A few weeks earlier, I published a post about loosing weight and being healthy without Dieting .While that post talked primarily about loosing body Fat without dieting, here I talk about converting that fat into 100% Muscle.
Regular readers of my Health blog will know that I believe in Methods that can be implemented over a longer span of time. This can be acheived by converting the method into a habit which ultimately gets reflected in your Lifestyle.
Build Muscle. Hit the Gym more often than not. Do barbell exercises like Squats, Deadlifts, Overhead Press that hit several muscles at the same time.Start with an empty barbell. Learn the exercise technique. Increase the weight gradually.
The Muscle building method will not be effective if you do not eat properly. Keeping in mind the 10 Diet tips and ways to increase your metabolism , Keep the following quantities in mind :
- Water. 1 liter per 1000 calories you use.
- Protein. 1g/lbs daily. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, etc.
- Veggies. All kinds, especially green ones.
- Fat. Balance omega 3, 6 & 9 intake: fish oil, saturated fat & olive oil.
- Fruit. All kinds. Eat veggies and/or fruits with every meal.
- Whole grain food. Oats, rice, pasta, breads et al.
Cut calories. Track your food intake using Fitday. Start eating 18x your current body-weight in lbs. A week later: reduce 500kcal. Check the balance one week later again. Did you lose weight? If you did, keep eating the same amount of calories. If not: reduce another 500kcal.
Cardio. Do 30 minutes of cardio after your strength training. Three times a week at moderate intensity will do. The goal of cardio is to burn fat, not to exhaust yourself. You should breathe heavier than when at rest, but not gasping.
Whatever you do: don’t starve yourself. Fat is emergency storage for your body. If you don’t eat, your body will hold the fat and burn muscles. That’s the opposite of what you’re after. Only cut calories if you don’t progress.
Women. Building muscle, losing fat and strength training for women is same as for men. The only difference is women have other hormonal profiles than men. Meaning women will always have less muscle mass and more body fat than men.
But the approach is the same. Follow these tips and you’ll get results. You won’t get bulky if you don’t overeat and stay away from steroids.
Motivation. The best way to keep yourself motivated is to set goals & track your progress. The classic scale is not your best tool. Here are better ways.
- Fat measurements. Measure your body fat weekly using a tape.
- Pictures. Take pictures every 4 weeks.
- Blood test. Check health improvements.
- Strength stats. Keep a training journal. More strength is more muscles.
- Weigh scale. Only use it once a week.
Expectations. Don’t believe the hype in the magazines. You won’t get ripped in 8 weeks. However you can build muscle and lose fat in 8 weeks.
8 weeks is a start. It learns you that you can transform your body if you want to. One of my readers lost 35lbs fat & built 18lbs muscle in 9 months at age 54. You can do it. If you want to.
~ Hope you build lots of Muscles, Reid.
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September 10th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
[...] have always believed in forming good Diet and exercise habits. In my last post, I talked about Converting Fat to Muscle . This post should serve as a complimentary post and help you in kick starting the exercise [...]