If Leonardo Di Caprio rocked it, why can't I?

For some reason, the "Dad Bod" just doesn't carry the allure in the mirror that it does in gossip magazines. So what exactly is "The Dad Bod"?

 

 

The Bod Of The Dad

Although a subjective term, "The Dad Bod" generally involves a man in his 30's or older, who is "softly round". Once carrying an athletic body in his youth, the Dad Bod is often perceived as the result of trading the six pack of abs for a six pack of beer, as the responsibilities of parenting and supporting a family have become the priority over maintaining a sculpted physique.

 



The worst thing about Dad Bods are that they're a lot more fun to get than they are too lose. A few years of free flowing beers at weekend barbecues, an extra couple of slices of pizza here and indulging in dessert more often than you used to definitely wasn't anything to complain about.

Before you knew it, you felt the couch's seductive call after a hard day at work loud and clear, and the running shoes started to get dusty.. For a lot of us, this is just a part of life. Having a family and a busy schedule quickly eats into "me" time, and a fitness regime rapidly loses its appeal.

However, losing the Dad Bod may be easier than you think. Read on for 6 easy tips you can incorporate into your lifestyle to help shed the kilos, while still enjoying the Dad life!

 

 

1: Sleep More!

Sleep is absolutely vital to a healthy mind and bod.

Did you know that if you're tired, your body is going to crave carbs?

On top of that hunger for bread, pasta sugary treats and beer, the body simply doesn't perform as it should when you're tired. 7-8 hours of sleep per night is vital for healthy natural testosterone and human growth hormone production, offsetting estrogen imbalances in men, which is particularly important in those 40 or over.

But hold up, that doesn't mean skipping the morning jog in favour of a sleep-in!

Get in the routine of going to bed an hour earlier every night, and better yet, give yourself a break from the screens an hour before you hit the hay.

Stick to a morning exercise routine and a break from the screens in the evening and you'll be in bed before the kids before you know it.

 

 

2: Simple Nutritional Tweaks

Diets are intimidating, complicated and are just about the least "Dad" thing ever. You didn't get to where you are today by counting carbs or eatings salads after all!

Fortunately we're not talking fad diets, radical detoxes or strict guidelines, we're just about some simple health conscious tweaks, which are by no means to drastic, and are totally sustainable. This means that you'll be able to notice a gradual drop on the scales over time, and make a long term lifestyle change, which will keep the Dad Bod at bay for years to come!

Try to steer clear of processed foods, especially white bread, white pasta and white flour. If you're less physically active than you should be, (but you'll get there!) these foods get converted to, and stored as fat. Try to focus on lean meats, healthy fruits and vegetables, and healthy non saturated fats from coconut oil, almonds and avocados. If that all sounds too drastic, simply start with switching to wholemeal options, reducing portion sizes and keep the treats to a minimum. Simple!

 

 



 

 

3: Change Your Drinking Habits

An average bottle of Australian low carb beer such as Toohey's New, Pure Blonde or XXXX Gold contains about 100 calories. A full flavoured beer such as VB, Little Creatures Pale Ale or Carlton Draught contains about 150 calories.



"So I can just swap to low carb beer, and problem solved, right?"

A quick way to burn 100 calories is to do 40 jumping jacks, 30 crunches, 20 squats and 10 push ups.

All of a sudden having a few beers at night sounds exhausting!

When every calorie counts in kicking that Dad Bod to the curb, a few beers is definitely an easy way to fast track undo your hard work.

So what's the answer?

If you love your beer, switch to a low carb beer and try to reduce your intake. Whiskey and other spirits also contain significantly less calories than beer and wine, and there's nothing more "Dad" than a glass of whiskey!

However, no alcohol is necessarily good for weight loss, and the reality is quite the opposite. Remember, the less booze the better, but if you must indulge every now and then, stay accountable!

 

 

 

4: While We're Talking About Drinking, Drink More Water!

Your body is 60% water, and it is vital to replace fluid that is lost continually throughout the day.



The benefits of being well hydrated throughout the day are well founded. Adequate intake of water energises muscles, rejuvenates the skin and improves organ function, particularly your kidneys and bowels.

While drinking more water alone won't help you shed inches off your waistline, the increased wellbeing from being adequately hydrated throughout the day helps make exercise much easier. Plus, if you've been a bit of a couch potato as of late, you're definitely going to work up a sweat, and you'll want to replace all those fluids lost.

On the upside, there's no calories in water!

Switching soft drinks, fruit juices, or any other caloric beverages for non caloric beverages such as water and black coffee can have a drastic influence on your daily calorie intake. If you're the kind of Dad who likes a can of Coke or two and won't hesitate to grab a milkshake here and there, opt for water instead and you'll notice a difference before you know it!

 

Related: 11 Arnold Approved Lifting Hacks

 

5: Strength + Cardio = Weight Loss

Here's the good news, the secret to weight loss isn't just cardio exercise.



Resistance training burns calories throughout the day, by increasing your body's resting metabolic rate. By focusing on compound movements (exercises that use more than just one muscle group), you'll increase your efficiency in burning calories and building up strength.

This means that once the fat begins to drop off, you'll have a foundation of lean muscle mass underneath, which will create a much more appealing physique.

Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day, so take it slow and ease into it!  Work towards a couple of jogs or extended power walks a couple of times a week as well as a couple of resistance sessions and you'll be good to go.

And don't forget to stay active throughout the day! Take the stairs, stay on your feet, and keep your body working to burn extra calories without even trying.

 

 



 

 

6: And Finally, You've Got To Stress Less

The body is hardwired to put on weight when it feels stressed. Don't waste all your hard work by stressing out over the little things, take some time to look after yourself mentally, as well as physically.



Not only will you enjoy a better relationship with your family, you'll feel better and look better too. There are a tonne of ways to reduce stress, and going for a walk is simple, effective and has a secondary benefit of burning extra calories too!

If you haven't tried it already, give meditation a go. There are plenty of apps you can try, otherwise if you're feeling daring and are up for a challenge, try a Hatha Flow Yoga Class.

Increased cortisol production will hamper your fat loss efforts pretty quickly, so if you're feeling under the pump when you get home from work, go for a steady walk and focus on breathing in and out, rather than reaching for a beer as a quick escape.

 

 

WANT TO COMPLETELY TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE AND BODY IN 2018?

WE ARE JUST ABOUT TO LAUNCH OUR

2018 BODY TRANSFORMATION

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TRAINING, SUPPLEMENTS, NUTRITION & MASSIVE PRIZES UP FOR GRABS IN WHAT WILL BE OUR BIGGEST NATION WIDE FITNESS TRANSFORMATION TO DATE.

 

 



 

 

We are so happy to share with you the winners of this year’s ASN Body Transformation Challenge. We had over 5000 challengers this year and winners, Colleen and Paul worked extremely hard to achieve AMAZING results and would love to share with us their stories on their journey, through the challenge and what they are doing post challenge.

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1st Place Female - Colleen Neumann

"Little did I know, I actually did have time for that. You don’t need a lot of time, 30 minutes here and there is all you need, everyone can do that. I used to wake up from a big night sleep, to only still be completely tired. I had no energy for anything, I wasn't being fair to my kids let alone myself. I’m meant to be a role model here and be happy and healthy for my children at least.

So that’s when I decided to do the BTC challenge. It’s no time like the present, I just had to get started. The first 2 weeks was hard, like it is with anything. I was going from multiple cans of soft drink and energy drinks a day, to nothing, it was hard, but I did it and boy does it feel amazing.

I started to wake up feeling really energetic and I noticed I didn’t need to have long naps during the day just to get me through. Once I started seeing results, both mentally and physically it became a real addiction. Of course, I want to wake up feeling amazing every day instead of sluggish.

Weeks and weeks went by and more and more progress was happening. Fitness and healthy eating didn’t become a chore anymore, it became life and I have ASN to thank for this. They gave me all the tools I needed to succeed, not only in this challenge, but for life. The challenge has been over for a few weeks now, and I’m still training hard, and eating well. Being healthy has become an addiction to me, the only question I ask myself now is why didn’t I do this sooner? Who wouldn’t want to feel amazing every single day.

All of the team at ASN throughout the challenge have been amazing. No questions were ever too silly for them and they were always 100% there for you with whatever you needed. The forum was amazing and any time of day an ASN staff member would be right there answering our questions or giving advice. I loved all the little extra things along the way, like the weekly little competitions, the live chats, and even the other challengers were all amazing and supportive to each other. The forum was a big part of the challenge for me, and definitely having so much support and knowledge from everyone combined helped get through the ten weeks.

I’m a bit of a Christmas addict, so at the start of the challenge I told my husband if I win I'd spend 10K on Christmas decorations, and he told me I could. Well I guess he didn’t think I would actually win, right? Haha. Realistically though, we are doing some renos and getting a spa, although a massive 8metre Santa on my roof would be awesome at Christmas hehe!"

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1st Place Male - Paul Burns

"To think in just 10 short weeks, I could transform my body and my life by losing 25 kg and go from struggling with XXXL clothes to being comfortable in medium in my 40's even I wouldn't believe possible if I had not done it now myself.

I, like many people have struggled to lose weight and maintain a balanced lifestyle. What this ASN BTC has done is given me a structured & balanced Nutrition and training plan. I have always been a focused person when I put my mind to it, however with life pressures it has not always been the case for my health & fitness. The biggest satisfaction is knowing that I have personally identified key mind challenges which had previously led to my weight issues. What I have gained is a healthier way to focus on how, I now look after my life, so much so that I intend to study in this field to pay it forward to help others also.

What I would say to anyone considering in taking this challenge is not what have you got to lose, but what do you want to gain! For me this was simply Life!!! (Whatever It Takes)

Life after ASN BTC has been a whirlwind of positive energy from within, what has changed from pre-challenge a hell of a lot, but post challenge it's virtually the same as during but a little more maintenance with training and Nutrition. My plan for the future is to be the healthiest I've ever been for life. As for my plans with the bonus prize of winning this challenge, I'm planning some overseas travel, and on a future note intend to take on studies in personal training to help others change their lives also."

Are you interested in joining our next challenge?

Click here to show your interest & we'll keep you up to date with the first announcements of our next challenge dates!

 

Mel managed to drop 11.5kg and 12% body fat over the course of last year's 10 Week Body Transformation Challenge.

 

Living a busy life working full time in a Corporate Finance team, and if that wasn't enough, throwing in a couple of sessions as a swim school teacher once per week, Mel's determination and motivation to remain consistent in her training and nutrition delivered breath-taking results.

Prior to the ASN 10 Week Challenge, Mel did her best to maintain her fitness regime as well as an active social life by combining exercise and socialising, by catching up with her friends over a gym or cardio session to stay on her toes, while making the most efficient use of her free time possible!

Challenged to regain her lust for exercise and training, Mel opted for the 10 Week challenge to increase her accountability, and to help her kick her bad habits once and for all! Mel loved how the challenge provided solid training program and nutritional plans, putting the ball in her court to step up to the plate and work hard, in order to achieve great results.

Mel's nutrition consisted of a healthy daily dose of vegetables, along with all her favourite lean meats, and plenty of nutritious snacks such as hummus, boiled eggs, seeds and nuts. Fuelled with sweet potato, brown rice, bread wraps and rice cakes, Mel made sure to keep up her carbohydrates to fuel her busy lifestyle, and keep her charging through her training. To keep her body guessing, Mel also opted for a fortnightly "raw foods day", to keep her digestive system happy!

Of course, life is all about rewarding yourself and enjoying the little things with loved ones, so Mel would save her cheat meals and treats for when her and her partner could go out for a meal together without sabotaging her results.

So with such an amazing result, what is Mel's advice to anyone who is living a similar lifestyle to her and wanting to achieve results? Remain consistent. She didn't let the scales throw her game, and she accepted that the odd slip up was all part of being human! She also strategically used her raw day to follow her cheat day, to prevent bad habits from taking over, which is definitely a fantastic idea for those who struggle with food temptations!

Mel's training schedule involved 3-5 weights sessions per week, combined with 2-4 HIIT sessions. Throwing in a couple of fasted cardio sessions per week, it's no wonder to see how Mel managed to drop 11.5kg and 12% body fat over the course of the challenge!

Her supplement arsenal included Evolve and Proto Whey as delicious, nutritious protein sources, as well as a omega 3, Vitamin D, Magnesium and Probiotics washed down with a healthy greens drink in the morning. In addition Mel loved the hormone support provided by Alpha Venus, and also threw in Block E3 and Subcut creams as well as L-Carnitine and Thermonuke in her final two weeks to supercharge her fat-loss results and bring her over the finish line in style!

See how love bird's Lana & Jason dropped 9 & 14.5 kilos respectively in last year's ASN 10 Week Body Transformation Challenge.

 

Elanie (Lana) and Jason entered the ASN 10 Week challenge with the goal of dropping a bit of body fat, as well as to score some extra motivation by being surrounded by like-minded people on a similar journey to theirs.

Over the 10 Week Challenge, Lana and Jason experienced some amazing results resulting in a breathtaking couple's transformation, by bouncing off each-other, keeping one another on track and celebrating their victories together!

With Lana dropping 9kg and Jason shedding a whopping 14.5kg, the change in their body composition is truly remarkable, and is a couple's transformation which is certainly worthy of a double-take!

Experiencing advice and guidance, as well as nutrition, supplementation and training guidelines from ASN, Jason and Lana knew we were there with them every step of their journey, and together, we succeeded at smashing all their goals out of the park. The best and most rewarding part of completing the ASN 10 Week Challenge is keeping the healthy practices and lifestyle changes you've learnt as part of your day-to-day life, and Jason and Lana have done just that!

 



Learning to live and fit and healthy lifestyle is invaluable in a busy and fast-paced world, and the lessons learnt are sure to stay with Lana and Jason for years to come, as they will continue to reap the rewards of their improved fitness habits.

Jason and Lana are proud to recommend the ASN 10 Week Challenge to any singles or couples, of any age or gender, looking to kickstart their motivation and shape up, stating that the 10 Week Challenge is "one of the best opportunities you will get all year"!

A huge well done and pat on the back to this amazing team, and we look forward to staying in touch and seeing you both progress to tremendous new heights.

WANT TO COMPLETELY TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE?

WE ARE JUST ABOUT TO LAUNCH OUR

10 WEEK BODY TRANSFORMATION CHALLENGE

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TRAINING, SUPPLEMENTS, NUTRITION & MASSIVE PRIZES UP FOR GRABS IN WHAT WILL BE OUR BIGGEST NATION WIDE FITNESS CHALLENGE TO DATE.

 

 

See how Bridgette lost an incredible 7kgs in 10 weeks... while working FULL TIME and taking care of her TWO KIDS in primary school!

 

As a full time working Mum with two primary school kids, Bridgette's fitness transformation is truly inspiring. Motivated by setting an example for, and involving family in leading a healthy and active lifestyle, Bridgette was ticking the physical activity boxes, but was being held back and limited by her nutrition.

Already physically active prior to the challenge, the main change in Bridgette's approach to her fitness involved consistency, swapping quick easy meals for a planned and balanced diet. Already training 5-6 times per week and not seeing the results she was looking for, it didn't take long for Bridgette to notice a major change in her appearance, health and well being, as a result of putting the work into her nutrition, just like the hard work she was already putting in at the gym!

Bridgette began to ramp up the intensity of her physical activity, modifying her training to increase efficiency such as changing walking to running with her dog, and consistently performing resistance workouts three times per week. Once she began to plan and prepare her meals in advance in accordance to her body's macro-nutritional requirements, it didn't take long for Bridgette to realise that the quick and easy meals she was resorting to in the past simply didn't contain enough protein!

It didn't take long for Bridgette's bloating to become a thing of the past, and for her energy and vitality to increase with noticeable differences in the mirror and on the scales. Once her body got used to its new regime, she began to crave the healthy and nutritionally balanced meals she had begun to master in the kitchen, leading to an overwhelming change in not only her body composition, but her mental wellbeing. Increased confidence, fitness and vitality worked hand in hand with support from ASN staff and the online community to provide a forum to share her story with others on a similar journey, to deliver an amazing result and experience.

Bridgette found the challenge enjoyable because she was able to apply it to the style of training she enjoyed, and incorporate it into her lifestyle to compliment it, rather than it being a chore.

Bridgette trained up to 8 times per week! Utilizing a combination of boxing, running with her dog, resistance training and HIIT, favouring early morning workouts, or exercising at the gym while her son practiced martial arts.

With her supplement cabinet stocked with Evolve Lipo Whey for a delicious, lean source of protein that boosts the body's fat metabolism through thermogenesis, with her fat loss complimented and enhanced by Carnitine RX. Bridgette also included Alpha Venus for a healthy hormone balance, and her favourite supplement of all was our best selling Casein Custard, satisfying her sweet tooth while providing a slow trickle release of muscle building amino acids to prevent muscle catabolism and enhance recovery overnight.

At the end of the 10 week challenge, Bridgette lost an incredible 7kg, and 7% body fat! Bridgette is loving her increased energy and body confidence, as well as the improvements to her strength both in and out of the gym, and her cardiovascular endurance. Her success has motivated her husband to follow suit, and she plans to continue her journey to lose another 4% body fat to reach her goal of 20%.

Rather than falling back into old habits. Bridgette is taking what she learnt from the 10 Week challenge to make sustainable long term changes to both her and her family's lifestyles! Well done Bridgette, and you look as amazing as you feel!

 

WANT TO COMPLETELY TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE?

WE ARE JUST ABOUT TO LAUNCH OUR

10 WEEK BODY TRANSFORMATION CHALLENGE

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TRAINING, SUPPLEMENTS, NUTRITION & MASSIVE PRIZES UP FOR GRABS IN WHAT WILL BE OUR BIGGEST NATION WIDE FITNESS CHALLENGE TO DATE.