Have you been trying to get your ideal body? You weigh yourself and take your BMI, but the results are discouraging.
Both your scale and your BMI are important tools but they can be deceptive. Two people who weigh the same and have the same BMI might have the very different muscle to fat ratios.
If you want good health and a great body, then increasing your muscle mass and decreasing body fat is key. Here are some evidence-based components to ensure you target fat while building muscle.
Proper Nutrition and Supplements
If you want to improve your body’s composition, your diet is key. Here is what science tells us about what can achieve the results you want.
Short-term intermittent fasting
Studies show that intermittent fasting can lead to weight loss. There are many variations. Some people fast every other day, for example, while others have a defined window every day during which they can eat. Those who try intermittent fasting report greater fat loss than those who follow traditional diets.
The caveat is that fasting too long can lead to muscle loss as well as decreased body fat. While short-term intermittent fasting can be beneficial, if you are trying to improve your body composition, you want to avoid longer fasts.
Hormone supplements
Many athletes have noted the improvements in body composition from taking HGH. The effects can be really impressive. That is because HGH stimulates metabolism so that your body stops storing the food you eat as fat. HGH also helps to break down fat stored in cells.
Despite the improvement in body composition, the benefits and side effects of HGH are much broader. Using HGH can help your body to increase lean muscle mass, strengthen bones, repair tissue and burn fat.
Make sure you have balanced HGH levels to get the body you want.
Try calorie restriction
The best way to improve body composition – increasing muscle mass while decreasing body fat – is to get sufficient protein while lowering carbs. However, this won’t do you any good if you are taking in too many calories. You need to lower overall calories, but you want to make sure this leads to losing fat without losing muscle.
While some studies have shown that lowering calorie intake can lead to lower body fat, other studies have shown that those on diets lost more lean muscle than fat. What gives?
The key to having a diet that optimizes your muscle to fat ratio is to eat more protein and fewer carbs. Since a gram of protein has the same number of calories as a gram of carbohydrate, it makes sense to balance higher protein with lower carbs. You get the added benefit that low-carb diets lower appetite so people on these programs naturally eat fewer calories.
Consume more protein
There are three macronutrients that your body needs – protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Of these three, protein is the most crucial when it comes to building muscle. Chances are, you are not getting enough protein to effectively build muscle mass.
How much protein is necessary for people who are trying to maximize their muscle development? For the average person, 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of their body weight is the number to strive for. However, bodybuilders and others who do really intense workouts on a daily basis may need more.
Body Composition Exercises
The goal of your exercise routine should be to lower your body fat while increasing your muscle mass. In order to optimize this process, you need both cardio and strength training.
Cardio
Aerobic exercise helps you burn fat. Cardio gets you to breathe harder and to sweat. These mechanisms get your body to burn more fat while also helping your heart, lungs and muscles to work more effectively.
To start with, you should stick to moderate-intensity workouts. As you get more fit, add some high-intensity bursts to your overall workout.
Strength training
If you really want to change your body composition, you have to include strength training sessions to your workouts. If you are a woman, don’t worry that you will bulk up too much. The best way to get the shape you want is to use weight training as well as aerobics regardless of your gender.
You don’t need a gym membership to include strength training in your routine. The following exercises can be done with just a set of dumbbells:
- Lunges – alternate front lunges or walking lunges both work
- Planks – one of the most powerful core exercises
- Push-ups – either traditional or modified
- Squats with an overhead press
