by Colin Aina
Welcome back! In my last installment, we talked about the "running is bad for you" argument.(http://www.212healthandperformance.com/212blogfull/2018/9/27/fitness-myths-debunkedor-at-least-ranted-about-in-a-rather-convincing-fashion).
This time I'm here to show you the best way to.....Gain fat! Lose bone density! Lose muscle mass! Get Fatter!
Who doesn't want a thicker, doughier midsection?!! Hell I do..and this is truly the number one thing you can do to increase that midsection along with the rest of your body. As we age, we are steadily losing muscle mass and when that happens, our bone density goes along with it. Muscle needs to attach to something and when lean mass increases, our body produces bone to facilitate that attachment.
Another huuuugeee negative of maintaining muscle mass and bone density is boosting your metabolism, allowing your body to burn more calories (not good for getting fatter). A higher metabolism will also give you more energy..who wants that nonsense??!!
Don't believe this is true?? I used myself as the test subject to prove it. On 5/31/16 I completed an InBody body composition reading (please schedule yours ASAP to see exactly what you're made of). I completed a second one 15 weeks later and to my delight....
First Reading (5/31/16)
Weight - 199.9 lbs
Muscle Mass - 99.4 lbs
%Body Fat - 12.3%
Body Fat Mass - 24.7 lbs
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) -2088 kcal
Visceral Fat Level (internal fat you can’t see or feel) - 5
Second Reading (9/15/16)
Weight - 193.7 lbs (-6 lbs)
Muscle Mass - 91.7 lbs (-7.7 lbs)**
Body Fat - 15.9% (+3.6%)**
Body Fat Mass - 30.9 lbs (+6.2 lbs)**
BMR -1966 kcal (-122 kcal)**
Visceral Fat Level - 7 (+2 points)**
***MORE FAAATTTT!!!! YESSSS!!! LESS MUSCLE...YAY!! DECREASED METABOLISM..UHH HUH! HIGHER VISCERAL FAT(the bad fat around the organs)...GIMME SOME!!!!!!
How did I do this you ask? Well, it is quite simple in fact. In July of 2016 after months of peer pressure from a few friends, I bought a mountain bike. Now I had yet another excuse to play outside!! I started biking 3-4 days a week and at a very high intensity. I would ride an average of about 90 minutes, 3-4 times per week and dropped my strength training to no more than 2 days per week. I would sporadically weigh myself and started to notice my weight decrease. I was afraid that all of that cardio would be making me lose fat instead of what I really wanted...MORE FAT!! Did all this extra, high intensity cardiovascular exercise and decreased strength training make me more "fit"?? Once I noticed that I had lost 6 lbs on the scale, I figured that I had better hop on the InBody to see what was really going on. Luckily, the aforementioned numbers were the result. More fat, less muscle, boom, done.
So if you want these same amazing results, do what I did. Substitute your lifting and resistance training with moooorrrreee ccaarrddiioooooo!!! You're bigger tummy will thank you for it.
