One of the great mysteries of the world is how to effectively burn fat while gaining muscle at the same time. That seems to be a conflicting phenomenon, but your body can surely accomplish it if you do the right things.
The body is a super complex structure with thousands of metabolic processes going on in sync with one another as we think, breathe, move, sleep, eat, and all other activities. If the body is so intricately put together with all these functions going on at the same time, it should be able to accomplish burning fat while gaining muscle at the same time right? There are so many sources out there that will tell you there is only ONE solution and they know the secret. That could not be more false. There is not one supplement, prescription pill, magic diet, or any other single thing that will make it fast and easy. The hardest part about learning what you can do to lose fat and build muscle is sifting through all the garbage that is out there that will promise you an extremely simple solution with their product or diet. Now don’t get me wrong, some supplements may help. But there is no easy way. Lets break it down, but try to keep it as simple and practical as possible.
To lose fat one of the most popular answers is “eat less and exercise more”, or “eat less calories than you burn exercising”. That is a super simple answer. Science says you need to burn around 3,500 calories to burn off one pound of fat. To build muscle on the other hand you need to consume 2,500 calories to build one pound of muscle. This makes things a little more complicated because those two statements contradict each other on the amount of calories you need to eat. Don’t get too frustrated though. There are 3 very basic things that you need to obtain this goal:
Resistance training with either weights, bands, or body weight will break down your muscle tissue. That is a good thing!!! In order to build up muscle, you have to break it down first. It’s as simple as that. The program that you partake in may vary in thousands of different ways which is a whole different topic. The bottom line is that at you have to do some form of resistance training. I would also recommend doing it at LEAST 4 days a week to see good results. The next step after breaking the muscle down is to eat the right things in order to build it back up.
Nutrition in this equation is the second most important factor. Every scientist, pharmaceutical rep, supplement retailer, and personal trainer may tell you that they have one specific thing that you MUST add to your diet in order to solve all your problems like magic. Don’t fall for it. You will most likely waste your money on a supplement that probably doesn’t even contain half of what’s on the label. There are also extreme diets that I would recommend you avoid. Some will have you completely cut some things out of your diet, like carbs. Some may have you eat only one specific thing all day. Either way you have a great chance at getting fed up, burnt out, and going right back to whatever you were doing in the first place.
Your daily nutrition can look a number of different ways, but use moderation. I would recommend HIGH PROTEIN intake with your resistance training regiment because you need to give your body the building blocks necessary to build your muscles back up. You should also CUT CALORIES out of your diet. If you refer back to the beginning where I said you need to burn around 3,500 calories to burn one pound of fat, it makes sense that if you want to burn fat you need to decrease the amount of calories that you intake. In my experience that doesn’t mean you have to measure out every single piece of food that put into your body. You just need to make little smart decisions that you know will decrease your calorie intake like eating smaller portions, or limiting intake of foods that you know are high in calories. Your body will not change over night, so you need to stick with it and realize that those small decisions will add up.
If you are serious about burning fat and building muscle at the same time your mentality is probably the most important factor. Realize that there is no easy way, short cut, or magic solution. You have to be dedicated and be prepared to fight for your fat loss and muscle gaining goals. Also, be hungry to learn more. I would encourage you to read multiple other articles to get other view points about this subject. Everyone is different and not everyone’s body will react the same. Start with ANY kind of plan that includes lots of resistance training, high protein, and less calories. Make little changes and see what works or doesn’t work with your body. If you want to try supplements then that’s fine. They are called supplements for a reason though. They are meant to supplement your daily nutrition and workout to give you greater gains, not make magic so you can take the easy way out.
Some supplements that I would recommend are simple whey protein. Look into this especially if you are a vegetarian, or it is hard to get a lot of protein in your diet. You can not build muscle effectively without the protein building blocks. If you have trouble fighting the cravings of high calorie foods or reducing your portion sizes, you may want to look into supplementing your daily diet with fiber that can help you feel fuller longer. Caffeine is also a good supplement that boosts your metabolism which, not to mention it can give you that extra push to go get your workout in.
If you want to burn fat while gaining muscle, this is a great way to get started. Everyone’s body reacts slightly differently to certain amounts of training and types of food. Start a workout with these suggestions and then adjust it and see what small changes work best for you. Let us all know about your fat loss and muscle gaining accomplishments and share this article with your friends that might want to accomplish the same goals.
About Adam Pegg
