My Facebook page has been bombarded with sponsored posts about combating the so-called “Dad-Bod”, which, as best I can deduce, is anything short of shredded. Supposedly, I don’t need to work out. I can gain muscle and lose fat by simply taking a supplement. If you believe the ads, this is what the likes of Arnold Schwartenegger, Sylvester Stallone, et al. do. Things that make you go “Hmmm.”
I wish it was just a matter of taking a supplement. Unfortunately, it takes effort—a lot of effort!
I also question this idea of the “Dad-Bod”. The notion the everyone needs to be “shredded” is nonsense—not to mention unhealthy. We “dads” should be concerned about muscle mass and body fat, but, unless one is an athlete, more than a modest amount of muscle mass is purely for show—and a lot of work. Despite the clever advertising, muscle mass can only be built with resistance training. Low percentages of body fat (<9%) are not reasonable unless one is a physique athletes in the competitive season. A more reasonable Dad-Bod is about 12% body fat (which is still a bit of work). Body fat charts often allow for increases in the ideal range as one ages. Personally, I don’t agree. Aging is not an excuse for declining fitness. A range of 12-20% for males is reasonable across all ages.
So, skip the supplements and do the following to avoid the so-called “Dad-Bod”:
1) Lift weights. Weight lifting is the only way to build and maintain muscle mass. The older we get, the more challenging it is to add mass. Key is to build mass early and maintain.
2) Include some cardio. Some cardio is necessary for improving and maintaining cardiorespiratory health. The benefits for improving body composition are probably quite individualized and adhere to the principle of specificity. Nonetheless, fat loss is dependent upon calories burned exceeding calories consumed. More activity is always a benefit.
3) Add 2-3 HIIRT workouts be week. High-intensity interval resistance training (HIIRT) is a time-effective way to facilitate fat loss (see “HIIRT”, November 18, 2017). If time is limited, this should be the priority workout (barring more ambitious fitness goals). Just remember, these are less effective than weight training and HIIT cardio for improving VO2max.
4) Baby steps to cutting calories. Avoid the futile cycles of dieting. Focus on long-term lifestyle changes. Cutting calories here and there add up to significant losses and long-term maintenance over time. Simple things like watching the %ABV in beer (remember there are 30 kcal per %ABV per 12 ounces of beer) can avoid the “Dad-Bod” beer gut. Focusing on the caloric density of foods helps cut calories (e.g., substituting egg whites for some whole eggs).
5) Don’t waste money on supplements. There are virtually no supplements that are substantially effective in affecting body fat—especially in people with already high body fat percentages. Save your cash. Eat smart and exercise effectively!
6) Be consistent. Enough said.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow!
Carpe momento!