Ripped gym mum urges people to avoid doing one thing to prevent fat gain

Shannon Collins is known for sharing fitness advice online. She recently shared one thing anyone should do if they want to avoid gaining fat and putting on weight

People are always looking for tips and tricks on how to aid weight loss.

But sometimes the key is not in losing weight, as it's also about how we prevent gaining fat. Luckily for those trying to tone up their bodies, a super fit gym mum revealed what you need to do to avoid it.

Shannon Collins, known as @thegymnnurse on Instagram, often shares health and fitness advice online. She boasts a huge following thanks to her handy advice, and said people make a common mistake when trying to get trim.

Many women think they need to go into a building phase (surplus) if they want to build muscle, but it's not as easy as this. She said you need to follow a structured workout plan, as opposed to doing "random" routines.

According to the mum, they also don't understand "progressive overload", and don't push sets close to failure. Many also fail to make sleep a priority, which means they end up building little muscle, and developing mostly fat.

Sometimes Shannon explained you can gain fat in a surplus even if you're "doing everything right" when it comes to putting on muscle. Nobody will only gain muscle by doing this so, if you don't want to gain fat, then going into a surplus may not be the best option for you.

Fat doesn't turn into muscle, so you have to lose any excess by being in a calorie deficit. Most people, she said, just need to focus on building muscle in maintenance.

Shannon wrote: "Are you prepared to add body fat and have to go into a deficit to get it off along with preexisting body fat in the future? This is not a great strategy for MOST women, and many are not training in a way that is conducive to building muscle.

"They do random workouts and do not come close to failure. This type of person never needs to be in a surplus. You need to be patient and play the long game. Nothing is quick about changing body composition.

"Doing a build is definitely a more advanced fitness strategy, and I do believe should be under the direction of a coach if you don’t have experience in this."

Since she shared the post, it's been liked over 1,000 times and her followers were quick to comment too. Many people thought it made sense, and thanked her for the helpful advice.

One person said: "So many don’t know how to properly bulk, either! I love this post as it seems people don’t truly understand the bulk!"

Another wrote: "Love seeing this!! Have considered a surplus but, for all the reasons you mention, it is not super appealing. Will keep working on progressive overloads and challenging myself at the gym while also taking care of my body!"

A third also replied: "This is the info I’ve been needing to read!!! Makes so much sense to me."