Fitness

Confused with too many workouts and diet? Fitness coach shares 7 straightforward tips for weight loss

Published

9 months ago

January 15, 2025

Confused with too many workouts and diet? Fitness coach shares 7 straightforward tips for weight loss

If weight loss is one of your priority commitments this year, it’s important to keep it simple to sustain the process. It’s tempting to include every new workout and fad diet in your routine. With plenty of promises for results, it’s easy to get distracted and try too many things at once. But as the saying goes, ‘too many cooks spoil the broth,’ similarly, too many complicated steps may not work. Fitness is all about sustaining the effort, and the best way to do it is by keeping things simple.

Weight loss may seem like a challenge when the routine gets too complicated. (Shutterstock)

Raj Ganpath, a certified fitness coach as per his IG bio, shared 7 no-nonsense steps to fitness that might help streamline all the unwanted clutter in your routine. He gave a timeline of 3 months, where with consistency, one can see improvements in their fitness levels.

Walk as much as you can

The coach highlighted that one should walk as much as they can daily. Generally, there’s a spotlight on the step count. But Raj Ganpat urged that there should be a ‘greed for walking.’ He further added that 10 minutes of walking burns 40 calories.

Fostering a desire for walking is important. The mindset of ‘greed for walking’ is essential, preventing a sedentary lifestyle. With walking, whatever steps a person takes are the foundation of fitness. It’s the baseline activity to stay in movement at least once a day.

ALSO READ: Study reveals walking reduces depression risk: Find out how much your daily step count helps

Exercise four to five days a week

He divided exercise into two categories, strength training for toning muscles and endurance training for burning calories.

He said, “Two to three days of strength, two to three days of endurance. With respect to strength, any program, any equipment doesn’t matter. Just make sure you stimulate those muscles and for endurance, you can run, cycle, swim, jump, dance… just get your heart rate up, that’s all that matters.”

Maximise lean protein and vegetables in every meal

It’s a no-brainer that every meal should be balanced. The coach pointed out that every single meal majorly should be filled with lean protein and vegetables, regardless of where one resides.

Lean protein is low in calories and has a high concentration of protein. It helps build muscles. Whereas veggies are packed with essential nutrients like antioxidants, vitamins, and fibres, supporting overall nutritional requirements.

ALSO READ: Not losing weight despite strict diet and workout? This common habit may be the culprit

Minimise sweet and fried food

Cutting back on sweet and fried food goes without saying. But Raj Gupta reminded one doesn’t have to completely eliminate. He reiterated that they should just be minimised.

Optimise starch

He said, “Optimise starch consumption because starch is essentially energy without nutrients. So if you’re active have more. if you’re not active, have less.” Starch is a carbohydrate, found in foods like rice, potatoes, bread, and pasta.

Don’t overeat

Overeating is one of the biggest challenges for weight loss. It can be a setback, ruining all the hardwork. Even Raj Gupta highlighted this issue and said, “Irrespective of where you eat, when you eat, what you eat, don’t overeat. And if weight loss is your goal, make sure you undereat by a tiny bit.” He hinted towards a moderate calorie deficit diet for those who wish to shed weight.

Adequate sleep

Adequate sleep is the pillar of good health. For weight loss as well, sleep is important. Raj Gupta advised that one should sleep as much as one needs to feel refreshed the next day. Often sleep is quantified with a number. But this is personal and may vary from person to person. Addressing this, Raj explained that adequate sleep to feel refreshed next day for one person can be 8 hours, for another 6 hours.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

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Fitness

Donald Trump Fitness: Can His Golf Workouts Replace the Gym? Explore Trump’s Golf Exercise Routine and Health Benefits

Published

1 day ago

September 26, 2025

Press Room

Donald Trump Fitness: Can His Golf Workouts Replace the Gym? Explore Trump’s Golf Exercise Routine and Health Benefits

Donald Trump’s fitness routine centres around golf, not the gym. Let’s know how his golf workouts burn calories, improve health, and whether golf can truly replace traditional exercise.

When you consider Donald Trump, you probably don’t think of fitness. Yet, one thing that he always swears by is golf. Beyond being a hobby, Trump uses golf in his leisure a great deal, as a way to stay active, socialise, and keep his body in motion. But here’s the big question: Can Trump’s Golf Workouts Replace the Gyms? Let’s explore his regimen and discover the unexpected health benefits of golf as a form of exercise.

Does Donald Trump Work Out At The Gym?

Unlike several celebrities or political figures who are stuck to a gym regimen, Donald Trump is not known for pumping iron or running on treadmills. Instead, it is his fitness in playing golf that comes first. Trump is said to spend hours of his day at the golf course, walking around, swinging and being active while he is managing both business and leisure conversation. While it may not sound like a real workout, golf requires you to move around, control your posture and your coordination all the time, making it a low-impact exercise for burning calories.

How Many Calories Does Playing Golf Burn?

Yes, and here’s why. On average:

Walking 18 holes may cover 4 – 6 miles.
The number of calories burned by carrying clubs or pushing a cart is 600-1,000 calories per round.
A golf cart even allows golf players to burn up to 300-450 calories because of swinging, short walks, and postural control.

And when you’re an early riser, a workaholic and a frequent visitor to the course, as Donald Trump is, that calorie burn adds up, making golf something of a fitness powerhouse.

Health Benefits Of Trump’s Golf Routines

People grossly underestimate golf, but Trump’s steady play grants him some wrist flexing fitness advantages:

1. Improves Heart Health

Walking the course and swinging regularly provides greater blood circulation and makes the cardiovascular system stronger.

2. Increases Flexibility and Balance

The golf swing to develop: Spine, shoulders, hips, and core. After a certain period of time, repeating the same movements helps your body gain flexibility and balance.

3. Improves Muscles Without Heavy Lifting

While not weight training, swinging a golf club develops arms and shoulders and core muscles.

4. Reduces Stress

Golf is an outdoor game, and it is played in often lush and calm surroundings. For Trump, it’s also a break from the pressures of politics and business, mentally.

5. Promotes Longevity

Studies show that golfers live longer on average due to the combination of moderate physical activity and the provision of relief.

Can Golf Replace The Gym?

This is where opinion becomes polarised. For Donald Trump, golf might be sufficient to get a workout, but for most people, the gym allows for targeted exercises on strength training and cardio intensity which golf simply cannot match. However, golf is an excellent option for those who hate gyms but still desire a regular workout. The combination of walking, swinging, and being outdoors means that this is an effective low-impact workout.

Golf Smart: Maximise Your Workout

If you want to follow in Trump’s footsteps-but maximise the amount of fitness benefits you are getting-try these:

Use your feet to walk the course rather than use a cart.
Carry or use a push cart for your own clubs.
Always warm up before playing by stretching.
Galea does weight exercises, such as squats or push-ups, after golf to try to balance with force.

While Donald Trump is not known for lifting heavy weights or running marathons, his golf workouts keep him active and in shape in a sustainable way that is both fun and engaging. While a game of golf cannot completely take the place of a workout in the gym, it proves that fitness doesn’t always need to come from traditional workouts.

Fitness

Michael Chiklis Had to Get in Football Shape Well After 50. Here’s How He Did It.

Published

3 days ago

September 24, 2025

Press Room

Michael Chiklis Had to Get in Football Shape Well After 50. Here’s How He Did It.

MICHAEL CHIKLIS HAS played tough cops in shows like The Shield and a granite-strong superhero in The Fantastic Four, but the most difficult physical challenge the actor has faced over a long career might just have been playing a regular, real-life guy. That regular guy did something remarkable, however—Chiklis’s most recent film, The Senior, is about 59-year-old Mike Flynt, who suited up for college football as the oldest player in the NCAA.

Stepping into the shoes of this character wasn’t a stretch for Chiklis, who is now 62—he says he was the captain of his football team in high school, so he has the background—but getting in shape for the film well after 50 was a trial. The actor did “about 90 percent” of the football action on screen, so he needed to be able to do more than just look the part. He had to be able to move, too.

How did he do it? A dedicated strength and conditioning plan (and plenty of focused warm-up and mobility). Chiklis stacked up full-body training sessions to prep his body to get into football shape. He did more than just gym training, however; Chiklis says he would often spent 40 minutes in the pool jogging and walked 10,000 steps to raise up his general activity levels.

Chiklis says that overall, the most important part of his training was preventing injury. His priorities are being healthy and strong—both for his career, and for the stage he’s at in life. “If you’re an older person and you’re interested in keeping your body strong and being fit, then listen to yourself,” he says. “Don’t get pulled into the whole machismo crap.”

Check out Chiklis’s breakdown of his routine here.

Michael Chiklis’s The Senior Workout

Lower Body Exercises

Reps or 45 seconds per exercise

Suitcase Squat

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Dumbbell Lateral Lunge

Dumbbell Goblet Squat

Push and Pull Movements

4 rounds of 30 to 40 second intervals

Pushups

Dumbbell Floor Press

Dumbbell Row Variations

Arm and Shoulder Circuit

4 sets of 45 seconds per exercise

Dumbbell Curls

Arnold Press

Triceps Kickbacks

Want more celebrity workout routines? Check out all of our Train Like videos.

Brett Williams, NASM-CPT, PES, a senior editor at Men’s Health, is a certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.

Fitness

How Many Days a Week Should You Do HIIT? A Trainer Weighs In

Published

5 days ago

September 23, 2025

Press Room

How Many Days a Week Should You Do HIIT? A Trainer Weighs In

For some people trying to lose weight, they might find that they’ve plateaued and wonder if there is anything they can add to their workout routine to jumpstart their metabolism. Enjoying a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout a handful of days per week can be just the thing that works.

“If you’re looking to be more explosive, athletic or build muscle, HIIT workouts are best suited to help you do that,” Rafique “Flex” Cabral previously told TODAY.com.

Trainer Tip of the Day: HIIT Workouts 3 Days a Week Boosts Metabolism

A HIIT workout focuses on brief moments of super-intense activity with rest periods sprinkled between the exercise. While the high energy exertion occurs in quick bursts — often 30 to 45 seconds, with rest in between — it demands more of the muscles. This type of exercise builds and maintains lean muscle mass, which can help with weight loss.

“Maintaining a routine that involves HIIT training three to four times a week will help compound that post-workout effect on your metabolism,” Cabral said.

HIIT sparks something called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), which enables people to burn calories even after their workout ends. The American Council on Exercise says that HIIT works best for kickstarting EPOC.

“You will produce an after-burn effects with 25% more calories burned post-workout compared to going for a walk or a run,” Lisa Reed, a performance coach and owner of Lisa Reed Fitness, previously told TODAY.com.

Why It Matters

HIIT’s impact on people’s metabolism lingers for some time — Reed estimates it bolsters metabolism up to 10% for three days after a workout.

Having lean muscle mass helps with weight loss but also promotes healthy aging. People with more lean muscle are less likely to experience falls and engage in their daily activities with ease.

How to Get Started

Dedicating even 20 minutes three times a week to a HIIT workout can lead to boosted metabolism and weight loss. Workouts can be customized to exercise preference and the equipment people have handy.

“You can also keep things interesting by switching up the sequence or swapping out different exercises from strength to high-intensity movement,” Reed says. “HIIT workouts are an excellent way to increase your workout intensity in a short amount of time — 20 minutes or less.”

TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.