Have you wondered why you’re plateauing with your fat loss goals? Are you that person who is tirelessly killing yourself in the gym and eating little to nothing at all? Then this post is for you.
The less is more approach is very simple. Do less, which can equate to more results. I don’t mean do less by sitting on the couch and waiting for the results to come. What I mean is, instead of killing yourself for hours on end, sometimes taking a step back with your training intensity can help bring about a greater outcome.
The less is more approach, is a way to de-stress the body while your focus is on improving your health and dropping body fat. It has been shown, that dropping body fat can be stressful on the body. Your calories are restricted and your activity levels increase. So in this instance, putting your focus on recovery can have a major impact on the speed of your results.
I’ll use myself for example. During competition prep, my goal is to get as lean as I possibly can whilst maintaining as much muscle mass as possible. You would think that I am training day and night, 7 days a week to get this result, when in actual fact I am training 4 days a week, doing cardio 3 times a week and the rest of my time is focused on recovery. My calories don’t drop past 2000 a day and I manipulate my carb and protein intake whilst keeping my fat intake steady.
Now in this world today, we don’t see that often. We see people eating 1000 or less calories a day, doing massive amounts of cardio for hours on end, sleeping 4–5 hours a day and feeling crap 24/7. This places massive amounts of stress on the body and can stagnate your fat loss goals. Taking a step back, bringing down your training intensity, and focusing on your NEAT levels more, eating more food and placing yourself in a healthy calorie deficit are all part of the LESS IS MORE APPROACH.
Remember you don’t need to kill yourself in the gym all the time. All you need is a smart approach based on your individual body type, the will power to continue when it gets tough, and a knowledgeable coach to help you through the process.
Yours in health,
Coach Alex Kassis