How to Maintain a Single Body Fat Percentage
In order to get your body fat in the single digits, it takes a lot of work, determination and discipline. But once you have gotten there, it is really sweet and you don't want to leave. So with that in mind, I want to give you some pointers on how to maintain this magical feat once you've arrived safely from weeks and even months of sweat equity. Remember one thing though... No matter what anyone tells you, you are not too skinny and you are not too thin. You are lean! Lean is healthy and it feels good. Be proud of it.
Instructions
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Put down the soda. Actually, put down the liquid calories altogether. If you decide to drink soda, beer, fruit juices and heavy coffee related beverages, then you can kiss your low body fat goodbye. These liquid calories add up in a hurry and will think nothing of sabotaging your efforts quicker than a hiccup.
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Keep logging your body fat percentage. Know that you've gotten there, keep checking your BF% at least once a week. You always want to know where you are.
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Monitor your calories. You obviously know how to do this or you wouldn't be in the single digits to start with. Make sure to find out what your daily caloric intake is. If you want to add some calories, then do it slowly but make sure to check your BF% weekly as I mentioned above.
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Keep up the intensity. You still need to train hard. Treat each workout like it's your last. Always go high intensity with short rest periods or active recovery in between sets. This will keep the caloric expenditure up and the adiposity down. Some examples of active recovery would be step-ups on a BOSU, step-ups on a bench, rope jumping, box jumps or any time of balance exercise on the Swiss ball or BOSU. I would do high intensity weight training 3 days a week.
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Run for your life. I would suggest doing cardiovascular exercise 3 days a week. In similar fashion to weight training, aim for high intensity. Try to get a good 60 to 90 minutes of cardio in each session. I would like to suggest doing 3 or 4 different exercises to break up menotony. For example, do a 45 minute interval run, then do 15 minutes of rowing, then do 15 minutes of stair stepping. If you're thirsty for more, then grab a weighted jump rope, and crank out a few 100's.
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Keep drinking water. Make sure to drink close to a gallon of water a day. This is important. It will keep you hydrated and will help to flush out any toxins and impurities from the system. It also helps to rid the body of sodium that causes water retention.
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Tips & Warnings
Doing high intensity exercise will also boost your metabolism for a 24 hour period. This will cause more overall caloric expenditure helping you to maintain single digits.
