6 Tips To Burn Fat And Gain Muscle At The Same Time
Although most of us are skeptical when it comes to this topic, it is indeed possible to burn fat and gain muscle simultaneously. Here’s how.
Setting fitness goals for yourself is a great way to not only get in better physical shape but to bring your energy levels up as well.
Sometimes it can be hard to decide on what those goals are though. Should you lose weight, or build muscle?
While the two are mutually exclusive, you actually can burn body fat while gaining muscle!
If this is something you’re interested in, there are some tips that can help you do just that.
How To Burn Fat And Gain Muscle Simultaneously
You need to keep in mind these muscle building tips if you aim to burn fat and gain muscle at the same time:
1. Use Protein Supplements
As you might already know, a lot of the gains you can expect to get from any workout routine are tightly related to the nutrients you intake during the day.
Getting plenty of protein in your diet is incredibly important for building muscles, but it’s also a good way to make your body spend more calories while digesting it.
If this isn’t something you’ve done before, you might think that quality supplements might make a considerable dent in your personal budget, but as these Muscle Nation coupons prove – that isn’t always the case.
Because supplements have become so popular – due to their effectiveness but also thanks to fitness influencers being much more transparent about their use – the market has become extremely competitive in recent years.
This means that you can get your supplements way cheaper than before. It also means that you can find a lot of different high-quality items with no trouble at all.
Whether you prefer whey, custard, or any other type of protein supplement – there’s a wide variety available for you to choose from.
2. Keep A Small Calorie Deficit
Usually, when you want to lose weight, you think of restricting your calorie intake. However, burning body fat is not the same as simply losing weight – you want to do it in a much more productive manner.
There’s not much point in seeing the numbers go down when you step on a weighing scale if you’re losing muscle weight. That’s why it’s important to ensure that you’re eating in a way that makes your calorie deficit relatively small.
That way, you’re still going to have a lot of energy, and it’s going to be much easier for your body to preserve and build its muscle mass while burning the fat off.
3. Start Lifting Weights
As you probably know already, the most effective way to improve your personal fitness levels is resistance training.
Weight lifting doesn’t just mean getting better at doing bicep curls until your arms explode – though if that’s what you enjoy, go with it!
However, when it comes to simultaneously burning fat, you might want to focus on full-body exercises.
It’s difficult to overstate how beneficial lifting weights can be for your body in general – as long as it’s done safely.
While it’s great to push yourself to the limits from time to time, for this fitness goal, you might want to go with lower weights and more reps.
That way, you’ll be able to build muscle while also stimulating the circuits that help you burn fat in a more efficient manner than before.
4. Don’t Go Overboard With Cardio
While cardio is an important part of your routine, it can also be counterproductive. While you might think that the more calories you expend while working out, the better – that’s actually not always the case.
When it comes to losing weight and building muscle at the same time, having a good heart-to-muscle ratio is very important.
You might want to consider incorporating jogging as a part of your warmup routine or having a cardio-focused workout one to two days a week while doing strength exercises two to three times per week.
That way, your body will have enough energy to build new tissue without exhausting itself.
5. Get More Sleep
Speaking of energy, you need to ensure you get enough rest while on this regiment.
As mentioned before – building muscles isn’t easy on the body, so it’s important that you get plenty of sleep while also getting a healthy amount of exercise.
Even if you’re generally used to getting 6 hours of sleep per night, you should try to make it 8 hours during this time.
This is key to keeping your hormone levels in check while also boosting your metabolism and allowing you to get the most out of your workouts.
The last thing you want is to lose motivation due to lack of energy, or even worse – getting sick because your immune system is suppressed due to sleep deprivation.
6. Try Intermittent Fasting
If you’re not happy with the speed at which your results are showing, you could also consider intermittent fasting. This involves alternating the fasting and eating windows.
It can be done in a number of ways – only eating in an 8-hour window during any given day, and fasting for the other 16 hours. Or you can combine that with one to two days per week where you take no more than 500 calories in total.
However, the latter option isn’t recommended when you’re on an intense workout regimen, as you might lack sufficient energy.
That’s why it’s a good idea to stick with the 16/8 method – as long as you don’t eat junk food daily, this should be more than enough for you to reach your goals.
The Takeaway
If you’re ready to drop some excess weight and build more muscle in the process, follow these six muscle-building tips.
And don’t forget about measuring your progress by taking measurements of your body at regular intervals while you’re on this journey!
Seeing evidence of the progress you’re making as you’re making it can be a great motivator, especially when your goal is to burn fat and gain muscle mass simultaneously.
