You’ve probably heard about the benefits of working out and eating well. But how do you combine those two things to build muscle without adding belly fat?
Here are some tips to help you achieve your goals:
Make sure you’re getting enough calories. If you’re trying to gain weight, it’s important to consume more than what you burn each day. To calculate your daily caloric needs, use this formula: Calories Needed Basal Metabolic Rate + Activity Level × 0.25
Focus on quality over quantity. While there’s no doubt that consuming lots of food is necessary for building muscle, it’s equally true that junk food won’t help you reach your fitness goals.In fact, it can actually hinder your progress. Instead, focus on whole foods that contain high amounts of protein and healthy fats like fish, nuts, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, pork, yoghurt, cheese, avocado and olive oil.
Don’t forget carbs. Carbs provide energy to muscles during workouts, helping you perform better and recover faster. They also help maintain blood sugar levels, making it easier to avoid fatigue and cravings throughout the day.
Lift heavy weights. When you lift heavier weights, you’ll work harder to complete a set.
The Long Game
When people say they’re trying to “tone,” what they really mean is they want to reduce their body fat percentage. But how do you know if you’re losing fat and building muscle at the same time? And what does that even mean?
Your weight loss goals are probably pretty simple: You want to lose weight. If you’re looking to tone down some extra flab, here’s what you need to know about building muscle and losing fat at the same time.
Body recomposition is the term used to describe the situation where someone loses fat and gains muscle at the same time. This is because both processes require energy.
If you want to build muscle, you must eat more calories than you burn off each day, and if you want to lose fat, you must consume fewer calories than you expend.
The key to achieving body recomposition is being patient. Your metabolism slows down during periods of starvation, meaning that it takes longer to break down food and turn those nutrients into usable fuel.
In addition, your body needs time to grow new cells, and that requires protein. So if you want to lose weight and build muscle at the same time without starving yourself, you need to give your body time to work out the kinks.
Compound Exercise
When it comes to your workout routine, there are two types of goals you want to achieve: muscle gain and fat loss.
If you’re looking to build lean muscle mass, you’ll want to focus on compound movements like squatting, deadlifting, bench pressing, overhead presses, and pull-ups.
These moves work multiple muscles simultaneously, meaning you’ll see greater progress faster.
If you’re trying to lose body fat, however, you’ll want to shift your attention toward isolation exercises like bicep curls, triceps extensions, chest presses, shoulder shrugs, and leg presses.
These exercises isolate one specific group of muscles, allowing you to target and strengthen each individual area without affecting others.
Eating Right
Training for a clean bulk is just half the battle. Most of your results come from eating well and good nutrition comes down to one word—quality.
Protein ffom real food is the best way to eat. Foods such as seafood, lean meat, nuts free range eggs, & beans. Should you include protein shakes and bars?
The advantage of choposing protein form real foods is that they contain essential vitamins and nutrients, that are super beneficial for health.
There are also foods you should avoid if you want to build muscle mass. For example, even though they taste amazing, fast food burgers aren’t exactly healthy.
In fact, they can actually lower your metabolism and sabotage your efforts to lose weight. So next time you crave a juicy burger, skip the bun and opt for something healthier. Here are some tips to help you choose a better option:
Avoid trans fats. These fatty acids tend to clog up arteries and increase cholesterol levels. Instead, go for natural monounsaturated fats found in avocados, almonds, and olive oil.
Choose lean proteins over fatty ones. Chicken breast, turkey, salmon, tuna, and shrimp are all low in calories and high in protein. And since lean meat takes longer to cook than fatty meat, it won’t spike your blood sugar level.
Swap out unhealthy ingredients for healthier options. For example, swap regular ketchup for tomato sauce, use mustard instead of creamy dressings, and try soy sauce in place of buttery sauces.
Stick to vegetables and fruits. Vegetables are packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. Fruits contain tons of water, fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and essential nutrients. Plus, they’re naturally sweet, making them perfect for dessert.
Don’t forget carbs. Whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa, and oatmeal, are full of fiber and complex carbohydrates. Complex carbs keep you feeling fuller and energized throughout the day, while simple carbs give you quick bursts of energy.
Limit sugary drinks. Sodas pack a lot of empty calories and can wreak havoc on your waistline. Opt for water, unsweetened tea, coffee without cream, seltzer, and diet soda instead.
Hit The Weights
The best way to build muscle mass is to lift heavy weights. You’re looking for high intensity training as this is where you really see growth. It’s recommended you lift three times per week, one set of 10 reps each session.
For example, you’d do five sets of bench presses, resting 90 seconds between each set. If you’re just starting out, try to keep it under 60 minutes. If you’ve been working out regularly, increase your weight slowly over time.
Conclusion
With patience and will power it is possible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time and the body of your dreams is totally achievable if you eat clean and exercise regularly.
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