Are you aware that belly fat can pose serious health risks, especially for women over 40? In this episode of The Holly Perkins Health Podcast, I dive deep into the challenges many women face with belly fat as they age, emphasizing that this isn't just about aesthetics—it's about your health. As I always say, "Understanding your body is the first step toward empowerment. " With the right fitness motivation, you can reclaim your health and body composition.
Are you aware that belly fat can pose serious health risks, especially for women over 40? In this episode of The Holly Perkins Health Podcast, I dive deep into the challenges many women face with belly fat as they age, emphasizing that this isn't just about aesthetics—it's about your health. As I always say, "Understanding your body is the first step toward empowerment. " With the right fitness motivation, you can reclaim your health and body composition.
As we navigate through midlife, hormonal changes, particularly decreased estrogen, significantly impact our body, leading to increased belly fat and health concerns like heart disease and diabetes. But here's the good news: fat loss doesn't require excessive cardio or strict carb restrictions. Instead, I advocate for a balanced approach that incorporates strength training and proper nutrition tailored for women. I share workout tips that focus on building lean muscle for women, highlighting the importance of toning workouts that not only help with fat loss but also enhance your overall energy levels.
Throughout the episode, I introduce actionable strategies for managing belly fat effectively. From regulating blood sugar levels to pairing carbohydrates with protein, I discuss how adjusting your macronutrient ratios can make a significant difference. Whether you're dealing with menopause workouts or navigating the complexities of PCOS and fitness, my insights will provide you with the motivation for women to take charge of their health.
Join me as we explore clean eating tips and how to eat for muscle, empowering you to make informed nutritional choices. I’ll also touch on how to track macros effectively, ensuring you're on the right path toward wellness. Remember, positive changes are achievable with the right mindset and program. It's time to embrace the journey of being strong over 40 and redefine what women's health looks like.
Tune in for a conversation filled with inspiration, practical advice, and the fitness motivation you need to thrive during this transformative phase of life. Let's embark on this journey together and unlock your potential for health after 50!
Are you training to build muscle? For a limited time, you can learn exactly what I teach my most successful clients to strategically add 5 pounds of lean muscle in the next 5 months.
I'll walk you through the precise adjustments to your training, nutrition, and cardio so your body is primed and positioned to build lean, strong muscle - the kind that lasts. And you can get this live-recorded workshop for FREE (a $20 value). It’s called Optimized for Muscle Lab.
To claim your free recording, simply post a review of my podcast, grab a screenshot, and upload it at: https://www.hollyperkins.com/review
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00:00:00.280 — 00:00:30.960 · Speaker 1
It's true. Belly fat grows with every passing birthday for most women, and it doesn't have to be that way. It's totally understandable to feel frustrated because fat loss can be a bit of a mystery. What doesn't work is more cardio and fewer carbs. My most successful clients prove that I've cracked the code on fat loss and lean muscle.
So if you want to hear what you can do to improve your midsection, keep listening.
00:00:37.560 — 00:02:00.340 · Speaker 1
Hello and thank you for being here. If you are new. I'm Holly Perkins and I will help you improve your body composition to at least 70% lean mass, because that is the threshold where you reduce your risk of disease. Build a strong body that stays in the game of life and out of the rocking chair for all the years ahead. Because who wants to live a longer life if you can't enjoy it, right? So recently I was looking at my downloads report for this podcast, and there were a few episodes that jumped off the page because they have been downloaded way more than the others. Clearly, these episodes resonated with listeners, and I wanted to make sure that you heard them too.
So today's episode is the second most downloaded episode of all from the Holly Perkins Health Podcast, and to no surprise, because it addresses an issue that so many women struggle with, especially in midlife. And that's belly fat. It seems to take on a life of its own after about the age of 4045. So if you're in need of some fitness motivation to tackle that belly fat, you want to hear this episode.
I hope you love this one as much as the rest of the world does.
00:02:06.580 — 00:19:33.199 · Speaker 1
So if you missed it. Be sure to check out episode 76 Belly Fat Loss in 14 Days how Nikki is transforming her Body after 40. Because when I saw Nikki's progress photos just last month, I was blown away. In just two weeks, there was a very significant change in her body composition, and the most shocking improvement was in her midsection.
Her belly fat literally melted away in 14 days. And even as I say that to me, it even feels like marketing hype. But I promise it's not. And that's why I want you to listen to the episode. Go look at her photos yourself because it is so wow. It blew me away. And here is what makes her stories so powerful and encouraging.
She is number one in her 40s. And number two, she did not do any hit workouts. High intensity, tons of cardio, no sprint training, no carb cycling, or even carb restriction. In fact, you'll hear she increased her carbohydrates. You'll hear her tell you that she actually worked less in those two weeks. And most incredibly, she says it was actually easier than she thought it would be.
And here's the thing. When I create programing, these are the results that I know you are capable of. Every single woman is capable of these kind of results. And I know that if you were to follow my programing and it doesn't even have to be my programing, if you follow the right programing, you can get these kind of results too.
And how do I know that? because I know what Nikki did and it wasn't all that spectacularly difficult. It really wasn't complex or even, as she would say, hard. She simply followed my programing. So why was it so easy for her? She simply followed a professionally written program that's comprehensive and she followed it to a tee.
She is a straight A student and she went for it. And so there's something to be said in that because often people will come to me. I've got participants right now inside of the Body Composition Project, where my program, the same exact program, the same exact group that Nikki is in is laid out in front of them.
And for whatever reason, they're not able to be a straight-A student. No shame, no blame. And if you're sitting there thinking, I want these kind of results, I need you to know. It really is simply two things one, getting the right program in, two doing it, actually following through. And so if you feel like you've gone for it and you've tried and you haven't gotten the results that you want, it's really important to have a gentle moment.
Put your hand on your heart and say to yourself, can I honestly say that I have been following my program to a tee without blame, without guilt, but just an honest, objective assessment. So if you are still in the struggle, confused by why your belly is growing and growing or getting softer despite working out and eating right according to what you think is right, this episode should help.
Your life is being influenced by how you feel each and every day when you wake up. If you are feeling unhappy or sluggish or frustrated, or just feeling terrible in general, or even embarrassed about where your body is. It's no way to live your life, and it doesn't have to be that way. You are short changing your life and the people in it, and it doesn't have to be that way, my friend.
And how surprised would you be to find out that it's actually easier than you think to turn it all around when you listen to my advice and take action. You can eliminate the belly fat that could also be threatening your long term health. So in this episode, you'll learn why belly fat becomes more of an issue with each passing birthday.
Why belly fat is more than just annoying and unsightly. It's actually dangerous. And some of the things that I teach my clients so that you can steal my secrets and start getting a leaner, tighter, healthier midsection. There is one thing I know for certain it is undeniable that your life will be best when you are in a strong, resilient and lean body.
I truly 100% know that and believe that when you feel good about where your body and your health are, and when you're brimming with energy, you walk through the world differently, don't you? And can you think of a time when you felt really good in your body? See if you can think back to at any point in your life, even if it was a day, maybe even if it was years and years and years ago.
Was there ever a time when you felt great? And if so, what did your life look like during that time? Who were you? What was your attitude? Were you smiling? Were you brimming with energy? Were you more outgoing? Were you happier? Did you tackle life's challenges differently? You'd probably say yes. Or at least you catch my drift, right?
Wow. When I think back to those handful of episodes, and a couple really jump out at me these specific days where I was just unstoppable, it could almost make me cry, honestly, because I was so powerful. I was so filled with life. I was bursting at the seams with all of me. And that is what happens when you are so good in your physical body, and when you feel good about where your body is.
And if you can remember back to a time like that, you might not even recognize that person because she seems so far from where you are right now. But I promise you, if she was once there, she's still inside of you, waiting for you to make some changes to your habits. Because that is what got you there. And that's all it takes at this time to start moving back towards the best version of yourself.
Now, after that inspirational little pep talk that we all need, I will say that belly fat is problematic. It is confusing and for most people it is truly hard to change. So if belly fat is something that you've been struggling with and a lot of women do and you feel bad about it, please know it is not your fault.
It is hard to address and that is a reason why it has plagued you up until now. If it were easy to remedy, no one would be dealing with it and that's just not the case. So take it from someone who's been in business for 30 years who is a woman herself. You should not feel bad about it Because you might unknowingly be making some mistakes that add to the problem.
And that's great news because knowledge is everything. Once you have the information that you need, you get to decide when you're ready and willing to turn it all around. So just the other day, I heard a podcast interview with two respectable, highly regarded doctors talking about what an epidemic belly fat is for women, and they were dissecting why that is, and all of the science behind it, and the biology and the chemistry at play, and why belly fat just seems to grow and grow and hypothesizing the ways to fix it.
And as I listened, I kind of chuckled a bit because around here, belly fat really ain't no big thing. If you hear me and if and that's a very big bolded underscored. If you actually follow the right program. It's actually honestly not that hard. What's hard is taking action. And that's the piece of the puzzle that I struggle with the most as a coach, because I will give you the Holy Grail, and that is not hyperbole.
My clients prove this. I see it all the time, every single week with my clients. I see it, but the problem is I can't make you do it. I can't have you hear every word that I say. I can't help you when you get out of bed in the morning. The hardest piece of this puzzle is getting the roadmap and then doing it. But if you'll do it.
Hmm. This episode is going to help. Over the past recent years, I have become more and more aware that my clients are doing something different from the rest of the world. I have noticed that my clients really do prove what I just said. That belly fat doesn't have to be this indomitable monster that it's made out to be.
And sometimes I look at media and social media and I'm like, am I missing something? Because it's not that hard around here. We're doing it. We're fixing it. And so really and truly, I'm like, what am I missing? It's not that hard. And so that's when I've realized like, oh, we're doing something different.
So I've dissected the aspects of my programing that I believe are the key factors in releasing body fat and in particular, belly fat and visceral adipose tissue, known as that the dangerous belly fat that we really do need to be worried about. If you don't know or if you're new to my community, I run Dexa scans or in body scans or Bod pods on every single client that I work with.
So I've got the great privilege and insight to be looking at Dexa scans all the time and I can tinker with my clients programing. They get a Dexa scan down the road, and I know exactly what works. And what we're seeing inside of the Body Composition project is that visceral adipose tissue is the thing that changes.
First, we are attacking and targeting that deep belly fat faster than what I'm seeing out in the world. And I'm seeing it happen at a variety of calorie intakes, a variety of cardio programing at a variety of ages and decades. And so it's happening for so many of my clients. And in particular, we're seeing big changes in belly fat.
So let me share my belly fat fix so that you can get fat loss and lean muscle. Right. Because they go hand in hand. First let me say this belly fat is not a moral problem. It is a metabolic and health problem. And when you understand why it happens, you can finally start doing something about it. So here are the real issues.
Number one. Belly fat is hormonally active. It's not just extra body mass that's hanging around, although it's that too. But the bigger worry is that it's metabolically active belly fat. Especially the deep visceral kind isn't just extra weight. It actually behaves like an organ, releasing chemicals and hormones that increase inflammation, which you know, is the root of all evil.
Inflammation is the biggest problem of all, and belly fat makes fat loss harder. Isn't that crazy? So the more of that deep, visceral belly fat that you have in belly fat in general, because it's metabolically active, it makes fat loss harder. So you got to get your programing variables right. It disrupts hunger cues and it increases stress hormones.
So it becomes a loop where belly fat itself creates conditions that make it easier to gain more. That is why it's such a bugger. And that is why it's like a runaway train as it starts to grow. It just like gets loose from you. And oh, by the way, I'm speaking from experience because after being in the fitness industry my entire life and I'm in my 50s, proud to say I've been on every side of this conversation.
I have been ripped, I have been super fit, and I have been a mess. I've had belly fat and I've had ripped abs. I've had it all. So I know how this goes personally as well as as a coach. So number two, belly fat is a sign and a symptom of declining muscle mass for women over 40. But really, really with every passing birthday.
Belly fat is often the first visible sign that you're losing muscle mass. In general, when muscle goes down, your metabolism slows, insulin sensitivity drops, cortisol increases, and fat storage shifts to the midsection in particular. How surprised would you be if your quote unquote belly fat problem was actually a muscle problem?
Ooh, that gets exciting, doesn't it? Because building muscle really feels like a very positive thing that you can tackle. This is exactly why I will go to my grave preaching the importance of strength training for long term health. Muscle is not just a beauty secret, it is one of the most important things that you can do to protect your health and your midsection.
Number three belly fat impacts long term health. Visceral belly fat. Visceral adipose tissue that is strongly linked to heart disease, type two diabetes, cancers, insulin resistant inflammation levels which, as I just said, is a big problem, and mobility and joint issues. A person can feel fine and still have elevated visceral fat that quietly affects their health over time.
And I see this in my Dexa scans. Women will come to me. They're photos. They look like the picture of health. Their body composition is reasonable. Some women even look super fit. But when we take a look underneath the skin at their Dexa scan, we find that there that is bordering on dangerous. And that's what we're talking about here, is really targeting fat and belly fat from a different perspective.
In a moment, you'll hear exactly why belly fat grows with each passing birthday and three specific things. I teach my clients to help them start releasing body fat in as little as two weeks. But first, it's funny how sleep changes as you get older, right? In your early 20s, you could stay up late. You could get 4 or 5 hours of sleep and somehow still function the next day.
I know for me, I would power through. I'd grab another coffee, I'd eat some sugar, and I would be fine. But the truth is, that doesn't really work anymore, does it? Somewhere in your 30s. Sleep. Stop being optional. You feel it when it's off. You feel the brain fog, the shorter patience, the sluggish workouts, the sense that you're just not fully on.
And for me, sleep is everything. If I want to operate at a high level every day, I have to get a good night's sleep. And that is why I started using beans dream powder when I was looking for a sleep aid. I wasn't looking to be knocked out. I didn't want that drugged, groggy feeling the next morning. I just wanted real deep, awesome sleep.
The kind that actually restores you. Dream is made with a powerful blend of all natural ingredients reishi, magnesium, Alfian, APA, Jenin, and melatonin. I have been using dream for about a year now, and I can honestly say that I feel sharper and calmer and more focused. The day after, I finally felt like I could tackle my days head on instead of just trying to push through.
And I'm not the only one. Beam has already improved over 28 million nights of sleep, helping people across the country wake up and feel their best. If you're at that stage of life where you just can't push through bad sleep anymore, this is exactly what you need to be trying. Go to shop
00:19:34.480 — 00:41:21.759 · Speaker 1
for sleep and use my code Holly pea to take advantage of my exclusive offer for up to 40% off Beam's Dream Powder. This is the best discount that beam gives out, so make sure that you tell your friends to even if they don't listen to this show. If they want to fix their sleep, they've got to try beam. So remember, go to shop beam for Holly P and use my code Holly P.
And with that you can grab dream for up to 40% off today. It's helpful to know why belly fat increases every year. There are very real biological reasons this happens and once you understand them, fat loss becomes so much easier. Here are the big ones. Number one, you start losing muscle and that changes everything.
And oh by the way, it starts at the age of 30 right around the age of 30. Younger than a lot of women realize. This is the number one reason that belly fat creeps up with every passing birthday. Around this time, women naturally lose muscle every single year, and it accelerates unless their strength training strategically.
And so don't misunderstand me. We are losing muscle just in the aging process and it accelerates. But you can do something about it. That is why strength training is so important, because you have to slow that progression. You have to slow or even halt the muscle loss. When muscle goes down, your metabolism slows, you burn fewer calories at rest, insulin sensitivity drops, and your body stores more fat in the abdomen.
A person can be eating the same foods they always ate, but gaining belly fat because they simply have less muscle to support their metabolism and also to improve their body chemistry in general. Imagine if building back that muscle could actually reverse belly fat, because it actually can. That's why I approach things as a muscle first methodology.
Number two hormone shift, especially estrogen. You probably don't need to hear me say that again. But during menopause and perimenopause, estrogen declines and that estrogen helps to keep fat stored in the hips and thighs. So when you were younger, maybe in your 20s and 30s, you may have carried your weight more in your hips and thighs.
But when estrogen drops, fat shifts to the abdominal area. Crazy, right? This hormonal shift makes belly fat easier to gain and harder to lose. And it's completely normal, by the way. And it's not permanent. Number three, your body becomes more carb sensitive as women get older. Changes in insulin sensitivity can make the body more reactive to skipping meals or under eating or blood sugar dysregulation.
Eating carbs without protein. Relying on sugar for energy. Caffeine. Alcohol and. Ding ding ding. Insufficient carbs in general. The result of this change in sensitivity is more fat stored around the midsection. But when you eat meals centered around protein with carbs strategically paired, your belly finally begins to respond.
And that is what I see in my practice. So now that you know and you understand why belly fat increases and why it's worrisome, let me reveal why I believe my programing is so effective at targeting belly fat in particular, and the three top things that I believe have the biggest impact for my clients. Now, keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list because my programs are incredibly detailed, very well thought out.
They're very strategic. But if I were to be interviewed on a podcast and could only reveal the top three things that I think are the most impactful here they are. Number one, regulated. Blood sugar is everything. When your blood sugar is stabilized, you tap into body fat stores better, cortisol goes down and you're able to burn off belly fat.
My approach to nutrition teaches very specific ways to get your blood sugar stable. And listen. There's a number of ways out there in the world that you could do this, including taking medications. But to my knowledge, none of my current participants in my program are taking any medications to help in the process.
Stable blood sugar levels are everything to your biology, and it's how your body is designed to run. And so when you get that right all throughout the day while you're sleeping or even during your workouts, you're utilizing fat substrates as your fuel, not carbohydrates. And what this does is it keeps carbohydrates in your muscles and your liver and your brain, and you're burning and using fat, and in particular, body fat and belly fat to get you through the day.
And you have to have regulated and stable blood sugar to achieve this. There are a handful of things that you can do to improve blood sugar regulation. Here are the first steps that I teach my clients. Number one, eat within 60 minutes of getting out of bed. I get some kickback on this, especially in light of the intermittent fasting world.
And in light of the fact that a lot of women just aren't hungry in the morning, and I know that it can be hard to eat when you get up in the morning and you're not hungry. But the truth is, this is one of my best secret weapons for regulating blood sugar. Because what you do to your body in the morning influences how your body responds all day long.
Getting your blood sugar regulated with fuel as soon as you get out of bed is powerful. Number two don't eat carbs alone. If you eat them. And oh, by the way, you should more on that in a moment. And don't eat protein alone in this day and age of protein, protein, protein. So many people think that protein burns fat.
Protein builds muscle. And while that's true, that does not exist in a vacuum. Protein must be consumed with carbohydrates at the same time. In order to regulate blood sugar and vice versa. If you're not picking up what I'm putting down. Carbs are also important for blood sugar regulation and building muscle, but you don't want to eat them alone either.
Pair them with protein at the same time that you're eating. And now if you are someone listens to my podcast on the regular, you're like, I know Holly. You've heard that a million times. But every single week I get messages from women that are like, well, so I know you said to eat carbs and protein together, but can I eat protein alone?
It goes both ways. Pair your protein and your carbohydrates every single time you stick something in your mouth. And if you do that, you are going to start regulating blood sugar. Even if those foods that you're eating aren't healthy, even if those foods are sugar. And so I will give you a great and a terrible example if I'm going to eat sugar, any kind of sugar.
Lately I am on a homemade caramel kick. Don't get me started. It's the best and the worst idea ever. I'm obsessed with caramel. I think it's my top number one flavor ever in the entire world. And I stumbled upon a recipe that's just absolutely delicious. And it's basically pure sugar. And so if I'm going to eat some caramel, I might even eat a meat jerky stick alongside of it.
Doesn't sound very appetizing, I know that, but the protein balances the sugar. Now, I'm not telling you to go eat sugar in caramel and meat jerky sticks. I'm saying that if you're going deep protein, you got to get some carbs with it. And if you're going to eat carbs, get some protein with it. And oh, by the way, alcohol is a super sugar.
If you don't know it's in a classification of its own. So if you are someone enjoys of glass of wine or some alcohol at night, you've got to make sure you're pairing protein with your alcohol. I don't ever drink alcohol on an empty stomach. First, I get some pure protein or protein with a little bit of healthy fat, and then I have my glass of wine.
Diatribe over. Moving on. Number two, I adjust my client's macronutrient distribution based on their biology, their body composition, their blood type. Believe it or not, and their fitness stage. But all clients are between 40 and 50% of their daily calories coming from carbohydrates. And this is so important for blood sugar regulation.
I'm convinced that one reason why so many women are having insulin sensitivity issues, blood sugar issues, and hormonal issues is because you're eating too few carbs and your body is trying to catch up and adjust through an alternate metabolism to make up for the carbohydrates it actually needs. If your body needs carbs for a workout and you have not sufficiently eaten enough carbs in the day, your body is going to make those carbs.
Your brain has to have glucose. So where is your brain going to get the glucose if you're eating insufficient carbs? Hmm. Number one, your muscles. It's going to mobilize stored glycogen so that it can be converted to glucose, which is a carbohydrate for your brain. And so it's stealing from your muscles to create the carbohydrates that your body needs.
And worse, if it continues on, your body is actually going to break down muscle tissue to produce the glucose that your brain needs. And this is why. One of the best ways you can address belly fat is by getting your blood sugar regulated, and by giving your body sufficient carbs in general. This is why my clients see such a change in their belly fat when they start eating more carbohydrates, because their body is better fueled and their machinery is better supported.
Low carb doesn't work. Now, I'm not an advocate of eating poor quality carbohydrates because if you're eating a lot of really processed, low fiber carbohydrates, that's a different topic here. But carbohydrates, your daily intake of less than 40% really isn't what your body is designed for. And so if you're eating less than 40% of your daily calories from carbohydrates, you're entering into biohacking.
And if you're doing that, you're going to have to make sure that you're intentionally manipulating your protein and your fat so that you're following a very specific protocol. And oh, by the way, if I were to actually audit your diet over a 14 day period, you may say your low carb. But if I look at your nutrition over the weekend or I look at your alcohol intake, you'd be surprised to find out you think your low carb and you're actually not.
So let's get it right. Balanced macronutrients ensure that you get the right amount of all three macronutrients. There's only three macronutrients that Mother Earth created three and only three protein, carbs, and fat. All three are equally important for different reasons, and it's important to get them in a way that supports regulated blood sugar, but also gives your body the minimum effective dose and ideally, the maximum effective dose of each so that you're getting the benefits from protein, the benefits from fats, and the benefits from carbs.
And I know this is exactly why my clients get such incredible results with quick changes in their body fat is because they get their protein in their carbs, right? Here's what you can do. A way to start the first step. Use a diet tracking app and just get started logging what you normally eat each day. You don't have to obsess.
You don't have to calorie count. You really don't. And so for that person who is resistant to tracking or even has a history of disordered eating. Understandable. It is a thin line here. I encourage you to use a diet tracking act to just observe. Just log what you normally eat. No judgment, no tinkering.
Just put it into an app and at the end of the day. See where you land each day. Observe. Hmm. That's interesting. Today, I only had 35% of my calories coming from carbohydrates. You don't even have to pay attention to how many calories you ate. Just look at the percentage. I'm not a gram counter. So for those of you out there that have been taught to hit a certain number of grams of protein per day, a certain number of grams of carbohydrate, I personally don't think you need to go there.
I don't think we need to get that myopic. I think that targeting a percentage, you've really got great wiggle room. Oh, by the way, it works great for my clients. So see where you land at the end of the day. Then adjust your preferred foods, your food items, and your serving sizes so that you take your carbs up or down.
You take your fat up or down. You take your protein up or down so that you land between 40 and 50% of your daily calories coming from carbs. And oh, by the way, noticed I didn't even mention how many calories you should be eating whole other conversation. That is important. Then that is another thing that I tackle with my clients.
And the third factor that I think is super powerful in this conversation, and why my clients get such great results, is that I have very specific calculations for target heart rate ranges for cardio workouts. This is really important. A lot of people think that cardio is cardio is cardio, and what your heart rate is doing indicates the substrates that your muscles will call upon to fuel your activity.
Lower heart rates tend to call upon beta oxidation and fatty acids to fuel activity. Higher heart rates tend to call upon carbohydrates. Almost always an exclusively. When I look at VO2 max testing results for my clients, I see this all the time, and we can really pinpoint exactly the heart rate ranges where you should be for a certain type of workout, so that your body is tapping into fat stores.
You've heard this fat burning cardio, but a lot of people don't really get it right. When you get your heart rate range right for this type of cardio workout, it promotes beta oxidation and fat burning while also sparing carbohydrates so that they stay in your muscle and your liver. Higher heart rate workouts demand more carbohydrate to fuel your muscles for the movement.
Whatever you're doing dancing, walking, elliptical, long running, Zumba ING. It doesn't matter. Wherever your heart rate is, your muscles need to be fueled. And if your heart rate is higher, your muscles are going to call upon carbohydrates. This causes a cascade of events that can lead to an increase in belly fat.
If you don't do it right, and if you do do it right, it taps into belly fat. Now, inside of my coaching programs, I get again, very detailed and specific about this. And there are nuances. But of course I want to share some of those insights so that you can do it yourself. I use a more elaborate equation and way of calculating the target heart rate range for my clients, and here is the quick and dirty way that you can do it.
To get started, you'll want to determine what's called your age predicted maximal heart rate. You can do some research on that. You can do some calculations. Then you'll want to multiply that number by 70%. To get an idea of your heart rate range for workouts in general. Age predicted maximal heart rate at 70% tends to give or take depending on the person.
Put them into this beta oxidation for cardio workouts. And lastly, specifically, these are steady state and moderate intensity cardio sessions 2 to 3 per week. This is not just getting your steps in and not tracking your heart rate. This isn't just mindlessly watching a movie. Well, you walk on the treadmill.
It's being very strategic about where your heart rate is, how many per week, and keeping it steady. Moderate steady state workouts each week. My clients are only doing between 2 and 4. The average is three, and I know without a doubt that is one of the powerful levers that we pull on to change body composition, to burn body fat, and to really target visceral adipose tissue.
Now, everything that I've shared has really specifically been through the lens of targeting belly fat. And if you read between the lines and listened closely, you'll know that that also means you're preserving lean muscle. So all of these factors also help you keep the muscle that you have, so that when you lift weights and eat appropriately and build muscle, you're not losing muscle because of your other habits and programing factors.
They go hand in hand. And so when you target belly fat correctly, you're also going to keep the muscle that you have and prepare your body and support your body in the muscle building process. And that, my friend, is what I believe is the belly fat fix for getting fat loss, right? And yes, you too can do it at any age.
I see it all the time and I get it. You might be listening to this and thinking, UGG, this is too much mental chatter. This is too much calculation, this is too much strategy, this is too obsessive compulsive. I hear you, I do, and it doesn't have to be that way. Take one piece of information and apply it. And here's what I'll also say.
If you are in a place where I mean, heck, if you are still listening to this episode, you're clearly someone who wants to address your belly fat. You're clearly someone who isn't happy with where your belly fat is and you want a solution. So if you're also that person that's like, oh, Holly, this is just too much, well, you got a conflict of interests and a bit of a conundrum.
And so you've got to do something. And so take one piece of information and learn and try it out for a few weeks, and then layer in a new piece of information. It is a journey improving your body and getting the body that's truly resilient. And life proof is a process, and it's worth every bit of effort and mental bandwidth that you put in.
I hope you enjoyed this episode. Did you know that for a limited time, you can learn exactly what I teach my most successful clients to strategically add 5 pounds of lean muscle? In the next five months, I'll walk you through the precise adjustments to your training, nutrition, and cardio so that your body is primed and positioned to build lean, strong muscle, the kind that lasts.
And you can get this live recorded workshop for free a $20 value. It's called optimized for Muscle Lab in order to get it for free. Simply post a review of my podcast. Grab a screenshot and upload it at Holly Perkins
00:41:23.200 — 00:41:38.320 · Speaker 1
review. This is a limited time offer, so don't wait. It normally sells for $20 and this is your chance to get it at no cost. And stay tuned for another brand new episode on Tuesday of next week. Stay strong my friend.
00:41:41.920 — 00:42:03.520 · Speaker 1
Thank you so much for tuning in to this week's episode. I am so happy that you're here and I hope you loved it. If you did, please take a moment to subscribe, share with your friends and leave a review. And if you want more from me, check out my blog and coaching programs over at Holly perkins.com. That's all for now.
I'll see you next week.