Battle of the Sexes: Who Has it Easier?
Men and women both have a hard time losing body fat, but for different reasons. Check out three techniques that help everyone lose as much fat as possible.
Men and women struggle with fat loss for different reasons, but does one sex have an easier time with weight loss? According to Men's Health expert Craig Ballantyne, it depends on the issue:
The number one reason men and women have a hard time losing weight is because of poor nutrition.
Who has the advantage? Women
Most women are better educated on food choices, but men continue to eat as if they were still playing college football. As a result, men will have a harder time losing weight because no matter how much they exercise, they are still eating too many calories. You can't "out-train a bad diet.”
The second reason men and women struggle with weight loss is because their metabolism decreases over time due to muscle loss and reduced activity.
Who has the advantage? Men
Most men have more muscle mass and get more exercise than women. Plus, more men do strength training while women neglect this key element of the fat burning equation. In fact, a recent study showed that both men and women can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time with strength training - even at age 60!
Without strength training and interval training, women will continue to burn fewer calories per day with each passing year and will have a harder and harder time with fat loss.
Men and women will struggle with weight loss if they only rely on slow, boring cardio.
Who has the advantage? Men
More men do interval training, and that is better than slow cardio for fat loss.
In a recent study, men and women on a year-long cardio program lost only 6-8 pounds, even though they exercised 6 days per week. In another study, a group of women did not lose weight after 15 weeks of cardio (3x's per week). In contrast, a group of women in the same study that did interval training were able to lose belly fat.
Men and women have a hard time with weight loss if they don't have social support.
Who has the advantage? Women
Most men try to do everything on their own, but weight loss is easier if you have social support. On the other hand, most women are more willing to recruit help from friends and family when on a weight loss program. Men and women can get social support from friends at work, from their family, from people at the gym, or even in an online forum.
Men and women struggle with weight loss because of poor exercise choices.
Who has the advantage? Tie.
Many people just show up at the gym without a plan - or they just go for a jog and do some crunches. But without a professional plan, both men and women will not lose weight, but only waste time.
To lose the most amount of fat in the least amount of time, both men and women should follow a program containing the following three essential elements:
A reduced-calorie diet of whole, natural foods
No one needs an extreme eating plan. Just focus on eating 10-20% fewer calories than you need, focusing on vegetables, fruits, nuts, and sources of protein and healthy fats. Try to limit processed foods as much as possible.
Resistance training (strength training)
Resistance training, using dumbbells, bodyweight exercises, or barbells help men and women burn fat and build muscle.
Interval training
Short bursts of exercise, as done in interval training, work better than long sessions of cardio, and get results in half the time.
Source: PRWeb
