TL;DR: Made a workout "challenge". Will lose 7.5% body fat in three months. Not hard, but requires dedication. Currently 18.5%. Will be 11% in March. I encourage other members to post a body fat reduction plan using this method, unless you're already ripped and dgaf.
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Ok guys, real quick side note: I'm an employee for a large chain of fitness clubs, and I've been involved with gyms since I was about 12. However, it wasn't until the past three years that I've been going to the gym with serious consistency and dedication. I reached my peak fitness level about a half year ago, weighing approximately 165-170lbs @ ~13% body fat with a moderate amount of muscle. I'm 6'1" and 21 years old, and I kind of let myself go over these last six months. My current weight/body fat percentage: 180lbs/18.5%. I know this because our gym supplies members with a benchmark machine that accurately measure statistics like these, plus blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, etc.
Here's my three month fitness plan that I created while I was at work, and I invite anyone who wants some sort of friendly competition to please join in on this:
1) Multiply current weight x Desired amount of body fat you wish to lose
2) Multiply that result x 3500 (number of calories per pound of fat)
3) Divide by 90 (days in three months)
4) Result will be required daily caloric deficit
There are roughly 3,500 calories per pound of fat. I plan on losing 7.5% of my body fat over the next three months. That's not really difficult, but it does require consistency and dedication nonetheless. Plus I don't want to lose any muscle mass in the process.
To get these results, I'm expecting 70% of the work to consist of dieting, while the other 30% will consist of daily cardio (at
least 30 mins
daily) and muscular development (to burn calories during downtime).
In order for me to figure out the required calorie deficit to meet my goal, which is 11% body fat by early March, I'll need to multiple my weight times the amount of body fat I wish to lose (180 x .075 = 13.5 ), then multiply that by the amount of calories there are per pound of fat (13.5 x 3500 = 47,250), and finally, take that number and divide it by three months, which is 90 days (47,250/90 = 525) This is the amount I need to lose per day[/B].
This is not hard at all. 30 mins of cardio will burn anything between 350-500 calories depending upon the level of exertion, and combine that with proper dieting, and I might even exceed this number from time to time.
My workout challenge begins tomorrow: 12/08/2010. It ends on 3/08/2011. I am determined to meet or exceed this goal.
Anyone up for a challenge? All that's required is an update at least twice a month, at no specific time, to keep yourself motivated and keep an eye on your benchmark. You set your goals. Try to make it a challenge. I'm going to keep bumping this because it will provide some form of motivation.