The title of this BLOG is “Four Weeks to a Leaner You,” so I am gonna tell ya straight up what I would recommend doing if you want to tone-up in a short period of time.
First thing is an assessment.
Try to gauge how many calories you are eating in a day, and gauge how much exercise you’re doing. This dos not need to be 100% spot-on. My recommendation is to write down everything you eat for a day or two, then leverage the internet and Facts Pannels to get an idea of the calories you consume daily. If you’re really good, you’ll try to look at the “maros” as well (for those who don’t know, macros refers to the “macro nutrients” profile of the food, as in how much protein, carbohydrates and fats are in the things you eat).
Second thing is an adjustment.
If you are trying to get leaner, look for a few opportunities to cut out some calories. This does not need to be drastic, eliminating 100-300 calories daily has had a significant impact for athletes with whom I’ve worked. And if there’s a chance to incorporate any additional exercise daily, or a few days a week, that will help too. I’ve seen friends add a mere 20 minutes of elliptical three times a week and make progress.
Third thing to do is commit.
Realize that any physical change takes a little time. In general, I feel four weeks is enough time to see change, especially if you have all your bases covered. Depending on your goal, it may take longer to get to the finish line, but in a four-week period you should see improvements; if you don’t, go back to the assessment and reassess things cause what you’re doing ain’t working!
Finally, don’t be afraid to incorporate Supplements.
It’s not a magic-bullet, but I am a true believer that supplements can help you get leaner. Specifically, there are two things I look for when building a weight-loss stack: what I call a “Thermogenic” and a “Fat-Metabolizer.” What I mean by these Phrases is:
- In the industry, we use the word “Thermogenic” to refer to the traditional “diet-pill.” This would be a product to help keep the metabolism rev’d-up and help make sure calories are getting burned. The energy component, usually from caffeine or a similar ingredient, should also help ya feel focused and energetic despite cutting back on calories.
- For attacking and reducing stored body fat, the combination of CLA and Carnitine is my go-to. CLA+Carnitine work like a one-two punch! CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) has been studied to help promote the breaking down of fat, and slow down the creation of fat; L-Carnitine (a natural amino acid) works to help convert fat into energy…. Together they are my break-it-down-and-burn-it-up strategy for attacking existing bodyfat.
Assess. Adjust. Commit. Incorporate.
Sounds simple enough! Like Nike says, just do it. Gauge your starting point, put in a little extra work, and have both the confidence and the patience to stick to the plan. Four weeks isn’t all that long a time, and if you’re toned-up at the end with the abs are showing, or you’re down a dress size – you’ll be thrilled to have followed this blog.
Chris MacKenzie is the CEO of BPI Sports and has been with the company since 2009. Outside the office Chris is a father, coach, husband and an accomplished bodybuilder & strength athlete. The opinions in this BLOG are Chris’ personal opinions and do not constitute medical advice. We recommend using personal discretion in consuming any nutritional products or following any on-line training / nutritional advice.