How To Get Rid Of Dad Bod | Easy Tips

It happened. It crept up on us, almost imperceptibly, but it happened. The dad bod. Paunchy stomach, flabby arms and the pear shaped body of Homer Simpson. Dad bods are not just a bad look, they can also have serious health consequences. Extra belly fat releases hormones that affect the body’s organs, and can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.

While it’s not necessarily a sign of overeating or being overweight, it definitely gives off a “less-than-fit” impression. Getting rid of the dad bod, especially after 50, takes some doing. In this article we give you some simple tips the experts recommend. Men over 50 have never desired to look and feel better than they do today, so one of the best ways to feel better about yourself is to get into better shape and lose that dad bod.

There’s nothing new under the sun. There are 3 elements to pay attention to–diet, cardio, and strength training. Just remember to be patient and consistent. You didn’t get that dad bod in a month and you won’t get rid of it in a month either.

Strength Training

You might wonder why we don’t start with diet, after all, it is the number one factor in any weight or fat loss program. Well, we just don’t want you to gloss over strength training, but we discuss below. A lot of us avoid strength training when we are over 50 because of the time and effort we think it takes, not to mention that old shoulder or knee injury. But strength training is one of the most effective ways to attack the dad bod and for good reason, building muscle burns fat.

One of the most common excuses for not exercising regularly is lack of time. Most men don’t have the time to do long workouts on a daily basis, which can lead to muscle loss. Fortunately, shorter, less frequent workouts can help improve muscle mass and burn fat. Here are a few quick and easy ways to beat the ‘lack of time’ excuse.

First, remember that you don’t have to start with a lot of weight. In fact, you don’t have to start with weights at all. Its perfectly fine to strength train with resistance bands or even do body weight exercises. When you start out with lighter weights, it is true that you generally have to perform more sets in order to make some gains, but you will find that you will increase your capacity very quickly. When you know you will be using lighter weights you are more likely to keep up the consistency.

Second, try to perform compound exercises that involve multiple muscles, muscle groups, and joints. Examples include bench press, push-ups, squats, row, and lunges. Compound exercises work more muscles, build functional strength, and burn more calories. After all, we have dad bods, which generally means we are dads. What dad has all damn day to work out every body part separately? Compound exercises also reduce the amount of cardio we need to remain in calorie deficit.

Third, make sure you perform strength training exercises at a good pace–at least a 3 count up and a 3 count down. What you don’t want to do is speed up so much that your strength training becomes cardio training. Make sure to rest between sets and remember it’s easier to make a mistake by going too quickly between sets than it is to take more time. Dad bods need a little longer to recover.

Try to strength train 2 to 3 times a week for 20 to 45 minutes. When you can perform 10-12 reps, it’s time to increase weight so it’s a challenge for you to do 8 reps. You want to increase intensity as you go, but the most important thing is getting the body and muscles moving with CONSISTENCY. Over time, your chosen activity gets easier.

Healthy Eating

As we said earlier, diet is the single biggest component of weight loss and getting rid of the dad bod. Almost every expert advises that in order to achieve sustainable weight loss we need to achieve a state of calorie deficit. This simply means burning more calories than we eat. Its that basic and by now, you know the drill–eat more lean protein, produce and vegetables, and healthy fats. There are no tricks or special number of meals or times of day that you need to remember–there is just the calorie deficit…and healthy eating.

While exercising certainly is beneficial and strongly encouraged, remember this one rule: YOU CAN’T OUT WORK A BAD DIET. Here are just a few easy ways to eat healthier:

1. Make a simple meal plan for the next 2-3 days.

2. Drink more water

3. Watch portion size

4. When you’re full, stop eating.

Cardio Training

It comes as no surprise to most of us that the third leg of fitness and losing the dad bod is cardio training. What you may be surprised about is that we also need to consider for the dad bod over 50, how much cardio is too much, and when should we do cardio?

Let’s be clear, cardio is good. Its good for our heart, lungs, bones, and our longevity. However, too much cardio makes us lose both fat AND muscle. When we lose muscle, our metabolism slows down and that means we have to eat even less to stay in calorie deficit. It can become a vicious circle threatening the sustainability of our goals. So how much is enough? Well, remember if we are stressing strength training, then we need about 10 to 15 minutes of walking 3 to 5 times a week.

Next, we want to know when is the best time for cardio exercises. The answer depends on what we are trying to accomplish. Here is the general rule of thumb–if you want to work on endurance, do cardio BEFORE strength training. If you want to burn more fat, cardio should be done afterwards. On non-strength training days, try walking briskly for 10 to15 minutes first thing in the morning to get the day going. Or you could walk after the heaviest meal to help minimize glucose and insulin spikes.

Conclusion

You already know the many benefits of improving the dad bod, like reducing cholesterol levels, a stronger heart and a stronger bone structure. And a diet of lean protein, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats can improve overall health. While the “Dad Bod” fad is a trend nowadays, you know it’s a better idea to get more fit.

Remember to be patient with yourself. After all, only 1% of people can bench press 225 pounds; 5% have visible abs and; less than 15% can do a pull up. Stop comparing yourself to the top .001% of folks and focus on you. Consistency is the key, so keep showing up, for you.

We hope you have found some easy to follow tips to get you started. As always, we welcome your feedback, questions and comments. Please feel free to leave us your thoughts below.