Want to get lean? Stripping body fat is a very common goal that many people want to achieve but often get it wrong when implementing a training and nutrition programme. The importance of manipulating and understanding your hormonal output is often overlooked. Furthermore, the overall function of the body’s hormones and performance can be improved by achieving a lower percentage of body fat.
The key to achieving your goals and staying lean is to build muscle in order to increase your resting metabolic rate. The common approach to fat loss, which has failed many people, is to eat less and exercise more. This approach doesn’t work, especially in the long run, as you are more likely to lose muscle tissue rather than fat, and the key is to improve body composition by controlling your metabolism. Calories don’t control your metabolism, your hormones do!
Instead of counting calories, maximize we should focus on fixing our hormones by elevating testosterone productivity, increasing insulin sensitivity, lowering estrogen and cortisol levels, and handling adrenal fatigue properly.
Testosterone is a key hormone for becoming lean. It’s the male sex hormone which is also responsible for building muscle tissue and burning fat. Females have lower amounts of testosterone, which is why they typically have less muscle mass and a higher percentage of body fat than men. As we get older, testosterone levels in both men and women decrease, and hence resistance training is vital to combat further muscle loss.
Testosterone is a powerful hormone which has to be manipulated if you maximize your performance and improve your body fat percentage. So, below are some of the most effective ways in which you can increase your testosterone levels, whether you are male or female.
- The bulk of your weight lifting exercises should be big compound exercises that train several large muscle groups at once, such as squats, deadlifts, rows and presses. By working with heavy weights and lower reps, you will boost testosterone levels. So, it’s important to lift heavy on the main lifts – try to use weights around 85 percent of your one rep max.
- You should perform high-intensity strength training 3-6 times per week and limit each workout to 45-60 minutes. If you continue working out for longer periods than this, you will see a negative effect as your testosterone levels decline after 45 minutes and you start to produce cortisol, which will actually decrease muscle tissue and increase fat storage.
- Avoid traditional slow-paced long duration cardio workouts as they can promote muscle loss by elevating cortisol levels (stress hormone), and in turn decreasing testosterone.
- Increase the intake of raw whole nuts such as almonds. Research has found that monounsaturated fats found in nuts and saturated fats found in coconut oil and grass-fed beef can elevate testosterone levels. Avoid any processed foods and stick with organic produce.
- Eat adequate amounts of Omega 3 fats found in oily fish such as mackerel.
- Make sure you get 8 hours of sleep a night.
Estrogen is the female hormone that increases fat storage around the hips and chest, resulting in poor body composition. It’s the ineffective way of metabolizing estrogen, which is directly linked to more serious illnesses such as prostate cancer and breast cancer. High levels of estrogen in men and women are unfortunately common these days, which is usually due to poor food quality and the exposure to high levels of chemical estrogens in our daily lives through contact with things such as plastic bottles, cosmetics and pesticides.
Males need to decrease the levels of estrogen as much as possible. On the other hand, women do need estrogen but must also keep it in check to optimize fat burning. To improve your estrogen levels, read the following top tips:
- Avoid commercially grown low-grade foods and eat more organic foods. This will limit the amount of pesticides in your diet which can increase estrogen levels.
- Limit drinking beer as the hops are linked to increasing the hormone.
- Decrease body fat percentage through resistance training and interval training.
- Limit exposure to chemical estrogens such as cosmetics.
Cortisol is known as the body’s stress hormone which is secreted by the adrenal glands. Too much of it is common in today’s population. It promotes body fat storage while decreasing lean muscle tissue. Cortisol plays a vital role in many bodily functions. However, often men and women secret too much of it due to elevated stress levels, leading to poor body composition. Therefore, it’s vital we learn how to limit it. Here is how:
- Try to limit stress at work and at home by balancing your work load
- Limit each workout to 45-60 minutes
- Workout 3-6 times per week using resistance and interval training rather than prolonged aerobic exercise; exercise helps limit cortisol levels through the release of endorphins.
- Get 8 hours of sleep per night.
Adrenal fatigue is closely related to high cortisol levels. There are a number of aspects which lead to adrenal fatigue, such as stress, lack of sleep, low blood sugar levels and poor diet. The adrenal glands dictate most of what goes on in the body. So, when they become over-worked, we just cannot function properly, making it impossible to get lean. Here’s how you can keep them working efficiently:
- Increase the intake of vitamin C
- Reduce stress levels
- Keep training sessions between 45-60 minutes
- Get 8 hours sleep
- Eat a well balanced nutrient-rich diet
Insulin is known as a storage hormone and is secreted by the pancreas due to excess glucose in the bloodstream. If you learn to control the release of insulin, you will find that becoming lean and adding quality muscle tissue becomes a lot easier. Insulin promotes the uptake of glucose in the bloodstream for metabolism or storage in the muscle cell and liver; however, if there isn’t enough space left, the glucose will be stored as fat instead. So, if your cells fail to produce enough insulin or you become insulin resistant, your glucose levels will soar and you will end up having diabetes.
Poor insulin sensitivity suggests that your body cannot deal with carbohydrate well; in other words, carbs are more likely to be stored as fat rather than being used as energy. The leaner and fitter you become, the more insulin sensitive you will be, and you will be able to process higher levels of carbohydrates.
Here’s how you can improve your insulin sensitivity:
- Males should try and reduce body fat to 15% and lower, while women should aim for 22% and lower
- Timing insulin is key; so, eat most of your carbohydrate intake post workout
- Limit carbohydrate intake to 200 grams or lower and up the protein intake
- Resistance training and high-intensity training should be completed 3-6 times per week for 45-60 minutes per session
If you learn to fix your hormones and continue with your training using a good progressive weight lifting programme and well-thought-out nutrition plan, you will notice lean gains relatively quickly.
Good luck!
Tom Winterbottom, personal trainer Marylebone, personal trainer St Johns Wood, personal trainer Baker Street.