Lean for Life 2

[Darrell Greenwood]

Lean for Life 2

Treat your body well + you will earn a lifelong friendship.
Abuse it + be prepared to go into battle!

Progressional Steps


The goal of an exercise program is to start achieving consistent fat loss while developing new metabolically active lean muscle mass. There happens to be a period within the first three weeks of a lifestyle change where the body actually rebels against any change whatsoever. The body is built for survival, change of any kind is a threat to our existence. Once you are able to convince the body that great things are on the horizon you will begin to make significant forward progress with your transformation. I like to call the first three weeks of training the Trenches and anybody who has ever worked out with me will testify to this.

"But if you have nothing at all to create, then perhaps you create yourself."
- Carl Jung

Over ninety percent of our Western population is chronically dehydrated. Water intake is not necessarily the problem as most folks know the basics of drinking plenty of pure, filtered H2O. Chronic dehydration has emerge because a vast majority of our population exists off of refined, processed, manmade foods. If you want to start losing fat and building a new physique the very first priority is to nourish the body with fresh foods. Forget the specialized programs, the fancy workout facilities or the several hours of exercise logged each week, if the food plan is not right you will never get the results you dream of.

1) Body Composition Analysis

How do you know where you are going if you don't even know where you are in the first place? Stay off the freaking scales... It is a tool trapped in the cave man era of Lifestyle coaching.... The scale offers you a simple number and that is it! A scale fails to identify lean body mass, fat pounds in weight, fat percentage, millimeters of skin fold and total circumference measurements. The goal of an effective program is to reduce overall fat weight while sustaining or gaining lean muscle mass not depleting overall scale weight.

Programs focussing solely on scale weight reduction eat the lean muscle mass off of its participants because excessive calorie restriction is usually the driving the strategy. If you don't believe me then simply look at how often the participants of these programs spiral up and down in poundage and circumference measurements. It is absolutely imperative to create a new, heightened fat burning metabolism. This is done through strength training, activity elevation based on individual fitness and developing a regiment of small, well balanced snacks / meals throughout the day. If you are involved in a scale weight reduction program politely ask where the restrooms are, look for the exit and make a run for it!

Before taking part in a fitness program have a simple caliper composition test done complete with circumference measurements. Sure there are more accurate systems of testing fat but at least you will have a rough estimate of where you are starting, especially if you are getting tested by the same person. Weight training transformations are tricky because in the beginning stages most people have to rebuild the lean muscle lost due to inactivity, poor nutrition or calorie restriction. If dehydration is a factor then for the first three weeks you will also retain water and frequent the bathroom on a regular basis. Scale weight can actually move up initially but once an active metabolism is targeted inches and pounds of fat begin to melt away.

The scientific range to target with fat loss is 2 pounds per week. Lose way more than this --- expect it to come back to haunt you.



- Darrell Greenwood