By Phillip Kniep (originally published 2/9/2021, 4 Keys to Burning Fat)
Seventeen years ago, I hung up my football pads for the last time. For almost a decade, I had been chasing size and strength, forcing myself to keep a playing weight that allowed me to crash into some of the biggest, toughest athletes in the country. When that chapter closed, I was left with extra weight that wasn’t healthy, and I knew I needed to change.
Like most people, I thought the answer was hours of cardio and whatever new diet was trending at the time. I ran, I restricted, I pushed myself to exhaustion — and I still didn’t see results. It wasn’t until years later that I finally cracked the code and discovered a system that worked, not just for me, but for the athletes and everyday people I now coach.
If you’ve been putting in the effort without seeing results, I get it. The road to fat loss can feel bumpy and discouraging, especially when you’re trying to figure it out alone. But here’s the good news: burning fat doesn’t have to be complicated, and the benefits are worth it. A leaner, healthier body means less risk of chronic disease, better sleep, more energy to play with your kids or pets, improved mental health, and simply feeling better in your own skin.
So let’s cut through the noise. Here are the four keys that actually work when it comes to burning fat.
Key #1 – Hire a Coach, Set Goals, Develop a Plan, and Commit
Most people don’t struggle because they’re lazy — they struggle because they don’t have a clear plan or anyone to hold them accountable. That’s where coaching makes all the difference.
- Hire a nutrition coach. A coach helps you cut through the confusion, set realistic goals, and stay on track. When I was preparing for my last CrossFit Games qualification, having a nutrition coach was the breakthrough I needed.
- Hire a fitness coach. Exercise can feel overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. A coach designs a programme that matches your goals and shows you how to move safely and effectively.
- Commit. This is the part only you can do. Write your goal down, tell someone you trust, and remind yourself often: a goal without commitment is just a wish.
At Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness, this is exactly what our coaching staff does — we help you make a plan, stick to it, and finally see progress.
Key #2 – Prioritise Your Nutrition
Here’s the hard truth: you can’t out-train a bad diet. Working harder in the gym won’t undo poor eating habits, and most people who stall in their fat loss journey fall into this trap.
Food is more than fuel — it regulates your hormones, repairs your muscles, impacts your mood, and helps you recover. When your nutrition is on point, fat loss accelerates, your workouts feel better, and your energy improves.
Three simple steps you can start today:
- Swap starchy or sugary foods for vegetables and fruit.
- Replace sugary drinks with water or tea.
- Increase your daily protein intake to support muscle and recovery.
These small changes compound quickly. Get your nutrition right, and you’ll spend less time in the gym while seeing better results.
Key #3 – Build Muscle
One of the biggest myths in fitness is that lifting weights makes you bulky. In reality, building muscle is one of the most effective ways to burn fat and achieve a lean, athletic look.
Why? Because muscle increases your resting metabolic rate. That means you burn more calories all day long — even when you’re not working out.
Here’s how to do it:
- Lift heavy weights. Challenging your muscles is what drives growth and fat-burning.
- Focus on multi-joint, functional movements. Think squats, deadlifts, presses, and pulls — movements that train your whole body and mimic real-life activity.
- Train like an athlete. Sprinters and running backs are great examples: lean, strong, and explosive. Olympic lifts, sprints, and fast, powerful movements deliver huge fat-burning benefits.
Unless you’re deliberately training like a bodybuilder, you won’t suddenly “bulk up.” What you will do is build strength, longevity, and a body that works (and looks) better.
Key #4 – Train with Intensity
If your goal is fat loss, intensity matters more than endless workouts. High-intensity training pushes your muscles and metabolism in a way that keeps burning calories long after you’ve left the gym.
- Do high-intensity interval training (HIIT) two to three times per week. These short, hard efforts — lasting from seconds to minutes — torch calories and stimulate fat loss for up to 72 hours after you finish.
- Mix in longer endurance work once or twice a week. Endurance workouts do burn calories, but they’re best used as recovery tools alongside your higher-intensity sessions.
This balance keeps your body progressing without burning you out.
The Bottom Line
Fat loss doesn’t come from guesswork, fad diets, or endless cardio. It comes from a simple, structured plan: get coaching, prioritise nutrition, build muscle, and train with intensity.
It’s not easy, but it is achievable — and the benefits extend far beyond looking good. You’ll have more energy, more confidence, and a body that’s built to last.
At Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness, we’re here to guide you every step of the way with nutrition coaching, personal training, and group CrossFit classes designed around these four keys. You don’t have to figure it out on your own.
COACH PHIL KNIEP – Previous Owner & CEO of Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness
Precision Nutrition L1 Coach
CrossFit Level 3 Trainer
Endurance Certified
Mobility Certified
Scaling Certified
3x CrossFit Games Qualifier