Many of us are stuck in that sticky situation where we don’t quite know whether we want to get a bit bigger to fill out our clothes or slim down to look more defined. Choosing between building fat and losing body fat can be tricky, but thankfully, that’s a choice you don’t have to make. Today, we’re going to look at exactly how you can build muscle and lose body fat simultaneously to look and feel your best.
Diet
When it comes to changing your body composition, the most important factor by fat is going to be your diet, and the overriding factor of eating is calories. In order to gain weight, you need to eat more calories than you’re burning and in order to lose weight, you need to do the opposite.
However, if you’re trying to build muscle and lost fat at the same time, then determining your calories can be difficult. If you want to focus more on losing fat, then enter into a 200 calorie per day deficit. Though, if you want to focus on both equally and don’t mind experiencing slower results, then eating equal calories to what you’re burning is recommended.
Now, the most important thing is to eat at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. As well as this, aim to make the rest of your calories from nutritious, fibre-filled, and natural foods. Good foods for building lean muscle are whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
Exercise
When it comes to exercise, you’ll want to use a plan that increases your strength in the main lifts and focuses on progressive overload. The best exercises to build muscle and lose fat are:
- Squat
- Deadlift
- Bench Press
- Overhead Press
- Bent Over Row
- Chin-Up/Lat Pulldown
Together these hit every muscle in your entire body which will help them to grow bigger and also help you to burn a lot of calories at the same time. Aim to get stronger in the 6-10 rep range of these lifts, slowly adding weight to the bar overtime. If you can’t add more weight, then try to add more reps or sets.
Cardio isn’t necessary, but doing some form of light cardio such as jogging, swimming, walking, hiking, cycling or rowing can help you to lose fat and burn calories whilst building muscle. Though, the priority should be placed on strength training.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking to build muscle and lose fat simultaneously, then the three most important factors are progressive overload, calories, and protein. If you have these three things in check, then you’re well on your way to feeling happier and healthier than you ever have done.
