Zane Griggs
Following my passion for fitness and long term health, I’ve pursued a career as a fitness trainer since 1998. While working with many, different people I found that the standard dietary guidelines were not effective for most of my clients to achieve their weight loss goals. This motivated me to look for more progressive sources of information about how our bodies respond to food to help my clients achieve both optimal fitness and longevity.
I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to work on seasons 1 and 4 of ABC’s Extreme Weight Loss to help two participants reach their goal of losing half of their body weight over the course of a year.
In early 2019, I completed my first book “Low Carb Lifestyle & Weight Loss Made Simple” which is available on Amazon. Yes, it’s a long title but it’s a quick read.
Though originally from California, a little over 20 years ago my wife Danielle and I decided to make Nashville, TN our home where we have raised our four children. Our desire to stay engaged with our kids motivates us to maintain an optimal level of health and fitness as we age.
I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to work on seasons 1 and 4 of ABC’s Extreme Weight Loss to help two participants reach their goal of losing half of their body weight over the course of a year.
In early 2019, I completed my first book “Low Carb Lifestyle & Weight Loss Made Simple” which is available on Amazon. Yes, it’s a long title but it’s a quick read.
Though originally from California, a little over 20 years ago my wife Danielle and I decided to make Nashville, TN our home where we have raised our four children. Our desire to stay engaged with our kids motivates us to maintain an optimal level of health and fitness as we age.
My Approach to Fitness After 40
As I got older I found that what I ate and when I ate it had much more of an impact on my body composition and how I felt than it had in my 20’s and 30’s. My diet wasn’t bad in my 20’s and 30’s, in fact it was very good but it became clear that a better strategy was needed if I was going to maintain a body fat percentage in the single digits and consistent energy into my 40’s and beyond.
While actively balancing work obligations and family time I was happy to get to work out 3-4 hours a week so my eating plan had to be the primary tool for fat burning and sustainable energy.
I had been recommending a low carb diet for my weight loss clients since 2002 when my wife followed one to lose weight after giving birth to our third child. I personally ate a low carb or carb cycling diet as well but in my late thirties, around 2009, I began introducing intermittent fasting into my routine. If you’re not familiar with intermittent fasting it generally has two main, short term fasting schedules of either a 24 hour fast, 1-2 times a week or a 16 hour fast and 8 hour eating window on most or all days of the week.
Over the last decade I have found intermittent fasting to be the most powerful technique for burning body fat whether the goal is general weight loss or to build a lean, muscular physique. The long term, anti-aging benefits of fasting can’t be overstated as seen both in clinical research and in specific cultures around the world. I currently use both the 24 hour fast and the 16:8 time restricted eating methods as part of my regular schedule.
I also use fasted workouts, working out before eating that day, to enhance the benefits of improved insulin sensitivity and fat burning metabolism from the fast. With the increased insulin sensitivity, the response of muscles to the post workout meal is also increased.
Intermittent fasting and fasted workouts, along with some training techniques that increase fatigue and intensity during my workouts, are what allow me to maintain a single digit body fat percentage in my late 40’s while only working out 3-4 hours a week and they are the primary components of the Optimized Alpha program.
It’s the most effective and efficient fitness routine I’ve personally experienced. I spend less time prepping food and eating as well as less time in the gym which gives me more time to focus on my business and my family.
I’ve written about this approach in more detail in my e-book “Restoring Your Edge, Optimal Fitness For Men Over 40” which you can download for free.
If you would like to know more about the Optimized Alpha program please reach out to me. I’m happy to discuss it with you to see if it would be a good fit for your needs.
While actively balancing work obligations and family time I was happy to get to work out 3-4 hours a week so my eating plan had to be the primary tool for fat burning and sustainable energy.
I had been recommending a low carb diet for my weight loss clients since 2002 when my wife followed one to lose weight after giving birth to our third child. I personally ate a low carb or carb cycling diet as well but in my late thirties, around 2009, I began introducing intermittent fasting into my routine. If you’re not familiar with intermittent fasting it generally has two main, short term fasting schedules of either a 24 hour fast, 1-2 times a week or a 16 hour fast and 8 hour eating window on most or all days of the week.
Over the last decade I have found intermittent fasting to be the most powerful technique for burning body fat whether the goal is general weight loss or to build a lean, muscular physique. The long term, anti-aging benefits of fasting can’t be overstated as seen both in clinical research and in specific cultures around the world. I currently use both the 24 hour fast and the 16:8 time restricted eating methods as part of my regular schedule.
I also use fasted workouts, working out before eating that day, to enhance the benefits of improved insulin sensitivity and fat burning metabolism from the fast. With the increased insulin sensitivity, the response of muscles to the post workout meal is also increased.
Intermittent fasting and fasted workouts, along with some training techniques that increase fatigue and intensity during my workouts, are what allow me to maintain a single digit body fat percentage in my late 40’s while only working out 3-4 hours a week and they are the primary components of the Optimized Alpha program.
It’s the most effective and efficient fitness routine I’ve personally experienced. I spend less time prepping food and eating as well as less time in the gym which gives me more time to focus on my business and my family.
I’ve written about this approach in more detail in my e-book “Restoring Your Edge, Optimal Fitness For Men Over 40” which you can download for free.
If you would like to know more about the Optimized Alpha program please reach out to me. I’m happy to discuss it with you to see if it would be a good fit for your needs.
