and can be done at home or traveling if you cannot make it to the gym everyday.
Similarly, one key when fuelling your body is to focus on consuming LOW CARB, HIGH FAT and PROTEIN, since fat is more calorically dense, you do not have to consume as much food on a daily basis, which leaves you open for more time to focus on work or family while still seeing results. Less food also means less cook or meal prep time. Another plus side to living the lean life is you do not have to be so meticulous when it comes to consuming food. Although you do still have to portion control, you do not have to weigh out your food or calculate your macros.
P.S. for anyone wondering, I DO EAT CARBS, it’s just all about timing!
Most importantly, the lean life is designed for the average person who wants to be fit and healthy while still living a full life and being able to focus on other life goals and aspirations without having to sacrifice their health and fitness!