Weight Loss Program From the 1980’s? Here’s How to Fix It

One thing I hate to see in the gym is someone who is on a workout program that is stuck in the 80’s. The common wisdom back then was low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets and lots of cardio are necessary to lose body fat.

But it just didn’t work.

That’s why, since the late 1990’s, programs such as mine, that combine resistance training with a form of cardiovascular training and a higher protein diet are becoming more popular. It’s simply because the new rules of fat loss work so much better than the old.

Plus, research backs me up. American researchers studied three groups of overweight men and women with an average age of just over 40.

(Arciero PJ, et al. Increased dietary protein and combined high intensity aerobic and resistance exercise improves body fat distribution and cardiovascular risk factors. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2006 Aug;16(4):373-92.)

Group one performed high-intensity resistance and cardiovascular training and ate a balanced diet (RC+BD) consisting of 40% of calories from carbohydrates and 40% of calories from protein.

Group two performed moderate-intensity cardiovascular training and ate a traditional food guide pyramid diet of 50 to 55% carbohydrates, only 15 to 20% protein, and less than 30% of calories from fat. Finally, an inactive control group changed nothing in their diet or exercise.

The RC+BD group lost more body fat and abdominal fat than both other groups. It was also the only group to decrease cholesterol (13%), LDL cholesterol (-20%) and systolic blood pressure (-5.7%).

Overall, the combined approach of strength training, cardiovascular training, and balanced carbohydrate and protein diet results in more fat loss and better health when compared to cardiovascular training and the food pyramid diet.

Start moving towards a better body and improved health by adding 20 minutes of total body strength training three days per week. Focus on squats, pushups, and a rowing exercise to train the entire body in only 3 moves.

For your diet, start by eliminating processed carbohydrates and grains, and increasing your intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and lean protein.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training for weight loss workouts have helped thousands of men and women with weight loss and fat burning in less than 45 minutes three times per week. Visit his weight loss forum to help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment. Craig’s bodyweight workouts for weightloss help you lose fat without any equipment at all.

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