Brad Schoenfeld discusses what personal trainers can do to help their clients with weight loss in this session from the NSCA’s 2016 Personal Trainers Conference. Learn about the facts and fallacies of weight loss, as well as what really works.

Dr. Lonnie Lowery spoke at the NSCA's 2012 Coaches Conference on the benefits of good fats and proteins for youth athletes.

This hands-on lecture features Nick Tumminello, who spoke during the NSCA's 2014 TSAC Conference on the programming and use of hybrid strength complexes to lose fat and increase conditioning.

Training Techniques for Optimal Muscle Gain and Fat Loss

Although it may be possible to increase skeletal muscle levels of carnitine by combining it with relatively large amounts of carbohydrates repeatedly throughout the day, or by taking it with choline, there is limited data that shows that carnitine is a fat-burner that results in significant reductions in fat mass.

Brad Schoenfeld, MS, CSCS, CSPS, NSCA-CPT discusses training intensity for maximum results.

This article seeks to explain monitoring body composition, including how to assess it properly for an accurate evaluation to minimize errors in body fat estimation and maximize physical training.

Time-restricted eating (TRE) is an application of intermittent fasting where an individual consumes their calories in a specific eating window (e.g., 8 hours) followed by a prolonged fasting window (e.g., 16 hours). Several randomized controlled trials have analyzed the combined effect of resistance training (RT) and TRE on physical adaptations, including fat mass (FM) loss, fat-free mass (FFM) retention, hypertrophy, local muscular endurance, power, and strength. In this mini review, we highlight the methodology and results from these studies and conclude by providing practical application suggestions for fitness professionals striving to maximize RT + TRE with their clientele. Generally, RT + TRE leads to positive body composition changes, including FM loss and FFM retention, which culminates in improved body fat percentage. Similarly, RT + TRE consistently stimulates positive neuromuscular adaptations, such as increased hypertrophy, local muscular endurance, power, and strength. When positive changes are not observed, and when safely implemented, RT + TRE rarely confers negative effects on the abovementioned adaptations. In short, RT + TRE may be a beneficial dietary and exercise strategy to improve body composition and muscular fitness. However, there are several caveats for practitioners to consider, which are discussed at length in this article.

Diets moderately higher in protein and slightly lower in carbohydrate may be beneficial when it comes to weight loss and improving body composition, as well as for sport performance.

All fitness components depend on body composition to some extent, and the demands of many sports require that athletes maintain standard levels of body composition.