Getting in shape isn’t just building your muscles up. In order to reach your ideal physical fitness look, you should focus on not only building muscle but leaning out and eliminating fat. If you are working out and building muscles but continue to retain the fat that you have on top of it, then you won’t be able to see the definition.
In order to get to your maximum lean potential all you need to know is a few old tricks that have been around in the fitness and diet world for a long time. Here are some of the most effective ways to eliminate fat and increase muscle.
Exercise Regularly
Going to the gym is something that is proven to work. By getting up and working a sweat every day, you will be burning extra calories that otherwise would have just turned into fat.
When you work out your body starts burning fat and when you burn enough calories, you will find yourself consuming less overall since calories you have worked off several hundred at the end of a workout.
If you don’t have a gym membership consider trying a workout DVD at home or walking around your neighborhood every day. Whatever you do just make sure that you are working up a sweat and your heart rate is elevated.
Intermittent Fasting
Taking small breaks from eating between 16 and 24 hours is something that is referred to as intermittent fasting. When you enter this period of fasting your body burns fat rather than food. When you do this several times a week you will enter a caloric deficit and start losing weight at a moderate speed.
Many people think that if you stop eating your body will think it is starving and lose muscle, however, this has been disproven by many studies. Not only will you not enter a starving state but you will start to build more muscle since your body produces the human growth hormone in a fasted state.
Cut Back On Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates in and of themselves are not bad. However, when you eat too many carbohydrates throughout the day they tend to encourage weight gain. This can be a good thing for those looking to gain, however since your goal is to lose, it is best to follow a low carbohydrate regime rich in fresh fruits, protein, and vegetables.
Cut Out Alcohol
Alcohol can be one of the biggest culprits when it comes to losing motivation on your diet. When you drink you are consuming hundreds of extra calories which have no nutritional value.
You will find that you also tend to cheat on your diet when you are under the influence of alcohol since your inhibitions are down and your judgment is impaired.
