DITCH THE DAD BOD

Wellness coach Diego Carrete specialises in helping busy dads get back in shape. His F.I.T Dad programme will help any new dad - or just anyone short on time - to build muscle, lose fat and rebuild their metabolism

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F.I.T: Frequency, Intensity, Time. These are the three variables you need to take into account in order to get permanent results as a busy dad. Train with the right frequency, with increasing intensity and consistently, over a period of time.

“Diego, I would love to have the time to eat healthy and train hard at the gym.” That's what an old mate told me when I bumped into him last week on the street. “Life is just so busy, between family, work deadlines and life... I barely get time to exercise.”

He had gained over 18kg since we last saw each other at uni, and none of that was muscle. New dad, new home, new car, and also new body - but not for the better. He kept asking me how I managed to stay in shape while juggling all the responsibilities that come with life.

He wondered how I could find time to take care of myself, and how many times a week I was training to remain in good shape as a dad.l told him the truth: there is something every dad always runs out of, and that’s time. Which means the everyday dad needs something simple, efficient and easy to track, while also being sufficiently challenging to progress. That's why I created the F.I.T Dad programme. It offers pragmatic and smart routines to save time; increase overall strength; improve core stability; and produce maximum output, by recruiting multiple muscle groups.

The programme consists of three workouts. Each workout takes no longer than an hour to complete, and there’s no specialist equipment involved, so it can all be completed at any regular gym.

KEY POINTS

● Stick with the following three weekly workouts for six weeks, before switching things up.

● Aim to increase the weight load between 5% and 10% weekly.

● Don't spend more than one hour per workout.

● Supplement these workouts with at least two cardio days each week (one high intensity, one slower).