Need Advice (Program and Fat Loss)

So I wanted to ask the members for some advice. I will try to keep this short, but I’m afraid it will still come across as long so I’m sorry. I’m really hoping to get advice from people who have successfully done this before. I am 20 years old and have always been an athlete. I have been strength training since I started playing high school football. No matter how fit I have been I have always had love handles and want rid of them once and for all so my questions are:

  1. what is the best program to run while trying to burn fat. I know to shoot for low volume and strength due to the dietary demands. So is something like starting strength, 5x5, or 5/3/1 the best. Or is there something else?

  2. what is the best way to structure conditioning? Sprints on off days, complexes, or circuits? How and when to structure these.

  3. Diet. What is the best equation for figuring up calories and how should I be separating my macros. Is 500 calorie deficit what I should shoot for? Considering I have always had love handles I feel that I might be insulin sensitive so should I shift carbs around or anything? Also opinions on fasting.

  4. Any supplement recommendations?

  5. Anything you guys can offer is appreciated. I am looking for the fastest route. I know that there is know miracle and by fastest I mean in terms of many weeks. I am by no means fat, I have decent muscle from my training and am farily lean except at my stomach and love handles (the common trouble areas).

Thanks in advance for the advice and if any of you have done this and have progress pics please share!

No one best routine -optimal training is a moving target. Saying that, this is very efffective…

re supps Plazma is the daddy. If on a budget: fish oil, creatine and intra workout bcaa drink are a good foundation

The same one you’ve been using to gain muscle :slight_smile: what do you typically do currently?

Typically when starting cutting I will begin with HIIT on rest days from weights and 25mins SSCV 2 x per week on day’s I don’t train legs. From there its all about adjusting your output (cardio/weights sessions) or intake (food) for continued fat loss.

With HIIT I prefer mind done on a stationary bike or xtrainer, I’ll start with 8 sprints done at the time I usually weight train on my gym days so that I’ve eaten multiple times during the day as I really don’t think HIIT should be done fasted.

As far as duration I’ll begin with 20 secs sprints followed by 1min40 recovery and repeat - 5mins warm up SSCV and 5mins warm down.[quote=“jordankipper55, post:1, topic:217656”]
3) Diet. What is the best equation for figuring up calories and how should I be separating my macros. Is 500 calorie deficit what I should shoot for? Considering I have always had love handles I feel that I might be insulin sensitive so should I shift carbs around or anything? Also opinions on fasting.
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There is no one size fits all but as a very BASIC guideline I would shoot 1-1.3g protein per LB of bodyweight, 20-25% kcals from fats and fill in the gap with carbohydrates. Depending on your lifestyle/job would depend how I would space carbs but when cutting I like a pretty even spread throughout the day with a slight emphasis on workout perimeter but that’s more to do with the types of carbs ingested at those times.

K.I.S.S - don’t over complicate it here personally at this stage, I would include;

2-3g omega 3’s
A quality whey protein/isolate
Dextrose/Maltodextrin if having intra/post workout liquid carbs
BCAA
Good multi vitamin
5000iu vit d

You can throw everything and the kitchen sink at your body supplement wise but personally I would add one thing at a time and see if you feel/see any benefit from it.

The key to a good cutting period is all in how you manage your intake and energy output in my opinion, its constantly adjusting and evaluating your body and how its reacting each week. Being on top of these adjustments is what leads to consistent progress and of course doing the same things day in day out diet wise and training HARD and HEAVY is key when you are in the gym - NO PHONES, NO MID SET CHATTING get in and work out.

It’s hard to give set macro splits and cardio outlines as I would start everyone differently from that perspective. The best thing to do is get a plan down on paper that your schedule fits and you can stick to every day for a period of time, do it for 7-10 days then retake pics/weight and adjust macros/cardio from there.