Understanding Body Fat

Many people are in the quest for weight loss. Though it is admirable to start on such a journey, most of the time folks gets lost in the numbers. We get obsessed with weight loss and dropping a pound or two that we lose the essence of why we started in the first place, which to some make them discouraged and they end up giving up entirely.

Some people need to drop a lot of weight, make no mistake about it. There's a reason why about 66% of our population is considered overweight and a third of the population is considered obese. So for them its about seeing the number drop in the scale.

Others however are in a lower scale when it comes to their weight, but them too need to lose a few pounds in order to be in an acceptable range of weight that would be considered healthy and of course fit.

In a nutshell if your goal is to lose weight, burn fat and put on some muscle you must do the following:

- Exercise regularly which includes some sort of cardio or metabolic training
- Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated
- Eat protein, fruits, veggies and healthy fats

You will lose weight and you will drop body fat, all while increasing strength, performance and toning your body. In a nut shell, if you follow the above recommendation you will see results; how much? Well it depends on several factors. That's a different topic and I'll address it later.

What I want to do today is help you understand the numbers when it comes to fat loss. I wrote an e-mail the other day to my subscribers list, talking about how many people wish the had a six pack abs and what it takes to get there. Depending on your current goals and physical condition your weight can be a good way to determine your overall dietary condition, but a much more important factor would be to determine how much body fat percentage you have. Fat loss is the key, once you are at a decent weight it's all about fat loss. The weight may go up or down a bit, but it all has to do with fat loss.

For example its not the same a man who weighs 170 lbs with 32% body fat - than a guy who weighs 170 lbs with 19% body fat, or a woman who is 130 lbs with 29% body fat than a woman who is 128 lbs with 20% body fat... there's a huge difference in body composition.

Body fat is the percentage of your body's mass which is made up of fat, there is essential body fat and stored body fat. Essential body fat is necessary for life and bodily functions. Stored body fat is accumulated fat in adipose tissue which helps protect organs. Too much body fat and you will find it in our bellies, thighs, arms, butt, etc. Not only too much of it doesn't looks good but it can also decrease energy, focus, sex drive and lead to many illness.

So its a good thing to get rid of unwanted body fat, and not only for esthetics purposes. Exactly how much? What is the ideal or realistic body fat percentage too shoot for?

Understanding fat loss by the numbers can give you a better idea as to what to strive for. These numbers will vary and be different for women and men. Women have higher body fat than men mostly because of physiological differences in hormones, sexual organs, ovulation and other things. Also keep in mind that as we age our acceptable body fat increases regardless if you are a man or woman; there are physiological changes in our bodies that creates this environment.

Below I'm showing you a chart that is most acceptable when it comes to body fat percentages provided by the American Council of Exercise (ACE). The only thing I find against it, is that it doesn't breaks it down into age groups. However I still think its a good starting point.

Men Body Fat Percentage
Essential Fat : 2 -5%
Athletes:  6 - 13%
Fitness: 14 - 17%
Average: 18 - 24%
Obese:  25 - up %

Women Body Fat Percentage
Essential Fat : 10 - 13%
Athletes:  14 - 20%
Fitness: 21 - 24%
Average: 25 - 31%
Obese:  32 - Up%


This is not the only measure of health and fitness, but a strong one. However you could have a low body fat percentage and still be weak and unhealthy. On the other hand I've known a few people who appear to have a higher body fat percentage than what would be considered normal and yet they are strong, fast, athletic and in good health.

Knowing your body fat percentage will also help you determine if your weight/fat loss goals is realistic. Remember my equation earlier... It's not the same to be a woman who weighs 130lbs with 29% body fat than a woman who weighs 128lbs with 20% body fat.

The difference in weight loss is just 2 lbs... but the overall body composition is different given the fact there's a 9% of body fat dropped.

So before you decide that you need to "lose weight", remember to consider that "weight" consists of both lean body mass and body fat. Try to keep your weight loss goals realistic, and remember, keep the calorie-burning muscle, and lose only the fat.

With sound nutrition and a good fitness routine you can lower your body fat regardless of genetics.

I hope I've helped you to better understand the term of body fat.

Cardio For Fat Loss

The last few days I've had many people come up to me and ask about the different types of cardio. Especially what type of cardio works best for fat loss.

I know there can be a lot of confusion with so much conflicting theories and info thrown out there. Some say do cardio on an empty stomach, others say very early in the morning, before or after your workouts or on non-training days, etc. Some say they'll just walk there way thin and others suggest you must do endless hours of cardio; very conflicting with folks who pray on interval training (say do cardio for just 20 minutes or so).

My take is that you must first look at your overall goals and physical limitations and/or circumstances.  For example, do you want to burn fat? or Do you want to run a 10K?

Listen the equation is very simple: if you wish to burn fat, then you must burn calories. Cardiovascular activity is one way to do so. Weight training, cardio intervals and long hours of cardio will work towards that goal and help you accomplish this.

Think about it as if you are paying your mortgage; it doesn't matters if you are paying it in cash, check or electronically. In the end you paid your mortgage, that's what counts.

The difference when it comes to your cardio program is time and efficiency. You can either walk your way thin (which may require hours and hours of training and walking) or you can do a high intensive interval training workout (perhaps 20 -25 minutes) and get the same or better results.

I always say you should mix it up, just like your nutrition and weight training - you must with your cardio program in order to avoid plateaus and have better results.

This is an example of a Time Efficient Cardio Training Program it only takes 20 -30 minutes. Click here to see it. 

Another way as I enjoy doing (since I hate running) is through metabolic workouts. Which in essence means mixing up some sort of cardio exercises with weight training into one program, either as a circuit or bi-plexes and tri-plexes... This is the same concept I use to train some of my clients and that we do in my Strength & Conditioning Boot Camps. But I'll cover more on the metabolic training in other post so we stay on subject.

So all being said if you wish to run a 10K, half marathon or do a 3 day Breast Cancer walk... then you need to train for that and it will require much time invested into your cardio program.

Take in consideration also you age and physical limitations in order to avoid injuries down the road.

Alright so there it is. I hope this information clarifies some doubts and helps you train in a more focused way. As always give it your best!!

“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.” – Nido Qubein

- ed

Tuesday Rant & Random Thoughts

So today I find myself with some time in between clients, and decided to just write about a few things I’ve got on my mind.

Do understand this is by no means in any order, however sometimes in life you get to a point where you have a lot of stuff in your mind and you need to share it. I find it pertinent when I write I am able to express myself better, though not always “politically correct” or “grammatically correct either” as Michelle always points out to me…  hehe

Tuesday Rant:

1) There’s an ad on TV about how every car out there compares itself to the Camry… if that’s the case the question to the consumer is: why not actually buy the Camry and not the knock off or lower quality car? Listen I’m not judging the car… I could care less I drive my Hummer proudly (even with gas prices sky-rocketing).  The reason why I share this, it’s because the analogy fits well with your fitness trainer. If you are comparing this person to me constantly as to how they don’t do this like me, or treat you this way or that way and how they lack knowledge in many areas and how once the training session is over you find yourself lost because you have no idea as to what you are supposed to be doing..  Yet keep telling me you follow my newsletter, blog and other fitness advice, and then go hire someone else as your “personal trainer” (while in the process you follow all of my advice only during your training session you have that person next to you counting reps)… then why even bother?  I don’t get it!! You know how many “personal trainers” I’ve seen destroying their client bodies with dangerous, ineffective and stupid exercises. I know the problem; I just figured it out the other “personal trainer” charges you $5 bucks less per session… Really?  Seriously? This is your body and you only have one, hiring the wrong coach could mean you wasted your talents – hiring the wrong doctor could mean you could be misdiagnosed… maybe a little too late, hiring the wrong hair stylist means instead of blond highlights your hair turns green, hiring the wrong fitness trainer means you’ll get no results, learn nothing and find yourself in the same spot a few months down the road!!!

2) Weird last time I decided to rant on my blog it was also a Tuesday!!!

3) My TV is dying… “gulp” Last time I said I needed a new laptop (checked got my new DELL three months ago) and I also needed a flat screen TV… it’s still on my wish list.

4) WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? DO YOU CALL THAT EXERCISING? The most dangerous thing - is not knowing that you do not know (does that makes sense?). Let me explain, people waste their time in the gym, sometimes more is not better. Killing yourself is not the path to a better body.  For instance, there are many exercises I see people perform at the gym that makes me go nuts and wonder WTH are they thinking? The list of such exercises, especially those that are machine based is considerable, for the most part some of these equipments are designed to “facilitate” an exercise move, yet they force your body to move in planes your body was not designed for and in the long run will actually cause harm to you. In case you haven’t noticed your body was designed to move and be active, and to move as just one unit. The saddest part some of these exercises is that I’ve found many of them in popular magazines as a must do and I’ve even seen “trainers” recommending them to their clients. Listen educate yourself properly, if that is not an option hire fitness professional that is.

5) That being said; if you see me in the gym while training (me or my clients) and decide you want to copy some of the exercises; go ahead just pay attention to form, technique, pace and rest periods. I mean if you are going to do it – do it right. If you have a question go ahead ask, but no while I’m in a training session, out of courtesy to my clients. Thanks!

6) Training through mild injury (actually any injury) sucks! But if you are fortunate (SMART) enough you can use it as a learning experience, especially to focus on your weak areas. This in turn will not only increase your knowledge but also will make you stronger and better.

7) Albert Einstein said: “try not to become a person of success but rather a person of value”… Every organization, business and individuals has a set of values; some are poor, negative, and unproductive; while others are positive and productive. Keeping my word, being truthful and serving you over anything else is my commitment.  I’m not perfect nor do I know it all… but I care about you!!

I think this is good enough for today. If you made this far down I thank you for reading; I probably needed to do this today for myself.  I hope however I’m able to share some good tips with you!

Resistance and Interval Training for Fat Loss

If you are one of the many that are looking to lose some weight and/or drop body fat then toning up your muscles through a fitness training program is one of the healthiest ways that you could go. It is also one of the fastest as well as most intensive ways for you to begin seeing almost instant results. Exercise has many benefits and it will help you get on your way to a better you.

There are several ways in which you can engage into physical activity and many different types of fitness training concepts. I will talk about 2 methods that I use personally and that I incorporate with all of my clients in their programs, which may benefit you as well. You can choose to train one way or to combine these fitness methods all together to spice up your workouts and bust through plateaus.

1. Resistance Training
This type of exercise is also known as strength or weight training which will involve using the resistance to the muscular contraction to build up your endurance and help you achieve a healthy weight loss. It involves working against gravity or other force and is also directly related to the amount of weight you lift as well as how many times you are able to do this without stopping. With resistance training the goal is to put stress on your muscles so that they are forced to work harder and thus after a recovery time you build strength and tone your body.

If you are a beginner then start with a lighter to moderate weight with a higher repetition range so you build muscular endurance. If you are intermediate to advance the going heavier on weight or intensity should be part of your program.

Note: body-weight exercises is also considered resistance training, your progression depends on time, intensity and the type of exercise performed.

Therefore if you begin with lighter weights before moving on to the heavier ones you will be heading to the correct direction. After a couple of weeks of performing this method you will notice a some changes in your body, from gained strength, toning of your muscles, a drop in body fat and also a gradual increase in the amount of time that you are able to lift the weights. Each movement in a resistance training exercise should be conducted to its fullest range of motion. By doing this you are maximizing the benefits of muscle gain and keeping the full range of motion as your muscles grow

2. Interval Training
Interval training basically involves a series of short burst exercises that consists of activity at high intensity for a period of time, followed by low intensity exercises for a period of time. This has become a very popular technique in recent years because of the effectiveness at inducing fat loss at a higher rate than just regular exercise.

Intervals can be performed with a series of exercises, stair running, plyometrics, sprints, Boot Camp workouts, speed drills, jump rope and many other training modalities.

An interval workout may look like one of these:

Interval Example of a 20 to 25 minute spent on a treadmill or cardio machine (it can also be performed outdoors)

• 3 - 5 minutes warm-up (light jog, low intensity, gradually increasing at the end of the warm up period)

• 1 minute moderate or high intensity followed by 1 minute low intensity (repeat 6-8 times)

• 3 - 5 minutes cool down (light jog, low intensity, gradually decreasing by the end of the cool down period

Interval Example of Sports Conditioning (Note: You don't need to be an athlete to train like an athlete)

• 3 - 5 minutes warm up

• Perform a series of exercises like 3 or 5 for a period of 30 to 45 seconds each with a 10 to 20 second rest in between. Repeat for 2 or 3 sets. You can also perform a series of these sets like 3 or 4 and it will take you about 10 to 30 minute for the entire workout (not including the warm-up and cool down).
• 3 - 5 minutes cool down

The key for success in your training program comes down to consistency and commitment. If you constantly skip on your workout days, don't do cardio and eat like it's nobody's business then, don't expect to see much results. 


You don't need to become obsess or train to be an athlete to see good results. Combine the above recommendations with a solid nutritional plan and you are on your way to a better, fitter and sexier body. 

“There’s a different between interest and committment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit. When you’re committed to doing something, you accept no excuses, only results.”

Follow these tips for better nutritional guidelines: Essential Weight Loss Guide.


If you have questions or need help designing a program that fits your schedule, body type and fitness level, contact me I would love to hear from you. 

Eduardo Lorenzo, NASM-CPT specializes in sports performance, injury prevention, corrective exercises, physique enhancement, Boot Camp and weight loss programs.