Freak Fitness

Q: What’s the most outrageous yet effective protocol you’ve used on a client who was looking to lose fat?

A: 
Over the years, I’ve been exposed to various fat-loss protocols, some of which I’d classify as “outrageous” and some of which were outright dangerous! Extremely high amounts of cardio (six or more hours a day); long-term, lowcalorie, no-carb diets; and high doses of prescription thyroid medications are just a few of the drastic methods I’ve been told of that dedicated (albeit misinformed) athletes have tried to take their fat loss to extreme levels. I wish there were a “magic pill” or secret fat-loss protocol that I could recommend when all else fails, but unfortunately there isn’t. Burning stored body fat can only happen so fast, and any perceived weight loss beyond what an individual’s body can process is going to be water loss or—worse—muscle loss. 

When starting with a client, I gather as much relevant background information as I can in order to develop the most effective fat-loss program for that individual. The client’s current diet and supplement plan; current exercise activities and athletic history; and lifestyle elements such as stress, responsibilities, and sleep patterns are all taken into account. Once I’ve developed that client’s starting point, my ongoing monitoring allows me to continuously assess his or her progress, which in turn allows me to determine if and when something needs to change. I prefer to make small changes more frequently because small changes are easier to manage, both physically and mentally. Some people could call this process “outrageous” because it’s a lot more time consuming and tedious than just providing “cookie cutter” plans, but this protocol is by far the most effective.

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