When you look at yourself in the mirror, you are often disappointed with the results, and, as you sigh, you start dreaming of a fairy touching you with her magical wand and turning you into a magazine cover model, or at least of a really efficient program to teach you how to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.
If the part about the fairy can only remain what it is, a beautiful dream, the other part has every chance of turning into reality. Nowadays, technology and science have evolved so much that it is really possible and handy for anyone to obtain amazing results within the shortest time possible. It is not about resources, it is mainly about using the right approach, following the most effective program, and taking the right measures to make sure the results last for a long period of time.
In the past, all these things were mostly a matter of money. However, the competition on the weight loss market is currently so tight, that prices are going down with the speed of light and some of the most effective programs become bargains.
Therefore, how would you feel if you found out you can look at your best fast and with no significant financial investments? Does it seem too good to be true? Are you worried the results will only last for a short period of time? Are you tempted to say that there is no way to do that?
Well, there is, but it takes commitment, willingness and ambition. Have you got what it takes? Have you decided that you really want to look in the mirror and say a loud “Wow” to yourself? Then you are ready to find out how to lose fat and gain muscle!
Once you know what you really want and you are committed to your goal, it’s all about being very well organized and following a three phase plan:
Dieting
Cardio exercise
Weight Lifting
Technically speaking, losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time is impossible because, in order to gain muscle, you should consume more calories than you usually do and lift weights, but more calories mean more fat.
In order to lose fat you have to ingest less calories, which contradicts our starting point. At first sight, it may seem that luck is simply is not on your side, as you cannot possibly intake more calories and less calories at the same time.
But, if you follow a “chain plan” you can actually forget about luck or anything else and learn how to lose fat and gain muscle by being well organized. And no, a chain plan does not mean chaining yourself so that you eat less. It means that you can go from diet to cardio and from cardio to weight lifting respecting a certain frequency and some simple rules.
How to Lose Fat and Gain Muscle by Dieting
Scientific studies have shown that a group of women, who did weight lifting exercises for 8 weeks and did not diet, ended up with 2.4 pounds more in muscle mass and no fat loss, and another group of women, on a low calorie diet with the same exercise program, ended up with only one pound more in muscle mass, but with a lot less fat over the same period of time! So, yes, it does take patience, but it’s really worth trying because the results can be really amazing!
Still, if you really want to accelerate the process, the best solution in terms of how to lose fat and gain muscle is to alternate low calorie diets with high calorie ones, for example 3 weeks of the former and one week of the latter or 5 days a week of the former and 2 days per week of the latter, which is more recommendable, because low calorie diets can be really difficult to bear on long term.
You can find out about the best diets on the internet, talking to a nutritionist or to your bodybuilding trainer.
How to Lose Fat and Gain muscle with Cardio
We all know that this type of exercises is one of the best fat burning solutions and the results can really be startling if you combine them wisely with dieting and weight lifting.
Alternation is the basic principles of any program focusing on how to lose fat and gain muscle efficiently. If you follow a weight lifting program, you can choose to workout longer on the treadmill, let’s say 45 minutes walking. If you do not follow a weight lifting program, you can choose a faster and more challenging cardio program, alternating sprints with short periods of walking or jogging.
How to Lose Fat and Gain Muscle with Weight Lifting
It is highly important that you do 3 sessions of weight lifting a week, one every two days, and it is of the same importance to do this training in the late afternoon/evening, so that you allow your body to burn fat during the day.
Whether it is a 30-40 minute program or a 60-90 minute one, the best way is to combine the exercises so that you do not put only your leg or arm muscles to work that day.
There is another important aspect of how to lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously, namely the ideal combination of weight lifting devices:
- Dumbbell Chest Press
- Pull-Up or Pull-Down
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- Seated Row or One Arm Row
- Squat
- Deadlift
- Incline Crunch
The longer the workout, the more repetitions you will have to perform. Do not forget about taking breaks between your workout sessions in order to hydrate yourself and allow your body to get used to the effort.
Indeed, living in the 21st century is a blessing. You can make your dreams come true, you can achieve the results you could only hope for in the past, and you can be proud of what you see in the mirror.
A little research on how to lose fat and gain muscle and a considerable dose of commitment and hard work are all you need!