Build Muscle and Lose Fat at the Same Time - Is This Possible?
This is a devout wish of every fitness enthusiast I know: to build muscle and lose fat simultaneously.
To put things on the right basis we have to observe that the above goals are to a certain extent contradictory and the reasons for this are among else: - Fat loss needs a catabolic environment, induced either from food reduction or from fat burning exercise increase(cardio,etc).
- Muscle building on the contrary necessitates a caloric surplus, a positive nitrogen balance of course plus a drastic cut in cardio.
So logic and experience dictate the dissociation of the two goals and their fulfilment in distinct phases.
This might not be obligatory for complete novices,anabolic users and a very limited number of gifted people.
But for ordinary people it is difficult to kill two birds with one stone except if...
(we will come back in a minute.
) Now, the difficulty of this undertaking does not justify the mindless pigging out and the silly body weight yo-yo effect on part of many exercisers.
It simply does not make sense with all this knowledge and available know-how,since it is well documented that frequent body weight ups and downs will incur serious,undesirable consequences for the future! The procedure should be mild and under full control.
The strategic weapon here is nutrition, the right manipulation of which can effect wonders.
Two things of utmost importance will be: * The minimization of fat consumption during the bulking periods or mini-periods.
* And the minimization again of lean muscle mass loss during the cutting periods.
The method I follow to stay lean and defined all the year round.
Adopt this method and forget about bulking,cutting and the yo-yo effect! You can combine excellent muscle definition with a decent muscle volume all year round.
1.
Divide your program into muscle building days and fat loss days.
Adjust your workouts accordingly.
2.
Mix aerobic and anaerobic exercises in the same workout.
Still better opt for compound exercises which recruit big muscle groups and combine the aerobic with the anaerobic element.
3.
Your workouts should be short--40' to 45' everything included--but really tough.
Intensity is crucial and the main factor for a real body metamorphosis.
4.
Your main exercise menu should consist of: - Total body circuit weight training.
- Total bodyweight training.
- HIIT and mainly sprints-even better hill sprints-,stairs climbing etc.
5.
However intensely you exercise do not forget that an impeccable nutrition is the king: - Create a mild caloric deficit for your fat loss days.
Do the opposite for the muscle building days.
- Eat not less than 2gr of protein/kg of body weight.
Try only clean sources to minimize fat intake.
This is crucial.
- Eat a lot of fibrous vegetables and mainly cruciferous.
- Give extra emphasis to unsaturated and omega-3 fats.
- Totally avoid liquid calories(minimal satiation).
- Minimize the consumption of cereals,dairy products and starchy vegetables.
Diet is crucial! Respect it and avoid cheat days! Cheat whom? Yourself? This is for children,not for real women and men! To your health Chris Strogilis
To put things on the right basis we have to observe that the above goals are to a certain extent contradictory and the reasons for this are among else: - Fat loss needs a catabolic environment, induced either from food reduction or from fat burning exercise increase(cardio,etc).
- Muscle building on the contrary necessitates a caloric surplus, a positive nitrogen balance of course plus a drastic cut in cardio.
So logic and experience dictate the dissociation of the two goals and their fulfilment in distinct phases.
This might not be obligatory for complete novices,anabolic users and a very limited number of gifted people.
But for ordinary people it is difficult to kill two birds with one stone except if...
(we will come back in a minute.
) Now, the difficulty of this undertaking does not justify the mindless pigging out and the silly body weight yo-yo effect on part of many exercisers.
It simply does not make sense with all this knowledge and available know-how,since it is well documented that frequent body weight ups and downs will incur serious,undesirable consequences for the future! The procedure should be mild and under full control.
The strategic weapon here is nutrition, the right manipulation of which can effect wonders.
Two things of utmost importance will be: * The minimization of fat consumption during the bulking periods or mini-periods.
* And the minimization again of lean muscle mass loss during the cutting periods.
The method I follow to stay lean and defined all the year round.
Adopt this method and forget about bulking,cutting and the yo-yo effect! You can combine excellent muscle definition with a decent muscle volume all year round.
1.
Divide your program into muscle building days and fat loss days.
Adjust your workouts accordingly.
2.
Mix aerobic and anaerobic exercises in the same workout.
Still better opt for compound exercises which recruit big muscle groups and combine the aerobic with the anaerobic element.
3.
Your workouts should be short--40' to 45' everything included--but really tough.
Intensity is crucial and the main factor for a real body metamorphosis.
4.
Your main exercise menu should consist of: - Total body circuit weight training.
- Total bodyweight training.
- HIIT and mainly sprints-even better hill sprints-,stairs climbing etc.
5.
However intensely you exercise do not forget that an impeccable nutrition is the king: - Create a mild caloric deficit for your fat loss days.
Do the opposite for the muscle building days.
- Eat not less than 2gr of protein/kg of body weight.
Try only clean sources to minimize fat intake.
This is crucial.
- Eat a lot of fibrous vegetables and mainly cruciferous.
- Give extra emphasis to unsaturated and omega-3 fats.
- Totally avoid liquid calories(minimal satiation).
- Minimize the consumption of cereals,dairy products and starchy vegetables.
Diet is crucial! Respect it and avoid cheat days! Cheat whom? Yourself? This is for children,not for real women and men! To your health Chris Strogilis
Source...