Female Fat Loss Manual

Female fat loss strategies are different than those used by men.  

Men and women store and burn fat differently. It is important for you to know this difference. Men have more testosterone than women (no big surprise!). This allows men to produce more human growth hormone as well as stimulate more muscle and bone growth.   

And, other factors combine to allow men’s cells to take in more oxygen than women’s cells. This means that when a man is working at 50% of his physical capacity, a woman would need to work at 70% of her physical capacity to stay even. Don’t shoot me! I’m just the

messenger! The important thing to know is that I take this into account when I design fitness programs.

How does this affect fat loss and weight loss? The differences in how hormones and fat cells work in men and women determine the effects on fat loss and weight loss. Because of genetics, women’s fat cells are 5 times larger than men’s fat cells. Women need more body fat to be healthy. Take a look at this body fat table:  

Necessary Body Fat: Women 10-13%, Men 2-5%  

Athletes: Women 14-20%, Men 6-13%  

Fit: Women 21-24%, Men 14-17%  

Acceptable: Women 25-31%, Men 18-25%  

Unhealthy: Women 32%+, Men 26%+  

Also, women’s bodies (because of necessary genetics) have twice the amount lipogenic (fat storing) enzymes and half the amount of lipolytic (fat releasing) enzymes as men’s bodies. This has to be taken into account when exercise programs are designed.   

Women tend to store stubborn fat in the buttocks, hips (saddle bags), thighs and the back of the upper arms (grandmother arms). Men tend to store stubborn fat in the abdominal area (pot belly and spare tire) and low back area. Excess abdominal fat has been shown to be a pre-curser to diseases such as cancer.   

So, what is the best way to burn both types of fat (visceral and subcutaneous)? You guessed right! Exercise and healthy nutrition! Research and my personal experience as an exerciser and personal trainer proves that a combination of full-body circuit weight training (including bodyweight training) and high intensity interval cardio training is best for optimal fat-burning, muscle strength/endurance, cardio-respiratory health and bone density benefits.

About the Author:

Mark Dilworth, Performance Enhancement Specialist and Former NCAA Division I Athlete

General Fitness: http://www.myfitnesshut.blogspot.com/

Women’s Fitness: http://www.herfitnesshut.com/

Sports Fitness: http://www.sportsfitnesshut.blogspot.com/

Take some time and visit these sites to learn more about health and fitness. Also, take advantage of a free fitness assessment and nutrition assessment. You can contact Mark at (512) 289-8879 or email him at info@markdilworthfitness.com