Last Updated on February 9, 2022 by
We’ve all tried weird and wonderful things in our pursuit of the perfect body. Hot cabbage soup, hot yoga, slimming drinks, slimming pills, slimming groups, meal replacements, meal plans. You get the idea.
But ultimately, a healthy lifestyle all comes down to a healthy, strong body. And that means less body fat and more muscle.
Make 2022 the year you jump off of the dieting yoyo merry-go-round and create that beautiful, sculpted body you’ve coveted. Learn here our five top tips on how to build muscle and lose fat.
Table of Contents
1. Increase Your Protein
Most people aren’t consuming enough high-quality protein. Use an online tool or app to watch your breakdown of macros, and aim to increase your protein intake (while maintaining your daily calorie intake).
If you find it hard to add more high protein foods into your diet, try a good quality protein shake instead.
Alternatively, you could have a protein bar but watch for nutritional information on the labels instead of relying on marketing claims on the front of the package.
2. Monitor Your Calorie Intake
The calories in, calories out model might be widely debunked nowadays in the healthy living community. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you can consume unlimited calories to reduce your fat percentage.
Download a free app to track your calorie intake and add intermittent fasting into your daily routine. 16:8 or 18:6 are effective for most people looking to lose fat.
3. Add More Strength Training
The best way to increase muscle is by adding a regular strength training routine into your weekly exercise routine.
To see results, you want to do strength training at least twice a week, for 30 minutes at a time. Alternatively, go for 20 minutes three times a week.
Try this at home weight training guide for more advice on creating the perfect routine for you.
4. Try a HIIT Routine
Strength training might help you when it comes to building muscle. Still, it’s a high-intensity exercise that will get your heart pumping and push your body to burn through your fat reserves.
In short, think of this process as a two-sided coin, with HIIT to burn fat and strength training to add muscle.
A short HIIT fitness routine is best if you are a beginner, but push yourself to work at high intensity for the whole exercise to get the most out of your workout.
5. Increase Your Resistance
As you improve your strength, you’ll need to use heavier weights to ensure you are still working your muscles as hard as possible.
Choose a weight that allows you to complete 12 repetitions but one where you’ll struggle to do 13 or more.
Don’t forget: you don’t need to invest in expensive weights to try resistance training. You can use your own body too.
Five Simple Steps to Build Muscle and Lose Fat
It’s time to ditch the fad diets and use a proven technique to build muscle and lose fat. Apply these five simple tips as your starting point for achieving that dream body in 2022.
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Read More: 5 Major Benefits of Strength Training