How To Gain Muscle And Lose Fat
Every muscle trainer has some idea of how to gain muscle and lose fat. Generally speaking, it revolves around working out harder, cutting down on fat and junk food intake, and ensuring you train hard and heavy with the right amounts of protein vitamins and minerals. Most of us would agree that bulking up and getting the pounds on is the easy part of training.
Losing fat is the challenging part of the equation because it involves dedication and loads of self discipline.
The more muscle you gain the more fat you lose and burn. Our Muscles require three times more energy to operate functionally than fat does. How to gain muscle and lose fat is in no small part about increasing lean muscle mass.
Additionally, its about maintaining a disciplined diet. This is often the challenging part in learning how to gain muscle and lose fat as it requires us to reduce our desires for high fat and high sugar foods like candy, soft-drinks, desserts, bread and alcohol. Refined sugars and grains are not recommended in a muscle building lifestyle.
A resistance program to that focuses on how to gain muscle and lose fat involves exercises for every muscle group in the body; back, chest, shoulders, legs, arms and core/abdominals. You need to make a disciplined commitment to your life and training to gain muscle and lose fat. I recommend an hour of pumping iron 3 days a week.
If you are a beginner, you will need to seek the advice of a personal trainer on the best way for in how to gain muscle and lose fat. The trainer at your local fitness center will be more than happy to help you along the way. They can write up a personal training routine that will suit your personal needs, requirements, and specific fitness goals.
After over twenty years of training in gyms, the best advice I can offer is ‘less is more’ when it comes to working out. Your body requires rest to grow muscle. To learn how to gain muscle and lose fat you need to train hard and eat a balanced high protein, low fat diet with plenty of fresh food and vegetables.
Below is a 3 day a week work out program I personally recommend as a good starting point that shows you how to gain muscle and lose fat that will give you the added benefit of plenty of rest inbetween your workout sessions for you to grow. This workout is primarily focused on free weights and maximizing your time in the gym by using basic movements.
• Monday – Workout focus is chest, shoulders, triceps.
– Bench Press – 4 sets of 10 reps
– Parallel Bar Dips – 4 sets of 10 reps
– Incline Dumbell Bench Press – 4 sets of 10 reps
– Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press – 4 sets of 10 reps
– Upright Rows – 4 sets 10 reps
– Seated Lateral Raises – 3 sets 10-15 reps (strict movement)
– French Press – 4 sets 10 reps
– Close Grip Bench Press – 3 sets 10 reps
• Wednesday – Workout focus is on legs and abs.
– Squats – 5 sets of 10 reps
– Leg Press – 5 sets of 10 reps
– Calf Raises – 5 sets of 10-20 reps
– Sit-ups – 6 sets of 10-20 reps
- Dumbbell Side-bends – 4 sets 10-20 reps
• Friday – Workout focus is on Back and Biceps.
– Pull-Ups (vary width/grip) on chinning bar – 4 sets 10+ reps
– Lat Machine Pull-Downs (vary width/grip) – 4 sets 10 reps
– Seated Rowing with cable-and-pulley – 4 sets 10 reps
– Bent Over Rowing (strict form) with barbell – 4 sets 10 reps
– Biceps Barbell (alternate dumbbells) Curls – 5 sets 10 reps
Diet – The challenge to grow muscle and lose fat.
Protein – 25% of calories from eggs, red meat, chicken and fish.
Carbohydrates – 40% of calories from fresh fruits and vegetables. No potatoes or rice. Fats and Fibers – 35% of calories from natural fats, soluble oils and fibrous fruits and vegetables.
Supplements – Protein powder, amino acids and vitamins. Don’t get carried away here either. Find a good balanced protein powder with all the ingredients above and don’t get caught up in the next ‘magic bullet’.
Conclusion
Keep it simple: Train hard. Train smart. Use basic movements when learning how to gain muscle and lose fat. They work best. Eat healthy. Eat regular small meals (4-8 a day). Steer clear of isolation exercises – they waste your time and effort! On your rest days go for a walk or do some bike work.
This routine will ensure your muscles get a good work out and you won’t over-train. It will give you PLENTY of rest and enable you to see and learn how to gain muscle and lose fat. Start working towards improving your body, health and lifestyle right now!
