Ori Hofmekler - ripped at over 50!

If there’s one thing that I’ve struggled with, and I know MANY people struggle with is getting leaner. For myself, its been a constant struggle and I still have to be very diligent or else those high teen bodyfat percentages start to really sneak up.

Even as someone who at one time trained several hours PER DAY, losing bodyfat was an uphill battle. While other people could chow down on seemingly whatever they wanted and still stay lean, I had to adhere to strict guidelines just to see an ounce of progress.

But recently, getting lean and preserving muscle mass has been EASIER than ever thanks to some dietary and lifestyle changes that have put my body in an optimal “fat burning” mode 24/7. Yeah, nothing happens without a little discipline, but since changing my mindset to that of a more long term approach – I feel the best I ever have and am in the best shape
of my life despite training maybe 1/5 as much as I used to.

I understand that a lot of the people reading this blog are just like myself – “in shape” dudes or dudettes who just can’t seem to get as lean as they’d like to be. Some of you are athletes, some are fighters, some are just people who like to lift heavy stuff and move fast…but no matter how you cut it, that spare tire IS NOT helping your game (or improving your health).

So here’s 20 quick tips to get lean without the hassle and constant yo-yo cycle…

1. Drop the grains.

2. Drop all refined sugars.

3. No more “low carb” bagels, candy bars, waffles…whatever other crap they try and sell as low carb health food.

4. Go for daily walks – aim for 30-60 minutes each day.

5. Get better quality sleep.

6. Train HARD 2-4 days per week. Lift heavy things, sprint, snatch a kettlebell for a bunch of reps…just work hard for 15-45 minutes.

7. Supplement with Vitamin D

8. Skip a meal or two. Intermittent fasting takes advantage of a natural growth hormone spike and teaches your body to use fat as fuel.

9. Eat more FAT! Shots of olive oil throughout the day can do wonders.

10. Hungry? Try eating 2 table spoons of coconut oil straight from the jar. Coconut oil has a ton of great benefits and is a great tool for fat loss.

11. Drink BLACK coffee on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. Caffeine increases fat mobilization in the blood stream and real coffee just tastes good.

12. Drink GREEN TEA…a natural stimulant and thermogenic, green tea is great for overall  health and fat loss.

13. Sprinkle cinnamon in your tea, coffee, or on anything else. Cinnamon has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity and improve brain function (among other benefits).

14. Take days completely off and learn to do less overall – Dan John calls this “relaxing into fat loss”.

15. Just say “no!”…it seems like every week there is a birthday party, barbeque, holiday party, special occassion, whatever – you don’t have to break just because other people want to make you feel bad for not eating their food.

16. Use full body, compound lifts…dumbbell and barbell olympic lift variations, sandbags, kettlebells, squat, presses, and pulls – these will give you the biggest bang for your buck and kick your metabolism into high gear…P.S. More muscle = more fat loss!

17. Stop with the all out cheat days…all they do is get you reverting back to old habits.

18. Its all about HABITS. Establish great daily habits and stay away from things that throw you back into your old ways.

19. Surround yourself with positive people and resources…let the people in your life know what you’re doing and ask for their support. Also, keep up with reading other websites, blogs, and message boards where there other people in the same boat as yourself.

20. Take a load off. Cortisol is the new buzzword, and while I don’t believe ALL of the hype, stress will often cause people to over eat and choose the wrong foods. Take breaks, read, write, spend time doing nothing – just a few minutes can go a long way.

So there you go, 20 tips to start leaning out (when everyone else is going to spending the next 3 months “getting ready” for their new years resolutions).

No, fat burning diet is complete without exercises...