The fastest path to become the best version of yourself

Summer is coming. Deciduous trees are flourishing and even in Brussels some brave people start dressing in short sleeves. It is time then to overhaul your life, and that this time the New Year’s resolution is going to stick. You want to be fitter, trimmer and happier. One of the best ways to become the best possible version of yourself is trough being coached by a high quality mentor. Brussels Express sat with Pedro Carnicero, an experienced personal trainer based in Brussels. His first words sound promising:

“Diets do not work, you’d better forget them; it is all about a lifestyle change. And sometimes, all you need are very insignificant changes on your habits”.

Pedro, what is a personal trainer?

Well, a personal trainer is basically a health/fitness professional who by using an individual approach will motivate, educate and train clients in order to obtain the goal that they want to achieve.

And now that summer is just around the corner and everyone wants to show the best version of ourselves, what is the most efficient way to lose weight and not gaining it back after a while?

The most efficient way to lose weight is through a lifestyle change in which we start both eating healthier and being more active. Diets work because they create a calorie deficit but none really work because diets are not realistic; meaning they are not sustainable in the long run. So once the client loses weight, they start eating like before and regain the weight once again.

In this equation losing weight, what is more relevant : eating well or exercising?

Eating well is more important than exercise. Some experts say that 80% is nutrition and 20% exercise, and I agree with that. I will give an example: if a 75 kg male went to run for 1 hour he would probably burn around 600-800 kcal. Now imagine that this same person drinks one beer (150 kcal), a glass of wine (125 kcal) and a cheeseburger (300 kcal).   He would regain in less than 20 minutes what he burned for 1 hour!

What kind of daily habits would you recommend us to exercise the body without spending too much time?

The most important thing to remember is that everything we do uses energy. My first advice is to try to be active as much as they can. Meaning that instead of taking the car, try to walk or bike. In the office, use the stairs instead of the elevator. If you use public transport get off one stop earlier….. It’s the little things that make the big things happen.

What kind of exercises are necessary to gain muscle mass?

To gain muscle mass we need to do exercises that create mechanical tension, metabolic stress and muscle damage. Resistance exercise (lifting weight) is usually the most efficient way of doing that.

Are there some prohibited dishes?

An expression that I love is “the doses make the poison“, meaning there should be nothing that should be prohibited. You  should only try to eat less of. Eating is an important factor of our way of living and it is how we socialize.