Getting Lean the Right Way: Safe & Effective Training Strategies To Lower Body Fat %

For youth footballers striving for elite performance, body composition plays a role in speed, agility, endurance, and overall movement efficiency. However, the pursuit of lower body fat can sometimes go too far - leading to unhealthy obsessions, body image issues, and even performance decline.

The goal should never be to chase an arbitrary body fat percentage but instead to focus on training and nutrition, with optimal body composition developing as a natural byproduct of consistent, structured work.

Body fat is not the enemy - it serves essential functions, including hormone production, joint cushioning, and energy storage. Too much body fat can slow a player down, but too little can negatively impact recovery, endurance, and injury resilience. 

Optimal Body Fat % Ranges for Youth Footballers

For youth footballers, maintaining a healthy body fat percentage is about balancing performance, health, and recovery. Excessive body fat will hinder speed and explosiveness, while too little fat can harm energy levels, hormone production, and overall resilience to training loads.

General Optimal Body Fat % Ranges:

• Male youth footballers (9-18 years old): 8-15%

• Female youth footballers (9-18 years old): 12-22%

  
  

Girls naturally have a higher percentage of body fat due to hormonal differences, which support growth, reproductive health, and recovery. This does not negatively impact performance when within a healthy range.

The Athletic Advantage of Shedding Excess Fat

When players lower their body fat percentage within a healthy range, they can expect to see improvements in:

• Explosive speed, acceleration and jump height

• Agility and quick changes of direction

• Stamina and endurance

• Strength-to-weight ratio, improving overall athleticism

Fat loss isn’t something that happens overnight. It requires consistent training, proper nutrition, and patience. Players should avoid trying to shed fat too quickly, as this can lead to muscle loss, injury, and mental fatigue.

Why Running Is Not an Effective Fat Loss Strategy

Turning to long runs when trying to lose body fat is common, however this strategy is not only inefficient for footballers but can also be counterproductive. Here’s why:

• Hormonal Impact: Long, steady-state runs increase cortisol (stress hormone) levels, which can cause the body to hold on to fat, especially around the midsection.

  
  

• Muscle Breakdown: Prolonged endurance running without adequate recovery can lead to muscle loss, which lowers metabolic rate and reduces strength and power.

  
  

• Lower Overall Energy Output: Sprint-based and resistance training workouts lead to a much higher calorie burn during and after exercise, thanks to the EPOC effect (afterburn effect).

  
  

Instead of long runs, footballers should focus on:

• Strength training: Increases muscle mass and resting metabolic rate.

  
  

• HIIT and repeated sprint training: Burns more calories in less time while improving match fitness.

  
  

• Fasted walks (optional addition): Encourages fat metabolism without interfering with training recovery.

What Is The EPOC Effect?

The Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) effect, is the process by which the body continues to burn calories at an elevated rate after exercise has ended. This happens because high-intensity workouts create an oxygen debt that the body must repay. During exercise, particularly during intense strength training or HIIT (high-intensity interval training), the body consumes large amounts of oxygen to produce energy.

After the workout, oxygen consumption remains elevated as the body restores itself to its resting state, replenishing oxygen stores, repairing muscle tissue, and clearing metabolic byproducts. This means that even after the session is over, the body continues burning calories at a higher rate for hours - sometimes up to 24 hours post-exercise.

Compared to steady-state cardio (like long-distance running), which mainly burns calories during the session itself, HIIT and strength training provide a more efficient fat loss stimulus while also preserving muscle mass, making them the smarter choice for footballers looking to improve body composition without sacrificing performance.

Why Strength Training and Optimised Nutrition Is The Most Effective Fat Loss Strategy

As mentioned, many players looking to lower body fat make the mistake of focusing on cardio, cutting calories too aggressively, or doing random high-rep workouts that leave them exhausted without driving the right adaptations. There is a smarter way, through both football-specific strength training and nutrition.

1. Strength Training Boosts Fat Loss Without Sacrificing Power

• Higher muscle mass increases resting metabolic rate (RMR), meaning the body burns more calories even at rest.

  
  

• Strength training preserves and builds lean muscle, ensuring fat loss doesn’t come at the expense of strength, power, or speed.

  
  

• Strength training reduces body fat without triggering the same stress response as excessive cardio, keeping cortisol levels lower and preventing unwanted fat storage.

  
  

Instead of just burning calories during a workout (as running does), strength training increases long-term fat-burning capacity, helping players get leaner without losing explosiveness or stamina.

2. Nutrition Determines Whether Fat Loss Happens at the Right Rate

• A small, controlled calorie deficit (if needed) allows for gradual fat loss while maintaining muscle strength, endurance, and recovery.

  
  

• Protein intake is key to ensuring muscle isn’t lost when body fat decreases.

  
  

• Carbohydrates are essential for match performance - players who cut carbs to lose fat end up fatigued, slower, and struggling to recover from training.

  
  

• Hydration and sleep play a crucial role in fat metabolism - dehydration or lack of sleep can actually lead to fat retention and slower progress.

• Focus on nutrient-dense foods like lean meats, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.

  
  

Players don’t need to count calories obsessively, but they do need to ensure they are eating enough to fuel performance while keeping processed junk foods, excessive sugars, and unnecessary liquid calories in check.

Why This Approach Works Better Than Just Running or “Fat Loss Workouts”

1. More Effective Fat Loss: Strength training + good nutrition creates a lean, athletic physique naturally, without overloading the body with excessive cardio.

   
   

2. Better Long-Term Results: This method doesn’t rely on unsustainable dieting or endless running, which often leads to burnout and poor recovery.

   
   

3. Injury Prevention & Athletic Development: A stronger, leaner player is also a faster, more resilient player who can handle the physical demands of football.

   
   

The Challenge of Measuring Body Fat Accurately

When it comes to tracking fat loss in footballers, scales are not the answer. Body weight alone tells you nothing about whether the weight you’ve lost is fat, muscle, or even water.

A player could step on the scales and see a drop in weight, but if that loss has come from muscle rather than fat, their performance on the pitch will suffer. Additionally, scales are influenced by time of day, hydration levels, and food intake.

Weigh yourself in the morning after a night's sleep, and you’ll likely weigh less than after a meal or after a training session when your body is holding onto more water. These fluctuations can make daily weight measurements meaningless and even discouraging, especially for youth players who don’t fully understand what those numbers mean.

Instead, skinfold measurements taken by a qualified coach or sports scientist are a more reliable way to estimate body fat percentage. These measurements focus on specific fat sites on the body and can give a better indication of changes in fat stores over time. However, even these can be subjective and require consistency in how they’re taken.

For most youth footballers, the simplest and most practical way to track fat loss is by monitoring how they feel, move, and perform on the pitch. Are they feeling lighter, faster, and more energetic? Are they able to sprint repeatedly without tiring? These are the types of performance indicators that matter far more than a number on the scales.

It’s important to note that fat loss is not the same as weight loss. Many mainstream fat loss strategies aimed at the general public - such as low-calorie diets or fasting protocols - are not suitable for footballers, particularly youth athletes. These methods can negatively impact energy levels, recovery, and growth, all of which are essential for on-pitch performance.

For footballers, the goal should be lowering body fat while maintaining muscle mass, strength, and energy levels. This can be achieved through smart training, balanced nutrition, and consistent recovery - not by following fad diets or relying on weight loss-focused strategies that are designed for a different demographic altogether.

Managing Stress and Its Impact on Fat Storage

One overlooked factor in fat loss is stress and anxiety, which can cause fat retention due to elevated cortisol levels. When stress is high, the body goes into a survival state, storing fat (especially around the midsection) and breaking down muscle tissue for energy.

To keep cortisol levels in check and optimise fat loss:

• Prioritise sleep: Lack of sleep increases stress hormones and disrupts metabolism.

  
  

• Reduce anxiety about body image: Focusing too much on fat loss can actually be counterproductive.

  
  

• Follow a structured programme: Knowing exactly what to do eliminates stress and second-guessing.

  
  

• Incorporate active recovery: Low-intensity activities like mobility work, stretching, and breathwork help lower stress and improve recovery.

  
  

By reducing stress, fuelling properly, and training smartly, players allow their bodies to burn fat efficiently without compromising performance or health.

The Sustainable Approach: Strength, Nutrition, and Long-Term Consistency

For footballers, fat loss shouldn’t be a standalone goal - it should be a natural outcome of effective football-specific training and a well-balanced diet, which can be tilted in favour of fat loss as required. The best approach isn’t chasing a number on the scales or cutting calories aggressively. Instead, building strength, training explosively, and fuelling the body properly will naturally lead to an athletic, powerful physique that enhances performance.

By staying consistent with strength work, optimising nutrition, and keeping stress levels low, players can achieve the best version of their body composition - without damaging their health, performance, or mindset.

If you would like an S&C and nutrition plan for your son or daughter which implements everything outlined above, click the image below:

References

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8. Phillips, S. M. (2014). A Brief Review of the Influence of Exercise on Skeletal Muscle Protein Synthesis and Breakdown: Implications for Research Design. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 28(3), 710-717.

   
   

9. Gist, N. H., et al. (2014). The Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Skeletal Muscle Adaptations and Fat Loss. Journal of Applied Physiology, 116(8), 928-936.

   
   

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11. Harrison, C. L., et al. (2019). The Role of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in Fat Loss and Cardiovascular Health. Journal of Sports Nutrition, 62(5), 203-212.