Fat Loss Strategies so you can have a Body like a Rock Star

     Hey, have you ever wondered when you looked at some of the hip hop videos or maybe some of the rock star videos how all those people in them look so fit? Or maybe even some of the Hollywood stars?

Here are five simple strategies for you to model after that will help you achieve that celebrity body. Now, they really are not any different than you and the things that they do on a day to day basis may be a little different with scheduling time. They work just like you do but in a different occupation, with long hours and an impossible schedule sometimes. But they manage to fit it in. And part of why they're able to fit exercise in is that they have a strong enough "Why" or reason to.

The "why" for a lot of celebrities is they get paid a lot of money and the level of desire that they have to achieve a physical look and how they feel with that look is just like it is for you.

The first area and one of the most important things that you really want to look at when pursuing your own rock star body is your food and meal choices. You want to make sure that the foods you're eating are in line with the goal you've chosen. If you're carrying a little bit of extra weight, obviously you're going to have to lose some of it.

How do you determine how much fat you need to lose? Have your body fat checked by a professional at one of the big gyms or hire a personal trainer. After this is done, you can find out how many calories you should consume per day.

Next, you determine how much calories of protein, carbs and fats you need to consume. And after that we can use a baseline ratio of approximately 100 grams (400 cal) of fibrous carbohydrates, 1 gram of protein per pound of lean mass and .5-.65 grams of essential fats per pound of weight consumed per day to stimulate quick fat loss. This is a typical starting point of what we call a ketogenic diet. Have competent help from a coach or mentor guide you in this area for best results.

The second area is an appropriate training schedule for your strength training. It doesn't have to be too elaborate. It can be home training, it can be calisthenics, using free weights, bands, medicine balls or a combination of all of those items. A lot of times people think you need to go to a big gym...this isn't necessarily the case. You can actually do it outside at one of the local parks or in the comfort of your own home. Provided you have a few basic pieces.

Things that are recommend while pursuing your rock star body may include a medicine ball series that's light , maybe in the 5-15 pounds range, a small set of dumbbells anywhere from 5 to 25 pounds, a matt of some sort that will give you enough padding on a wood floor or linoleum floor is fine. Maybe a very good a Swiss ball, something that you might find at a physical therapy office.

The third area you want to look at is your cardio. A lot of times people really think that they need to go out and run like a marathon runner. Typically what you do when you start is a walking program and then progress to the more advanced style of cardio when you lose weight while becoming more fit.

Walking programs will help build some of the muscles in the legs and the lower body. This is where people typically will experience something called "shin splints" some of the time if no walking for greater times and distances has been done previously. Start with a simple walking program and then you progress into something that might incorporate a light jog interspersed with walking. This may go on for two to four weeks. Then you can fast track it after you build up a good level of endurance.

After your base is developed, you can do something called high intensity interval training. This would be a series of 30, 60 or 90 second sprint bursts followed by a walking or jogging at a recovery rate until your heart rate gets back down to about 120 beats per minute. This seems to be about the most effective way and the fastest way for most people. Can you use machines in a gym or at home? The machine based cardio programs are sometimes a better choice if you have injuries because there will be less body impact stress on your body. And it really doesn't matter what piece. My only advice is if you're going to use machines in the gym, alternate between the different types. Maybe the step mill one day, rower the next, seated recumbent bike position, maybe even a spin class, or jogging on the treadmill. So try to break it up so that you don't do the same type all the time and give your body different movement patterns to adjust to while preventing repetitive strain.

The fourth area is the flexibility of muscle tissue. With all the additional weight training and cardio that you're doing, a lot of your muscles become tighter. You may also have a preexisting condition of inflexibility as a result of your occupation or sports that you like to play. The repetitive action of that sport or your occupation may be the cause of tight muscles. For example a cashier at a check out line using the price register scan moving heavy objects straining one side of the body.

After you're done doing your weight training or cardio, finish off with a static stretching routine. That means sitting and holding a position of stretch for a muscle group while you use deep diaphragmatic breaths or deep belly breathing for three to four pulls or three to four inhale, exhale cycles.

This allows the body to relax enough, reducing muscle tension giving you a nice stretch in the muscle. Do you need to do it everyday? No, you don't need to. Do you need to go to a hot sweaty room or one of the classes? No, only if it is convenient for you to do it and you enjoy making the time for it. The floor at home or a grass area in the park will do just fine too. Stretch the muscle groups that you train often and the other tight areas of your body at a minimum three times a week.

The fifth area that you will help you benefit achieving your rock star body is your mental focus. Are these all in an order that you think is the best? Maybe not. You might have an area that you think is more important based on your personal physical goals, but this last area, your mental attitude, your mind over matter philosophy, is very important.

The lifestyles that some of us have can become overwhelming from time to time. And it is very easy to let our lives overcome us from time to time and cause us to become derailed on our goals temporarily. A strategy that you can use to prevent this is a series of 3x5 index focus cards that act as reminder tools. You'll write down the five or six major areas of your life goals that you really must focus on changing. Your health, career, education, spirituality, relationships, and maybe issues regarding finance. Some of the things that we would really like to do like trips or things that we want to buy ourselves. And then on these cards, write down on the back of the card all the steps that will help you identify more specifically, a measured amount of time and steps that you need to take so you will see yourself achieve that goal. For example, in the fitness realm "I would like to lose 15 pounds in the next 90 days and I would like to drop from 20% down to 15% body fat by February 15". And then establish a "why?" behind it that is very, very powerful for you so that you really give yourself a reason to achieve that goal.

With daily reference to your focus cards it allows you to keep you're goals fresh in your mind. Look at the cards in the morning, possibly review them during the day and definitely before you go to bed. And then ask yourself, "Did I do something today moving me closer to that goal?" If not, why not? And if you didn't, get up immediately and do something to help you with that goal. It is very important that you achieve success continually, in baby step or leaps and bounds so you feel a sense of accomplishment.

These five steps applied in an order appropriate to your goals with fitness and will yield fantastic results. Stay strong, stay ready and thank you for taking your health seriously.

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