“The more you know, the less you need.” – Yvon Chouinard
What a crazy concept right? To know more is to need less? Society has taught us that we need, need, need ALWAYS. But, in reality it is true that the more we know, the less we need.
In college, there was this one guy that I had a bunch of classes with. I noticed one day in my Database Management class that he took notes sometimes and the other times he would just follow along on the computer or listen to the lecture. I had heard from some other students that he never studied either, yet he was a straight A+ student–yes, we had A+ at my school, crazy right?
No studying, no opening the book, just notes, listening, and following along with our professor. You’re probably thinking he failed right? Well, that is not the case. He was a walking textbook. I’m talking he would come in to take the test, be the first one to leave, and he would get the highest grade.
I was left shocked when I started to notice this. So, naturally I went up to befriend him. His name was Colton, and he was a Business Analytics and Math double major. He has one of the most amazing memories I have ever seen. If any of you reading this have ever seen Suits–you should if you haven’t–I would compare him to Mike who has a photographic memory and memorized his way into being a lawyer and the most prestigious law firm in New York without going to law school.
After I befriended him, I had to ask how he aced everything without studying and barely even taking notes. He told me, “The more I know and comprehend, the less I need to study”. That changed my course of thinking in EVERY aspect of my life.
So, I thought to myself, why do I study for school? Why do I study strength training? Why do I study nutrition and foods? The answer I came to is that I wanted to know more about those areas, so I needed less effort to achieve the goals I had.
The same can be your case too. The more you know about your job, the less you need to be micromanaged or observed. The more you know about a person, the less you need to study them. The more you know about the foods your body likes, the less time you will need to spend building your meals. The more you know about how your body trains, the less strenuous exercise you will need to lose weight.
We have helped a thousand men and women change their body and lifestyle through Strength Training and Nutrition at Steel Strength Training over the last decade, and I am bringing you a HUGE tip that could be your ticket to fat loss.
It can be frustrating when you are eating the right things, strength training regularly, and doing cardio, but you aren’t losing any fat or feeling any better in your body.
What if I told you, training less and doing less cardio could be your ticket to faster fat loss? I know, you probably think I am insane because we live in a society of “MORE, MORE, MORE”, and if you have ever played sports or know someone who has, coaches are always telling you to “Push yourself to the max! When you think you have nothing in the tank, give a little more.”.
*** Disclaimer–I am not knocking coaches for saying those things, it is very good to push yourself out of your comfort zone to become a better athlete. ***
Society has it wrong though, if some is good, more could be worse for your goals when it comes to your health and fitness. If you don’t think you should listen to me, trust me I am PRO Strength Training. I live, sleep, and breathe Strength Training–I even made my entire business around it. I 1000% believe it is a fundamental aspect of living a lean, strong, and healthy lifestyle.
If you aren’t Strength Training, there is only one good reason–you’re dead. Other than that, you have to Strength Train to have that lifestyle change you are wanting.
The magic is in the dose. For the everyday man or woman, 2-3, sometimes 4 days of Strength Training per week is ALL you need to obtain an incredible physique when it comes to being lean, strong, and healthy.
This isn’t for the body builder going to competitions or the CrossFit athlete training for the CrossFit games. I am talking to the EVERYDAY man or woman that wants to feel confident with no clothes on. When they look in the mirror after the shower, they are proud of what they see.
They may flex a little in the mirror because they are so happy with their body. The people who want to feel comfortable and confident in the clothes they wear. They want to have energy, be strong and capable so they can do the things they love with the people they love without their body holding them back.
If you are training 4+ days a week and are not seeing results DESPITE having already put effort into eating well and cardio, -always adjust these first–your ticket to faster fat loss could be training less.
If you’ve been training 4 days a week, drop to 3. If you’ve been training 3 days a week, drop to 2. I do not recommend less than 2 days of Strength Training. Everyone can train at least 2 days per week regardless of age, barring some kind of medical condition. Most people can even train 3 days per week.
Training is a stressor. That is why our bodies respond to it by building muscle, getting stronger, making our connective tissue stronger. This is a good stressor, but if you stress your body too much, it can’t recover which could be what is holding you back.
Have you ever heard the term “stress-eating”? Well, it is true that as your stress levels increase, your appetite increases with it. So over training your body could be increasing your stress levels and appetite because your body needs the food to recover and refuel.
So, if you have been consistently training hard, doing cardio, and eating healthy, but no results, try these steps:
- Reduce your cardio pretty significantly and replace it with walking.
- Reduce your training amount to 3 maybe 2 days per week.
These both reduce stress while allowing you to maintain a level of activity that will build your muscle and help you maintain it. Since your stress reduces, it will be easier to eat in the calorie deficit–which is the only way to lose fat–without feeling groggy and less energized.
Fat loss should be simple and straightforward. It should not be brutal or something you have to work super hard for. The toughest part is being consistent. Showing up and doing what you need to do every day is the hardest part.
So just to recap what your ticket to fat loss could look like:
- Strength Train 2-3 Days Per Week
- Hit Your Calorie and Protein Goal
- Do Your Walking/Cardio
- Don’t Fall Into the Myth of If Some Is Good, More Is Better
If you feel stuck in a cycle of no fat loss, and you are strength training, eating a healthy diet, and doing cardio, you may just need to dial back the strenuous activity to achieve your goals.
If you want to get out of that cycle and enter a program that is simple, effective, and fun, then Steel Strength Training is for you. It is our mission to help you change your life and become lean, strong, and healthy. If you are the tiniest bit curious or are fully ready to dive in–
Remember, it is never too late to love the way you look and to change your life. The best part–you don’t have to do it alone.
