Follow These to Burn Fat While Retaining Muscle Mass

When someone goes to a gym or exercises at home, they strive to achieve one of the two goals. Either they try to lose fat or gain muscle mass. Now, there is a third option that one must consider. For instance, if you’re training for abs, then you can feel the hardness of the muscles on your stomach. However, when you stand before the mirror, your abdominal muscles don’t appear chiseled. The problem is a layer of fat that covers the muscles on your core like a curtain. You can incorporate cardio exercises to get rid of that fat. Then again, cardio can make you lose your muscle mass if you do it wrong.

 

Strength with hypertrophy

 

So how are you going to utilize cardio that you lose fat without hampering the hard-earned muscle? Well, there are some techniques that you can follow to achieve this. First of all, you need to combine strength training with hypertrophy. Lifting heavy in singles, doubles, or triples depends on your neural drive. It is the speed at which you shift from type 1 to type 2 muscle fibers. Recruiting all your muscle fibers is a necessity to maximize growth. However, this technique isn’t going to be of much help in the cutting phase. You should combine both if you wish to create an intense workout. Break your exercises down to five repetitions, three repetitions, and then two repetitions. In doing so, you’re utilizing heavy free weights to pack on muscle but doing more reps than before.

 

Slow cardio

 

When you are eyeing fat loss, it is mandatory for you to incorporate cardio. Naturally, you have to get in line for a crack at the cardio gym equipment. Many trainers and fitness enthusiasts will recommend High-Intensity Interval Training for fat loss. Though, it tends to be a bit more intense than regular cardio. You should stick to regular aerobic exercises and do them at a slower pace than usual. Try to run on an inclined treadmill or ride an exercise bike. If you can stay moderate with your cardio, then you will lose fat without burning away your muscles. As long as you go slow and steady, you will utilize only the type 1 muscle fibers.

 

Eating and drinking

 

Well, if you are an ardent fitness enthusiast, then you understand the importance of diet. If you want to build muscle, then twenty percent of the venture depends on what you do at the gym. Everything else constitutes what you eat. Without adequate quantities of protein, all your efforts are going to slip down the drain. You must consume one gram of protein per pound of your bodyweight. Eat nuts, eggs, lean meat, fish, and protein supplements. You should also drink BCAAs or Branched Chain Amino Acids. They are almost free from calories, and they energize you for the workout. BCAAs can prove excellent for those who are in the cutting phase.

 

Carbohydrates and sleep

 

All exercise freaks harbor all their anger against carbohydrates. However, you shouldn’t get a divorce from this nutrient. A renowned cardio gym equipment manufacturer says that you should eat carbs after a workout. It is mandatory, especially for those who are lifting heavy. If you starve your body of carbohydrates, then it will hamper your exercise routines. Since your body’s metabolism goes high after a workout, it requires starch to recover. You shouldn’t deprive your body of sleep either because recovery is crucial when you’re trying to cut. After all, your body has to deal with the tremendous stress of calorie restriction and lifting heavy weights.