Give attention to all of the important muscle groups (legs, back, core, chest, shoulders, arms, etc. ) rather than just emphasizing showy muscles like the abs and biceps. Exercises like squats, lunges, rows, dips and shoulder presses that call for a high level of coordination are all excellent for building muscle in different parts of the body. The body constantly uses up calories to maintain muscle tissue, even in a resting state. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you’ll be burning at a given time. [2] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
Your weight training sessions should be relatively brief (no more than about an hour) and emphasize the major compound lifts (squats, deadlifts and benchpress). [3] X Research source Take 2-3 days off per week to rest and give your body a chance to recover.
You will also receive some residual core work from the compound lifts you’re performing to develop your strength and muscle mass (particularly squats and deadlifts). [5] X Research source Localized core training will make the ab muscles more noticeable, but to really start looking ripped you should be certain that you’re working out your entire body, getting a few hours of cardiovascular training each week and sticking to a reduced-calorie diet. 80% of achieving a lean physique lies in nutrition.
Keep your heart rate elevated, but don’t torture yourself. It’s more important to find a pace and intensity that you can keep up for the duration of the workout. Finish your weight training workouts with an hour of cardio. You will have already used up the glycogen in your muscles while lifting weights, so your body will go straight to its fat stores for energy. [7] X Research source Experiment with doing cardio in a fasted state (when you’ve had nothing to eat). For example, go on a short jog first thing in the morning before you eat breakfast. Keep the intensity and length of the workout moderate. Again, with no muscle glycogen to draw from for fuel, you’ll burn pure fat while you exert yourself. [8] X Research source
Tabata-style workouts are done by performing an exercise for 20 seconds, then taking 10 seconds rest. Repeat this sequence 8 times. The entire workout only takes 4 minutes, but you get a ton of bang for your buck. [10] X Research source Apps like Tabata Timer and Tabata Stopwatch Pro make it easy to keep track of your activity and rest intervals using your smartphone. [11] X Research source HIIT training involves exercising with a high pace or intensity for a preselected period of time (an “interval”), then dropping the intensity for a short interval before ramping it back up again. [12] X Research source
The number of calories you should be eating will vary person to person, and depends largely on your bodyweight and composition (people with more muscle mass need more calories to maintain it), activity level and other factors. Talk to your doctor or a nutritionist if you decide to put yourself on a reduced-calorie diet. An expert will be able to tell you exactly how many calories you’ll need to maintain a healthy body composition for your size, age and activity level. They can also provide you with helpful recommendations for food and supplementation. [13] X Research source Use a nutrition app (such as My Fitness Pal, My Diet Coach or Lose It!) or an old-fashioned journal to record the number of calories you consume on a daily, weekly or monthly basis to make sure you’re on track to meet your goals. [14] X Research source
Get your protein from sources like lean meats, eggs, beans, tofu, nuts, etc. Stay away from fried foods, chips and other snack foods. A good general guideline is to get at least 1 gram of protein for every 2 pounds of your bodyweight: if you weight 150lbs, for instance, you should aim for around 75g of protein a day. [16] X Research source Supplementing with protein bars or shakes can help you meet your daily protein needs without requiring you to eat every couple of hours.
Organic foods can be a little more expensive, but they’re worth the benefits they offer you. Each meal will leave you feeling satisfied. Do your shopping and meal preparation in advance. That way you’ll know exactly what’s in the food you eat—you’ll be better able to keep track of calories and other nutrients, and having food on hand when you get hungry will keep you from seeking out unhealthy options. [18] X Research source
Be careful with the amount of bottled juices and even fresh fruit you consume. While it’s better to get your sugar from natural sources, it can add up after a while. Examine food packaging closely at the supermarket. Even non-dessert foods are often saturated with sugar.
Turn off the TV, stereo, phone, tablet and any other electronic distractions when you go to bed to ensure that you fall into a deep, restful sleep. [22] X Trustworthy Source MedlinePlus Collection of medical information sourced from the US National Library of Medicine Go to source If you have trouble getting enough uninterrupted sleep at night, try taking a nap for 20-30 minutes in the afternoon or whenever you have time.
Water should replace sodas, sports drinks, alcohol and other beverages that are filled with carbohydrates from sugar. As a general rule, you should drink when you feel thirsty. Try to get at least ½ to ¾ of a gallon of water per day. When you use the restroom, your urine should be very light in color or clear. [23] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
Leave the cream and sugar out of your coffee and/or tea. This just adds unneeded calories.
To begin intermittent fasting, simply have breakfast as usual, then don’t eat again for 8-10 hours. Alternately, you can begin fasting as soon as you wake up, eating your first meal around mid-afternoon or early evening. Fasting is perfectly safe, as long as it doesn’t turn into starvation. Make sure you eat at least one substantial meal on fasting days to break the fast. High-protein, moderate-fat and carbohydrate meals are perfect for this purpose. [26] X Research source Sit down with a physician or nutritionist before experimenting with intermittent fasting. Discuss which nutrient timing schedules and frequencies would be most advantageous for you. Fasting may not be a beneficial practice for everyone, especially those with hormone or metabolic disorders. [27] X Research source
