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#holistic #getfit #nutrition How to Gain Weight Quickly: 12 Tips On What to Eat & How to Train

SteveBeforeAfter

So you want to gain weight fast (and safely)? 

You’ve come to the right place, because this is what we do!

This guide covers the exact weight gain strategies I’ve used to go from my “before” (on the left above) to reach my “after” (on the right above). Believe it or not, that “before” photo is me after a DECADE of strength training and trying to get bigger.

It’s the stuff in this guide that finally allowed me to actually get results (the after).

It’s also exactly how we help our online coaching clients: nutritional guidance and workout plans that line up with their goals.



Oh, and if you sign up in any of the yellow email boxes throughout, you can download our “gain weight and build muscle” shopping list and cheat sheet to hang on your fridge!

Let’s start putting on weight right NOW.

These are the 12 lessons I wish I knew when I started trying to get bigger (click to jump right to that lesson):

NUTRITION

  1. How to eat to gain weight.
  2. What foods should I eat to gain weight?
  3. How much protein do I need to gain weight?
  4. How many carbs and fats should I eat to gain weight?
  5. How fast can I gain weight and get bigger?

STRENGTH TRAINING

  1. What exercises are best for weight gain?
  2. How to get stronger and build muscle.
  3. How many days should I exercise to gain weight?

RECOVERY

  1. How much sleep should I get to gain weight?
  2. Should I do cardio while trying to gain weight?
  3. Can you build muscle without gaining fat?
  4. Gain weight, get bigger, and supercharge your results.

Let’s get to it!

 

Rule #1) How to eat to gain weight.

Like this turtle, try to eat slow for a weight loss strategy.

As we cover in our “Ultimate Skinny Guy’s Guide to Bulking Up Fast,” there’s one rule you need to know above EVERYTHING else.

“If you’re not gaining weight, you’re not eating enough food.”

It’s science and thermodynamics.

Allow me to explain: depending on your current size and level of activity, your body burns 1200-2500+ calories every day just doing all of its daily processes:

  • Breathing.
  • Keeping your heart beating.
  • Powering your liver, kidneys, and brain.
  • Powering your movement.
  • Rebuilding muscle.

And dozens of other things.

Here’s the problem: because your body efficiently uses up all of the calories you consume every day, there are no calories left over to build muscle (or get stored as fat).

Want to know how many calories you burn every day? Check out our Total Daily Energy Expenditure TDEE calculator:

Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator







Male/Female

Use age in years.

Use pounds (lbs). If using metric system, multiple kg times 2.2 for lbs.

Use inches. If using metric system, divide cm by 2.54 for total inches.

For “Activity Level,” veer toward the side of less active. Studies consistently show that people are not as active as they self-assess.


Use the metric system? I wish we did too here in the States! Click right here for our Metric calculator.

Note: we have used The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation to create this calculator! [1]

Hooray! You now know estimates of your Basal Metabolic Rate (calories you burn existing) and TDEE (calories you burn while moving throughout the day)![2]

So, in order to get bigger, you need to eat ABOVE this TDEE number consistently.

Beavis and Butthead saying "we need more food."

That’s it.

This is the NUMBER ONE mistake skinny people make trying to get bigger: 

We think we have an overly fast metabolism.

Although there is SOME variation with regards to metabolism variability, it’s insignificant when compared to the effect of the more important part of the equation:

We overestimate how many calories we’re eating each day, we don’t account for the calories we burn through movement or exercise, and there aren’t enough calories left over to create a “caloric surplus.”

And without that surplus, we’ll never gain weight or get bigger. 

Look at me all big and strong!

MY STORY: I had been training in a gym for 6 years without gaining size.

I then worked with a great trainer, who had me DOUBLE the amount of food I was eating.

I thought he was out of his mind.

Until I did it…and it worked.

I put on 18 pounds in 30 days [3], and I realized I had been severely undereating for my goals:

I a

In order to gain weight, target an additional 300-500 calories above your Total Daily Energy Expenditure[4]:

  • If you have a TDEE of 1800 calories: target 2100-2300 calories per day to gain a pound a week (0.5 kg per week).
  • If you have a TDEE of 2000 calories: target 2300-2500 calories per day to gain a pound a week (0.5 kg per week).

Want to gain weight even faster? As long as you know you’ll also be gaining lots of fat, you can target 800-1000 calories above your TDEE.

  • If you have a TDEE of 1800 calories: target 2600-2800 calories per day to gain 2 lbs a week (1 kg per week).
  • If you have a TDEE of 2000 calories: target 2800-3000 calories per day to gain 2 lbs. a week (1 kg per week).

Question: What about meal timing?

Does it matter WHEN I eat my meals?

A clock on the wall

“Can I eat now?”

Answer: “WHEN” you eat doesn’t matter nearly as much as “HOW MUCH” you eat.

Your body will process all calories efficiently[5], so focus on total calories consumed.

Depending on your schedule, you can:

  • Eat 3 big meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
  • Eat 6 regular sized meals throughout the day.
  • Skip breakfast and eat two MONSTER meals (this is what I do).

It comes down to your personal preference. You might struggle to eat 3000 calories in 3 meals, so having 6 500-calorie meals throughout the day might make you feel less bloated and full.

Your value may vary! 

See the next section for tips and tricks on WHAT foods you should eat to gain weight.

If you want somebody to help keep you accountable and help you actually bulk up safely and quickly, we have a pretty great online coaching program that has helped people reach their weight gain goals safely and quickly.



Rule #2) What foods should I eat to gain weight?

Someone eating a healthy breakfast

If you want to build muscle, target whole foods that come from high quality, high-calorie sources whenever possible.

Sure, you could obtain 3500 calories eating Taco Bell, Twinkies, candy, and Mountain Dew. However, this isn’t a good long term solution to gaining weight and building a good physique (goodbye health).

Trust me, I know. I put on 18 pounds in 30 days by eating meatball subs from Subway, drinking whole milk, eating McDonald’s, and drinking weight gainer shakes.

I certainly wasn’t healthy, and today I’m much more intelligent and knowledgeable about how to bulk up safely.

HERE’S HOW TO EAT TO GAIN HEALTHY WEIGHT:

  • Calculate your (Total daily energy expenditure) and add 300-500 cal over your number for sustainable weight gain.
  • Consume at least 1-1.5g per pound (2.2-3.3g per kg) of body weight in protein daily.
  • Consume .25-.4g per pound (.5-.8g per kg) of body weight in fat daily.
  • Consume the rest of your calorie goals from healthy carbs.
  • Eat vegetables so that your body can process all the extra food.
  • If you are not gaining weight, add more carbs and/or fats to your meal.

We’re going to start building a plate, like so:

If your meal plate looks like this, you're doing a lot of the heavy lifting for weight loss.

The most important macro we’re going to focus on is protein.[6]. Studies show you’re more likely to put on the right kind of weight with a high protein diet compared to a low protein diet.

So that’s where we’ll start.

FOOD PRIORITY #1: PROTEIN

 

Protein can come from any number of sources, including:

  • Meat (steak, bison, pork).
  • Fowl (chicken, turkey, duck).
  • Eggs![7]
  • Cheese and dairy.
  • Fish and shellfish (salmon, tuna, shrimp).
  • Legumes (black beans, chickpeas).
  • Other vegetarian protein sources here.

If you’re curious, from our healthy eating article, this is what a portion of protein looks like:

A serving of protein should be about the size of your palm, like so.

Also, here’s how much protein is in a serving of food:

  • 4 oz (113 g) of chicken has around 30 g of protein.
  • 4 oz (113 g) of salmon has 23 g of protein
  • 4 oz (113 g) of steak has 28 g of protein.

We’ll cover below the answer to the question “How much protein should I eat?”

PRIORITY #2: CARBS

 

In order for you to gain weight, you need to consume plenty of calories, so the remainder of those calories will come from carbs and/or fats.

Here are whole foods full of carbohydrates:

  • Rice
  • Quinoa
  • Oats
  • Legumes and lentils
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Yams
  • Regular potatoes
  • Whole grain pasta
  • Whole grain bread

To help you get better at eyeballing serving sizes:

Showing you a serving of carbs

1 serving of a starchy carbohydrate is 1 cupped hand (uncooked), or your two hands forming a cup (cooked).

Here are some images to help you learn proper portion sizes (thanks to SafeFood):

This picture will help you determine proper serving sizes for carbs!

In addition to consuming carbohydrates from these sources, it’s okay to consume plenty of fruit while trying to bulk up!

You can read our full “Is fruit healthy” guide to learn more.

PRIORITY #3: FAT! 

 

Fat is a macronutrient that can help reach your surplus goals, as fat can be higher in calories. Plus, you can eat lots of it without feeling full.

Healthy fat can be found in foods like:

  • Avocado
  • Almonds
  • Walnuts
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Olive oil
  • Almond butter
  • Peanut butter

Saturated fats[8] can come from things like:

  • Whole milk
  • Full fat dairy
  • Coconut oil
  • Grass-fed butter
  • Fatty cuts of meat
  • Lard

To help you gauge: a serving size of fat is roughly the size of your thumb!

A serving of fat should be about your thumb!

For reference, this is a single serving of almonds (162 calories):

Knowing the correct amount of almonds to eat can help you with your calorie goals.

THIS is a serving of olive oil (60 calories):

A thumb sized portion of olive oil is around 60 calories - from Runtastic

As you can see, you can eat an extra 500 calories of “healthy fats” by eating lots of “heart-healthy” fats like nuts or adding more olive oil to your meals.

PRIORITY #4: VEGETABLES!

 

Last but not least, you need vegetables in your diet.

If you start to eat a lot more food, your “indoor plumbing” is going to really benefit from eating some high-fiber veggies with each meal:

A serving of veggies is about the size of your fist:

A serving of veggies should be the size of your first (or greater).

Here’s a quick, non-complete list of veggies that you can choose:

  • Broccoli
  • Broccolini
  • Cauliflower
  • Spinach
  • Kale
  • Spaghetti squash
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Zucchini
  • Cucumber
  • Carrots
  • Onion
  • Asparagus

“BUT STEVE, I REALLY STRUGGLE TO EAT ENOUGH CALORIES FROM WHOLE FOODS EVERY DAY!“

I do as well. It’s why I consume a good portion of liquid calories every day too.

A blender can help you obtain more calories for weight gain.

It’s a surefire way to make sure you hit your calorie goals.

As I lay out in our massive Protein Shake Guide, creating high-calorie protein shakes to eat between meals can be the game changer (make sure you check the recipe in that article for my “Powerbomb Shake!”).

Also, download our Skinny Guy Guide which has both lessons and a shopping list you can use to prioritize eating the right high calorie, high-quality foods!

Rule #3) How MUch Protein to Eat to Gain Weight?

Even this LEGO character knows to eat plenty of protein to gain weight

Let’s answer the question: “How much protein do you need every day?”

The current international Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.4g per pound of body weight (0.8 g per kg of body weight):[9].

In our opinion, and as pointed out by this study[10] the RDA # for protein is too low and should be higher regardless of your body composition.

But you don’t care about that. You just want me to know how much protein to eat, right?

The Doctor saying "tell me NOW"

I figured.

Here is our recommendation[12]:

If you’re of healthy weight, active, and wish to build muscle, aim for 1 g/lb (2.2 g/kg).

If you’re going to be strength training while getting bigger, intakes up to 1.50 g/lb (3.3 g/kg) may help you minimize fat gain.[13]

Let me simplify it for you: target at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight (2.2 grams per kg). 

Provided you’re a healthy individual with a healthy liver, you don’t need to worry about eating too much protein[14] – you should be more concerned with eating too little protein.

Long story short: studies suggest you will not put on the right kind of weight without consuming enough protein!

Okay, so let’s talk portions. Here’s how much protein is in a palm-sized serving of food:

  • 4 oz (113 g) of chicken has around 30 g of protein.
  • 4 oz (113 g) of salmon has 23 g of protein
  • 4 oz (113 g) of steak has 28 g of protein.

EXAMPLE TIME!

It's now time to show you some examples for how much protein to eat.

Let’s say you weigh 150 pounds (68 kg).

That would mean a day of eating could be:

  • 1 serving of protein with breakfast: protein shake (30g).
  • 2 servings of protein with lunch: 2 chicken breasts (60g).
  • 2 servings of protein with dinner: 2 portions of steak (56g).

As we cover in our Ultimate Guide to Protein Shakes, a protein supplement can help you reach your protein goals for the day. 

Creating a high-calorie protein shake with foods like frozen fruit, oats, milk, and a scoop of protein can be huge.

It’s how I hit my goals every day! 

MY STORY: I am currently bulking up, and according to my online coach, I need to eat 3200 calories with 240g of protein on workout days (I weigh 172 pounds).

That much protein and calories helps me do things like this:

Rebel Leader Steve showing how to do a 420 lb deadlift at the gym.

After fasting until noon, here’s how I get 240 g of protein daily:

  • LUNCH: Double chicken bowl at Chipotle for lunch (rice, chicken, guac, lettuce, cheese): 77g of protein.
  • SNACK: 2 servings Optimum Nutrition Whey in my powerbomb shake: 70g of protein.
  • DINNER: 8 oz of grilled chicken, 2 servings of rice, lots of broccoli: 62 g of protein.
  • SNACK: 1 serving Optimum Nutrition Whey in my 1/2 powerbomb shake. 35g of protein.

Total protein intake for me: 244 grams. Adjust to fit YOUR goals!

RECAP ON PROTEIN INTAKE: Target 1-1.5g per lb of bodyweight (2.2-3.3g per kg) while trying to gain weight. When in doubt, eat more.



Rule #4) How Much Carbs and Fats Should I Eat to Gain Weight?

This LEGO knows that if you want to gain weight and muscle, carbs will be your friend.

If you are trying to put on a lot of weight, then carbs and fats are your friends.

They have a high-calorie count and you can eat lots of them without getting as full as some other things (like protein-rich foods).

Here are foods full of carbohydrates you can prioritize for bulking up:

  • Rice
  • Quinoa
  • Oats
  • Legumes and lentils
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Yams
  • Regular potatoes
  • Whole grain pasta
  • Whole grain bread

Healthy fat can be found in foods like:

  • Avocado
  • Almonds
  • Walnuts
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Olive oil
  • Almond butter
  • Peanut butter
  • Whole milk
  • Full fat dairy
  • Coconut oil
  • Grass-fed butter
  • Fatty cuts of meat
  • Lard

Once you know your Total Daily Energy Expenditure + 500 cal (for weight gain), and you know how many grams of protein you need to eat every day, then the remainder of your daily calories can come from carbs and fats.

Want even simpler info?

Target 2 portions of carbs, and 2 portions of fat in your meals.

Remember, our portions look like so:

Remember these are your servings of carbs and fat!

If you’re not gaining weight, increase those numbers even more.

This is all about math! Not getting bigger = need MOAR food.

If you're not bulking up, eat more, like Kirby here!

What about other foods like pizza, pasta, candy soda? Sure, you can get away with consuming less healthy things ON OCCASION (pizza, subs, etc.) but avoid fueling yourself with ONLY junk food.

If you’re not sure specifically what you should be eating for protein, carbs, and fats, download our “Get Bigger” Shopping List by putting your email in the box below:

Rule #5) How Fast Can I gain Weight?

This pencil is a perfect tool to track your fitness progress.

Depending on your training, genetics, how skinny you are, and how much muscle you need to obtain, you can decide how much weight you want to gain each week.

Everybody’s results will vary, and thoughts are mixed on how quickly we can build muscle:

  • Under optimal conditions, some say you can expect to gain 1 pound (.5 kg) of muscle per week,
  • My results have shown that 2 lbs (1kg) per month is more realistic.
  • A 2016 study[15]revealed that strength training produced a 2.2 lb increase (1kg) increase in lean mass in 8 weeks.

Now, depending on how thin you are currently, you might WANT to gain weight even faster and put on a bit of fat.

If you want to gain more weight, some of it will be fat. It's okay, you won't end up like Big Hero 6 for a while.

If you target 500 calories above your Calorie Expenditure every day, you’ll gain a pound a week.

  • If you have a TDEE of 1800 calories: target 2100-2300 calories per day to gain a pound a week (0.5 kg per week).
  • If you have a TDEE of 2000 calories: target 2300-2500 calories per day to gain a pound a week (0.5 kg per week).

If you target 1000 calories above your TDEE, you’ll gain 2 pounds per week:

  • If you have a TDEE of 1800 calories: target 2600-2800 calories per day to gain 2 lbs a week (1 kg per week).
  • If you have a TDEE of 2000 calories: target 2800-3000 calories per day to gain 2 lbs. a week (1 kg per week).

Yes, it is possible to put on even more weight than that in a short amount of time, like when I gained 18 pounds (8.1kg) in 30 days. 

This was due to consuming 1500 cal above my TDEE, heavy barbell training, targeting lots of protein, and carrying extra water weight (from supplementing with creatine):

I put on 18 pounds of weight in 30 days

My advice: Rather than chasing massive weight gain over a month, you’d be much better off gaining .5-1.5 lbs. (.25-.75 kg) a week, every week, for six months…and keeping the weight on!

So, how do you know if your efforts are working? Simple.

Taking measurements, take photos, and weigh yourself daily:

  • Take front and side photos every Monday.
  • Track your meals every day.
  • Weigh yourself every other day.

If the scale is moving UP, keep doing what you’re doing.

If the scale is NOT moving: EAT MORE.

If you’re ever unsure if you’ve eaten enough that day, eat more.

Once you start to get a good feel for how many calories you eat each day, try to eat the same meals to keep it easy.

Still convinced you can’t gain weight even after tracking things? Let us help. I too was convinced that it was my “fast metabolism,” until I learned from my personal trainer that I simply wasn’t eating enough.



Rule #6) What Are the 10 Best Exercises For Weight Gain?

storm troopers hit the gym to gain weight and bulk up

Up until this point, we’ve only talked about the weight gain portion.

Do Steps 1-5 above, and you’ll put on plenty of weight.

HOWEVER, if you’re not also training correctly, you’ll just be getting fat, and not building muscle!

Dr. House knows that temporary changes create temporary results

That’s where strength training comes in!

If you want to bulk up correctly, you need to be strength training with heavy weights and bodyweight movements.

As we lay out in our “Beginner Strength Workouts” guide, these are the BEST exercises you can do to gain weight:  

A squat is a life changing exercise

I promise you, learning how to deadlift will change your life.

One of the staple exercises to develop a chest area.

  • INCLINE BENCH PRESS:

A variation of the press that will help develop your chest area.

The overhead press is a great way to strengthen your chest muscles.

This gif shows Staci doing a push-up in perfect form.

A weighted pull-up is great for progressive overload on your muscles.

A chin-up is a pull-up, but with your hands facing towards you.

Bodyweight dips are a great exercise to include in an strength training practice.

Alternate between an overheand and underhand bodyweight row.

Get as strong as possible with these exercises while eating enough calories and protein, and you will gain the right kind of weight! It’s how I bulked up correctly:)

Here’s a sample workout to gain weight, though you can follow our 6 level gym workout routine too.

WEIGHT GAIN MONDAY WORKOUT:

  1. Squats (4 sets of 8 reps)
  2. Benchpress (3 sets of 8 reps)
  3. Pull-Ups (3 sets of 10 reps)

WEIGHT GAIN WEDNESDAY WORKOUT:

  1. Deadlift (3 sets of 5 reps)
  2. Overhead Press (3 sets of 8 reps)
  3. Inverted Rows (3 sets of 8 reps)

WEIGHT GAIN FRIDAY WORKOUT:

Here are some resources to help make heads or tails of the above:

Important point: don’t worry about isolation exercises like triceps extensions, shoulder shrugs, bicep curls, or crunches.

You don't need to play with tricep curls like this man is trying. Stick to big compound movements to bulk up.

You can certainly do them, but only AFTER you’ve done your heavy lifts for the day!

All of the compound exercises listed here use every muscle in your body, and when you overload your body with calories and protein, those muscles will grow.

  • Want more workouts to follow? Read through our Strength Training 101 series that will answer all your questions!
  • Terrified to even step foot into a gym? We understand! Check out our Beginner’s Guide to the Gym article for some basic strategies and workouts.
  • Want somebody to tell you EXACTLY how to exercise and how to eat? Check out our 1-on-1 Coaching Program.

Your NF Coach Can Help you build a workout



Rule #7) How to Strength Train to Gain Weight

Coach Staci doing a barbell lunge, an advanced lunge variation.

If you are going to get bigger, you need to consistently increase the difficulty with every workout.

Every time you train, your muscles break down and have to rebuild themselves.

You are teaching them to say “I must get bigger and stronger in case I have to do that again!”[16]

This is called “progressive overload,” and it’s the foundation of strength training.

This Muppet knows he needs to eat plenty of protein to meet his goals.

So how do you progressively overload your muscles?

  • Lift more weight than last time.
  • Do more sets or reps than last time.
  • Wait less time between sets than last time.
  • Do a more difficult movement or variation.

If you did 3 sets of 5 reps of squats at 95 pounds last week, go for 3 sets of 5 reps at 100 pounds this week!

Did knee push-ups last month?

Knee push-ups like this are a great way to progress to a regular push-up!

Great, try to do regular push-ups this month.

Always increase the challenge, and the best way to do that is by tracking your workouts! 

Write down how you train, so that way you know exactly how to get stronger next time. I use Evernote on my phone, but you can use an old school notebook or whatever floats your boat.

Write down exactly:

And then next time?

Pick up more.

Gonzo knows he has to eat protein to match his strength training goals, but he doesn't eat chicken, for obvious reasons.

In addition to the protein shakes mentioned back in Rule #3, consider a creatine supplement – it allows your muscles to store more water – which will both help you potentially lift heavier and improve your performance in the gym!

If you don’t want to build your own workout routine, or you’re not sure how and when to scale up your workouts for the best results, let us build a routine for you!

Our coaches will build a workout program for your goals, and every day you can check your coaching app and know exactly what to do:



Rule #8) How Many Days Per Week Should I Exercise to Gain Weight And Get Bigger?

Make sure you prioritize rest like Jiminy here if you're trying to bulk up and grow muscle.

Muscles are made in the kitchen and while sleeping, NOT in the gym.

When you train, you are essentially ripping apart and breaking down your muscles.

Then, during the next 48 hours, as you are eating a caloric surplus and recovering, your muscles get rebuilt bigger and stronger.

Cartman flexing in mirror

For this reason, never exercise the same muscle before it’s ready.

In other words, try not to exercise the same muscle on two consecutive days.

Here are the best common practices for weight gain: Do a gym workout 3-4 days a week with a day off in between each (while consuming plenty of calories). This is plenty of training to promote muscle growth and weight gain.

Long story short: pick up a heavy weight in the gym 3-4 days a week for an hour.

Go HARD, go HEAVY.

And then come home, eat, and rest. If you are interested in doing some active recovery on your off days, that’s fine too.

Skinny people usually don’t need to train more, they need to eat and rest more!

Rule #9) How Much SLeep SHould I get To Get Bigger?

Of course this dog gets enough sleep, because he is trying to gain weight.

You should get at least 6 hours of sleep to function as a human, but getting 7-8 hours of sleep will help aid in building more muscle.[17]

This study[18] also found:

“Inadequate sleep impairs maximal muscle strength in compound movements when performed without specific interventions designed to increase motivation.”

Think of it this way:

Building muscle is hard work, your body can use all the help (and calories) it can get. Your body is doing nothing but lying there and building muscle while you’re sleeping. [19]

If you are only getting 6 hours or less, you’re not going to get all the benefits of your exercising and diet, and not giving yourself the best chance to gain weight and grow bigger.

So don’t make these sleep mistakes!

We often spend quite a bit of time with our coaching clients working with them on their sleep and environmental habits! From turning off the TV an hour earlier to even becoming a morning person, we build fun missions and challenges for our clients around stuff like this to get results.



Rule #10: Should You Do Cardio While Trying to Gain Weight?

As we know now, running won't help this lizard go from skinny to bulky.

Depending on how you currently feel about running, this next sentence will either make you happy or miserable:

“Running might work against your efforts to gain weight and build muscle.”

When you run, your body uses up calories to fuel your runs. This leaves fewer calories left over to build muscle.

Now, nobody will refute the benefits of improved cardiovascular health, nor would I EVER tell you to not do an exercise that you find fun. 

In addition, a 2016 study[20] showed that doing endurance training AND strength training actually created larger muscle hypertrophy in untrained subjects than just resistance training alone.

What this means:

As this gif explains, you do you when it comes to bulking up.

If you’re somebody that runs and enjoys it, great!

If you’re trying to get bigger, here’s what I would recommend:

  • Find a way to increase your food intake, and still know that you might be building muscle slightly slower than if you ONLY did strength training.
  • Cut back on running until you reach your goal weight/size, and then introduce it back into your routine.

Is your SOLE focus on getting bigger? Do 3 things:

  • Eat (a lot).
  • Lift (heavier).
  • Sleep (a lot).

Interested in giving your heart a workout without steady cardio?:

Want to incorporate cardio the RIGHT way into your life, along with strength training, to start gaining weight?

Our coaching program builds custom programs to help people just like you reach your goals.



Rule #11: Realize you will put on some fat, and that’s okay.

This LEGO knows if he follows the tips in this article, he'll gain weight successfully.

With all of this eating, you will probably put on some fat along with your muscle.

That’s okay!

You might even be skinny enough that a bit of extra “cushion” on you is a good thing!

If you are trying to put on MOSTLY muscle and minimal fat gain:

  • Target at least 1.5g of protein per pound of body weight (3.3g per kg).
  • Eat a caloric surplus that is 250cal over your current TDEE.

And then fine-tune it from there:

An engine being fined tuned.

You’re trying to thread the needle of “only build muscle, don’t add fat” which is fairly advanced and challenging.

As this 2017 study points out[21], “Protein overfeeding or the consumption of a high protein diet may not result in a gain in body weight or fat mass despite consuming calories that exceed one’s normal or habitual intake.”

This is incredibly challenging, and you do run the risk of not eating enough to build muscle. In addition, you might build less muscle than had you consumed a larger surplus of calories.

Now, what if you’re “skinny fat?”

What if you have a gut/belly, and thin arms? 

IF YOU ARE “SKINNY FAT”:

Then, once you get to a low enough body fat percentage that you can see some abdominal muscle definition, you can get back to bulking up.

Rule 12: SuperCharge Your Weight Gain Results (Build the Habit)

Steve Kamb turning into Captain America with the help of an intermittent fasting plan.

These are the 11 rules I’ve followed multiple times in my life whenever I have decided to gain weight. 

There’s a 12th rule I want to share with you too:

Build the habit of eating and exercise:

It’s important to build a system that sets you up for weight gain success.

It comes down to two things:

  • Don’t miss workouts.
  • Don’t miss meals.

So do whatever you need to do to make those things happen!

Here’s my final piece of advice: If you want permanent success, stop thinking in terms of “How fast can I gain weight?” and instead think:

“What can I do today that feels sustainable enough that I can stick with it for a year?”

This is how I get results, and how you can use the tools and tips in this article to get results too. Build small habits that become permanent parts of your life, and the results you’ll get will be permanent too.

Now, if you’re somebody that wants even MORE guidance, and specific instructions to follow, I got you:

1) Our 1-on-1 online coaching program, work with a member of Team Nerd Fitness that gets to know you and your situation. We’ll provide expert guidance and accountability, a custom workout, and regular ongoing support:



Your Nerd Fitness Coach can help you build muscle

2) Exercising at home and need a plan to follow? Check out Nerd Fitness Journey!

Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

3) Sign up for our free email list, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion! Join a few hundred thousand rebels just like you and I’ll send you a bunch of free guides too. I’m nice like that.

To recap our full article, here are the “12 Rules To Gain Weight Quickly”:

  1. Eat more food to create a caloric surplus
  2. Eat mostly high quality, high-calorie food.
  3. Eat enough protein to promote muscle growth.
  4. Eat enough carbs and fats to reach your goals.
  5. Track your progress to make sure you are getting results
  6. Strength training is the key to the RIGHT weight gain
  7. Get stronger to gain weight.
  8. Strength train 3 days per week with plenty of recovery.
  9. Get at least 7-8+ hours of sleep for optimal growth.
  10. Decide if cardio belongs in your workout routine.
  11. Learn how to build muscle with minimal fat gain.
  12. Build the habit of training and eating.

If you have more questions, please leave them in the comments below and I’ll gladly answer them when I get a chance!

You can do this.

Both BIll and I know you will use your TDEE to reach your fitness goals to go from skinny to muscular.

Go eat something.

Learn how to do squats and deadlifts.

Do lots of push-ups and pull-ups.

And then eat some more.

-Steve

PS: If you want to read more about this stuff, make sure you check out the following in-depth resources too:

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photo credit: Marina Pissarova © 123RF.com, LEGO Grocery store, I love bread, pencil,  W_Minshull Hardcore Stormies Hit The Gym, Speed

 

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#holistic #getfit #nutrition 3 HIIT Workouts for Beginners: Start Interval Training and Sprint Running!

This biker loves interval training.

This High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) guide is probably the best interval training guide in the galaxy.

My justification for such a bold claim?

We’re really good at this stuff, AND we have dinosaurs and Muppets.

Plus, lots of great gifs:

This runner can't do interval training.

We build custom interval training programs just like the ones in this guide for our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Clients, including workouts for at home, the gym, or even while traveling.

In this Ultimate Guide to Interval Training, we’ll cover:

If you’re interested in starting a HIIT practice (which you are, ’cause you’re here), you may want to try our new app! It contains a fun adventure that will take you from sitting on your couch to a full HIIT workout – with plenty of benchmarks in between for you to find your groove. No guesswork needed, just jump into the app and follow it’s next steps.

You can sign-up for a free trial right here:

What is Interval Training? What is HIIT?

These bikers love doing HIIT.

In 2018, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) was ranked the number one fitness trend by American College of Sports Medicine.[1]

Essentially, HIIT is just following a specific regimen where you vary your speeds and intensity throughout a shorter run, swim, bike, or row.

Any exercise can be a form of HIIT, but here’s a common routine:

  • Jogging lightly for three minutes.
  • Pushing yourself harder for a minute (run or sprint).
  • Repeating this cycle 4 more times.

Because everybody is busy and overwhelmed, fast results in the least amount of time is why most people discover HIIT. 

Coach Jim showing you jump rope double unders

You may be asking, “Steve, just how short and intense are we talking about here? Also, your new haircut looks spiffy.”

Thank you, you’re very kind.

So let’s explore the pros and cons of intervals.

What are the Benefits of HIIT? Why Should You Do Interval Training?

silhouette of man running towards the sun at cloudy background

The 1996 landmark Tabata study demonstrated the benefits of extreme HIIT.[2]

Dr. Izumi Tabata, from Japan’s National Institute of Fitness and Sports, was obsessed with interval training.

The doctor sought to see exactly what kind of gains were obtained from short, intense, periods of exercise. He conducted an experiment with Olympic athletes on stationary bikes and put them through intense bouts of exercise followed by short periods of rest.

The results were fascinating.

Compared to regular cardio, HIIT had a greater impact on improving BOTH:

  • Aerobic increases (endurance).
  • Anaerobic increases (power).

Even crazier? Tabata was able to demonstrate improvements in his athletes with just four minute bursts.

So what’s happening here?

Simple: your heart is a muscle.

Yes, the heart is a muscle.

If you keep your heart beating at a constant rate, never expanding it outside of its comfort zone, it will never grow stronger.

By introducing chaos and pushing your muscles outside of their comfort zone, they must adapt and grow more resilient in order to survive.

Intense interval training challenges your heart by constantly forcing it outside of its comfort zone.

In other words: progressive overload – the same concept behind building strength.

Since Tabata’s 1996 study, many other trials have shown the positive impact of interval training. 

Here are some of the benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training:

#1) HIIT for Weight loss. A study in the Journal of Obesity found participants were able to lose more body fat following a HIIT program compared to regular cardio.[3]

This makes sense, because other studies suggest high-intensity interval training burns more calories than a “steady state” workout.[4]

Revving up your effort requires more out of you, including calories. If you’re interested in HIIT for weight loss, you might be on the right track.

Keanu wants you to know weight loss with interval training can work!

Plus, interval training can take less time than steady-state cardio.

The average interval training workout is 20 minutes or less.

However, I should note that a meta-study (a review of multiple studies) found no real difference in fat loss between HIIT and steady-state cardio.[5] We’ll talk about this, and the impact of diet for weight loss later. 

#2) HIIT for lowering blood sugar. Managing blood sugar is really important for health, not just for diabetics.

Those trying to lose fat should be aware of their blood sugar and corresponding insulin levels.

The good news for our current discussion? HIIT has been shown to help lower and manage blood sugar levels.[6]

#3) HIIT for heart health. Touching on the “antifragile” topic again, HIIT has been shown to help with overall cardiovascular health.

It does so in the same way traditional endurance training does, but at a fraction of the time (almost half).[7]

Now, before you accuse me of being a shill for Big HIIT, I will mention that many of the comments that “HIIT is the secret to fat loss” are overblown.[8]We’ll touch on more of that later.

For now, let’s chat about how to actually do some interval training.

What’s an example of Interval Training? How to do interval running

Man running in a gym on a treadmill

The key to HIIT is being able to go from “easy” to “difficult.” All sorts of different exercises can get you there:

  • Aerobic (cardio).
  • Bodyweight (strength training).
  • Resistance (weight training).

HIIT is generally associated with running (aerobic), so we’ll devote this section to just that.

The easiest way to experiment with HIIT would be to run.

Mr. Gump ran like 1,000 5Ks when he crossed America.

Here’s how to start with a basic HIIT running workout. Go to a park in your neighborhood. Warm-up with some light jogging, high knees, and mobility – leg swings, arm swings, etc,

And then begin your workout!

  • Run/jog at a brisk pace for 30 seconds.
  • Jog/walk at a slower pace for 2 minutes.
  • After your rest, shoot for another 30-second run/jog.
  • Continue until you get tired or after about ten “push/rest” intervals.

And BAM! You just did HIIT.

Don’t get disheartened if you find yourself stopping a lot during your first week of HIIT training. 

Andy Dwyer hates running, but I bet he'd like HIIT more.

You’ll be surprised how quickly you get better at this!

Also, “running” or “jogging” is subjective. Whatever walking fast means to you is great. Do that for your periods of intensity.

It should be noted, that the entire “Couch to 5K” concept rests on interval training through running.

It’s all broken down into “walking,” “jogging” and “running.”

If you’re curious, check out our in-depth Couch to 5k review. If you want to start interval training, “Couch to 5K” could be a good way to do it.

More of an indoor person?

Consider a treadmill, where it actually sets intervals for you based on your desired difficulty.

Just be careful on it…

Pay attention to your running technique or things can go wrong!

We’ll be talking about machines a lot more in the next section, but a treadmill is all you need to do a HIIT workout.

Experiment with the speed and incline to find a setting that you would consider “intense.” Many machines can be programmed to flip between this and an “easy” setting.

And you know what that means… boom! It’s built for HIIT.

When we designed NF Journey (our awesome new app), we used an “intense” and “easy” interval switch for most of the workouts.

If you want, you can sign-up for a free trial right here to see what I mean:

How do HIIT Workouts Work? (More HIIT cardio to choose from)

Biking is perfect for HIIT.

There are a lot of different aerobic exercises for HIIT cardio.

For example, you could jump on a bike, which is like HIIT running but with wheels (duh):

Kermit loves interval training on his bike.

Every spin class is based on HIIT cycling (SoulCycle, Flywheel, or even your local gym now has spin classes).

They’re popular for a reason, and you can make a friend or two!

Here are some more examples of interval training:

  1. Elliptical. If it has a dial for resistance, it can be used for interval training. For a couple of minutes, go on low resistance (0-2 level). Then crank up the resistance for one minute (up to 8-10). Repeat this process 12 times, which will give you a 20-minute workout.
  2. Stair Climber. Much like the elliptical, alternate between periods of low intensity for two minutes, then one minute for high intensity. The difference with the climber is the dial will control the speed of the stairs. Be careful.
  3. Rowing machine. Start with a two-minute warm-up. On minute three, row like you’re being chased by the Kraken for a full 60 seconds. Then catch your breath. The rowing machine might be hard to do for a full 20 minutes, since it’s a lot of upper body. Shoot for ten minutes at first.
  4. Jumping rope. Jumping rope is a full-body exercise. Also, it’s fun. There’s no dial here, your own body controls the pace of the jump. Follow the same two minute easy, one minute intense as above. Jump rope can also be done with friends!

This dino loves jump rope for HIIT.

So far we’ve just been talking about aerobic exercises.

Let’s cover our other categories, of bodyweight and resistance.

What Are the Best HIIT Exercises? (Two Other Forms of Interval Training)

The woman rower in a boat, rowing on the tranquil lake

“Steve, this all sounds great. But I hate running!”

Confession: So do I.

So I get my cardio in other forms!

Here are some bodyweight exercises to get going on HIIT:

  • Burpees. Stand up, then squat down, kick your legs out, do a push-up, bring your legs back in, and explode up into a jump. Try to do 20 repetitions, then rest for two minutes. Repeat until you hate yourself:

  • Push-ups. For 20 seconds, do as many push-ups as possible. Rest. Then do it again. If you’re worried about proper form, check out our push-up guide and watch this:

  • Pull-ups. Same idea as above, do pull-ups for 20 seconds, then rest. If you can’t do a pull-up, we got you covered in our pull-up progression guide:

Let’s now chat about some Weight Training Examples for HIIT:

  1. Kettlebell swing. For ten minutes, do 20 kettlebell swings on every minute.

    Coach Staci showing you the kettlebell swing
    This will be intense, and worthy of congratulations when you’re done. Check out our 20 Minute Beginner Kettlebell Workout for everything you’ve ever wanted to know about kettlebells.

  2. Battle ropes. If your gym has battle ropes, they’ll be a great tool for HIIT. For intensity, the amount of slack in the rope determines the load. The more slack on the rope the tougher, and more intense, the workout. Also, don’t get stuck in just up and down movements. Some variation will help target different muscles.

  3. Weight lifting. The critical piece will be moving from one exercise to another quickly enough. For example, hustling from the bench press to the lat bar: we call this circuit training!

Yes, you can also do circuit training as a form of HIIT.

Circuit training is going through a sequence of exercises, or stations, back to back.

Push-ups to pull-ups, back to push-ups, only resting briefly from one exercise to another.

Circuit training would be perfect to mix into a HIIT workout, since you can design your circuit to be very intense.

Check out our post for 15 Circuit Training Routines to choose from.

Plus, there’s a Batman workout hidden in there. You’re welcome.

We create custom HIIT programs for busy people like you that are ACTUALLY fun. If you’re looking for a supportive coach to guide you and tell you exactly what to do each day, we got you covered!

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If you just want a beginner circuit to get started with, you can try out our Beginner Bodyweight Workout Routine. Plus you can download a free worksheet to track your progress with this circuit when you join the Rebellion below:

Oh, what’s that? You want to have even MORE fun while getting the benefits of HIIT? 

Let's get crazy with Interval Training

Sure. let’s think outside the box:

Basketball, tennis, soccer, and Ultimate (frisbee) are AMAZING styles of exercise that use interval training (it’s all start and stop!).

Run here, catch this, and wait for the next round to start.

That’s what we’re looking for in a HIIT workout.

So pick a form of FUN exercise that gets your heart racing faster and slower throughout the activity (yes, I suppose even THAT activity would count).

Is HIIT Good for Losing Weight? Is Interval Training Good for Losing Weight?

This mermaid is interested in HIIT for weight loss.

My guess is that you’re reading this article because you’re trying to get the most efficient “bang for your buck” when it comes to getting in shape.

And HIIT is a great form of exercise and COULD help with weight loss.

I will, however, lower some of these outlandish claims that exist in the media.

For example, Time magazine calls HIIT “miraculous” in one article.[9]

That’s a little much, even for me, who writes for a living on why you should work out and likes using hyperbole for effect.

Seriously, I’m better at it than ANYBODY ON THE PLANET.

Ahem.

Cardio, strength training, and HIIT all have many benefits.

HIIT deserves praise, but exercise, in general, deserves praise. As we discussed in our “Cardio vs HIIT vs Weights” post, all three forms of training have their place, and the best one for you is the one you actually do.

And strength training. Always strength training.

This Muppet knows strength training will help him gain muscle and lose weight.

So to answer your question, is HIIT the secret and only weapon for weight loss?

Nah, it’s just great exercise.

And exercise is important.

But if you want to lose body fat, how you eat will be responsible for 80% of your success or failure.

This means that I don’t care how many intervals you do, it’s not gonna help you lose weight if you don’t also fix your nutrition.

You can read our Beginner’s Guide to Nutrition if you want more information.

And if you want to download our free 10-level Nutrition Guide to help you fix your diet starting today, you can do so by signing up in the box below:

Getting Started with Interval Training

These pirates are ready to do some HIIT.

When it’s time to advance your high-intensity interval training, think about the following:

  1. Frequency. This would be the number of intervals in your workout.
  2. Intensity. How hard are you going in each interval?
  3. Time. How long are your intervals and rest periods?

Maybe you start out doing 3 intervals of intense running.

Once it becomes routine, bring it up to 4.

Maybe you crank the resistance on your stationary bike to “8” during your intense interval. When it becomes normal, bring it up to “10.”

Maybe you do pull-ups for 20 seconds. When you’ve got a good handle on that, aim for 30 seconds.

This mindset will keep you advancing in interval training.

A group of allies can help with victory

Consistency is the name of the game here. Even just doing a HIIT workout once a week will help you progress in all three categories.

Mistakes to Avoid When Doing High-Intensity Interval Training

Don't anger people by doing HIIT wrong.

There’s a lot to consider when embarking on a HIIT practice.

No matter which routine you end up starting with, make sure you follow these words of wisdom:

  1. Ease into it. As the saying goes, “you must walk before you can run.” The importance is building a HIIT practice. If you need to go “less intense” before progressing to “intense,” that’s fine. It’ll help build your aerobic capabilities (endurance), which will be important when working on intensity. Start with walking.
  2. Keep proper form. Doing your movements correctly will help prevent injury. Here’s how to run properly. This is even more critical in your later intervals, where you may be exhausted and tired. If you find yourself breaking form, go ahead and slow down. Intense isn’t worth an injury.
  3. Get rest. Our bodies actually build muscle while we are resting. So take some “off days” from your HIIT practice. Want to stay active on these days? Do some fun exercise!

Take it easy, focus on your form, and make sure to prioritize rest.

HIIT Timer Recommendations

A timer is great for doing interval training.

HIIT centers on doing intervals.

One moment it’s intense, the next you’re onto a short rest break.

A good way to know when it’s time to go from one sequence to the next is a timer. A loud “beep” can tell you when it’s okay to catch your breath or when you have to kick it in gear.

Here are 5 HIIT timers you can try out:

  1. Runtastic. Don’t let the name fool you, this free app is for more than just running. You can customize for many different interval workouts, depending on what exercise you go with. And the interface looks slick.
  2. Seconds. It’s free and customizable to any form of HIIT. It can also integrate with your music, which is pretty sweet.
  3. Seven. If you’re new to HIIT, Seven would be a good app for you. It’s free, plus it has illustrations for exercises. You also get to customize your own virtual personal trainer, which may be the future of fitness. The bots are coming…
  4. Sworkit. First off, it’s a clever name (taken from “Simply Work It.”) Second, it’s free. Third, it can display your workout, goals, and calories burned. I like it.
  5. J&J Official Seven Minute Workout. This free app from Johnson & Johnson is actually really awesome. It has premade workouts you can choose form based on your fitness level, or tweak them to make it your own.

Also, we need to talk about interval timers. Most of the apps referenced are completely customizable.

For example, you can change the intense interval from 120 seconds to 90 seconds.

This is critical because it’s up to you to decide how long you can do intense vs. rest.

Generally, folks recommend one minute of intensity and then two for rest when doing HIIT.

However, this all depends on the individual, and exercises performed.

For example, burpees are tougher to do than jumping over a rope:

The infamous burpee bodyweight exercise!

So feel free to make changes like 30 seconds of intensity and three minutes of rest. Make it your own.

Whatever way you chose to do HIIT, is fine, as long as you actually do it. The benefits of HIIT kick in when going HARD for you.

In other words, you don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to get the benefits of HIIT.[10]

A light jog totally works. Just don’t do it in a mascot costume.

Running - just don't fall over!

As we discussed, if you’re consistent, you’ll improve.

So don’t stress about where you have to start.

For now, download an app and get going. Ours will help you train with HIIT too:

I hate multiple choice. Pick a HIIT workout for me!

This lego loves running for HIIT.

Let’s power walk as our form of HIIT. 

This is an example of a beginner HIIT workout we might prescribe for our Coaching Clients who are starting to train for their first 5K.

Let’s do seven intervals, two minutes each:

  1. Warm-up. For three minutes, walk at an easy pace.
  2. Intervals. For the first 60 seconds, power walk, like you’re trying to beat someone to the front of the line at Starbucks.
  3. For the next 60 seconds, just walk.
  4. Repeat six more times.
  5. Cool down. You can do some more light walking, or a little bit of stretching here would be great.

Total time: 20 minutes.

Wayne is stoked that he made his small change for weight loss.

I want to stress, that you can do just about any exercise in exchange for this routine. Just minus “power walk” and add “push-ups and bodyweight squats”

It’ll still be a great HIIT workout.

“But Steve, that’s still multiple choice!”

Right, right… sorry. Stick to power walking! Done!

How to Start Interval Training now

These two girls jump for their interval training.

Do our power walking routine above. It’s a great place to start.

Remember, our goal at this stage is to “build the habit.”

We can work on “whoa, that was intense” later.

If you’re looking for EVEN MORE stuff to do, we have a few options for ya:

1) Check out our popular 1-on-1 coaching program. You’ll work with our certified NF instructors who will get to know you better than you know yourself and program your workouts and nutrition for you.

2) Exercising at home and need a plan to follow? Check out Nerd Fitness Journey!

Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

3) Enlist in the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion. 

Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. It’ll help you start incorporating interval training into your workouts.

There are a zillion ways to do HIIT, so don’t let the options paralyze you.

Pick one. Anyone. And get to it.

Interval training, in any form, is a solid fitness choice and a great practice to have in the workout arsenal.

Any questions?

Which HIIT workout style is your favorite?

Leave it in the comments below!

-Steve

PS: Make sure you check out the rest of our content on interval training:

  1. The HIIT Workout for Home
  2. How to Do Tabata Sprints
  3. Should You Do Couch to 5K?

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All photo credits can be found in this footnote.[11]

 

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#holistic #getfit #nutrition 40 Ways to Exercise Without Realizing It: Fun Exercise!

Have fun while exercising!

I know plenty of people who hate exercise but WANT to find a way to like it.

And that’s what today’s post is all about:

Exercising in a way where life doesn’t suck AND helps you reach your goals.

Luckily, this is exactly what we do for a living!

I know what it’s like to hate exercise, and ALSO want to lose weight and see results. Ugh.

We’ve built an entire company and community around helping people overcome these obstacles – our Online Coaching Program helps people find exercises they love, and also how to make the right nutritional choices.

We are all on a unique journey and we’d love to help you with yours!

ExercIse Sucks. Do This Instead.garfield

“But Steve, I don’t like to exercise!”

While some are like Odie and love to run around all day, others are like Garfield and feel like they must be allergic to exercise.

I hear this every day, and I’m not surprised.

After all, I think “exercise” sucks too.

Which is why we’re gonna focus on exercise that doesn’t feel like exercise!

Will Ferrell thinks having fun while exercising is important too!

After all, nutrition is like 90% of the equation. 

Exercise is merely a supporting actor, which is why we don’t ever NEED to spend time doing exercise we hate.

We’ve already talked extensively on Nerd Fitness on how to eat better, so I won’t hash that out here.

So let’s talk about exercise.

Sure, it would be great if we all strength trained 5 days a week and got super strong, but the reality is most of us don’t have that time – or the desire – to hit the gym.

And more importantly – the best exercise program is the one you actually do!

And thus today we’re going to focus on TWO key elements of getting more exercise in our lives:

#1) FIDGETING: Did you know ‘fidgeting’ (aka “small micromovements”) can account for up to 350 additional calories burned per day?

Per the New York Times:

“Overweight people have a tendency to sit, while lean ones have trouble holding still and spend two hours more a day on their feet, pacing around and fidgeting, researchers are reporting in findings published today.

The difference translates into about 350 calories a day…” 

350 extra calories burned per day ain’t no joke!

As we cover in our “How many calories should I eat every day?” guide, burning an extra 350 calories per day can result in sustainable weight loss and maintenance over time for many.

Not only that, but when you factor in inertia (an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and object in motion tends to stay in motion), it paints a pretty interesting picture:

We spend our lives trying to be more “efficient,” but what if the key to weight loss is to be LESS efficient?

From standing up more frequently to parking FARTHER away from the grocery store, every additional step or movement counts. Today’s guide shares TONS of ways to get yourself used to moving more frequently.

I’m actually air drumming and shuffling my feet as we speak!

Play the air drums like the Foo Fighters - it counts as fun exercise

#2) FUN EXERCISE: Who cares what the optimal workout is?

Unless you have a very specific physique you’re trying to build, ANY exercise is good exercise.

From dancing to yoga to climbing to roughhousing with your kids, it all counts.

This brings me to today’s point:

Exercise is a bonus. Exercise helps your heart get stronger, can help build muscle, usually gets you outside the house and absorbing vitamin D, and brings you a litany of other health benefits. Also, any additional calories burned is a bonus!

Exercise can help us make fewer unhealthy food choices. Instead of “I earned this” you can start telling yourself: “If I’m going to exercise regularly, I might as well make it worth it by eating right too.”

Daily exercise is a constant reminder that we are leveling up our lives – that we should continue to make other good choices or we’re practically wasting our time.

This is the type of stuff we focus on – with personalized instruction, with each of our online coaching clients.

Some clients are learning Olympic lifting, while others are simply focusing on taking the stairs more and tracking their food. We are all on a unique journey and we’d love to help you with yours!

40 Ways to Exercise Without Exercising

A border collie dog playing with a frisbee

#1) Hiking, especially with friends – Strap on a pair of shoes, get out of the comfy confines of your hobbit-hole, and go explore the world around you!

Make sure you follow our Beginner Hiking Guide on how to find a hiking spot near you, what shoes to wear, what to bring with you, and more.

#2) Walking – No time to hike? Go for a simple walk. Even a 15-minute brisk walk is enough time to get close to a mile walked, which gets you one step closer to Mordor.

Sam and Frodo walked to Mordor, why not go for a walk too?

Do you have a 30-minute meeting at work? Have a walking meeting instead. Steve Jobs was known for doing this.

You should know Tim, a member of our Nerd Fitness community who lost 50 pounds – while injured – just by fixing his nutrition and going for long walks every day!

I’m proud that Tim used the philosophies laid out in our online courses under Nerd Fitness Prime, to get his results!

Tim lost 50 pounds with the Nerd Fitness Academy

#3) LARP – Live Action Role Playing. Might seem silly to those on the outside, but to those playing, it’s an amazing adventure that reminds us how awesome our imaginations are.

Also, depending on the game, you could be wearing a heavy costume, swinging heavy weaponry, and running for your life!

#4) Rock Climbing – I love rock climbing. It’s one of the best arm/back/forearm workouts in existence, you get to feel like a badass when you reach the top of the wall, and all climbing routes are graded so you can level up the challenge as you get stronger/fitter/better.

It’s a fit nerd’s dream!

#5) Geocaching – If rock climbing is a fit-nerd’s dream, then geocaching is an adventure nerd’s dream brought to life. Become a real-life treasure-hunter (Lara Croft? Nathan Drake? You decide!), and get a great workout in while you’re at it.

Or, if you’re truly nerdy, you can do some Digital Geocaching with Pokemon Go or Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.

#6) Dancing – Ever tried serious swing dancing? You’ll be sweating within ten minutes. How about hip hop? Drenched in sweat, and sore as hell the next day.

Zumba? Tango? Flamenco? You’d be surprised at what you can sign up for and what will elevate your heart rate.

#7) Roughhousing with your kids. I don’t have kids, but when I do, you can bet your ass I’ll be the dad out rolling around in the back yard with them. Don’t forget what it’s like to be a kid – it keeps you young.

I really enjoyed this article from Art of Manliness on the importance of roughhousing!

#8) Climbing on stuff – A few years back, I attended a great conference, Midoricon, I was walking through the woods with NF Rebel Joe (No, not THAT Joe).

It was awesome to see this guy, having lost 100 pounds since finding Nerd Fitness, explore the woods like it was no problem: climbing on stumps, balancing on fallen trees, climbing trees, and more. 

We work with LOTS of Coaching Clients to get them outdoors and help build them “fun climbing programs” that burn tons of calories but don’t really feel like exercise.

#9) Martial arts – Be honest. You watched The Matrix, you heard Neo go “I know Kung Fu” and you wanted to be able to one day say the same thing.

Whether it’s Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, Karate or Capoeira (breakdance fighting, seriously), there’s a martial art out there that will make you feel like a badass.

#10 Consider a standing desk – Although we all know that correlation does not prove causation, it’s no surprise that there’s a strong correlation between sitting all day and an unhealthy lifestyle.

Why not fix your posture, strengthen your legs, get more “fidget time” in, and spend the day being more productive with a standing desk? I have THIS desk and it allows me to switch between sitting and standing.

If you don’t want to stand all day, make sure you read up on our guide, “how to survive sitting all day in an office.”

#11) Have an active meeting – Hat tip to Charlie Hoehn on this one. If somebody wants to meet up with you for coffee, suggest something active: throwing a baseball, tossing a frisbee, going for a hike – anything that gets you up and moving.

I say yes to pretty much anybody that invites me to play golf. Wink wink.

Golf is a fun form of exercise, even if you stink at it!

#12) You know… – That thing that consenting adults do?

Yeah. Do that.

Self-explanatory.

Moving on…

#13) Clean! – Ugh, nobody likes to clean the house/apartment. It’s not my favorite thing to do. So I instead make a game out of it.

I see how much I can accomplish with a single song blasting at max volume, while probably also dancing. I also CRUSH podcasts while doing the dishes.

Of course, after getting through one song, I figure “welp, I’ve already started, might as well keep going.”

#14) Try handstands – Here’s how to do handstands. This is a fun activity that builds up some serious arm and core strength and will leave you sweating bullets after even a few minutes.

Rebel Leader Steve showing you how to kick up to a handstand.

So go find a park, go do handstands, cartwheels, somersaults, and whatever else makes you feel young again.

#15) Parkour – Our beginner’s guide to Parkour is one of the most popular on Nerd Fitness. I don’t care how old you are, there’s no reason you can’t get started with rolling around in your yard and vaulting over picnic tables and bike racks.

Or, you can do it in your office:

#16) Playout – Is Parkour too serious for you? Try a playout! Spiderman was on to something – climbing walls, swinging from skyscrapers, and popping flips around the bad guys.

You might not be able to swing between buildings, but you can definitely visit a playground in your area and get creative!

#17) Adult gymnastics – In the same vein as Parkour, gymnastics will help you build some of the BEST real-world strength you can get with any type of exercise, and it’s all done in a playful way without a single weight being picked up.

Swing from rings, somersault, flip onto pads, and more.

There are gyms all over the country.

#18) Yoga – Build flexibility, strength, and learn to freaking relax.

There are a million kinds of Yoga, including awesome stuff like Acro-Yoga, baby goat Yoga (not kidding), and Yoga with beer.

Sign up for a few different kinds and see which one lines up the best with what you’re looking for.

#19) Play video games that make you be active – Beat Saber. DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) counts too. Just Move. Anything that gets you off your ass and moving!

Oh, what’s that? You’re playing a normal game like Grand Theft Auto V? Make a rule that you can only play while standing up, or that you have to do 10 push-ups every time you die.

That’s what I do to keep myself from spending twelve hours on the couch in marathon gaming sessions!

#20) Play on a playground – Go down the slide, swing across the monkey bars, climb the rope all, balance on the balance beam.

Create an obstacle course for yourself and see how quickly you can get through it.

You can even work out on a playground too:

#21) Play a musical instrument – Did you know playing musical instruments can burn a boatload of calories too?

I imagine this is doubly true if you’re dancing around like Taylor Davies playing the violin.

#22) Join a Rec League – New in town? Want to be active and meet people? Join a co-ed kickball, softball, or tennis league.

You get to exercise AND it’s a great way to meet new people through exercise!

#23) Bike to work – I know there are a lot of Rebels in our community who dropped a bunch of weight by making one change: they biked to work, or biked to their friend’s house, or started biking generally.

You get from Point A to Point B, you save money on gas, and you get a workout. That would make Michael Scott proud.

Here’s our Guide to Biking if you want some help getting started. 

#24) Play a childhood game – What games did you play as a child? Capture the flag? Kick the can? Simple tag?

Get a few friends together and give it a try – it will be the most fun you’ve had in a while!

#25) Park at the far end of the parking lot – Every step counts.

Every tiny decision that is slightly different than the “OLD you” counts.

IT ALL COUNTS when it comes to burning more calories than you consume every day.

#26) Take the stairs. It’s only two flights! And we are designed to move. You can do this.

Sure, you’ll get winded the first handful of times. But it eventually becomes routine.

And it all counts! Make a game out of it.

#27) Crush audiobooks while “exercising.” This is called ‘temptation bundling.‘ Pair something you love with an activity you’re trying to do more of.

But I bet if you could only listen to Harry Potter (for the 600th time) while walking on a treadmill, you’d be more likely to get to the gym.

#28) Build stuff. Whether you’re building a fort with your kid in the backyard, or trying to figure out why you have 5 extra screws in that IKEA dresser you’re putting together, building stuff involves lots of moving and bending and picking up and maneuvering.

Warning: you’ll swear no less than 100 times building furniture. Earmuffs! 

#29) Sit in a squat, or pike position on the floor while watching TV. No, not leaning against the couch. Sitting up actively engaging your core!

You can also do some sort of stretch or movement like these bodyweight exercises during commercials (or in the 15 seconds between Netflix episodes!)

#30) Impromptu dance parties. Kids or no kids, I find that great Disney songs are fantastic for bringing out your inner child.

Blast the tunes, dance around the house, and be absurd. WHO CARES! As a wise woman once said…”Let it gooooooo.”

Napoleon spontaneously busts into dance for fun exercise

#31) Go for a walk while on the phone. What if you just decided you had to stand for all of your phone calls?

For starters, I know many people who do phone interviews while standing because it makes them more alert and a better guest.

Next: you’re gonna get so many steps in while on the phone without realizing it!

#32) Having an impromptu picnic. Instead of sitting and gorging yourself at the dining room table, why not eat on the floor?

Grab a blanket or a towel, eat in your living room or head out into the backyard, and make it a picnic!

You’ll need to adjust your posture and seating style constantly.

#33) Sit in a squat. We cover this in our “How to squat” guide, but sitting in a deep squat – often for long timeframes – is built into us as a species! We’ve just become soft from sitting in chairs all day long.

I try to accumulate 15 minutes of “squat time” each day – sitting in a squat while reading a chapter in a book, or journaling, or answering an email with my laptop on the ground.

Here I am sitting in a squat while reading Level Up Your Life (available online and in bookstores nationwide!)

Steve sitting in a squat reading the book, Level Up Your Life

#34) The “Pull-up bar Tax”. Get yourself a door-frame pull-up bar. Put it on a door that you have to cross through regularly.

And every time you go through, you have to do either 1 pull-up, 1 negative pull-up, or 10 seconds of hanging from the bar.

Can’t do a pull-up yet? Learn how to get your first pull-up or chin-up.

#35) Lasers around the house. Set up colored string pulled tightly across your kid’s rooms or in certain hallways, and you have to go over and under the lasers each time you traverse the hallway.

Don’t touch the lasers!

#36) Climb a tree. Your level of safety and ability on this will be dependent on your experience here, but I remember climbing trees like a monkey as a kid and loving every minute of it.

Even if it’s just hanging from a tree branch or trying to scramble up to a low branch, it can be a great way to “exercise.”

#37) The floor is lava. This is both great for exercising around your apartment, for a fun date night or night with the kids, and for playing True American. Though one is slightly more healthy than the other.

#38) Casual Parkour. From avoiding cracks on the sidewalk to balancing on curbs, or jumping from tile to tile, or hopping up onto a bench and then back down, it all counts!

Just get yourself to move differently than you would have otherwise! We are currently working with a woman who has lost 100-pounds through our Coaching Program, and her exercise is all “fun parkour in the woods behind the house!”

#39) Literally fidget more! Yes, from tapping your toes to music and twitching your legs to the beat of the music. Getting up and sitting back down. Doing laps around your office.

You don’t need to get a standing desk or treadmill desk, but there’s a definite correlation between those that can’t sit still and body composition.[1]

#40) Your kid is a backpack! From piggyback rides to playing horsey, staying active with your kids is really powerful in instilling a love of fitness in them.

If you’re a badass mom like Brownwyn – a success story from Nerd Fitness Prime, you can even do pull-ups while your kid holds on!

Here are more tips on how to work out as a whole family.

Challenge yourself to Have fun: Next Steps!

Legs walking on steel pipe with balance

If you are looking for more guidance beyond the 40 Fun Exercise Suggestions above, we have three options to continue your journey:

1) Join our epic Online Coaching Program! We create personalized programs for each customer based on their lifestyle, goals, and personality. From parkour in the park to just walking more with your children, or even “becoming a badass powerlifter,” we cater each experience to each person.

2) If you’re looking for a bunch of fun ways to exercise, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you move more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

We assign fun missions daily to get you to exercise in a way that doesn’t feel like exercise…because it’ll feel like a side quest instead.

Try your free trial (no credit card needed) right here:

3) Enlist in The Rebellion (it’s free)! Sign up for our biweekly newsletter and join the Nerd Fitness Rebellion!

I’ll send you tons of free guides and bonuses to help you get started on your journey today.

Sign up below:

No matter which path you pick above, I want you to commit to trying something new, or doing something different, at some point in the next week:

  • Say yes before you can say no. Stop saying “I don’t have time” and realize you do. Stop saying “I can’t afford it” and find a way to make it a priority. Do all of this before you can talk yourself out of it. The best way to do that?
  • Commit in advance. Put down a deposit and make an investment in yourself. I pre-paid 6 weeks of swing dance lessons. Having already paid for it, I knew I’d be just throwing my money away if I didn’t attend.
  • Go with a friend. I went to my swing classes alone, which forced me to further develop my social skills, but if you happen to be TOO afraid to attend a class, get a friend to drag you there.
  • Expect to suck. If you are learning a new skill, expect to suck at it. You’ll get better as long as you remember to…
  • Have fun. Remember, we could get hit by a bus tomorrow. Every day above ground is a blessing, so enjoy it!
  • When in doubt, move more.

That one thing you always wanted to try but have been putting off?

Today’s a good day to get started. Just take that FIRST step.

Google classes in your city. Find a site that focuses on beginners, and read about it. If there’s a place to pre-pay or make a deposit, do it.

And then go.

Use 20 seconds of courage if you have to.

What’s the one new thing you’re going to try this month?

-Steve

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photo credit: Reiterlied 02/52 – Confidence, JD Hancock Garfield, treadmill fall, Denes Paragi © 123RF.com,, lzflzf © 123RF.com

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#holistic #getfit #nutrition Advanced Bodyweight Workout Circuit: A Full Body Routine You Can Do At Home

Once you get good at advanced bodyweight exercises, you can bust out moves like this!

Want to get strong but hate the gym?

No problem!

With today’s Advanced Bodyweight Routine, you can burn fat, build muscle, and get a great workout in! All with no gym membership required!

It’s the kind of workout we build through our online coaching program. If you’re in a hurry, sign-up for our free weekly newsletter and we’ll send you PDFs of our “Work Out at Home” guides!




If you’re ready, click the sections below to get right into the action:

Alright, let’s do this thang.

Note: If you’re here because your gym is shut down due to the outbreak of Covid-19, check out our guide “How to Stay In Shape (While Staying Inside).”

The Advanced Bodyweight Workout

This is the Advanced Bodyweight Workout (Do 3 Circuits):

  • 10 One-Legged Squats – each side
  • 20 Bodyweight Squats
  • 20 Walking Lunges (10 each leg)
  • 20 Jump Step-Ups (10 each leg)
  • 10 Pull-Ups (or inverted bodyweight rows using your kitchen table)
  • 10 Dips – Bar Stools
  • 10 Chin-Ups (or inverted bodyweight rows with an underhand grip)
  • 10 Push-Ups
  • 30 Second Plank

See our section below on advanced bodyweight exercises to see how to do each of these movements!

I do use a door-frame pull-up bar in the video, but you can do table bodyweight rows (see the video below) if you can’t do a pull-up yet or if you don’t have a pull-up bar!

Another option is to do dowel rows, as we outline in The 5 Best Pull-up Alternatives:

This gif shows Jim doing a row on chairs

Lastly: this workout will have you sweating like a pig and leave you sore all over the next day.

If you’re just moving beyond the Beginner Bodyweight Workout for the first time, this workout might seem ridiculously difficult, which is fine.

The goal will be to go through as many circuits as you can without breaking form.

“WHAT IS A ‘CIRCUIT’?”

In a circuit routine, you’ll do each exercise in succession without a break in between (if you’re able).

  • Once you’ve finished all exercises in the circuit, do it again.
  • If you’re still able after the 2nd run through, go for a 3rd.
  • Because all of these exercises come one after another, you’re bound to get tired – that’s okay! 

Our goal is to give you a full-body workout that leaves you panting.

“HOW LONG SHOULD A BODYWEIGHT WORKOUT LAST?”

Go at your own pace, but the above 3 circuits and your warm-up and cool down will take you about 25-30 minutes.

And speaking of warming up and cooling down…

Before you start, do a WARM-UP: 

Don’t forget to warm up. You can run in place, jump rope, do a few push-ups, pedal on a stationary bike, jog up and down your stairs, etc. Since we are doing advanced movements here, the warm-up becomes even more critical. 

Also, if you want to stretch and cool down after your workout, here’s a routine you can run through:

If you are following this bodyweight workout plan because you’re trying to get in great shape without needing a gym, download our free-guide: Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. It’ll provide an exact plan to follow for growing strong.

The 21 Best Advanced Bodyweight Exercises

This LEGO knows lifting himself up is a great advanced bodyweight exercise.

Let’s go through each movement in the Advanced Bodyweight Workout Circuit, so we can ensure you’re doing each move correctly!

1) BODYWEIGHT SQUAT

Do a proper bodyweight squat to work out your legs

If you want even more instruction, here’s how to do a proper bodyweight squat:

2) ASSISTED ONE LEGGED SQUAT

A small stool can help when you first start doing one legged squats!

3) ONE LEGGED SQUAT (PISTOL SQUAT)

The one legged "pistol" squat is a great advanced bodyweight movement.

4) WALKING LUNGE

This gif shows the walking lunge, a great way to do bodyweight exercises in your own home!

5) JUMP STEP-UPS

Jump step-ups are perfect bodyweight moves you can try on your stairs.

6) ASSISTED PULL-UPS (WITH BAND)

Staci using a band for an assisted pull-up, a great exercise for a bodyweight circuit.

A resistance band is a great tool to help build strength for proper pull-ups. It’s part of our arsenal for getting your first pull-up.

7) NEGATIVE PULL-UPS

Staci jumping up to do a negative pull-up., a great movement until you can bring regular pull-ups into your circuit.

If you don’t have a resistance band, you can do negative pull-ups instead. Jump and hold yourself above the bar, and then slowly, under control, lower yourself to the ‘starting position’ of a pull-up. Then repeat!

This is a great way to build up enough strength to eventually get your first pull-up.

8) PULL-UP

A pull-up would be considered an advanced bodyweight movement, great for including in your at home training.

We have a full guide on proper pull-up form so you can hone in your technique.

9) CHIN-UPS

A chin-up is a pull-up, but with your hands facing towards you.

Much like a pull-up, but with your palms facing toward you.

Here’s a video going over proper pull-up and chin-up form:

If you can’t do pull-ups or chin-ups, you have another option…

10) INVERTED BODYWEIGHT ROW (OVERHAND)

A bodyweight row like this is a great "pull" exercise you can while building up strength for pull-ups.

An inverted bodyweight row can be a great “pull” exercise if you can’t do a pull-up yet, or if you don’t have a proper pull-up bar nearby. Because a good sturdy table can be used for inverted rows:

11) INVERTED BODYWEIGHT ROW (UNDERHAND)

A underhand inverted bodyweight row can be exchanged for a chin-up while you build up your strength.

12) ASSISTED BODYWEIGHT DIPS

A resistance band is a great way to get started with this bodyweight exercise.

With a resistance band, you can start performing assisted dips. A great exercise while you build up strength for normal dips.

13) BODYWEIGHT DIPS

Bodyweight dips are a great exercise to include in an advanced circuit.

14) KNEE PUSH-UP

Knee push-ups like this are a great way to progress to a regular push-up!

15) ELEVATED PUSH-UP

Do elevated push-ups to work up to regular push-ups

16) REGULAR PUSH-UP

This gif shows Staci doing a push-up in perfect form.

We have a whole article on how to do a proper push-up, but we also cover it extensively in this 5-minute video:

17) DECLINE PUSH-UPS

Decline push-ups like this are a great way to progress your bodyweight exercises.

18) KNEE PLANK

If you can't do a normal plank, start with doing them on your knees until you can advance.

19) PLANK

The plank is a great bodyweight exercise to engage your core muscles.

20) SIDE PLANK

Doing a plank on your side is a great way to progressive this bodyweight movement.

21) JUMPING JACKS

Jumping Jacks are a great cardiovascular bodyweight exercise

If you are looking for even MORE bodyweight exercises you can use in your workouts, make sure to check out our mega-resource:

 “The 42 Best Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do Anywhere.“

How to Scale Your Bodyweight Routine

These LEGOS use their bodyweight for their training...it just looks like dancing!

As I said earlier, this whole routine is scalable based on your ability. For example, here is a sample routine for somebody who has conquered the Beginner Bodyweight Workout but can’t do the full routine above:

  • 10 Bodyweight Squats
  • 10 Walking Lunges
  • 15 Jump Ups
  • 3 Assisted Pull-Ups (or 6 inverted bodyweight rows – overhand grip on table)
  • 8 Dips (or 10 decline push-ups if these are too tough)
  • 3 Assisted Chin-Ups (or 6 inverted bodyweight rows – underhand grip on table)
  • 10 Push-Ups
  • 30 Second Plank
  • 30 Jumping Jacks

“WHAT IF THE ADVANCED BODYWEIGHT WORKOUT IS TOO EASY FOR ME?”

Hm, well then, can you do 4 circuits instead of 3? Or have you tried a circuit that would make you worthy of a Spartan?

do the 300 circuit training workout to get strong like King Leonidas

Whatever your fitness level, find a way to push yourself a little harder, get better, be faster, and grow stronger. 

We cover this extensively in our guide, Tracking Your Fitness Progress.

Keep track of:

  • Your exact routine
  • How long it took you
  • Which exercises wore you out
  • Exactly how many reps you did

Then make sure you do more next time!

“HOW OFTEN SHOULD I DO THE ADVANCED BODYWEIGHT WORKOUT?”

Do this routine 2-3 times a week, but never on consecutive days. It’s a message we really strike home in our guide, “How Often Should I Work Out?”

You don’t build muscle when you’re exercising, you build muscle when you’re resting, so try not to do a strength training routine (of the same muscle groups) two days in a row.

I like to follow a training pattern of:

Alternatively, pick one of these fun exercises to do on your off days instead!

Wayne is stoked that he made his small change for weight loss.

If you’re still uneasy about this advanced workout, start with our Beginner Bodyweight Workout instead. You can download a worksheet to get started when you sign-up for our free weekly newsletter:

After the Advanced Bodyweight Workout: Next Steps!

This dancer has advanced her bodyweight training to include catching some air!

This should help you get started with a really powerful bodyweight training routine. But we hear frequently that people want MORE instruction, MORE guidance, and MORE workouts.

If that’s you, we have MULTIPLE options to take the next step. Pick the option below that best aligns with your goals and timeline:

1) If you want step-by-step guidance, a custom bodyweight training program that levels up as you get stronger, and a coach to keep you accountable, check out our killer 1-on-1 coaching program:

Nerd Fitness Coaching Banner




2) If you want a daily prompt for doing workouts at home, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

3) Enlist in the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion. 

Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. It’ll help you start incorporating these advanced bodyweight moves into your training.

4) Level Up Your Workout! If you’re looking for more workout routines to follow, I got you covered:

I’d love to hear how this workout was for you.

Leave a comment below with your results or any questions you have on advanced bodyweight training and how else we can help. 

For the Rebellion!

-Steve

PS: Where do you go after you’ve crushed the Advanced Bodyweight Workout? Well, have you ever heard of the PLP Progression? There’s really no limit on how challenging that can get.

Good luck!

###

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#holistic #getfit #nutrition How Many Calories Should I Eat Every Day? A TDEE Calculator for Total Daily Energy Expenditure

These LEGOs are learning about their BMR and TDEE so they can calculate their calorie needs.

“Steve, how many calories should I eat every day? I have goals!”

Great question.

Knowledge is power, so today, we are going to make you more powerful by calculating your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).

A gif that says "I have the power"

Of course, “knowing is half the battle.” The other half is what you actually DO with your TDEE information! 

Fortunately for you, we’ve helped thousands of Online Coaching Clients lose weight and get healthy, and TDEE is just one of many factors we consider when building a specific strategy for somebody’s goals.




Okay FINE, I’ll share the other factors and strategies below too.

Simply click on the section below for quick reading, though I’d recommend you read the whole enchilada to properly apply your TDEE to your life:

THE NERD FITNESS TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE CALCULATOR

These two LEGOs are ready for some simple math to determine their calorie needs. We can just use our TDEE Calculator.

We’re going to start off by doing some math.

Don’t worry, our robot calculator (beep boop boop) will do all the hard stuff for you.

We will need to know your height in inches, your weight in pounds, and an idea on your activity level.

(Use the metric system? I wish we did too here in the States! Click right here for our Metric calculator).

Although you can adjust it, I want you to set your “Activity Level” as “Sedentary,” (I’ll explain why in a minute):

Nerd Fitness Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator

Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator







Male/Female

Use age in years.

Use pounds (lbs). If using metric system, multiple kg times 2.2 for lbs.

Use inches. If using metric system, divide cm by 2.54 for total inches.

Your BMR is an estimate of the total calories burned a day, while in a state of rest.

For “Activity Level,” veer toward the side of less active. Studies consistently show that people are not as active as they self-assess.

Your TDEE is an estimate of the total calories burned during a single day, when exercise is factored in.


(Note: we have used The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation to create this calculator! [1])

Hooray! You now know estimates of your BMR and TDEE![2]

Batman is stoked you know your BMR and TDEE!

You may be thinking, “Ah, Steve, what do either of these mean?”

I got you boo.

Make sure you write down your two numbers, and then move onto the next section.

If you’re already starting to get overwhelmed, have no fear! We help hundreds of men and women calculate their calorie goals, and we’d love to help you too!




WHAT IS BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR)?

This notebook has the equation for BMR on it. You don't have to know it though, just use our TDEE calculator.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the total amount of calories needed to keep your body functioning.

Breathing, cell production, pumping blood, and keeping your body temperature up all require calories to function.

A beating heart requires calories, which factors into your BMR.

This means that even when you sit perfectly still, you still use plenty of calories keeping your body in good working order.

“Basal” more or less means “basic,” so you can think of BMR as the number of calories needed for basic daily functions.

Your sex, weight, and height will all affect the number of calories you need, which is why they are variables in our equation above.

The taller you are, or the more you weigh, the higher your BMR will be. 

There is simply more of you to fuel: more blood to pump, more cells to produce, more body mass to transport and manage.

Your age will also factor in: the older you get the lower your BMR will be.

Roughly two-thirds of the calories you need each day go into keeping your body running.

The other third?

That goes into powering your motion.

You know, because going from one place to another requires energy. So does lifting stuff.

So let’s talk about Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) next.

WHAT IS TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE (TDEE)?

The more you move, the more calories you use, the higher your TDEE. Which is why this LEGO loves to play tennis!

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is an estimate of how many total calories you burn in a day.

Since your BMR calculates the calories you need for a state of rest, to get a true total we need to factor in movement and exercise. 

I wonder if this dog knows how his exercise factors into their TDEE and calorie goals. Probably not.

To do this, we’ll take your BMR and multiply it by an “Activity Level” factor.[3]

Activity Levels can be thought of as the following:

Sedentary. You regularly have to tell Netflix you are still watching.  You don’t intentionally exercise at all.

Sedentary = BMR x 1.2

Lightly Active. You casually stroll through your neighborhood a few times a week. On average, you walk for exercise about 30 minutes a day. Another way to think about this would be 15 minutes per day of vigorous exercise like running or lifting weights.  

Light Active = BMR x 1.375

Moderately Active. If we called the gym on a weeknight looking for you, they’d find you. This averages out to about one hour and 45 minutes of walking (for exercise, not going around your house) a day, or 50 minutes of vigorous exercise a day.

Moderately Active = BMR x 1.55

Very Active. You work in construction during the day and you’re on the company softball team. This averages out to about four hours and 15 minutes of walking (again, for intentional exercise) a day, or two hours of vigorous exercise.

Very Active = BMR x 1.725

If you’re following along at home, you may notice that different Activity Levels can make a big difference in the calories burned.

Let’s use some numbers:

Suppose you’re male, 35 years old, weigh 200 pounds, and are six foot even (72 inches).

You’re also wearing a recently ironed collared shirt and it looks great on you. It really brings out your eyes.

Awesome shirt or no awesome shirt, we know your BMR comes in at 1,882 calories given the variables we identified. Meaning you’ll need roughly 1,900 calories for basic bodily functions.

This is where things get interesting.

If you’re Sedentary, we’ll multiply 1,882 (BMR) by 1.2 to get a TDEE of 2,258, which means you’ll need 2,258 calories to maintain your current weight, support bodily functions, and to walk around your house, to go from your car to your office, from your office back home, etc.

Let’s imagine a scenario where you are not Sedentary. Instead, we’ll calculate that you are Lightly Active, meaning you walk around your neighborhood a few times a week.

We take your BMR of 1,882 and multiply it by 1.375 to get a TDEE of 2,588.

The difference between Lightly Active and Sedentary is 230 calories, about what you’d find in a single glazed donut.

This donut is about 230 calories, the difference between Lightly Active and Sedentary when determining TDEE.

Let’s keep going.

Let’s say you hit your local gym a few times a week for strength training practice. And on your off days, you do a little yoga and take walks.

This will push you into the “Moderately Active” category.

We take your BMR of 1,882 and multiply it by 1.55 to get a TDEE of 2,917.

The difference between Sedentary and Moderately Active would be 659 calories.

That’s an extra meal’s worth of calories!

For reference, here are some examples of things that are roughly 650 calories:

#1) A whole meal’s worth of Sicilian fish with sweet potatoes:

This meal is about 650 calories, roughly the difference Sedentary and Moderately Active when calculating TDEE.

#2) One Big Mac® with Bacon:

This burger is about 650 calories, roughly the difference Sedentary and Moderately Active when calculating TDEE.

#3) A large Orange Dream Machine® from Jamba Juice:

This smoothie is about 650 calories, roughly the difference Sedentary and Moderately Active when calculating TDEE.

All of those three options above are the same number of calories – however, they vary widely in how full they will make you feel!

IMPORTANT NOTE: I’ve used the word “estimate” several times in this article and will continue to do so.

It’s important to know that although BMR and TDEE can be helpful caloric information for many, there are limitations in their calculations.

Hormones, genetics, medicine, and macronutrient ratio can all influence calorie needs for individuals.

Said another way, it’s CRUCIAL that we take our BMR and our TDEE as a starting point, not the definitive “answer.”

It’s the place we can start from, and then adjust based on how our bodies respond!

As we’ve just seen, different Activity Levels can influence the TDEE greatly too.

This is why Activity Level might be a “trap” when doing TDEE calculations!

Your Activity Level could through off your TDEE calculations. Be careful!




WHAT SHOULD MY ESTIMATED ACTIVITY LEVEL BE FOR TDEE?

Throwing a bunch of other people on a bike, like this LEGO is doing, could help you raise your Activity Level to achieve a higher TDEE.

We people are notoriously bad at estimating our Activity Level.

We tend to UNDERestimate how many calories we consume, and then OVERestimate how much exercise we’re doing (often by as much as 30-50%+ percent). 

Study after study demonstrates that people evaluate their movement and exercise greater than what it actually is.[4]

Not only that, but our fitness trackers overestimate by at least 20% how many calories we expend through exercise too.[5]

Our Fitbit trackers might not be super accurate when reporting calories burned. Take this into account when referencing your TDEE.

We think we’re working out “intensely” for 60 minutes and then overeat, assuming we have lots of extra calories in our “daily budget” to spare. 

However, when researchers look at stuff like heart rate, VO2 max, and calories burned, they determine that we actually only exercised “moderately.”

What does this mean for regular people like you and me?

If the goal is weight loss, you’re going to overestimate your activity level, and you’re going to underestimate how much you eat. 

When in double, pick the Activity Level below your initial guess.

Instead of “Moderately Active,” pick “Lightly Active.”

This will give you a more accurate estimate of your caloric needs, and give you a larger margin for error when trying to lose weight!

The other thing to consider would be strength training.

As we mention in our “Lose Weight and Build Muscle” article, strength training requires a lot of energy, not only for the exercise itself, but also for rebuilding muscle in the days following the activity.

In general, we consider strength training to be “vigorous exercise,” which we highlighted above.

If it takes 30 mins of walking a day to be “Lightly Active,” 15 minutes of daily strength training would roughly be equivalent.

If estimating your Activity Level and TDEE is starting to freak you out:

Don't Panic over your BMR and TDEE. Take it as a starting point and move on!

Trying to pick and calculate the right amount of calories to consume can be stressful.

Especially if you’ve had trouble losing weight in the past. And that’s just the math part – we haven’t even got to the psychological part about how delicious pizza and ice cream are.

It’s actually the reason we created our uber-popular 1-on-1 Coaching Program. We sought to take all the guesswork out of getting in shape, by creating a program to tell you exactly what to do.

Nerd Fitness Coaching Banner




HOW DO I USE BMR AND TDEE FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

Batman knows his TDEE and sticks to his calorie goals, which is where the six pack comes from. That and fighting crime all night.

If you’ve read this far into the article, I imagine you are interested in learning your Total Daily Energy Expenditure for weight loss.

I also imagine you support my belief that The Shawshank Redemption is the greatest movie ever made:

I mentioned earlier that if you are having trouble losing weight, it’s because you are eating too many calories.

The TDEE we calculated above will give us a good estimate of calories you require each day – if your scale is staying constant: congrats!

You found your ‘calorie equilibrium.’

This means your body burns just as many calories as you consume each day.

However, I’m going to guess you’re here because your goal is to see the scale go down!

Think of it this way: if your weight is fairly consistent, your body is currently in equilibrium. You burn the same number of calories that you consume every day.

So, in order for you to lose weight, you need to start reducing your total calorie intake, which then forces your body to start burning the stored fat you have for energy.

You’ve already calculated roughly how many calories you burn (your TDEE) on a daily basis, let’s see roughly how many calories you’re consuming each day too!

(If your weight is staying steady, then these numbers should be relatively close – provided your tracking is accurate!)

It’s this nerd’s humble opinion that the easiest way to track calories consumed is with an app.

We live in the future.

Do they track calories and TDEE automatically in the future? Maybe.

Use a smartphone and download one of the following to track your food intake:

  1. My Fitness Pal. The gold standard of calorie counting apps. It’s also the most popular, supporting the largest food database in the game. Plus it can download recipes from the internet and provide an estimate of calories.
  2. FatSecret. Basic, simple, and free, FatSecret is a great calorie tracker. It’ll allow you to connect with other users, plus it’s got a barcode scanner for caloric content from labels. Super nifty.
  3. Lose it! Another free calorie counting app, focusing more on goal setting. Additionally, the Snap It™ feature lets you use pictures for data input. Double nifty.

You certainly don’t have to track your food forever.

But a solid week’s worth of data will help you get a sense of the food you are consuming, especially if you eat roughly the same food each day.

Not sure if you’re getting your portion sizes correct? Most people don’t. Consider a cheap food scale to educate yourself on actual portion sizes! You can also check out our guide How to Portion Control, which will teach you how to use your hand to estimate calories:

The important thing is to compare your daily calories consumed to your TDEE.

In order to lose weight, you need to have your calories consumed less than your TDEE on average.

(If you’re currently thinking, “But Steve according to my stats I burn way more calories than I consume, but I’m not losing weight!” I would read this.)

Some numbers to think about:

  • 3,500 calories equals roughly one pound of fat.
  • There are seven days in a week.

Basic math suggests if you want to lose one pound of body fat in a week (a sustainable goal for some), you need to create a caloric deficit of 500 calories a day: either through consuming 500 fewer calories, burning 500 more calories, or a combination of the two.

When you consume fewer calories than you burn consistently, your body will have to start pulling from your stored fat to complete daily functions.

Aka weight loss.

Let’s imagine that your TDEE is 2,500. This means you’d want to consume around 2,000 calories a day to lose around a pound per week.

As we discuss to great detail in “Why Can’t I Lose Weight,” sustained weight loss is largely a result of consistently managing the first half of the equation: “calories in.”

Said another way: it’s much more difficult to sustainably increase your Activity Level than it is to reduce the calories you consume. 

After all, what’s more likely to become a lifelong habit? Making a substitution on the food you’re consuming, or suddenly finding the time to vigorously exercise for 90 minutes every single day after being a couch potato?

This couch potato knows how hard it can be to raise your activity level to increase your TDEE.

So start by focusing on fixing your food intake!

What’s the easiest way to eat fewer calories consistently? By prioritizing REAL food.

Why?

Because real foods are more likely to fill you up and satisfy your hunger while also keeping you under your calorie intake goal for the day.

Remember that example above comparing a full dinner vs a burger vs a shake:

Our earlier example showing you 650 calories in food.

MOVING TOWARDS A HEALTHIER WAY OF EATING

Berries are low in calories and full of vital nutrients, which make them a great addition to a healthy diet.

The Nerd Fitness philosophy on diet can be written in six words:

“You’re smart. Eat more REAL food.”

I lay it all out in our Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating, but again, you’re smart – you know what real food is:

Food that grew in the ground, on a tree, ran on the land, swam in the sea, or flew through the air.

Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts are all great examples of REAL food. 

This is what you should be eating more of.

The fine folks at WiseGEEK did an awesome post where they took pictures of what 200 calories of a certain food looks like.

200 calories of broccoli gets you enough broccoli to fill up an entire plate:

200 calories of broccoli is a huge plate full!

Or half a Snickers bar:

200 calories is only one half of a Snickers bar.

Yeah…

By eating REAL food, you have a MUCH higher margin for error to stay under your calorie goal for the day.

  • If you accidentally overeat broccoli, you might accidentally eat an additional 20-30 calories.
  • If you accidentally overeat candy or soda or processed foods, you can consume an extra 500-1000+ calories without feeling satiated or full.

Put it all together: If you want to create a caloric deficit consistently, focusing on REAL food gives you the best fighting chance to stay under your daily target of calories. 

And yes, I know a Snickers bar is way more delicious than broccoli – it was designed in a lab by scientists to be AMAZING!

I’m not gonna tell you to never eat a Snickers ever again either.

Instead, start being proactive about your food choices.

If you want to eat a Snickers, plan for it by deliberately reducing your calorie intake in the meal before or after (or consider skipping a meal).

And if the scale isn’t budging  – you’re still eating too much!

If only Kramer had known his TDEE, he wouldn't be shocked to learn he eats too much.

Want help with any of this?

Many of our coaching clients found weight loss previously unattainable until one of our trained professionals objectively reviewed their life and provided actionable feedback.

Now, some of them have lost between 50-100+ pounds!




WHAT’S THE BEST DIET FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

These LEGOs are searching for the perfect diet in this piece of fruit. I think they're doing it wrong.

Should you do the Mediterranean Diet? Keto? Vegan? Paleo?

Maybe!

They all follow the same premise: by changing or eliminating certain food groups (or macronutrients), you’re more likely than not to eat a caloric deficit automatically.

All diets will prioritize protein (as should you), but some diets are low fat and others are low carb. 

Every person will respond differently and will have more success with some than others.

So yes, any diet can help you lose weight in the short term – just remember that you need to stick with the changes permanently to make the results stick permanently!

After all, temporary changes create temporary results.

I personally follow a mental model diet, that focuses on real food most of the time, and occasionally includes some junk food. I plan my week of eating ahead of time:

#1) Minimize processed food – they’re designed for you to overeat them. Take a look again at that Snickers bar.

Do you really think you’d only eat half of one to stick to 200 calories? Of course not. This argument is more or less the rationale for following a paleo diet.

These ribs would be part of the Paleo Diet. But did they calculate their TDEE first?

#2) Eat veggies. Vegetables are nutrient-dense and light on calories. Because of all the fiber, they are also tough to overeat.

Imagine eating all that broccoli.

Are you going for seconds? Probably not. So eat your veggies to help keep you full. Hate vegetables? I once was like you. Read “How to make vegetables taste good“.

#3) Be wary of liquid calories. Cut back on soda, juices, smoothies, and any beverage with calories.

Even most coffee orders (with sugar, cream, etc.) will have a ton of hidden calories.

All these drinks are sugar bombs since there is no fiber to balance out all the carbs you are consuming. Stick to water, and unsweetened tea or coffee. Here are our thoughts on diet soda.

#4) Prioritize protein. When your body heals itself, like after exercise, your body uses protein as the building block of muscle rebuilding.

Outside of repairing your body, protein will also work to keep you full and satiated: 400 calories of chicken will leave you wayyy more full than 400 calories worth of Gatorade.[7]

If you prioritize protein on your plate, you’ll be doing a lot of the heavy lifting on proper nutrition.

As we lay out in our epic “How Much Protein Should I Eat?” guide, some great sources of protein include chicken, eggs, beef, pork, fish, nuts, legumes, quinoa, and most dairy products.

These four points will help you on your journey to create a caloric deficit.

Disclaimer: this is all easier said than done. After all, 70% of the country is overweight. Don’t worry though, because most of them don’t read Nerd Fitness.

You do. This is like a strategy guide for life.

We’ve helped thousands of people like you here at NF, and we really focus on nutrition.

As we said, it’s 90% of the battle!

It’s why we created our own free, fun 10-level nutritional system. Each level gets a bit more challenging and healthier, but you can progress at your own speed to make your changes stick.

You can download our 10-Level Nutrition Guide when you sign up in the box right here:

HERE’S WHAT TO DO TO LOSE WEIGHT WITH YOUR TDEE

Now you are ready to use your TDEE to achieve your fitness goals!

Let’s recap this whole guide for you, with some actionable steps:

#1)Determine your BMR and TDEE. This will be critical for computing your caloric deficit.  They’re good numbers to keep in mind during the whole experiment. Calculate your TDEE here.

#2) Track everything, as is, for one week. Log everything you eat. No judgment. If you eat five slices of pizza in a night, count every slice.

This step alone has helped many Rebels turn their lives around. Consider a food tracking app or online tracker to educate yourself!

#3) Compare numbers. Where is your current caloric intake at? How does this compare against your TDEE? If your intake is higher than your TDEE, you’re likely gaining body fat. We want to flip the equation.

#4) Create a consistent caloric deficit. The easiest and most sustainable way to do this is to eat REAL food. Mixing in strength training and fun cardio can help too. 

#5) Track progress. Continue to track caloric intake to ensure you expend more calories than you consume.  

That’s it.

You can do this. I know you can because many of our readers have done it themselves.

Both BIll and I know you will use your TDEE to reach your fitness goals!

Want help taking your next step after calculating your TDEE? I have MULTIPLE options for you. Pick the path below that best aligns with your goals and timeline:

1) If you want step-by-step guidance on how to lose weight, eat better, and get stronger, check out our killer 1-on-1 coaching program:

Nerd Fitness Coaching Banner




2) If you want an exact blueprint for how to eat better and get in shape, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

3) Enlist in the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion. 

Sign up in the box below when you download our free weight loss guide!

You can do this, and we got your back!

-Steve

PS: Seriously, how great is The Shawshank Redemption? I could quote that movie all day long.

But if you don’t agree…

###

All photo citations can be found right here.[8]

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#holistic #getfit #nutrition How Many Calories Should I Eat Every Day? A TDEE Calculator for Total Daily Energy Expenditure

These LEGOs are learning about their BMR and TDEE so they can calculate their calorie needs.

“Steve, how many calories should I eat every day? I have goals!”

Great question.

Knowledge is power, so today, we are going to make you more powerful by calculating your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).

A gif that says "I have the power"

Of course, “knowing is half the battle.” The other half is what you actually DO with your TDEE information! 

Fortunately for you, we’ve helped thousands of Online Coaching Clients lose weight and get healthy, and TDEE is just one of many factors we consider when building a specific strategy for somebody’s goals.




Okay FINE, I’ll share the other factors and strategies below too.

Simply click on the section below for quick reading, though I’d recommend you read the whole enchilada to properly apply your TDEE to your life:

THE NERD FITNESS TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE CALCULATOR

These two LEGOs are ready for some simple math to determine their calorie needs. We can just use our TDEE Calculator.

We’re going to start off by doing some math.

Don’t worry, our robot calculator (beep boop boop) will do all the hard stuff for you.

We will need to know your height in inches, your weight in pounds, and an idea on your activity level.

(Use the metric system? I wish we did too here in the States! Click right here for our Metric calculator).

Although you can adjust it, I want you to set your “Activity Level” as “Sedentary,” (I’ll explain why in a minute):

Nerd Fitness Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator

Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator







Male/Female

Use age in years.

Use pounds (lbs). If using metric system, multiple kg times 2.2 for lbs.

Use inches. If using metric system, divide cm by 2.54 for total inches.

Your BMR is an estimate of the total calories burned a day, while in a state of rest.

For “Activity Level,” veer toward the side of less active. Studies consistently show that people are not as active as they self-assess.

Your TDEE is an estimate of the total calories burned during a single day, when exercise is factored in.


(Note: we have used The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation to create this calculator! [1])

Hooray! You now know estimates of your BMR and TDEE![2]

Batman is stoked you know your BMR and TDEE!

You may be thinking, “Ah, Steve, what do either of these mean?”

I got you boo.

Make sure you write down your two numbers, and then move onto the next section.

If you’re already starting to get overwhelmed, have no fear! We help hundreds of men and women calculate their calorie goals, and we’d love to help you too!




WHAT IS BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR)?

This notebook has the equation for BMR on it. You don't have to know it though, just use our TDEE calculator.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the total amount of calories needed to keep your body functioning.

Breathing, cell production, pumping blood, and keeping your body temperature up all require calories to function.

A beating heart requires calories, which factors into your BMR.

This means that even when you sit perfectly still, you still use plenty of calories keeping your body in good working order.

“Basal” more or less means “basic,” so you can think of BMR as the number of calories needed for basic daily functions.

Your sex, weight, and height will all affect the number of calories you need, which is why they are variables in our equation above.

The taller you are, or the more you weigh, the higher your BMR will be. 

There is simply more of you to fuel: more blood to pump, more cells to produce, more body mass to transport and manage.

Your age will also factor in: the older you get the lower your BMR will be.

Roughly two-thirds of the calories you need each day go into keeping your body running.

The other third?

That goes into powering your motion.

You know, because going from one place to another requires energy. So does lifting stuff.

So let’s talk about Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) next.

WHAT IS TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE (TDEE)?

The more you move, the more calories you use, the higher your TDEE. Which is why this LEGO loves to play tennis!

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is an estimate of how many total calories you burn in a day.

Since your BMR calculates the calories you need for a state of rest, to get a true total we need to factor in movement and exercise. 

I wonder if this dog knows how his exercise factors into their TDEE and calorie goals. Probably not.

To do this, we’ll take your BMR and multiply it by an “Activity Level” factor.[3]

Activity Levels can be thought of as the following:

Sedentary. You regularly have to tell Netflix you are still watching.  You don’t intentionally exercise at all.

Sedentary = BMR x 1.2

Lightly Active. You casually stroll through your neighborhood a few times a week. On average, you walk for exercise about 30 minutes a day. Another way to think about this would be 15 minutes per day of vigorous exercise like running or lifting weights.  

Light Active = BMR x 1.375

Moderately Active. If we called the gym on a weeknight looking for you, they’d find you. This averages out to about one hour and 45 minutes of walking (for exercise, not going around your house) a day, or 50 minutes of vigorous exercise a day.

Moderately Active = BMR x 1.55

Very Active. You work in construction during the day and you’re on the company softball team. This averages out to about four hours and 15 minutes of walking (again, for intentional exercise) a day, or two hours of vigorous exercise.

Very Active = BMR x 1.725

If you’re following along at home, you may notice that different Activity Levels can make a big difference in the calories burned.

Let’s use some numbers:

Suppose you’re male, 35 years old, weigh 200 pounds, and are six foot even (72 inches).

You’re also wearing a recently ironed collared shirt and it looks great on you. It really brings out your eyes.

Awesome shirt or no awesome shirt, we know your BMR comes in at 1,882 calories given the variables we identified. Meaning you’ll need roughly 1,900 calories for basic bodily functions.

This is where things get interesting.

If you’re Sedentary, we’ll multiply 1,882 (BMR) by 1.2 to get a TDEE of 2,258, which means you’ll need 2,258 calories to maintain your current weight, support bodily functions, and to walk around your house, to go from your car to your office, from your office back home, etc.

Let’s imagine a scenario where you are not Sedentary. Instead, we’ll calculate that you are Lightly Active, meaning you walk around your neighborhood a few times a week.

We take your BMR of 1,882 and multiply it by 1.375 to get a TDEE of 2,588.

The difference between Lightly Active and Sedentary is 230 calories, about what you’d find in a single glazed donut.

This donut is about 230 calories, the difference between Lightly Active and Sedentary when determining TDEE.

Let’s keep going.

Let’s say you hit your local gym a few times a week for strength training practice. And on your off days, you do a little yoga and take walks.

This will push you into the “Moderately Active” category.

We take your BMR of 1,882 and multiply it by 1.55 to get a TDEE of 2,917.

The difference between Sedentary and Moderately Active would be 659 calories.

That’s an extra meal’s worth of calories!

For reference, here are some examples of things that are roughly 650 calories:

#1) A whole meal’s worth of Sicilian fish with sweet potatoes:

This meal is about 650 calories, roughly the difference Sedentary and Moderately Active when calculating TDEE.

#2) One Big Mac® with Bacon:

This burger is about 650 calories, roughly the difference Sedentary and Moderately Active when calculating TDEE.

#3) A large Orange Dream Machine® from Jamba Juice:

This smoothie is about 650 calories, roughly the difference Sedentary and Moderately Active when calculating TDEE.

All of those three options above are the same number of calories – however, they vary widely in how full they will make you feel!

IMPORTANT NOTE: I’ve used the word “estimate” several times in this article and will continue to do so.

It’s important to know that although BMR and TDEE can be helpful caloric information for many, there are limitations in their calculations.

Hormones, genetics, medicine, and macronutrient ratio can all influence calorie needs for individuals.

Said another way, it’s CRUCIAL that we take our BMR and our TDEE as a starting point, not the definitive “answer.”

It’s the place we can start from, and then adjust based on how our bodies respond!

As we’ve just seen, different Activity Levels can influence the TDEE greatly too.

This is why Activity Level might be a “trap” when doing TDEE calculations!

Your Activity Level could through off your TDEE calculations. Be careful!




WHAT SHOULD MY ESTIMATED ACTIVITY LEVEL BE FOR TDEE?

Throwing a bunch of other people on a bike, like this LEGO is doing, could help you raise your Activity Level to achieve a higher TDEE.

We people are notoriously bad at estimating our Activity Level.

We tend to UNDERestimate how many calories we consume, and then OVERestimate how much exercise we’re doing (often by as much as 30-50%+ percent). 

Study after study demonstrates that people evaluate their movement and exercise greater than what it actually is.[4]

Not only that, but our fitness trackers overestimate by at least 20% how many calories we expend through exercise too.[5]

Our Fitbit trackers might not be super accurate when reporting calories burned. Take this into account when referencing your TDEE.

We think we’re working out “intensely” for 60 minutes and then overeat, assuming we have lots of extra calories in our “daily budget” to spare. 

However, when researchers look at stuff like heart rate, VO2 max, and calories burned, they determine that we actually only exercised “moderately.”

What does this mean for regular people like you and me?

If the goal is weight loss, you’re going to overestimate your activity level, and you’re going to underestimate how much you eat. 

When in double, pick the Activity Level below your initial guess.

Instead of “Moderately Active,” pick “Lightly Active.”

This will give you a more accurate estimate of your caloric needs, and give you a larger margin for error when trying to lose weight!

The other thing to consider would be strength training.

As we mention in our “Lose Weight and Build Muscle” article, strength training requires a lot of energy, not only for the exercise itself, but also for rebuilding muscle in the days following the activity.

In general, we consider strength training to be “vigorous exercise,” which we highlighted above.

If it takes 30 mins of walking a day to be “Lightly Active,” 15 minutes of daily strength training would roughly be equivalent.

If estimating your Activity Level and TDEE is starting to freak you out:

Don't Panic over your BMR and TDEE. Take it as a starting point and move on!

Trying to pick and calculate the right amount of calories to consume can be stressful.

Especially if you’ve had trouble losing weight in the past. And that’s just the math part – we haven’t even got to the psychological part about how delicious pizza and ice cream are.

It’s actually the reason we created our uber-popular 1-on-1 Coaching Program. We sought to take all the guesswork out of getting in shape, by creating a program to tell you exactly what to do.

Nerd Fitness Coaching Banner




HOW DO I USE BMR AND TDEE FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

Batman knows his TDEE and sticks to his calorie goals, which is where the six pack comes from. That and fighting crime all night.

If you’ve read this far into the article, I imagine you are interested in learning your Total Daily Energy Expenditure for weight loss.

I also imagine you support my belief that The Shawshank Redemption is the greatest movie ever made:

I mentioned earlier that if you are having trouble losing weight, it’s because you are eating too many calories.

The TDEE we calculated above will give us a good estimate of calories you require each day – if your scale is staying constant: congrats!

You found your ‘calorie equilibrium.’

This means your body burns just as many calories as you consume each day.

However, I’m going to guess you’re here because your goal is to see the scale go down!

Think of it this way: if your weight is fairly consistent, your body is currently in equilibrium. You burn the same number of calories that you consume every day.

So, in order for you to lose weight, you need to start reducing your total calorie intake, which then forces your body to start burning the stored fat you have for energy.

You’ve already calculated roughly how many calories you burn (your TDEE) on a daily basis, let’s see roughly how many calories you’re consuming each day too!

(If your weight is staying steady, then these numbers should be relatively close – provided your tracking is accurate!)

It’s this nerd’s humble opinion that the easiest way to track calories consumed is with an app.

We live in the future.

Do they track calories and TDEE automatically in the future? Maybe.

Use a smartphone and download one of the following to track your food intake:

  1. My Fitness Pal. The gold standard of calorie counting apps. It’s also the most popular, supporting the largest food database in the game. Plus it can download recipes from the internet and provide an estimate of calories.
  2. FatSecret. Basic, simple, and free, FatSecret is a great calorie tracker. It’ll allow you to connect with other users, plus it’s got a barcode scanner for caloric content from labels. Super nifty.
  3. Lose it! Another free calorie counting app, focusing more on goal setting. Additionally, the Snap It™ feature lets you use pictures for data input. Double nifty.

You certainly don’t have to track your food forever.

But a solid week’s worth of data will help you get a sense of the food you are consuming, especially if you eat roughly the same food each day.

Not sure if you’re getting your portion sizes correct? Most people don’t. Consider a cheap food scale to educate yourself on actual portion sizes! You can also check out our guide How to Portion Control, which will teach you how to use your hand to estimate calories:

The important thing is to compare your daily calories consumed to your TDEE.

In order to lose weight, you need to have your calories consumed less than your TDEE on average.

(If you’re currently thinking, “But Steve according to my stats I burn way more calories than I consume, but I’m not losing weight!” I would read this.)

Some numbers to think about:

  • 3,500 calories equals roughly one pound of fat.
  • There are seven days in a week.

Basic math suggests if you want to lose one pound of body fat in a week (a sustainable goal for some), you need to create a caloric deficit of 500 calories a day: either through consuming 500 fewer calories, burning 500 more calories, or a combination of the two.

When you consume fewer calories than you burn consistently, your body will have to start pulling from your stored fat to complete daily functions.

Aka weight loss.

Let’s imagine that your TDEE is 2,500. This means you’d want to consume around 2,000 calories a day to lose around a pound per week.

As we discuss to great detail in “Why Can’t I Lose Weight,” sustained weight loss is largely a result of consistently managing the first half of the equation: “calories in.”

Said another way: it’s much more difficult to sustainably increase your Activity Level than it is to reduce the calories you consume. 

After all, what’s more likely to become a lifelong habit? Making a substitution on the food you’re consuming, or suddenly finding the time to vigorously exercise for 90 minutes every single day after being a couch potato?

This couch potato knows how hard it can be to raise your activity level to increase your TDEE.

So start by focusing on fixing your food intake!

What’s the easiest way to eat fewer calories consistently? By prioritizing REAL food.

Why?

Because real foods are more likely to fill you up and satisfy your hunger while also keeping you under your calorie intake goal for the day.

Remember that example above comparing a full dinner vs a burger vs a shake:

Our earlier example showing you 650 calories in food.

MOVING TOWARDS A HEALTHIER WAY OF EATING

Berries are low in calories and full of vital nutrients, which make them a great addition to a healthy diet.

The Nerd Fitness philosophy on diet can be written in six words:

“You’re smart. Eat more REAL food.”

I lay it all out in our Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating, but again, you’re smart – you know what real food is:

Food that grew in the ground, on a tree, ran on the land, swam in the sea, or flew through the air.

Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts are all great examples of REAL food. 

This is what you should be eating more of.

The fine folks at WiseGEEK did an awesome post where they took pictures of what 200 calories of a certain food looks like.

200 calories of broccoli gets you enough broccoli to fill up an entire plate:

200 calories of broccoli is a huge plate full!

Or half a Snickers bar:

200 calories is only one half of a Snickers bar.

Yeah…

By eating REAL food, you have a MUCH higher margin for error to stay under your calorie goal for the day.

  • If you accidentally overeat broccoli, you might accidentally eat an additional 20-30 calories.
  • If you accidentally overeat candy or soda or processed foods, you can consume an extra 500-1000+ calories without feeling satiated or full.

Put it all together: If you want to create a caloric deficit consistently, focusing on REAL food gives you the best fighting chance to stay under your daily target of calories. 

And yes, I know a Snickers bar is way more delicious than broccoli – it was designed in a lab by scientists to be AMAZING!

I’m not gonna tell you to never eat a Snickers ever again either.

Instead, start being proactive about your food choices.

If you want to eat a Snickers, plan for it by deliberately reducing your calorie intake in the meal before or after (or consider skipping a meal).

And if the scale isn’t budging  – you’re still eating too much!

If only Kramer had known his TDEE, he wouldn't be shocked to learn he eats too much.

Want help with any of this?

Many of our coaching clients found weight loss previously unattainable until one of our trained professionals objectively reviewed their life and provided actionable feedback.

Now, some of them have lost between 50-100+ pounds!




WHAT’S THE BEST DIET FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

These LEGOs are searching for the perfect diet in this piece of fruit. I think they're doing it wrong.

Should you do the Mediterranean Diet? Keto? Vegan? Paleo?

Maybe!

They all follow the same premise: by changing or eliminating certain food groups (or macronutrients), you’re more likely than not to eat a caloric deficit automatically.

All diets will prioritize protein (as should you), but some diets are low fat and others are low carb. 

Every person will respond differently and will have more success with some than others.

So yes, any diet can help you lose weight in the short term – just remember that you need to stick with the changes permanently to make the results stick permanently!

After all, temporary changes create temporary results.

I personally follow a mental model diet, that focuses on real food most of the time, and occasionally includes some junk food. I plan my week of eating ahead of time:

#1) Minimize processed food – they’re designed for you to overeat them. Take a look again at that Snickers bar.

Do you really think you’d only eat half of one to stick to 200 calories? Of course not. This argument is more or less the rationale for following a paleo diet.

These ribs would be part of the Paleo Diet. But did they calculate their TDEE first?

#2) Eat veggies. Vegetables are nutrient-dense and light on calories. Because of all the fiber, they are also tough to overeat.

Imagine eating all that broccoli.

Are you going for seconds? Probably not. So eat your veggies to help keep you full. Hate vegetables? I once was like you. Read “How to make vegetables taste good“.

#3) Be wary of liquid calories. Cut back on soda, juices, smoothies, and any beverage with calories.

Even most coffee orders (with sugar, cream, etc.) will have a ton of hidden calories.

All these drinks are sugar bombs since there is no fiber to balance out all the carbs you are consuming. Stick to water, and unsweetened tea or coffee. Here are our thoughts on diet soda.

#4) Prioritize protein. When your body heals itself, like after exercise, your body uses protein as the building block of muscle rebuilding.

Outside of repairing your body, protein will also work to keep you full and satiated: 400 calories of chicken will leave you wayyy more full than 400 calories worth of Gatorade.[7]

If you prioritize protein on your plate, you’ll be doing a lot of the heavy lifting on proper nutrition.

As we lay out in our epic “How Much Protein Should I Eat?” guide, some great sources of protein include chicken, eggs, beef, pork, fish, nuts, legumes, quinoa, and most dairy products.

These four points will help you on your journey to create a caloric deficit.

Disclaimer: this is all easier said than done. After all, 70% of the country is overweight. Don’t worry though, because most of them don’t read Nerd Fitness.

You do. This is like a strategy guide for life.

We’ve helped thousands of people like you here at NF, and we really focus on nutrition.

As we said, it’s 90% of the battle!

It’s why we created our own free, fun 10-level nutritional system. Each level gets a bit more challenging and healthier, but you can progress at your own speed to make your changes stick.

You can download our 10-Level Nutrition Guide when you sign up in the box right here:

HERE’S WHAT TO DO TO LOSE WEIGHT WITH YOUR TDEE

Now you are ready to use your TDEE to achieve your fitness goals!

Let’s recap this whole guide for you, with some actionable steps:

#1)Determine your BMR and TDEE. This will be critical for computing your caloric deficit.  They’re good numbers to keep in mind during the whole experiment. Calculate your TDEE here.

#2) Track everything, as is, for one week. Log everything you eat. No judgment. If you eat five slices of pizza in a night, count every slice.

This step alone has helped many Rebels turn their lives around. Consider a food tracking app or online tracker to educate yourself!

#3) Compare numbers. Where is your current caloric intake at? How does this compare against your TDEE? If your intake is higher than your TDEE, you’re likely gaining body fat. We want to flip the equation.

#4) Create a consistent caloric deficit. The easiest and most sustainable way to do this is to eat REAL food. Mixing in strength training and fun cardio can help too. 

#5) Track progress. Continue to track caloric intake to ensure you expend more calories than you consume.  

That’s it.

You can do this. I know you can because many of our readers have done it themselves.

Both BIll and I know you will use your TDEE to reach your fitness goals!

Want help taking your next step after calculating your TDEE? I have MULTIPLE options for you. Pick the path below that best aligns with your goals and timeline:

1) If you want step-by-step guidance on how to lose weight, eat better, and get stronger, check out our killer 1-on-1 coaching program:

Nerd Fitness Coaching Banner




2) If you want an exact blueprint for how to eat better and get in shape, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

3) Enlist in the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion. 

Sign up in the box below when you download our free weight loss guide!

You can do this, and we got your back!

-Steve

PS: Seriously, how great is The Shawshank Redemption? I could quote that movie all day long.

But if you don’t agree…

###

All photo citations can be found right here.[8]

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#holistic #getfit #nutrition How Many Calories Should I Eat Every Day? A TDEE Calculator for Total Daily Energy Expenditure

These LEGOs are learning about their BMR and TDEE so they can calculate their calorie needs.

“Steve, how many calories should I eat every day? I have goals!”

Great question.

Knowledge is power, so today, we are going to make you more powerful by calculating your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).

A gif that says "I have the power"

Of course, “knowing is half the battle.” The other half is what you actually DO with your TDEE information! 

Fortunately for you, we’ve helped thousands of Online Coaching Clients lose weight and get healthy, and TDEE is just one of many factors we consider when building a specific strategy for somebody’s goals.




Okay FINE, I’ll share the other factors and strategies below too.

Simply click on the section below for quick reading, though I’d recommend you read the whole enchilada to properly apply your TDEE to your life:

THE NERD FITNESS TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE CALCULATOR

These two LEGOs are ready for some simple math to determine their calorie needs. We can just use our TDEE Calculator.

We’re going to start off by doing some math.

Don’t worry, our robot calculator (beep boop boop) will do all the hard stuff for you.

We will need to know your height in inches, your weight in pounds, and an idea on your activity level.

(Use the metric system? I wish we did too here in the States! Click right here for our Metric calculator).

Although you can adjust it, I want you to set your “Activity Level” as “Sedentary,” (I’ll explain why in a minute):

Nerd Fitness Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator

Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator







Male/Female

Use age in years.

Use pounds (lbs). If using metric system, multiple kg times 2.2 for lbs.

Use inches. If using metric system, divide cm by 2.54 for total inches.

Your BMR is an estimate of the total calories burned a day, while in a state of rest.

For “Activity Level,” veer toward the side of less active. Studies consistently show that people are not as active as they self-assess.

Your TDEE is an estimate of the total calories burned during a single day, when exercise is factored in.


(Note: we have used The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation to create this calculator! [1])

Hooray! You now know estimates of your BMR and TDEE![2]

Batman is stoked you know your BMR and TDEE!

You may be thinking, “Ah, Steve, what do either of these mean?”

I got you boo.

Make sure you write down your two numbers, and then move onto the next section.

If you’re already starting to get overwhelmed, have no fear! We help hundreds of men and women calculate their calorie goals, and we’d love to help you too!




WHAT IS BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR)?

This notebook has the equation for BMR on it. You don't have to know it though, just use our TDEE calculator.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the total amount of calories needed to keep your body functioning.

Breathing, cell production, pumping blood, and keeping your body temperature up all require calories to function.

A beating heart requires calories, which factors into your BMR.

This means that even when you sit perfectly still, you still use plenty of calories keeping your body in good working order.

“Basal” more or less means “basic,” so you can think of BMR as the number of calories needed for basic daily functions.

Your sex, weight, and height will all affect the number of calories you need, which is why they are variables in our equation above.

The taller you are, or the more you weigh, the higher your BMR will be. 

There is simply more of you to fuel: more blood to pump, more cells to produce, more body mass to transport and manage.

Your age will also factor in: the older you get the lower your BMR will be.

Roughly two-thirds of the calories you need each day go into keeping your body running.

The other third?

That goes into powering your motion.

You know, because going from one place to another requires energy. So does lifting stuff.

So let’s talk about Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) next.

WHAT IS TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE (TDEE)?

The more you move, the more calories you use, the higher your TDEE. Which is why this LEGO loves to play tennis!

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is an estimate of how many total calories you burn in a day.

Since your BMR calculates the calories you need for a state of rest, to get a true total we need to factor in movement and exercise. 

I wonder if this dog knows how his exercise factors into their TDEE and calorie goals. Probably not.

To do this, we’ll take your BMR and multiply it by an “Activity Level” factor.[3]

Activity Levels can be thought of as the following:

Sedentary. You regularly have to tell Netflix you are still watching.  You don’t intentionally exercise at all.

Sedentary = BMR x 1.2

Lightly Active. You casually stroll through your neighborhood a few times a week. On average, you walk for exercise about 30 minutes a day. Another way to think about this would be 15 minutes per day of vigorous exercise like running or lifting weights.  

Light Active = BMR x 1.375

Moderately Active. If we called the gym on a weeknight looking for you, they’d find you. This averages out to about one hour and 45 minutes of walking (for exercise, not going around your house) a day, or 50 minutes of vigorous exercise a day.

Moderately Active = BMR x 1.55

Very Active. You work in construction during the day and you’re on the company softball team. This averages out to about four hours and 15 minutes of walking (again, for intentional exercise) a day, or two hours of vigorous exercise.

Very Active = BMR x 1.725

If you’re following along at home, you may notice that different Activity Levels can make a big difference in the calories burned.

Let’s use some numbers:

Suppose you’re male, 35 years old, weigh 200 pounds, and are six foot even (72 inches).

You’re also wearing a recently ironed collared shirt and it looks great on you. It really brings out your eyes.

Awesome shirt or no awesome shirt, we know your BMR comes in at 1,882 calories given the variables we identified. Meaning you’ll need roughly 1,900 calories for basic bodily functions.

This is where things get interesting.

If you’re Sedentary, we’ll multiply 1,882 (BMR) by 1.2 to get a TDEE of 2,258, which means you’ll need 2,258 calories to maintain your current weight, support bodily functions, and to walk around your house, to go from your car to your office, from your office back home, etc.

Let’s imagine a scenario where you are not Sedentary. Instead, we’ll calculate that you are Lightly Active, meaning you walk around your neighborhood a few times a week.

We take your BMR of 1,882 and multiply it by 1.375 to get a TDEE of 2,588.

The difference between Lightly Active and Sedentary is 230 calories, about what you’d find in a single glazed donut.

This donut is about 230 calories, the difference between Lightly Active and Sedentary when determining TDEE.

Let’s keep going.

Let’s say you hit your local gym a few times a week for strength training practice. And on your off days, you do a little yoga and take walks.

This will push you into the “Moderately Active” category.

We take your BMR of 1,882 and multiply it by 1.55 to get a TDEE of 2,917.

The difference between Sedentary and Moderately Active would be 659 calories.

That’s an extra meal’s worth of calories!

For reference, here are some examples of things that are roughly 650 calories:

#1) A whole meal’s worth of Sicilian fish with sweet potatoes:

This meal is about 650 calories, roughly the difference Sedentary and Moderately Active when calculating TDEE.

#2) One Big Mac® with Bacon:

This burger is about 650 calories, roughly the difference Sedentary and Moderately Active when calculating TDEE.

#3) A large Orange Dream Machine® from Jamba Juice:

This smoothie is about 650 calories, roughly the difference Sedentary and Moderately Active when calculating TDEE.

All of those three options above are the same number of calories – however, they vary widely in how full they will make you feel!

IMPORTANT NOTE: I’ve used the word “estimate” several times in this article and will continue to do so.

It’s important to know that although BMR and TDEE can be helpful caloric information for many, there are limitations in their calculations.

Hormones, genetics, medicine, and macronutrient ratio can all influence calorie needs for individuals.

Said another way, it’s CRUCIAL that we take our BMR and our TDEE as a starting point, not the definitive “answer.”

It’s the place we can start from, and then adjust based on how our bodies respond!

As we’ve just seen, different Activity Levels can influence the TDEE greatly too.

This is why Activity Level might be a “trap” when doing TDEE calculations!

Your Activity Level could through off your TDEE calculations. Be careful!




WHAT SHOULD MY ESTIMATED ACTIVITY LEVEL BE FOR TDEE?

Throwing a bunch of other people on a bike, like this LEGO is doing, could help you raise your Activity Level to achieve a higher TDEE.

We people are notoriously bad at estimating our Activity Level.

We tend to UNDERestimate how many calories we consume, and then OVERestimate how much exercise we’re doing (often by as much as 30-50%+ percent). 

Study after study demonstrates that people evaluate their movement and exercise greater than what it actually is.[4]

Not only that, but our fitness trackers overestimate by at least 20% how many calories we expend through exercise too.[5]

Our Fitbit trackers might not be super accurate when reporting calories burned. Take this into account when referencing your TDEE.

We think we’re working out “intensely” for 60 minutes and then overeat, assuming we have lots of extra calories in our “daily budget” to spare. 

However, when researchers look at stuff like heart rate, VO2 max, and calories burned, they determine that we actually only exercised “moderately.”

What does this mean for regular people like you and me?

If the goal is weight loss, you’re going to overestimate your activity level, and you’re going to underestimate how much you eat. 

When in double, pick the Activity Level below your initial guess.

Instead of “Moderately Active,” pick “Lightly Active.”

This will give you a more accurate estimate of your caloric needs, and give you a larger margin for error when trying to lose weight!

The other thing to consider would be strength training.

As we mention in our “Lose Weight and Build Muscle” article, strength training requires a lot of energy, not only for the exercise itself, but also for rebuilding muscle in the days following the activity.

In general, we consider strength training to be “vigorous exercise,” which we highlighted above.

If it takes 30 mins of walking a day to be “Lightly Active,” 15 minutes of daily strength training would roughly be equivalent.

If estimating your Activity Level and TDEE is starting to freak you out:

Don't Panic over your BMR and TDEE. Take it as a starting point and move on!

Trying to pick and calculate the right amount of calories to consume can be stressful.

Especially if you’ve had trouble losing weight in the past. And that’s just the math part – we haven’t even got to the psychological part about how delicious pizza and ice cream are.

It’s actually the reason we created our uber-popular 1-on-1 Coaching Program. We sought to take all the guesswork out of getting in shape, by creating a program to tell you exactly what to do.

Nerd Fitness Coaching Banner




HOW DO I USE BMR AND TDEE FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

Batman knows his TDEE and sticks to his calorie goals, which is where the six pack comes from. That and fighting crime all night.

If you’ve read this far into the article, I imagine you are interested in learning your Total Daily Energy Expenditure for weight loss.

I also imagine you support my belief that The Shawshank Redemption is the greatest movie ever made:

I mentioned earlier that if you are having trouble losing weight, it’s because you are eating too many calories.

The TDEE we calculated above will give us a good estimate of calories you require each day – if your scale is staying constant: congrats!

You found your ‘calorie equilibrium.’

This means your body burns just as many calories as you consume each day.

However, I’m going to guess you’re here because your goal is to see the scale go down!

Think of it this way: if your weight is fairly consistent, your body is currently in equilibrium. You burn the same number of calories that you consume every day.

So, in order for you to lose weight, you need to start reducing your total calorie intake, which then forces your body to start burning the stored fat you have for energy.

You’ve already calculated roughly how many calories you burn (your TDEE) on a daily basis, let’s see roughly how many calories you’re consuming each day too!

(If your weight is staying steady, then these numbers should be relatively close – provided your tracking is accurate!)

It’s this nerd’s humble opinion that the easiest way to track calories consumed is with an app.

We live in the future.

Do they track calories and TDEE automatically in the future? Maybe.

Use a smartphone and download one of the following to track your food intake:

  1. My Fitness Pal. The gold standard of calorie counting apps. It’s also the most popular, supporting the largest food database in the game. Plus it can download recipes from the internet and provide an estimate of calories.
  2. FatSecret. Basic, simple, and free, FatSecret is a great calorie tracker. It’ll allow you to connect with other users, plus it’s got a barcode scanner for caloric content from labels. Super nifty.
  3. Lose it! Another free calorie counting app, focusing more on goal setting. Additionally, the Snap It™ feature lets you use pictures for data input. Double nifty.

You certainly don’t have to track your food forever.

But a solid week’s worth of data will help you get a sense of the food you are consuming, especially if you eat roughly the same food each day.

Not sure if you’re getting your portion sizes correct? Most people don’t. Consider a cheap food scale to educate yourself on actual portion sizes! You can also check out our guide How to Portion Control, which will teach you how to use your hand to estimate calories:

The important thing is to compare your daily calories consumed to your TDEE.

In order to lose weight, you need to have your calories consumed less than your TDEE on average.

(If you’re currently thinking, “But Steve according to my stats I burn way more calories than I consume, but I’m not losing weight!” I would read this.)

Some numbers to think about:

  • 3,500 calories equals roughly one pound of fat.
  • There are seven days in a week.

Basic math suggests if you want to lose one pound of body fat in a week (a sustainable goal for some), you need to create a caloric deficit of 500 calories a day: either through consuming 500 fewer calories, burning 500 more calories, or a combination of the two.

When you consume fewer calories than you burn consistently, your body will have to start pulling from your stored fat to complete daily functions.

Aka weight loss.

Let’s imagine that your TDEE is 2,500. This means you’d want to consume around 2,000 calories a day to lose around a pound per week.

As we discuss to great detail in “Why Can’t I Lose Weight,” sustained weight loss is largely a result of consistently managing the first half of the equation: “calories in.”

Said another way: it’s much more difficult to sustainably increase your Activity Level than it is to reduce the calories you consume. 

After all, what’s more likely to become a lifelong habit? Making a substitution on the food you’re consuming, or suddenly finding the time to vigorously exercise for 90 minutes every single day after being a couch potato?

This couch potato knows how hard it can be to raise your activity level to increase your TDEE.

So start by focusing on fixing your food intake!

What’s the easiest way to eat fewer calories consistently? By prioritizing REAL food.

Why?

Because real foods are more likely to fill you up and satisfy your hunger while also keeping you under your calorie intake goal for the day.

Remember that example above comparing a full dinner vs a burger vs a shake:

Our earlier example showing you 650 calories in food.

MOVING TOWARDS A HEALTHIER WAY OF EATING

Berries are low in calories and full of vital nutrients, which make them a great addition to a healthy diet.

The Nerd Fitness philosophy on diet can be written in six words:

“You’re smart. Eat more REAL food.”

I lay it all out in our Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating, but again, you’re smart – you know what real food is:

Food that grew in the ground, on a tree, ran on the land, swam in the sea, or flew through the air.

Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts are all great examples of REAL food. 

This is what you should be eating more of.

The fine folks at WiseGEEK did an awesome post where they took pictures of what 200 calories of a certain food looks like.

200 calories of broccoli gets you enough broccoli to fill up an entire plate:

200 calories of broccoli is a huge plate full!

Or half a Snickers bar:

200 calories is only one half of a Snickers bar.

Yeah…

By eating REAL food, you have a MUCH higher margin for error to stay under your calorie goal for the day.

  • If you accidentally overeat broccoli, you might accidentally eat an additional 20-30 calories.
  • If you accidentally overeat candy or soda or processed foods, you can consume an extra 500-1000+ calories without feeling satiated or full.

Put it all together: If you want to create a caloric deficit consistently, focusing on REAL food gives you the best fighting chance to stay under your daily target of calories. 

And yes, I know a Snickers bar is way more delicious than broccoli – it was designed in a lab by scientists to be AMAZING!

I’m not gonna tell you to never eat a Snickers ever again either.

Instead, start being proactive about your food choices.

If you want to eat a Snickers, plan for it by deliberately reducing your calorie intake in the meal before or after (or consider skipping a meal).

And if the scale isn’t budging  – you’re still eating too much!

If only Kramer had known his TDEE, he wouldn't be shocked to learn he eats too much.

Want help with any of this?

Many of our coaching clients found weight loss previously unattainable until one of our trained professionals objectively reviewed their life and provided actionable feedback.

Now, some of them have lost between 50-100+ pounds!




WHAT’S THE BEST DIET FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

These LEGOs are searching for the perfect diet in this piece of fruit. I think they're doing it wrong.

Should you do the Mediterranean Diet? Keto? Vegan? Paleo?

Maybe!

They all follow the same premise: by changing or eliminating certain food groups (or macronutrients), you’re more likely than not to eat a caloric deficit automatically.

All diets will prioritize protein (as should you), but some diets are low fat and others are low carb. 

Every person will respond differently and will have more success with some than others.

So yes, any diet can help you lose weight in the short term – just remember that you need to stick with the changes permanently to make the results stick permanently!

After all, temporary changes create temporary results.

I personally follow a mental model diet, that focuses on real food most of the time, and occasionally includes some junk food. I plan my week of eating ahead of time:

#1) Minimize processed food – they’re designed for you to overeat them. Take a look again at that Snickers bar.

Do you really think you’d only eat half of one to stick to 200 calories? Of course not. This argument is more or less the rationale for following a paleo diet.

These ribs would be part of the Paleo Diet. But did they calculate their TDEE first?

#2) Eat veggies. Vegetables are nutrient-dense and light on calories. Because of all the fiber, they are also tough to overeat.

Imagine eating all that broccoli.

Are you going for seconds? Probably not. So eat your veggies to help keep you full. Hate vegetables? I once was like you. Read “How to make vegetables taste good“.

#3) Be wary of liquid calories. Cut back on soda, juices, smoothies, and any beverage with calories.

Even most coffee orders (with sugar, cream, etc.) will have a ton of hidden calories.

All these drinks are sugar bombs since there is no fiber to balance out all the carbs you are consuming. Stick to water, and unsweetened tea or coffee. Here are our thoughts on diet soda.

#4) Prioritize protein. When your body heals itself, like after exercise, your body uses protein as the building block of muscle rebuilding.

Outside of repairing your body, protein will also work to keep you full and satiated: 400 calories of chicken will leave you wayyy more full than 400 calories worth of Gatorade.[7]

If you prioritize protein on your plate, you’ll be doing a lot of the heavy lifting on proper nutrition.

As we lay out in our epic “How Much Protein Should I Eat?” guide, some great sources of protein include chicken, eggs, beef, pork, fish, nuts, legumes, quinoa, and most dairy products.

These four points will help you on your journey to create a caloric deficit.

Disclaimer: this is all easier said than done. After all, 70% of the country is overweight. Don’t worry though, because most of them don’t read Nerd Fitness.

You do. This is like a strategy guide for life.

We’ve helped thousands of people like you here at NF, and we really focus on nutrition.

As we said, it’s 90% of the battle!

It’s why we created our own free, fun 10-level nutritional system. Each level gets a bit more challenging and healthier, but you can progress at your own speed to make your changes stick.

You can download our 10-Level Nutrition Guide when you sign up in the box right here:

HERE’S WHAT TO DO TO LOSE WEIGHT WITH YOUR TDEE

Now you are ready to use your TDEE to achieve your fitness goals!

Let’s recap this whole guide for you, with some actionable steps:

#1)Determine your BMR and TDEE. This will be critical for computing your caloric deficit.  They’re good numbers to keep in mind during the whole experiment. Calculate your TDEE here.

#2) Track everything, as is, for one week. Log everything you eat. No judgment. If you eat five slices of pizza in a night, count every slice.

This step alone has helped many Rebels turn their lives around. Consider a food tracking app or online tracker to educate yourself!

#3) Compare numbers. Where is your current caloric intake at? How does this compare against your TDEE? If your intake is higher than your TDEE, you’re likely gaining body fat. We want to flip the equation.

#4) Create a consistent caloric deficit. The easiest and most sustainable way to do this is to eat REAL food. Mixing in strength training and fun cardio can help too. 

#5) Track progress. Continue to track caloric intake to ensure you expend more calories than you consume.  

That’s it.

You can do this. I know you can because many of our readers have done it themselves.

Both BIll and I know you will use your TDEE to reach your fitness goals!

Want help taking your next step after calculating your TDEE? I have MULTIPLE options for you. Pick the path below that best aligns with your goals and timeline:

1) If you want step-by-step guidance on how to lose weight, eat better, and get stronger, check out our killer 1-on-1 coaching program:

Nerd Fitness Coaching Banner




2) If you want an exact blueprint for how to eat better and get in shape, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

3) Enlist in the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion. 

Sign up in the box below when you download our free weight loss guide!

You can do this, and we got your back!

-Steve

PS: Seriously, how great is The Shawshank Redemption? I could quote that movie all day long.

But if you don’t agree…

###

All photo citations can be found right here.[8]

from Blog – Nerd Fitness https://ift.tt/2UaIeuQ
via IFTTT

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#holistic #getfit #nutrition How Many Calories Should I Eat Every Day? A TDEE Calculator for Total Daily Energy Expenditure

These LEGOs are learning about their BMR and TDEE so they can calculate their calorie needs.

“Steve, how many calories should I eat every day? I have goals!”

Great question.

Knowledge is power, so today, we are going to make you more powerful by calculating your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).

A gif that says "I have the power"

Of course, “knowing is half the battle.” The other half is what you actually DO with your TDEE information! 

Fortunately for you, we’ve helped thousands of Online Coaching Clients lose weight and get healthy, and TDEE is just one of many factors we consider when building a specific strategy for somebody’s goals.




Okay FINE, I’ll share the other factors and strategies below too.

Simply click on the section below for quick reading, though I’d recommend you read the whole enchilada to properly apply your TDEE to your life:

THE NERD FITNESS TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE CALCULATOR

These two LEGOs are ready for some simple math to determine their calorie needs. We can just use our TDEE Calculator.

We’re going to start off by doing some math.

Don’t worry, our robot calculator (beep boop boop) will do all the hard stuff for you.

We will need to know your height in inches, your weight in pounds, and an idea on your activity level.

(Use the metric system? I wish we did too here in the States! Click right here for our Metric calculator).

Although you can adjust it, I want you to set your “Activity Level” as “Sedentary,” (I’ll explain why in a minute):

Nerd Fitness Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator

Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator







Male/Female

Use age in years.

Use pounds (lbs). If using metric system, multiple kg times 2.2 for lbs.

Use inches. If using metric system, divide cm by 2.54 for total inches.

Your BMR is an estimate of the total calories burned a day, while in a state of rest.

For “Activity Level,” veer toward the side of less active. Studies consistently show that people are not as active as they self-assess.

Your TDEE is an estimate of the total calories burned during a single day, when exercise is factored in.


(Note: we have used The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation to create this calculator! [1])

Hooray! You now know estimates of your BMR and TDEE![2]

Batman is stoked you know your BMR and TDEE!

You may be thinking, “Ah, Steve, what do either of these mean?”

I got you boo.

Make sure you write down your two numbers, and then move onto the next section.

If you’re already starting to get overwhelmed, have no fear! We help hundreds of men and women calculate their calorie goals, and we’d love to help you too!




WHAT IS BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR)?

This notebook has the equation for BMR on it. You don't have to know it though, just use our TDEE calculator.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the total amount of calories needed to keep your body functioning.

Breathing, cell production, pumping blood, and keeping your body temperature up all require calories to function.

A beating heart requires calories, which factors into your BMR.

This means that even when you sit perfectly still, you still use plenty of calories keeping your body in good working order.

“Basal” more or less means “basic,” so you can think of BMR as the number of calories needed for basic daily functions.

Your sex, weight, and height will all affect the number of calories you need, which is why they are variables in our equation above.

The taller you are, or the more you weigh, the higher your BMR will be. 

There is simply more of you to fuel: more blood to pump, more cells to produce, more body mass to transport and manage.

Your age will also factor in: the older you get the lower your BMR will be.

Roughly two-thirds of the calories you need each day go into keeping your body running.

The other third?

That goes into powering your motion.

You know, because going from one place to another requires energy. So does lifting stuff.

So let’s talk about Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) next.

WHAT IS TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE (TDEE)?

The more you move, the more calories you use, the higher your TDEE. Which is why this LEGO loves to play tennis!

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is an estimate of how many total calories you burn in a day.

Since your BMR calculates the calories you need for a state of rest, to get a true total we need to factor in movement and exercise. 

I wonder if this dog knows how his exercise factors into their TDEE and calorie goals. Probably not.

To do this, we’ll take your BMR and multiply it by an “Activity Level” factor.[3]

Activity Levels can be thought of as the following:

Sedentary. You regularly have to tell Netflix you are still watching.  You don’t intentionally exercise at all.

Sedentary = BMR x 1.2

Lightly Active. You casually stroll through your neighborhood a few times a week. On average, you walk for exercise about 30 minutes a day. Another way to think about this would be 15 minutes per day of vigorous exercise like running or lifting weights.  

Light Active = BMR x 1.375

Moderately Active. If we called the gym on a weeknight looking for you, they’d find you. This averages out to about one hour and 45 minutes of walking (for exercise, not going around your house) a day, or 50 minutes of vigorous exercise a day.

Moderately Active = BMR x 1.55

Very Active. You work in construction during the day and you’re on the company softball team. This averages out to about four hours and 15 minutes of walking (again, for intentional exercise) a day, or two hours of vigorous exercise.

Very Active = BMR x 1.725

If you’re following along at home, you may notice that different Activity Levels can make a big difference in the calories burned.

Let’s use some numbers:

Suppose you’re male, 35 years old, weigh 200 pounds, and are six foot even (72 inches).

You’re also wearing a recently ironed collared shirt and it looks great on you. It really brings out your eyes.

Awesome shirt or no awesome shirt, we know your BMR comes in at 1,882 calories given the variables we identified. Meaning you’ll need roughly 1,900 calories for basic bodily functions.

This is where things get interesting.

If you’re Sedentary, we’ll multiply 1,882 (BMR) by 1.2 to get a TDEE of 2,258, which means you’ll need 2,258 calories to maintain your current weight, support bodily functions, and to walk around your house, to go from your car to your office, from your office back home, etc.

Let’s imagine a scenario where you are not Sedentary. Instead, we’ll calculate that you are Lightly Active, meaning you walk around your neighborhood a few times a week.

We take your BMR of 1,882 and multiply it by 1.375 to get a TDEE of 2,588.

The difference between Lightly Active and Sedentary is 230 calories, about what you’d find in a single glazed donut.

This donut is about 230 calories, the difference between Lightly Active and Sedentary when determining TDEE.

Let’s keep going.

Let’s say you hit your local gym a few times a week for strength training practice. And on your off days, you do a little yoga and take walks.

This will push you into the “Moderately Active” category.

We take your BMR of 1,882 and multiply it by 1.55 to get a TDEE of 2,917.

The difference between Sedentary and Moderately Active would be 659 calories.

That’s an extra meal’s worth of calories!

For reference, here are some examples of things that are roughly 650 calories:

#1) A whole meal’s worth of Sicilian fish with sweet potatoes:

This meal is about 650 calories, roughly the difference Sedentary and Moderately Active when calculating TDEE.

#2) One Big Mac® with Bacon:

This burger is about 650 calories, roughly the difference Sedentary and Moderately Active when calculating TDEE.

#3) A large Orange Dream Machine® from Jamba Juice:

This smoothie is about 650 calories, roughly the difference Sedentary and Moderately Active when calculating TDEE.

All of those three options above are the same number of calories – however, they vary widely in how full they will make you feel!

IMPORTANT NOTE: I’ve used the word “estimate” several times in this article and will continue to do so.

It’s important to know that although BMR and TDEE can be helpful caloric information for many, there are limitations in their calculations.

Hormones, genetics, medicine, and macronutrient ratio can all influence calorie needs for individuals.

Said another way, it’s CRUCIAL that we take our BMR and our TDEE as a starting point, not the definitive “answer.”

It’s the place we can start from, and then adjust based on how our bodies respond!

As we’ve just seen, different Activity Levels can influence the TDEE greatly too.

This is why Activity Level might be a “trap” when doing TDEE calculations!

Your Activity Level could through off your TDEE calculations. Be careful!




WHAT SHOULD MY ESTIMATED ACTIVITY LEVEL BE FOR TDEE?

Throwing a bunch of other people on a bike, like this LEGO is doing, could help you raise your Activity Level to achieve a higher TDEE.

We people are notoriously bad at estimating our Activity Level.

We tend to UNDERestimate how many calories we consume, and then OVERestimate how much exercise we’re doing (often by as much as 30-50%+ percent). 

Study after study demonstrates that people evaluate their movement and exercise greater than what it actually is.[4]

Not only that, but our fitness trackers overestimate by at least 20% how many calories we expend through exercise too.[5]

Our Fitbit trackers might not be super accurate when reporting calories burned. Take this into account when referencing your TDEE.

We think we’re working out “intensely” for 60 minutes and then overeat, assuming we have lots of extra calories in our “daily budget” to spare. 

However, when researchers look at stuff like heart rate, VO2 max, and calories burned, they determine that we actually only exercised “moderately.”

What does this mean for regular people like you and me?

If the goal is weight loss, you’re going to overestimate your activity level, and you’re going to underestimate how much you eat. 

When in double, pick the Activity Level below your initial guess.

Instead of “Moderately Active,” pick “Lightly Active.”

This will give you a more accurate estimate of your caloric needs, and give you a larger margin for error when trying to lose weight!

The other thing to consider would be strength training.

As we mention in our “Lose Weight and Build Muscle” article, strength training requires a lot of energy, not only for the exercise itself, but also for rebuilding muscle in the days following the activity.

In general, we consider strength training to be “vigorous exercise,” which we highlighted above.

If it takes 30 mins of walking a day to be “Lightly Active,” 15 minutes of daily strength training would roughly be equivalent.

If estimating your Activity Level and TDEE is starting to freak you out:

Don't Panic over your BMR and TDEE. Take it as a starting point and move on!

Trying to pick and calculate the right amount of calories to consume can be stressful.

Especially if you’ve had trouble losing weight in the past. And that’s just the math part – we haven’t even got to the psychological part about how delicious pizza and ice cream are.

It’s actually the reason we created our uber-popular 1-on-1 Coaching Program. We sought to take all the guesswork out of getting in shape, by creating a program to tell you exactly what to do.

Nerd Fitness Coaching Banner




HOW DO I USE BMR AND TDEE FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

Batman knows his TDEE and sticks to his calorie goals, which is where the six pack comes from. That and fighting crime all night.

If you’ve read this far into the article, I imagine you are interested in learning your Total Daily Energy Expenditure for weight loss.

I also imagine you support my belief that The Shawshank Redemption is the greatest movie ever made:

I mentioned earlier that if you are having trouble losing weight, it’s because you are eating too many calories.

The TDEE we calculated above will give us a good estimate of calories you require each day – if your scale is staying constant: congrats!

You found your ‘calorie equilibrium.’

This means your body burns just as many calories as you consume each day.

However, I’m going to guess you’re here because your goal is to see the scale go down!

Think of it this way: if your weight is fairly consistent, your body is currently in equilibrium. You burn the same number of calories that you consume every day.

So, in order for you to lose weight, you need to start reducing your total calorie intake, which then forces your body to start burning the stored fat you have for energy.

You’ve already calculated roughly how many calories you burn (your TDEE) on a daily basis, let’s see roughly how many calories you’re consuming each day too!

(If your weight is staying steady, then these numbers should be relatively close – provided your tracking is accurate!)

It’s this nerd’s humble opinion that the easiest way to track calories consumed is with an app.

We live in the future.

Do they track calories and TDEE automatically in the future? Maybe.

Use a smartphone and download one of the following to track your food intake:

  1. My Fitness Pal. The gold standard of calorie counting apps. It’s also the most popular, supporting the largest food database in the game. Plus it can download recipes from the internet and provide an estimate of calories.
  2. FatSecret. Basic, simple, and free, FatSecret is a great calorie tracker. It’ll allow you to connect with other users, plus it’s got a barcode scanner for caloric content from labels. Super nifty.
  3. Lose it! Another free calorie counting app, focusing more on goal setting. Additionally, the Snap It™ feature lets you use pictures for data input. Double nifty.

You certainly don’t have to track your food forever.

But a solid week’s worth of data will help you get a sense of the food you are consuming, especially if you eat roughly the same food each day.

Not sure if you’re getting your portion sizes correct? Most people don’t. Consider a cheap food scale to educate yourself on actual portion sizes! You can also check out our guide How to Portion Control, which will teach you how to use your hand to estimate calories:

The important thing is to compare your daily calories consumed to your TDEE.

In order to lose weight, you need to have your calories consumed less than your TDEE on average.

(If you’re currently thinking, “But Steve according to my stats I burn way more calories than I consume, but I’m not losing weight!” I would read this.)

Some numbers to think about:

  • 3,500 calories equals roughly one pound of fat.
  • There are seven days in a week.

Basic math suggests if you want to lose one pound of body fat in a week (a sustainable goal for some), you need to create a caloric deficit of 500 calories a day: either through consuming 500 fewer calories, burning 500 more calories, or a combination of the two.

When you consume fewer calories than you burn consistently, your body will have to start pulling from your stored fat to complete daily functions.

Aka weight loss.

Let’s imagine that your TDEE is 2,500. This means you’d want to consume around 2,000 calories a day to lose around a pound per week.

As we discuss to great detail in “Why Can’t I Lose Weight,” sustained weight loss is largely a result of consistently managing the first half of the equation: “calories in.”

Said another way: it’s much more difficult to sustainably increase your Activity Level than it is to reduce the calories you consume. 

After all, what’s more likely to become a lifelong habit? Making a substitution on the food you’re consuming, or suddenly finding the time to vigorously exercise for 90 minutes every single day after being a couch potato?

This couch potato knows how hard it can be to raise your activity level to increase your TDEE.

So start by focusing on fixing your food intake!

What’s the easiest way to eat fewer calories consistently? By prioritizing REAL food.

Why?

Because real foods are more likely to fill you up and satisfy your hunger while also keeping you under your calorie intake goal for the day.

Remember that example above comparing a full dinner vs a burger vs a shake:

Our earlier example showing you 650 calories in food.

MOVING TOWARDS A HEALTHIER WAY OF EATING

Berries are low in calories and full of vital nutrients, which make them a great addition to a healthy diet.

The Nerd Fitness philosophy on diet can be written in six words:

“You’re smart. Eat more REAL food.”

I lay it all out in our Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating, but again, you’re smart – you know what real food is:

Food that grew in the ground, on a tree, ran on the land, swam in the sea, or flew through the air.

Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts are all great examples of REAL food. 

This is what you should be eating more of.

The fine folks at WiseGEEK did an awesome post where they took pictures of what 200 calories of a certain food looks like.

200 calories of broccoli gets you enough broccoli to fill up an entire plate:

200 calories of broccoli is a huge plate full!

Or half a Snickers bar:

200 calories is only one half of a Snickers bar.

Yeah…

By eating REAL food, you have a MUCH higher margin for error to stay under your calorie goal for the day.

  • If you accidentally overeat broccoli, you might accidentally eat an additional 20-30 calories.
  • If you accidentally overeat candy or soda or processed foods, you can consume an extra 500-1000+ calories without feeling satiated or full.

Put it all together: If you want to create a caloric deficit consistently, focusing on REAL food gives you the best fighting chance to stay under your daily target of calories. 

And yes, I know a Snickers bar is way more delicious than broccoli – it was designed in a lab by scientists to be AMAZING!

I’m not gonna tell you to never eat a Snickers ever again either.

Instead, start being proactive about your food choices.

If you want to eat a Snickers, plan for it by deliberately reducing your calorie intake in the meal before or after (or consider skipping a meal).

And if the scale isn’t budging  – you’re still eating too much!

If only Kramer had known his TDEE, he wouldn't be shocked to learn he eats too much.

Want help with any of this?

Many of our coaching clients found weight loss previously unattainable until one of our trained professionals objectively reviewed their life and provided actionable feedback.

Now, some of them have lost between 50-100+ pounds!




WHAT’S THE BEST DIET FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

These LEGOs are searching for the perfect diet in this piece of fruit. I think they're doing it wrong.

Should you do the Mediterranean Diet? Keto? Vegan? Paleo?

Maybe!

They all follow the same premise: by changing or eliminating certain food groups (or macronutrients), you’re more likely than not to eat a caloric deficit automatically.

All diets will prioritize protein (as should you), but some diets are low fat and others are low carb. 

Every person will respond differently and will have more success with some than others.

So yes, any diet can help you lose weight in the short term – just remember that you need to stick with the changes permanently to make the results stick permanently!

After all, temporary changes create temporary results.

I personally follow a mental model diet, that focuses on real food most of the time, and occasionally includes some junk food. I plan my week of eating ahead of time:

#1) Minimize processed food – they’re designed for you to overeat them. Take a look again at that Snickers bar.

Do you really think you’d only eat half of one to stick to 200 calories? Of course not. This argument is more or less the rationale for following a paleo diet.

These ribs would be part of the Paleo Diet. But did they calculate their TDEE first?

#2) Eat veggies. Vegetables are nutrient-dense and light on calories. Because of all the fiber, they are also tough to overeat.

Imagine eating all that broccoli.

Are you going for seconds? Probably not. So eat your veggies to help keep you full. Hate vegetables? I once was like you. Read “How to make vegetables taste good“.

#3) Be wary of liquid calories. Cut back on soda, juices, smoothies, and any beverage with calories.

Even most coffee orders (with sugar, cream, etc.) will have a ton of hidden calories.

All these drinks are sugar bombs since there is no fiber to balance out all the carbs you are consuming. Stick to water, and unsweetened tea or coffee. Here are our thoughts on diet soda.

#4) Prioritize protein. When your body heals itself, like after exercise, your body uses protein as the building block of muscle rebuilding.

Outside of repairing your body, protein will also work to keep you full and satiated: 400 calories of chicken will leave you wayyy more full than 400 calories worth of Gatorade.[7]

If you prioritize protein on your plate, you’ll be doing a lot of the heavy lifting on proper nutrition.

As we lay out in our epic “How Much Protein Should I Eat?” guide, some great sources of protein include chicken, eggs, beef, pork, fish, nuts, legumes, quinoa, and most dairy products.

These four points will help you on your journey to create a caloric deficit.

Disclaimer: this is all easier said than done. After all, 70% of the country is overweight. Don’t worry though, because most of them don’t read Nerd Fitness.

You do. This is like a strategy guide for life.

We’ve helped thousands of people like you here at NF, and we really focus on nutrition.

As we said, it’s 90% of the battle!

It’s why we created our own free, fun 10-level nutritional system. Each level gets a bit more challenging and healthier, but you can progress at your own speed to make your changes stick.

You can download our 10-Level Nutrition Guide when you sign up in the box right here:

HERE’S WHAT TO DO TO LOSE WEIGHT WITH YOUR TDEE

Now you are ready to use your TDEE to achieve your fitness goals!

Let’s recap this whole guide for you, with some actionable steps:

#1)Determine your BMR and TDEE. This will be critical for computing your caloric deficit.  They’re good numbers to keep in mind during the whole experiment. Calculate your TDEE here.

#2) Track everything, as is, for one week. Log everything you eat. No judgment. If you eat five slices of pizza in a night, count every slice.

This step alone has helped many Rebels turn their lives around. Consider a food tracking app or online tracker to educate yourself!

#3) Compare numbers. Where is your current caloric intake at? How does this compare against your TDEE? If your intake is higher than your TDEE, you’re likely gaining body fat. We want to flip the equation.

#4) Create a consistent caloric deficit. The easiest and most sustainable way to do this is to eat REAL food. Mixing in strength training and fun cardio can help too. 

#5) Track progress. Continue to track caloric intake to ensure you expend more calories than you consume.  

That’s it.

You can do this. I know you can because many of our readers have done it themselves.

Both BIll and I know you will use your TDEE to reach your fitness goals!

Want help taking your next step after calculating your TDEE? I have MULTIPLE options for you. Pick the path below that best aligns with your goals and timeline:

1) If you want step-by-step guidance on how to lose weight, eat better, and get stronger, check out our killer 1-on-1 coaching program:

Nerd Fitness Coaching Banner




2) If you want an exact blueprint for how to eat better and get in shape, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

3) Enlist in the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion. 

Sign up in the box below when you download our free weight loss guide!

You can do this, and we got your back!

-Steve

PS: Seriously, how great is The Shawshank Redemption? I could quote that movie all day long.

But if you don’t agree…

###

All photo citations can be found right here.[8]

from Blog – Nerd Fitness https://ift.tt/2UaIeuQ
via IFTTT

Categories
Uncategorized

#holistic #getfit #nutrition How to Build Muscle as a Woman: The Ultimate Guide for Gaining Weight the Right Way

Staci's life has been transformed by her quest to growth muscle.
If you are interested in learning how to gain weight the right way, you have come to the right place! 

My name is Staci Ardison.

I overcame an eating disorder, discovered a love for heavy strength training, and now I help women like you get stronger for a living.

Believe it or not, I’m 50 pounds heavier in the photo on the right (and WAY stronger, and healthier, and happier!).

I’m currently a lead coach here in the Nerd Fitness Coaching Program, where we train women to pick up heavy weights, get strong, and build confidence.

Speaking of picking up heavy weights, here I am deadlifting 455 pounds:

Staci showing you how to deadlift 455 pouds.

This is what I LOVE to do.

In this Ultimate Guide to Building Muscle as a Woman, I’m going to be covering:

Why Building Muscle is Difficult for Some Women

A group of different LEGO women ready to build muscle.

As Steve covered in “How to build muscle” and “How to bulk up for men,” the principles of weight gain are all the same regardless of your sex or gender:

“If you want to gain weight, eat more calories than you burn regularly. Want to put on the right KIND of weight? Exercise and eat the right way too.”

Now, there’s plenty of nuance to this when comparing men and women:

  • Due to our natural hormones, it’s generally more difficult for people with typical female anatomy to gain muscle than people with typical male anatomy.[1]
  • We have a lot of factors (such as hormonal birth control) that have been proven to make it even harder as well.[2]

But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible!

It just means we have to work harder for it.

Mary isn't happy, but will build muscle anyway.

Ugh, I know.

Now, one thing I want to touch on quick: if you see a woman who is absolutely jacked and at an extremely low body fat percentage, I guarantee she has been working her butt off for a very long time with the goal of building muscle.

It’s not something that happens overnight, or by mistake.

In addition, some women with larger amounts of muscle mass choose to take steroids to help assist them in gaining muscle, because we simply don’t have the hormones naturally to get to that size.

So if you’d like to build muscle, but not as much as a professional bodybuilder – don’t worry, it’s not something that happens by accident.

With that out of the way, let’s talk about body fat and body types:

As we point out in that body fat percentage guide, we women can look very different at any weight depending on our body shape and how much muscle we have. It comes down to our own personal goals!

This picture shows different body fat % of women.

This guide is going to primarily focus on two things:

  • How to eat to gain weight and build muscle.
  • How to strength train to build muscle.

We’ve helped thousands of women with our online coaching program, many of whom are trying to gain weight and strength train for the first time in their lives.

Everybody is on their own journey, at their own pace, and everybody will end up with different results too!

Should women build muscle? (7 Reasons Women should Grow Muscle)

This woman built lots of muscle on her journey to became an astronaut.

If it can be harder for women to gain muscle (compared to men), why go through the trouble?

I’m glad you asked!

Here are the top 7 reasons why women should strength train:

#1) When you’re stronger – everyday life is easier. No need to call for help to get that 50lb bag of dog food off the top shelf, or carrying an air conditioner unit up a flight of stairs. LIFE is easier when you’re stronger. 

#2) Less injury risk – when you build strong muscles, you’re also building stronger bones, ligaments, and tendons, making you less prone to injury doing things you love (like playing in a quidditch league).[3]

#3) Helps combat age-related muscle loss,[4] allowing us to remain independent longer as we age:

#4) Muscle is harder to maintain, which means you need to eat more just to hold on to it.[5]

#5) Reduce pain – having a strong body makes living easier on your joints, as well as allows you to hold a better posture, and reduce back / hip pain.[6]

#6) Appearance – this is a personal preference! Some women like to have a lot of muscle, and some don’t. While you can’t spot reduce fat, you can choose to build more muscle in specific areas, changing your body shape. Growing up, I was an extreme pear shape, but due to strength training, I now have more of an hourglass shape. 

You can see that Staci has changed the way she looks from strength training!

#7) Live longer – want to spend more time on Earth? Strength training and growing muscle will help you do just that.[7]

How to Eat to Gain Muscle as a Woman

This woman knows gaining muscle relies on a proper diet...like seafood!

As we said above, gaining weight comes down to thermodynamics and science.

Every day, we burn a certain number of calories just existing, which is called our BMR (basal metabolic rate). We then factor in our daily activity level, and get a number that is called our “total daily energy expenditure.” You can calculate yours below:

Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator







Male/Female

Use age in years.

Use pounds (lbs). If using metric system, multiple kg times 2.2 for lbs.

Use inches. If using metric system, divide cm by 2.54 for total inches.

Your BMR is an estimate of the total calories burned a day, while in a state of rest.

For “Activity Level,” veer toward the side of less active. Studies consistently show that people are not as active as they self-assess.

Your TDEE is an estimate of the total calories burned during a single day, when exercise is factored in.


(Click here for our Metric calculator).

(Note: we have used The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation to create this calculator! [8]).

Since we want to gain weight, we want to take our TDEE and add 250 calories to it to get our daily goal. This should result in gaining about half a pound per week.

Now, although eating ANY EXTRA calories from any source will result in weight gain, our goal is to gain the RIGHT kind of weight, in a healthy way.

And thus, we’ll be focusing our efforts on a “healthy muscle building” strategy.

We could easily add more calories each day, and gain weight quicker, however, the slow method gives you the best chances at gaining mostly muscle, with minimal fat. The faster you try to gain weight, the higher the percentage that will likely be fat – so starting off at half a pound per week is a great place to start!

A small addition of calories, will help you gain muscle with minimal fat gain as well. So slow and steady is the ticket.

In addition to the number of calories we’ll be adding, we also want to pay attention to the type of foods we’re eating.

As we cover in our “Healthy Eating Guide,” we’re going to build muscle by consuming the three big macros in the correct quantities:

  • Protein: rebuilds muscle after you break it down.
  • Carbohydrates: provides your muscle with fuel and body with energy.
  • Fat: helps your bodily functions and can also be burned as fuel in the absence of carbs.

Let’s look at each of these individually:

PRIORITY #1: PROTEIN

Protein can come from any number of sources, including:

  • Meat (steak, bison, pork).
  • Fowl (chicken, turkey, duck).
  • Eggs![9]
  • Cheese and dairy.
  • Fish and shellfish (salmon, tuna, shrimp).
  • Legumes (black beans, chickpeas).
  • Other vegetarian protein sources here.

As we cover in our “How much Protein do I need?”, claims for the amount of protein required for muscle growth vary wildly from source to source (and athlete to athlete).

While meat sticks do have protein, try and stick to something less processed.

Here is our recommendation:

  • If you’re of healthy weight, active, and wish to build muscle, aim for 1 g per pound of body weight (2.2 g/kg).
  • If you’re an experienced lifter on a bulk, intakes up to 1.50 g/lb (3.3 g/kg) may help you minimize fat gain.

Let me simplify it for you:

“To build muscle, target at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight (2.2 grams per kg).”

If you’re curious, from our healthy eating article, this is what a portion of protein looks like:

A serving of protein should be about the size of your palm, like so.

Here’s how much protein is in a serving of food:

  • 4 oz (113 g) of chicken has around 30 g of protein.
  • 4 oz (113 g) of salmon has 23 g of protein
  • 4 oz (113 g) of steak has 28 g of protein.

Want to get more protein? Consider protein shakes.

PRIORITY #2: CARBS

After protein, we’ll be filling up our plate with calories from carbs (and fats).

Here are foods full of carbohydrates you can prioritize:

  • Rice
  • Quinoa
  • Oats
  • Legumes and lentils
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Yams
  • Regular potatoes
  • Whole grain pasta
  • Whole grain bread

To help you get better at serving sizes:

Showing you a serving of carbs

1 serving of a starchy carbohydrate is 1 cupped hand (uncooked), or your two hands forming a cup (cooked).

Here are some images to help you learn proper portion sizes (thanks to SafeFood):

This picture will help you determine proper serving sizes for carbs!

In addition to consuming carbohydrates from these sources, it’s okay to consume plenty of fruit while trying to build muscle!

For reference, here is roughly 200 calories worth of an apple (thanks to WiseGEEK):

This is about 200 calories of apple.

You can read our full “Is fruit healthy?” guide to learn more.

PRIORITY #3: FAT! 

Fat is a macronutrient that can help you reach your calorie goals (in the right quantity), as fat can be high in calories. Plus, you can eat lots of it without feeling full. Helpful if you’re trying to put on weight.

Healthy fat can be found in foods like:

  • Avocado
  • Almonds
  • Walnuts
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Olive oil
  • Almond butter
  • Peanut butter

Science has recently come around on saturated fat too.[10] Once completely vilified, but now considered okay for moderate consumption.

Saturated fats can come from things like:

  • Whole milk
  • Full fat dairy
  • Coconut oil
  • Grass-fed butter
  • Fatty cuts of meat
  • Lard

To help you gauge: a serving size of fat is roughly the size of your thumb!

A serving of fat should be about your thumb!

For reference, this is a single serving of almonds (162 calories):

Knowing the correct amount of almonds to eat can help you with your calorie goals.

THIS is a serving of olive oil (119 calories):

This shows the serving size of olive oil, which is very dense calorie wise.

As you can see, you can eat an extra 500 calories of “healthy fats” by eating lots of “heart-healthy” fats like nuts or adding more olive oil to your meals.

PRIORITY #4: VEGETABLES!

Last but not least, you need vegetables in your diet.

As you start to eat more food, your stomach, intestines, and other bodily functions will thank you for consuming more high-fiber vegetables! 

A serving of veggies is about the size of your fist.

A serving of veggies should be the size of your first (or greater).

Here’s a quick, non-complete list of high-fiber veggies that can fill your plate:

  • Broccoli
  • Broccolini
  • Cauliflower
  • Spinach
  • Kale
  • Spaghetti squash[11]
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Zucchini
  • Cucumber
  • Carrots
  • Onion
  • Asparagus

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER: A HEALTHY MUSCLE BUILDING PLATE

If your meal plate looks like this, you're doing a lot of the heavy lifting for weight loss.

This plate and serving size stuff above is just to help you get started thinking about healthy food differently and in proper portion sizes.

TO RECAP, HERE’S HOW TO EAT TO BUILD MUSCLE:

  • Calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) and add 250 calories over your number.
  • Consume 1-1.5g per pound (2.2-3.3g per kg) of body weight in protein every day.
  • Consume the rest of your calories from foods composed of carbs and fats.
  • Always eat vegetables so that your body can actually PROCESS all this extra food. I like to aim for half of my plate of vegetables.
  • If you are not gaining weight, (and you’re hitting your protein goals), add more carbs and/or fats to your meal.

It really does come down to the following:

If you are not gaining weight fast enough, you’re not eating enough. Increase your portions of carbs and fats!

Whenever we work with coaching clients who struggle to build muscle, this is the area we target: adding more carbs and fats to each meal.

8 Strength Training Exercises For Women to Build Muscle

This woman knows exactly how to build muscle...she does it by lifting that sword and shield!

Years from now, you’ll look back and thank “Past You” for starting strength training today.

And don’t worry, I’m going to tell you exactly what to do so you can start strength training TODAY!

Here’s why strength training is so important: when you eat a caloric surplus (more calories than your body needs each day), the extra calories have to go somewhere.

  • If you don’t do any exercise, your body will choose to store the extra calories as fat for later.
  • However, when you strength train, your muscles are broken down. Then they’ll use the extra calories to rebuild themselves bigger and stronger over the next 48 hours!

“Staci that sounds great, but I’ve never strength trained before, and I don’t know what I’m doing…Halp!” You might be saying into your computer or phone.

Fear not! I’ll help. Strength training doesn’t need to be scary or overly complicated.

Gonzo knows he has to eat protein to match his strength training goals, but he doesn't eat chicken, for obvious reasons.

Simply put, “strength training” means:

  • “Movement of any weight against “resistance” (including your body weight) – Doing ANY exercise that pushes your muscles outside of their comfort zone, forcing them to rebuild stronger to prepare for the next challenge.
  • Progressive overload: doing slightly more than last time (lift a heavier weight or do 1 more rep) consistently. Your muscles will have to constantly adapt and rebuild themselves stronger. This is called “progressive overload.”

This means if you drop down and do ONE push-up or knee push-up right now…

Knee push-ups like this are a great way to progress to a regular push-up!

Technically, you’ve strength trained.

Now do that and then do a bodyweight squat…

Do a proper bodyweight squat to work out your legs

Boom, you just did a strength training workout.

Here’s what you need to know about strength training:

  1. Strength training is one of the BEST things you can do for yourself.
  2. Strength training will help you put on muscle while eating in a surplus.
  3. While you can’t spot reduce fat, you can focus on building more muscle in specific areas, which can help you attain a specific look you’re going for.
  4. If you don’t like the gym, you don’t need to go, ever. But I hope you do. Because that’s the easiest way to start training with weights.
  5. Regardless of your fitness level, body fat percentage, strength level, or biological sex, you have every right to be in the free weights section in the gym, training with heavy weights, with everybody else. The people in the gym who are very strong with a lot of muscle started somewhere, too!

I used to be a CrossFit instructor, and my favorite thing about CrossFit was that it destigmatized barbell training and heavy lifting for many women.

Crossfit is great in that in shows it's okay for women to lift heavy weights.

In order for us to strength train and build muscle, we’re going to approach this intelligently. 

We’re not going to pick up small dumbbells and do lots of reps.

We’re not going to sit down at various machines and scroll through our phones while doing leg curls.

Instead, we’re going to:

  • Get very strong with compound movements that recruit LOTS of muscles to work together.
  • Do our workouts quickly and get out of there. The workout should take no longer than 45-60 minutes.

This is how we efficiently build muscle in the minimum amount of time. What are the exercises that we’re going to target?

1) The Push-Up: The best exercise you could ever do for yourself when it comes to using your bodyweight for push muscles (your chest, shoulders, and triceps):

2) The Bodyweight Squat: This exercise serves a dual purpose: it is the foundation for building strength AND helps build proper mobility. If you are going to ever do barbell squats, you need to work on hitting proper depth with a bodyweight squat first!

3) The Inverted Bodyweight Row: Until you can get your first pull-up or chin-up, these exercises are GREAT to start building your pull-muscle strength (your back, biceps, and forearms).

4) The Pull-Up and Chin-Up: Once you can support your body’s weight above the bar, the world becomes your playground. No strength training routine should be without pull-up or chin-up work! (Click here if you can’t do a pull-up or chin-up yet):

And now we’re into the best weight training exercises:

5) The Barbell Squat: Probably the best exercise when it comes to building strength and muscle throughout your whole body. It also burns crazy calories and makes life better. This is a MUST:

6) The Barbell Deadlift: Maybe the best exercise of all time. Actually no, it IS the best exercise of all time. It’s certainly the most primal: “pick the weight up off the ground. Done.”

This is a very technical lift, so make sure you read our article on how to deadlift with proper form:

7) The Barbell Bench Press. Lie on a bench, squeeze your shoulder blades to keep your back tight, and then lower a barbell until it almost touches your chest. Pause, and then press it back up towards the sky. Repeat! And get strong.

8) Barbell Overhead Press: Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and lean back by pushing your hips forward. While keeping your entire body tight, press the bar overhead.

Once the bar passes your forehead, move your body back under the bar by driving your torso forward and back into a standing position. At the top of the lift shrug your shoulders slightly and lock your elbows.

 

These are some of the best compound exercises you can complete in order to build muscle. Want more muscle? Great! Get stronger at these movements!

One quick note: when I first started lifting, it took a while to build up the strength to be able to bench press or overhead press with the 45-lb bar. If your gym doesn’t have a lighter bar, dumbbells are a great option!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

Commit to trying ONE of these movements in the next week. Use 20 seconds of courage, recruit a friend who has lifted or trained before, and try your best.

We know you can use this guide to start building muscle...you got this!

I have three options for you next:

  1. Select one of the muscle-building routines for women in the next section.
  2. Build your own workout routine using these exercises!
  3. Work with me and our coaching program to follow a custom strength training routine for your goals.

5 Muscle Building Workout Routines For Women

No matter which version of wonder woman it is, she always knows the fastest way to build muscle (fight for justice).

I’m going to walk you through three different levels of strength training, and by the end of today, you’re going to know exactly how to get started.

My advice: do 2-3 strength training routines per week, with 1-2 days off in between. As the saying goes: “muscle isn’t built in the gym, it’s built in the kitchen!”

The Swedish Chef knows how to eat to build muscle (lots of food), which is why he's always cooking.

So your goal should be to do a strength training routine, and then make sure you eat a caloric surplus so that your body has enough calories to rebuild your muscles bigger and stronger!

LEVEL 1: BODYWEIGHT TRAINING

Here’s a beginner bodyweight training routine you can do in the comfort of your own home:

  • 20 Bodyweight squats.
  • 10 Push-ups.
  • 10 Walking lunges (each leg).
  • 10 Dumbbell rows (use a milk jug or other weight).
  • 15 Second Plank.
  • 30 Jumping jacks.

We also have a downloadable worksheet of this beginner’s workout that you can print out and hang on your fridge to track your progress! Get it when you sign up below:

LEVEL 2: DUMBBELL WORKOUT

If you have dumbbells at home or access to a gym, you can pick our Level 4 workout from our 6-Level Gym Workout Routine.

So your Dumbbell Workout is 3 circuits of the following:

  • 10 goblet squats (holding the dumbbell like a goblet with 2 hands):

The goblet squat is a great way to build muscle for women.

  • 10 push-ups (or knee push-ups):

This gif shows Staci doing a push-up in perfect form.

As you get lower, like this, the row will be harder to do. Great way to progress into a pull-up.

(By the way, these are two GREAT exercises towards getting your first pull-up)

LEVEL 2: BEGINNER KETTLEBELL WORKOUT

If you have a Kettlebell at home, here’s a 20-Minute Beginner Kettlebell Workout you can do:

Do 3 circuits of this Kettlebell Workout: 

  • 8 Halos (each side)
  • 10 Goblet Squats
  • 8 Overhead Presses (each side)
  • 15 Kettlebell Swings
  • 8 Bent Over Rows (each side)
  • 6 Front Rack Reverse Lunge (per side)

If you like this Kettlebell workout and want to follow along on a worksheet, simply print out our Kettlebell Workout and bring it with you:

LEVEL 3: BARBELL GYM WORKOUT

Here’s a Barbell workout you can follow from our Level 5 Gym Workout Routine.

BARBELL BATALLION WORKOUT A:

  • 3 sets of 10 barbell squats

  • 3 sets of 10 push-ups

This gif shows Staci doing a push-up in perfect form.

  • 3 sets of 10 bodyweight rows:

Start with inclined inverted rows for your pull-up workout. Then drop lower for more required effort.

BARBELL BATALLION WORKOUT B:

  • 3 sets of 5 barbell Romanian deadlifts (video pulled from our courses in Nerd Fitness Prime)

  • 3 sets of 10 bench presses:

  • 3 sets of 5 pull-ups, assisted pull-ups, or negative pull-ups:

A box can be used instead of a chair for a pull-up.

PICK A WORKOUT, GET STARTED!

The whole point is to do challenging movements that really make your muscles work, and then try to do ONE more rep, or lift a SLIGHTLY heavier weight next time! 

Don’t sweat the small details and instead use 20 seconds of courage to get started!

Track your workouts by writing down what you did, and then do what you can next time.

If you really want to level up quickly, LEARN HOW TO DO SQUATS AND HOW TO DO DEADLIFTS. These two exercises changed my life!

Squats and deadlifts helped me build muscle and changed my life.

“Staci, that’s still too many choices! Can you just tell me what workout routine to follow?”

Okay fine! Here’s what I would do if I was you.

Still overwhelmed? Check out our coaching program. We get to learn your story, and then build a program and strategy around your goals that you CAN do.

Christina learned to do pull-ups with NF Coaching

10 Tips for building muscle as a Woman

This woman is on her way to build muscle and to find water.

I interviewed multiple other coaches on our team and asked for their best advice on how to build muscle as a woman.

Here’s what they said:

Susy (Coach, BS in Psychology, Certificate III & IV in Fitness, 5+ years of experience)

Tip #1: Food is your friend when you are looking to build muscle and get stronger – your body will need fuel, so you may need to eat more on the days that you work out!

Tip #2: Strength and muscle building requires structure to your workouts – you progress through getting better at specific movements, so make sure that you enjoy the style and structure of your workouts so that you can be as consistent as possible.

Tip #3: Your progress will always be fastest if you avoid injury, so correct form and listening to your body is super important. Your muscles will fatigue and feel sore, but joint pain and sharp, stabby pain means something isn’t moving quite right.

Kerry (Coach, NASM-CPT, 6+ years of experience)

Kerry is one of our great female coaches here at Nerd Fitness.

Tip #4: Fall in love with the process. Getting stronger is a journey, one that is both rewarding and challenging. So no matter where you are starting from, take the time to celebrate each small step along the way towards a more badass version of yourself!

Christy (Coach, BS in Applied Health/Fitness, National Personal Training Institute Graduate, Precision Nutrition Certification, 6+ years of experience)

Christy is one of our great coaches and loves everything Star Wars, as shown here.

Tip #5: To get strong, you gotta lift weights. When lifting weights to get strong, you gotta be okay with testing your boundaries every now and then.

After exercising with your current weight, for the next training session…stop…and try a few reps with the next weight UP to test it out! It might surprise you how much more weight you can lift!

Here are some other tips to help you build muscle.

Tip #6: Boost your testosterone naturally: Consume enough saturated and monounsaturated fats, keep your sugar intake low, and make sure you’re getting enough Vitamin D and Zinc.

These are items linked with boosting your testosterone naturally.[12]

Speaking of testosterone – I know you may think of this as a “male” hormone, but it plays a huge part in women muscle building,[13] fat loss,[14] increase bone mass,[15] and many other health-related issues[16](remember: estrogen is made from testosterone).

Yes, women need plenty of testosterone too.

Men make about ten to fifteen times what we make naturally,[17] but it doesn’t mean we don’t need it too.

Another way we can help our testosterone levels is to watch our cortisol levels.

Cortisol is a hormone that is promoted by stress and reduces free testosterone levels (in addition to signaling for your body to store fat).[18]

Want a way to naturally lower your cortisol levels? Try meditation.[19]

Tip #7: Not getting bigger? Eat more food.

Focus on more fats and carbs. They are the easiest ways to increase your total calories.

You can check out our Guide to Build Muscle for more specific tips on how to eat more food.

If you're not bulking up, eat more, like Kirby here!

Tip #8: Make sure every meal has a solid protein source.

Protein is needed for building muscle, so prioritize this above all else when you sit down to eat.

Having trouble getting it all down? Buy a blender!

A blender can help you obtain more calories for weight gain.

Steve drinks two smoothies a day to reach his protein goals and you can check out our Guide to Protein Shakes for his personal recipe.

On the go with no blender? I like to keep protein powder with me in a small Ziploc bag – that way I can grab a bottle of water, rip off the corner of the Ziploc bag, and use that as a funnel to get the powder into the water bottle. Then, just replace the cap and shake and you’ve got a protein-filled snack!

Tip #9: Get more sleep! When you build muscle, your body is working overtime, burning extra calories. It’s going to need some time to recover. Remember, muscle is built when you rest, not when you actually lift.

Go to bed!

Tip #10: Start today!

Gaining muscle comes down to eating right and strength training. Let’s get you lifting today!

Try some push-ups and squats as we discussed in our strength training section. Tomorrow we can work on eating right and lifting more.

The most important step you can take today is to begin.

Like Bugs here, we want you to start! No matter what you do, take one small step today!

Let’s give you some more tips to get you going.

Building Muscle: Next Steps!

Climbing mountains is a great way to build muscle (man or woman).

If I can narrow down building muscle for women, it would be three main points:

  1. Get stronger by picking up heavy stuff or doing more challenging bodyweight movements.
  2. Get bigger by eating lots of food.
  3. Recover faster by sleeping enough and giving your muscles days off to rebuild.

That’s it. You can do this.

We know that you are ready to start your muscle building practice today!

If you made it this far, and you want more specific instruction and guidance, we have a few options for you:

1) If you are somebody that wants to follow a tailor-made program designed around their life and goals, check out our popular 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program.

You’ll work with our certified NF instructors who will get to know you better than you know yourself, check your form, and program your workouts and nutrition for you.

Nerd Fitness Coaching Banner

2) If you want an exact blueprint for growing strong, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.

Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. It’ll help you begin your journey on building muscle.

Lastly, I’d love to hear from you!

PLEASE leave your questions, eating or strength or otherwise below so we can answer them and become best friends and practice karate kicks in the garage:

How can I help you get bigger and stronger?

What part of this journey are you still struggling the most with?

What are your favorite bulking up foods!?

Share with your friends in the comments so we can all go buy it in bulk at Costco.

-Staci

PS: Make sure you check out the rest of our Strength Building Articles!

###

Photo sources: Women’s Day 2015, Sea spray, The Viking, The Evolution of LEGO Wonder Woman, Apocalyptic Motorcycle, Person Mountain,

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#holistic #getfit #nutrition How to Deadlift Safely With Proper Form: Step-by-Step

When we get together, we deadlift!

Deadlift day is my favorite day of the week.

After reading This Ultimate Guide to Deadlifts – a part of our Strength 101 series – it’ll be yours too!

Click any link below or scroll down to read the whole guide:

Teaching people how to deadlift and get comfortable with barbell training is one of my favorite things about our 1-on-1 online coaching program. 

We do video form checks via our coaching app, we’ll build a program that fits your schedule, and even help you get your nutrition dialed in too.

If that sounds like something you’d be interested in…

Oh, and if you like this guide, we have an entire Strength 101 Guide that you can download free when you join the Rebellion (our free community).

I’ll send you the ebook when you sign up in the box below!

Let’s do this.

What Are the Benefits of the Deadlift?

When Rebels get together, we deadlift like shown here.

The deadlift is a true full body movement.

While most people would consider it a “back” exercise, others will argue that it’s a “leg” exercise.

In my book, it’s an everything exercise.

And who am I?

I’m Staci Ardison. I love the Legend of Zelda.

This is me deadlifting 455 lbs (206 kg) at a bodyweight of 150 lbs (68 kg):

The one and only Staci, showing you how to deadlift 455 pouds.

Back in 2011, I could barely lift a pink dumbbell.

But then I fell in love with heavy barbell training and the deadlift changed my life:

Deadlifting helped Staci transform in the pictures above.

I’m now a regular powerlifting competitor and a Senior Coach for the NF coaching program, where I help people like you hit their strength training goals.

I’ve written this guide on Deadlifts because it’s the exercise that will change your life too.

So why is the deadlift so great?

Well, when you deadlift you use every single muscle in your body:

  • Your arms, forearms, and hands hold onto the barbell and make sure the bar stays in the right position and stays stable throughout the lift.
  • Your shoulders and traps hold the weight and hold it stable.
  • Your back and core help keep your entire body tight and stable to help keep your spine secure.
  • Your posterior chain[1] and legs to act as a lever and lift the weight.

Whenever anyone asks me where I got my shoulders/abs/etc, I answer the same: deadlifts.

I promise you, learning how to deadlift will change your life.

Why do a million crunches when I can just do deadlifts instead?

Way more fun! Plus, deadlifting is actually more effective at building a strong core.

On top of that, the deadlift is a basic human movement. Other than the squat, there might not be another movement that is more “functional.”

From the grocery store, to moving a piece of furniture, to picking your child up off the floor – you are deadlifting.

As you build solid form deadlifting in the gym, your form for picking things up in real life will also improve.

This means you’ll be less likely to injure yourself now and later down the line (not only because you are stronger, but because your body knows how to properly handle the weight).

And this goes further than just picking up objects – how you move while shoveling snow, doing yard work, and doing other basic everyday life tasks will all dramatically improve from deadlifting.

Don’t be that guy/gal with back problems from lifting that random object!

Oh, and by the way, the effectiveness of the deadlift isn’t limited to an age or gender – even grandma thinks they’re cool.

Can your grandma rock a deadlift like this lady here?

The deadlift is awesome – perhaps the purest measure of strength: either you can pick the weight off of the ground, or you can’t.




What Is Proper Deadlift Form? How to Deadlift Safely

Camp Nerd Fitness was great for many reasons, but also because of deadlifting!

When doing a deadlift you’ll be lifting a dead weight off the ground (hence the name, duh).

The deadlift can actually be taught in one sentence:

“Bend your knees and bend over with a flat back to pick up a loaded barbell off the ground.”

It looks like this (this is Team NF’s Steve pulling 420 pounds):

Rebel Leader Steve showing how to do a 420 lb deadlift.

Of course, this sentence doesn’t do the awesomeness of this exercise justice.

Here’s how to do a conventional barbell deadlift:

  1. Step up to and under a barbell with your feet angled slightly outward, at hip-width apart.
  2. Bend over and grip the barbell with both hands at shoulder width.
  3. Bend your knees until the bar almost touches your shins.
  4. With a neutral spine, flex your butt and brace your stomach.
  5. Pick the bar up off the ground (It helps to think “press DOWN into the floor with your feet through your heels”).
  6. Continue pressing down with your legs until the barbell passes your knees, then thrust your hips forward until you are standing up.
  7. Reverse your movement until the bar returns to its starting place on the ground.
  8. High five yourself for you doing a deadlift.

(Don’t worry I’ll get more in-depth below.)

Oh, what’s that?

You want even MORE detail on each of those steps!? Sure.

PHASE ONE: The Deadlift Setup.

*NOTE: Always warm up properly, and start with just the bar, even for deadlifts!

This series of photos shows you how to setup the deadlift.This photo shows you the deadlift setup progression from the side.

  1. Load the bar and secure the plates with collars. If you are just starting out with the movement, begin with 5-10 lb plates, using boxes or blocks to elevate the bar to about where it would be with 45 lb plates attached (if your gym has training plates that are this size, even better!). You may also be able to use your gym’s power rack for this.

    This picture shows a deadlift rack, great for...deadlifting!

  2. Step up to the bar as if you are about to JUMP. Naturally, your feet should end up about hip width (8-12 inches) apart, and your feet slightly angled outwards (5-10 degrees).

  3. Look down – the bar should be over the middle of your feet. If you’re wearing laced shoes, the bar would be approximately over the tied part of your shoelaces.

    Do your shoes look like this? Then you're ready to deadlift!

PHASE TWO: Preparing to lift the bar!

Here are the next steps to take before lifting the bar off the ground (I’ll petition Websters to add the word “deadliftoff” to the dictionary):

  1. Without moving the bar, or your hips, bend over and grab the bar. Your legs should still be straight at this point. Your grip width will be slightly outside of your legs, but not so close they touch. For now, a simple double overhand grip (both palms facing behind you) will work. We will discuss options in grip in more detail later!

  2. Now that you’re holding onto the bar (but not moving it), move your hips down. While you do this, your shins will come forward until they touch the bar Stop moving your hips down when your shins touch the bar.

  3. Press your chest out and flex your pecs like you’re King Kong getting ready to bang on your chest for intimidation. As you do this, your back should flatten, and your spine should go into a neutral spine position.

This is the final starting position of the deadlift: everything is tight and in position and you’re ready to pull.

To Recap we DON’T want your back to round or hyperextend.

Make sure your back is neutral like above when starting the deadlift.

If you’re just starting out, getting into a neutral spine might feel like you’ve gone too far (hyperextended), so don’t be afraid to ask a friend for help or to record yourself so you can see what you’re doing.

We also do form checks with our 1-on-1 coaching clients for stuff just like this.

PHASE THREE: Deadlifting with proper form (THE DEADLIFTOFF!)

This series of photos shows you the progression of the deadlift pull.

If your setup looks and feels good, you’re ready to lift.

Here is the Conventional Deadlift, as demonstrated by me (Staci) and Jim from the NF Coaching Program:

Here are those steps in written form.

Inhale and fill up space deep in your stomach (like a deep belly breath), and while keeping your entire back, butt, and core tight with your chest puffed out, drive down through your heels and the bar should lift off the ground:

  1. All of your weight should be on your heels and midfoot. You should be able to wiggle your toes the entire time (though that is not a part of deadlifting!). Imagine you are pushing the earth world away from the bar with your heels rather than pulling the bar up.
  2. During the movement, your entire body should move upwards at the same speed. This means that your butt should not rise faster than your chest, or vice versa. You may have heard of the term “stripper deadlift” – this is when your butt rises first before your chest.
  3. Your arms should stay straight the entire time. They are just there to hold onto the bar – they are not bending or pulling at all. Your legs and core are doing all the work!
  4. The bar should stay in contact with your body the entire time – you will literally be dragging it up your thighs. This is why you see many powerlifters with chalk or baby powder covering their legs (and why they typically wear socks that cover their shins, to prevent cuts and scrapes). Do not let it come forward. If you were to draw a line that follows the bar’s path from the floor to lockout, it should be a straight, vertical line.
  5. As you are pulling, you should be squeezing your glutes like you’re pinching a penny between your…well, you know. Once the bar passes your knees, think of getting your hips under the bar by squeezing your glutes. So while you’re pulling with your arms, you’re pushing through the floor with your feet, pushing your butt under the bar.
  6. At the top of the movement, you should be standing tall and proud with your chest open, like if you were King Kong getting ready to pound his chest.
  7. At the top, do not hyperextend and lean back. You want to keep your spine neutral and everything tight.

This is a different angle of the deadlift pull, shown from the front.

I realize that’s a lot to take in, and that’s okay! You’ve read this far and I’m proud of you.

Many people are so afraid of the deadlift and avoid it at all costs because they’re afraid of splitting themselves in half or getting injured in another way.

That’s why we not only created this awesome guide on deadlifts, but also a way to review technique and proper movement so you have the confidence you’re doing it correctly.

If you want an expert to check your deadlift form and help build a workout program specific to your goals, check out our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program. Our coaching app lets you record and send a video of your movement directly to your coach who will provide specific feedback:

A NF Coach can check your deadlift form!

Setting the Bar Down (Should I drop the bar on a Deadlift?)

This series of photos shows the down progression of the deadlift.

Okay! You got the weight off the ground and finished the movement. But now what!?

Your body should descend all at the same time, just as it ascended during the deadlift, only in reverse!

Unlock your hips and slowly move your hips backward until the bar lowers past your knees, then bend your knees and slowly lower the bar to set it down (make sure you unlock them at the same time.

Don’t unlock your knees first, as it will cause a lot of awkward movement, and possibly your lower back to round).

I REPEAT: DO NOT DO THIS:

Do NOT unlock your knees first on your deadlift!

Don’t lose tightness until you let go of the bar.

This is extremely important – a large amount of deadlift injuries come from people getting super excited about making a lift, losing tightness, and then putting the bar down wrong.

You want this to be a quick movement – lowering the deadlift slow will take a lot out of you and leave you sore for days.

Should you drop the bar during the deadlift?

The eccentric part of the deadlift (lowering it) is actually riskier than the concentric (picking it up) part of the deadlift.

Many coaches will advocate dropping your deadlift (especially with advanced athletes where they can’t afford to sacrifice performance later in the week).

In our opinion, especially if you’re training in a commercial gym, I would recommend putting the bar down (especially if you want to compete in powerlifting competitions – the lift does not count if you drop it).

So, practice putting the bar down properly. It’s just as important as practicing picking it up.

By the way, we have a massive Strength 101 Guide that you can download free when you join the Rebellion (our free community). 

Get the guide when you sign up in the box below!

Proper Deadlift Grip, Straps, and other Equipment

The hook grip shown here is one way you can do the deadlift.

Grip strength is a huge part of the deadlift. If you can’t hold on to the bar, you can’t lift it!

Here’s how to improve your grip strength quickly.

There are two main grips when it comes to the deadlift.

#1) Double overhand grip. Your palms are both facing towards your body. This is the safest grip, and the best grip for beginners to start with.

This is how beginners should start deadlifting.

#2) Mixed Grip: One hand grabs the bar with an overhand grip, and another hand grabs the bar with an underhand grip.

The mix grip shown here has many disadvantages but some uses for the deadlift.

The mixed grip has many disadvantages:

  • It places uneven stress on your shoulders
  • It can aggravate problems in the biceps on the side in which your palm is facing outwards
  • It’s easier for your lift to be uneven as you’re literally gripping the bar it with uneven hands.

So why do a mixed grip?

You can physically lift more. The bar wants to roll out of your hands, so by using a mixed grip you are more likely to not have your grip fail you on a heavy lift. 

As you start to lift more than your grip can handle, you can consider doing a mixed grip for your heaviest lifts, but be sure to use the double-overhand throughout your warm-up sets. Consider doing grip strength work as well.

#3) Hook grip: This grip is where you put your thumbs under your fingers.

The Hook Grip is a great way to do the deadlift.

This type of grip is preferable to the mixed grip due to the fact that it doesn’t introduce any imbalances. However, it does have one major disadvantage:

It hurts like hell!

From personal experience, you get used to it and your thumbs can manage, but prepare for pain when you learn to do the hook grip!

No matter what grip you use, you’re probably going to want to invest in some chalk! It’s absolutely optional and initially won’t be incredibly useful.

However, after you start to put some weight on the bar, chalk will be enormously helpful for hanging on to the bar (I use this kind of lifting chalk). I certainly find this to be a better, smarter, and safer option than either straps or gloves.

Speaking of which…

Here are some common questions on deadlift equipment: 

#1) “Should I use straps while doing deadlifts?”

Ehhh, probably not. Straps can help you lift more than your hands can hold with an overhand grip, but relying on straps could cause your grip strength to be undeveloped down the road.

You’re better off developing your grip strength alongside your deadlifts.

Short answer: consider using straps strategically when doing high volume deadlifts, but don’t rely on regularly them for max lifts: improve your grip strength.

Instead, chalk, stronger grip strength, and a hook grip for max lifts is your friend!

#2) “Should I wear gloves while doing a deadlift, Staci?”

Nope.

Gloves actually create space between your hands and the bar, and it reduces your grip security, increases the diameter of the bar, and makes the bar harder to hold on to.

This means the gloves are doing the exact OPPOSITE of what you think they’re doing.

Use chalk instead, my friend.

I don’t recommend using gloves unless you have an injury like a ripped callus.

Speaking of ripped calluses, or if you’re worried about getting rough hands from deadlifting – make sure to take care of your hands and they are less likely to happen!

#3) “Do I need to use a lifting belt?” 

When starting out, you don’t have to worry about using a belt.

However, as you get to really heavy weights, it may be something to look into.

Belts need to be worn correctly in order to be effective.

Note: While you may be able to lift more using a mixed grip and a belt, they’re definitely not necessary to lift heavy.

Here’s a video of Anthony Mychal deadlifting 550 lbs at the powerlifting competition at Camp Nerd Fitness – double overhand with no belt:

#4) “What kind of shoes should I wear to deadlift?”

GREAT question. I don’t care what kind of shoes they are, as long as they are flat.

You really have four options for deadlifting shoes:

  1. FLAT SHOES: Chucks work great. I personally prefer to deadlift in either socks or zero drop minimalist shoes. Do NOT wear clunky athletic shoes with thick heels or shoes with those pockets of air bubbles in the heels.
  2. DEADLIFTING SHOES: Getting a bit fancy here, but if you are competing or just want shoes you can deadlift in, consider deadlifting shoes.
  3. GO BAREFOOT: If you don’t want to invest in new shoes, deadlift barefoot. Just don’t go walking around the gym in socks – you might get kicked out or have a weight roll across your feet!  
  4. SLIPPERS: No, not fuzzy Snoopy ones. Look into deadlift slippers – they’re just fancy socks approved for competition.

Still here, eh? Amazing! 

We want to be part of a community that helps you reach your goals. Whether you want to deadlift for the first time, or you’re trying to hit the 1,000 club, our Nerdy Coaches want to help.

Let us take care of everything so all you have to worry about is following the instructions and picking up the weight!

7 Common Faults and Mistakes while Deadlifting

Don't use weights like these incorrectly doing your deadlift.

DON’T DO THESE THINGS:

#1) Rounded Back – not keeping your spine in neutral the entire time. Letting your lower back round at all is a huge no no. [2]

Do NOT round your back like so during your deadlift.

#2) Looking up (with your neck) – Along with keeping a neutral spine, hyper extending your neck to look up is also something we want to stay away from.

Do NOT look up like this during your deadlift

#3) Hyperextending at the end of the movement – The spine should still be in neutral even at the top. Hyper extending at the top is actually not something we actually strive for or need to do.

This is NOT how you want to end your deadlifting movement.

#4) Treating the deadlift like a squat with the bar in your hands. You are not starting in a squat position and standing up – it is a different movement.

Squats are great, but don't deadlift like one as shown here.

#5) Letting the bar come forward – The bar needs to stay over your midline and be dragged up your body the entire lift – any movement forward of your midline should be avoided.

Don't let the bar come forward during your deadlift as shown here.

#6) Butt rises faster than your chest (also known as the “stripper deadlift”) – your chest should lead the movement, and your entire body should move upward at the same pace.

Don't let your butt raise faster than your chest during the deadlift.

#7) Bending your arms – your arms should stay straight. Don’t bend your elbows to try to get the bar up faster.

Do NOT bend your arms here like Staci during your deadlift.

NOT SURE YOUR FORM IS RIGHT? I hear you – Personally, I deadlifted with bad form for years and I didn’t even realize it.

It wasn’t until I enlisted the help of an online coach who checked my form via video and helped me with the right “mental cues” to get me to start deadlifting correctly.

If you want somebody to check your form – AND build the workout for you – consider our 1-on-1 online coaching program with form check:

What Are the Different Types of Deadlifts?

The conventional deadlift is great, but there are so many others to choose form as shown here.

So far we’ve addressed the conventional/traditional barbell deadlift.

There are MANY different variations of deadlifts, and you can use whichever one floats your boat (if you have a boat to float, that is).

Here are 8 different deadlift variations:

1) Conventional Deadlift – Your hands are just outside your feet, standing at about hip-width apart. Our article has been highlighting this form of deadlift.

Rebel Leader Steve showing how to do a 420 lb deadlift.

2) Sumo Deadlift – Your hands are inside your feet with a wider stance.

This is an example of the sumo deadlift.

3) Hex or Trap Bar Bar Deadlifts – Use a specialty bar made just for deadlifting which changes the biomechanics.

4) Snatch Grip Deadlift – Your hands will use a wide grip like in the Snatch.

To snatch deadlift, hold your grip wide like this.

5) Romanian Deadlift: Think of this as the top half of a conventional deadlift (imagine you’re a “drinking bird” bending over at the waist).

Coach Staci showing the Romanian deadlift

 

6) Deficit Deadlift: This movement increases the range of motion of your deadlift, since your feet are elevated compared to the bar.

Someone doing a deadlift with a deficit

7) Rack Pulls: Conversely, this decreases your range of motion with the deadlift, since the bar is raised higher.

A man doing a deadlift from a rack, known as a rack pull deadlift.

8) Dumbbell Deadlift Variations: For either accessory work, or if you don’t have access to a barbell and weights.

 

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This guide covered primarily the conventional deadlift, because it’s a great variation for beginners and an exercise you can do every week for the rest of your life.

Once you get comfy with it though, move onto others. Need more tips for strength training moves?

I would highly recommend you do 3 things:

  1. Pick up Starting Strength: the bible of barbell training.
  2. Hire a trainer to help you do the movement correctly!
  3. Consider working with an online coach for your workout and nutritional guidance.

Oh and don’t forget to grab our Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know when you sign up in the box below:

Frequently Asked Questions on the Deadlift

A Rebel doing the deadlift!

#1) “What do I do if I can’t get into the proper starting position?”

While you are getting the mobility to get into the correct starting position, you can put the bar on blocks to raise it up a few inches to help you get in the right position.

Each workout, start with the bar a little lower, until it is just on the floor.

You can use all sorts of things to raise a deadlift bar up, like these boxes.

#2) “What weight do I start deadlifting with?”

Always start with just the bar. Then progress as described in our Strength Training 101 article “How Much Weight Should I Be Lifting?”

Each week, your goal should be to lift SLIGHTLY more than last week.

That’s it. By going SLOWLY, you’re giving all of your muscles, joints, tendons, your grip, and your central nervous system a chance to level up together.

So start small. Lift more each week.

#3) “Should I do ‘touch and go’ or ‘dead stop’ if I’m doing a set of multiple reps?”

A dead stop means letting the weight settle completely on the ground before doing the next rep, while “touch and go” reps means you’re essentially bouncing the weight at the bottom of the movement and going RIGHT into the next rep.

Touch and go reps are thus easier:

  • The stretch reflex where your body quickly rubber bands in the other direction.
  • Locomotion: the bar is already in motion, so it’s simply easier to lift something that is already moving than it is to lift something that is completely stopped.
  • Bounce: If you are at a gym that has rubber bumper plates, these plates actually will bounce a little when they hit the floor – helping you lift the weight.

HOWEVER,  while “touch and go” reps are easier, they are also more dangerous. It’s easier to mess up your form if you aren’t resetting every rep and easier to get fatigued.

It is also in the eccentric (lowering) part of the “touch and go” deadlifts that most people get hurt. This is one of the most technically demanding, important lifts out there and should be treated with respect.

For that reason, resetting between every rep is preferred for general strength programs. This allows you to reset, get your form right, and get your breathing right on every rep.

Yes, If you are doing a CrossFit WOD, you might be doing touch and go for time. Awesome. You do you, boo.

#4) “Okay, I get it. Deadlifts are great! How often should I deadlift?”

I love your enthusiasm and I would never ask you to curb it, but there are some things we need to take into consideration when adding deadlifts into our program.

(Here’s how you can build your own workout routine, by the way.)

Heavy deadlifts are extremely taxing on the central nervous system.

This means your body needs more time to recover. In fact, it’s so taxing that some coaches recommend taking the deadlift out completely for their more advanced, sport specific athletes.

Most good strength programs only deadlift once a week – and it’s lighter volume than with your squats.

Both Starting Strength and StrongLifts only include ONE set of 5 deadlifts. Meanwhile, they program 5 sets of 5 for squats.

In our Coaching Program, we add deadlifts into each person’s workout on a case-by-case basis.

Generally, it’s once per week, and we’d love to help build a program for you that has you deadlifting 400+ pounds in no time!*

*Okay it’ll definitely take longer than “no time,” but it might happen sooner than you think!

Get Out There and Deadlift: Next Steps

Deadlifting is Staci's favorite exercise of all time.I am so excited for you to start deadlifting, because it’s the ultimate physical AND mental exercise. 

For people looking for the next step, we’ve built 3 options that might float your boat:

1) If you are somebody that wants to follow a tailor-made program designed around their life and goals, check out our popular 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program.

You’ll work with our certified NF instructors who will get to know you better than you know yourself, check your form, and program your workouts and nutrition for you.

2) If you want a snazzy app to teach you exactly how to start crushing deadlifts (using things you might have around the house), check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

3) Download our free Strength 101 Guide, which you can get when you sign up in the box below:

So, as Mark Rippetoe, Starting Strength author said:

“The deadlift also serves as a way to train the mind to do things that are hard.”

If you can pick up hundreds of pounds off the ground, what else can you accomplish?

I have a big question for you:

  • Are you going to start deadlifting TODAY?
  • If it not today, how about TOMORROW?

Note: these are the only two acceptable answers 🙂

If you have more questions about how to fit deadlifts into your workout, please leave them in the comments below.

Big or small, what questions do you have on the deadlift?

-Staci 

PS: Here are our other free articles in the Strength 101 series:

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