So many of us think working out in the gym is the way to a fitter body, a more muscular and toned body. Although yes, working out in the gym does mean your body will alter somewhat, it doesn’t mean this is the only thing you should do.

No matter how many times a week you work out in the gym, how many sit-ups or dead lifts you can do – if you aren’t eating right, you won’t see a big change and might not reach the goal you were hoping for.

Your body can’t be forced into change, it has to be eased there. While ever you’re building on your muscle in the gym or looking to create some definition on your abs, arms or legs, the fat won’t reduce if you aren’t working towards this too. Your body decides where the fat will come off and when – nor will fat turn into muscle (no matter how hard you try!).

Calorie deficit – what is this?

If you’re looking to reduce your body fat and increase muscle mass or better define your body, the best thing you can do is introduce a calorific deficit into your diet. Now you might argue, “But when I come to the gym, I do 45 minutes of cardio!” Well, unfortunately, all that is going to do is burn off the chocolate bar or packet of crisps you ate earlier in the day. Suddenly, you think either the snack you ate wasn’t worth it – or the 45 minutes of pure sweat wasn’t worth it.

Here is what you really need to do – get you diet under control. Not many of us have enough time in the week to commit to a solid workout every day, or every other day. If you go to the gym and burn 500 calories in a workout, you might not be able to do that again for another few days. But – what you can do every day is consume – for example – 500 less calories. That’s 3500 calories a week!!!

Now, working out a calorie deficit depends on your current weight, your BMI, how much you’re wanting to lose and most importantly – what is most healthy for your body. There are online calculators which can help you figure this out, but the safest way is to speak with your doctor – or one of our PT’s!

When you’ve figured out your deficit, you can begin to adapt your eating habits to make sure you’re staying within your new calorie limit – but not causing yourself to feel starved or lethargic – and continue your workout programme.

Mix up your work out

Working out two to three times a week, paired with eating at a healthy deficit will ensure the additional fat on your body will start to drop off at a healthy rate. Your workouts suddenly won’t need to be high intensity all the time either, you can enjoy a low intensity session – your body is still being active, but you’re not pushing yourself to the absolute limits.

You won’t need every workout to be a full cardio session either – weightlifting (even for you ladies!) is important. This is how abs are made! This is what gives your body definition! So many people have the misconception weight training will make you big – well it won’t. The only way you will ‘get big and ripped’ is if you’re purposely trying to do so – and even then, it can take years. Weight training a couple of times per week will ensure your body burns more fat, becomes more toned and keep your muscles healthy.

Every body is different

Losing weight and building muscle / toning your body isn’t a quick win. It takes time for the process to happen, our bodies aren’t all the same so for some of us, results might take a little longer. Stick to your deficit and create a workout plan to stick to too – you will soon feel the difference in your body before you see anything. But – don’t forget to treat yourself at least once a week. You’re human after-all and it’s important for your body to get a taste of an indulgence once in a while so you’re not tempted to binge out.

If you’re wanting to change your body and need a push, speak with our team of personal trainers. As well as providing 1-2-1 sessions, they are also on hand to offer advice on exercises for the results you’re looking for but will also show best-practice for exercises.

So you see – there’s more to abs than just working out.