Sugar And Fat Loss, 20 Minute Ab Workout, Most Common Squat Sanfus
“Most champions are built by punch-the-clock workouts rather than extraordinary efforts.”
I’ve been churning out content on my Instagram page and through my weekly newsletter. However, many of you don’t follow me and aren’t subscribed to my newsletter. You should totally do that (just click here for Instagram and here for the newsletter). Regardless, if you only check the site and don’t keep up with me on other mediums, I don’t want you to miss out on all the fun. So, here is a conglomeration of the fitness facts, tips, and stories I’ve shared this past week. Enjoy.
Q: “Hey John, so if a calorie deficit is the only thing that matters for me, having a sugary drink (boba or commercial coffee) once a week isnt going to be a detriment to progress right?
I usually have one tablespoon of brown sugar with my morning coffee every day but apart from that, I don’t really add sugar into things much. But I do feel tired during the midday sometimes hence why I’m asking.”
A:
Hi Kyle. Thanks for the question! You’re correct that having a sugary drink will not impair your fat loss if you make sure to consume fewer calories than you burn. However, a high sugar diet can have indirect negative effects on fat loss for a few reasons.
First, choosing high sugar foods will reduce feelings of fullness compared to higher fiber minimally processed foods and may actually increase hunger (according to more than a few studies (1). Next, getting your calories from sugar-laden foods such as soda or frappuccinos leaves less room in your “calorie budget” for nutrient dense foods. Finally, a high sugar diet is your ticket to the unpredictable energy roller coaster that is erratic blood sugar.
Sugar is not the evil entity that many make it out to be, especially when it’s consumed in moderation as part of an overall healthy diet and calorie intake. That said, when you’re consuming fewer calories and trying to lose fat you need to be more thoughtful about your food choices. It’s possible to lose fat while eating tons of added sugar, but your experience will be significantly more enjoyable and sustainable if you keep it in check.
You won’t be squatting for long if you make any of these 3 common mistakes.
How can you drop it like it’s hot if your achy knees, hips, or back get in the way?
Much to the dismay of buns and thighs around the world, you can’t 😥 Here are the 3 most common SQUAT MISTAKES and how to FIX them.
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1️⃣KNEES CAVING IN
THE FIX- Stretch hip adductors. Strengthen hip abductors (your “side butt”)
•
2️⃣CHEST FALLING FORWARD
THE FIX-Stretch hip flexors + lats. Strengthen spinal erectors.
•
3️⃣HEELS POPPING UP
THE FIX- Stretch calves + mobilize ankle joint
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Many people call the squat the king of all exercises for great reason. The squat requires more of your biggest, strongest muscles than any other lift - glutes, quads, and hamstrings, as well as core, calves, and upper back (just to name a few)
Plus, performing a good looking squat requires adequate MOBILITY and STABILITY. It’s not easy. BUTT, squatting with good control through a full range of motion is the ultimate display of full body mobility.
If you can do a pretty squat, you can rest assured that you have nice upper back, hip, and ankle mobility. If you have a question on how to fix your squat, hit me up.
Don’t lose too much fat too quickly.
One of my clients who shall remain unnamed has been losing a lot of fat very quickly in 2022. He’s already down 5+ lbs in under a month. Incredibly impressive progress for anyone, but especially for him - he’s the lightest he’s been in 10+ years.
There’s just one problem. He’s addicted to seeing the scale tick in the right direction and wants even faster progress. He’s working hard and doing everything perfectly, but I don’t him to lose weight any faster. Here’s why - we want the process to be - you guessed it - sustainable.
I’ve laid out a general plan for this client to go from 225 to 200 lbs in 2022:
1/1- 225
2/1- 222
3/1- 219
4/1- 219
5/1 - 217
6/1- 214
7/1- 214
8/1- 212
9/1- 208
10/1- 208
11/1- 204
12/1- 200
1/1 - 199.5
As you can see, he’s way ahead of schedule.
This planned rate of progress is .5-1lb of fat loss/week, a reasonable amount to maintain muscle while losing fat. If he lost 20lbs in 2 months he would be thrilled, but you can bet your bottom dollar he would have trouble keeping the weight off over the long term.
Don’t rush. If you keep moving in the right direction and you will make a ton of progress in a year.
20 minute functional ab blaster workout.
In Medieval times common forms of tortures included the “Head Crusher”, “Rat Torture”, and of course, “Dismemberment”, the process of chaining four horses to a prisoner’s limbs and making them run in four directions. It wasn’t until the modern era that we discovered the form of torture referred to as “Ab training.”
If you’re going to do it, you may as well do it right. The last thing you want to do is go through all that pain for nothing.
Here’s a brutally difficult (though, not as brutal as that dismemberment) and effective 20 MINUTE AB WORKOUT. Try it if you dare.
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The Workout:
•Side plank with rotation x10 each side
•Lying figure 8’s x8 each side
•Knee slide crunch x20
•Reverse crunch x20
•RKC plank x15 sec min
🔥🔥🔥
Rest 1 minute in between rounds. Repeat x4. If it takes you more than 20 minutes, you’re doing something wrong or need to modify the intensity.
Here’s WHY this workout is better than one of your average YouTube variety.
⁉️
The selected exercises train the most important functions of the core:
•Lateral flexion / anti lateral flexion
•Rotation / anti rotation
•Flexion / anti flexion
Not only will performing these movements improve how your abs look, but they will boost performance and reduce injury risk.
😲
No all day sit up workouts from Solokas Focus. You deserve better than that.
Wrap Up
Thanks for reading today. If you enjoy my weekly updates, I’d love for you to share the newsletter with your friends and family.
As always, please give me any feedback. What do you want more or less of? Any other suggestions? Just let me know at solokasfocus@gmail.com.
Best,
John
