Is it possible to lose fat AND gain muscle at the same time? Short answer: yes!
Many of my clients in Chiswick believe that they have to go through what’s commonly known in the fitness world as ‘bulking’ and ‘cutting’, in order to see the desirable results of a lean and toned physique. Others think that it’s simply impossible because they’ve never been able to achieve their ‘dream body’ despite eating, what they think are, the right foods and training hard. Both can be true if you’ve never been shown how to correctly exercise and properly eat by a Personal Trainer.
If, however, you think this is an easy feat, think again. Losing fat and simultaneously gaining muscle is as much to do with discipline as it is with the physical component. Strong mental rigour will take you far; you need to push yourself to do that extra rep and you need the guts to progressively overload on the weights (which we’ll talk about later). Arguably, self-discipline is needed even more when trying to stick to a bespoke meal plan (something a Personal Trainer with a qualification in nutrition is able to help with) as well as not even glancing in the direction of the snack cupboard!
Now let’s talk about another term you’ll often hear from gym-goers and Personal Trainers: caloric deficit. This is what your body needs to be in to lose fat. In other words, you need be eating less calories than you are expending - your body will start to burn the fat and use it as fuel. The problem with this is that if you are constantly in a state of caloric deficit, you will start to also use muscle mass as energy, thereby negating any ‘gains’ made in the gym.
So, how can you lose fat without compromising muscle size, and building it instead?
The first point of order is to prioritise what you eat. If you are simply eating less of what you normally consume, your body will naturally receive less nutrients and will find it difficult to operate at its optimum level as well as work to rebuild muscle. A specialised meal plan will change the game: a well-created and strategic plan will provide you with all the nutrients you need as well as ensuring you are shedding fat and not muscle. You will also notice that your diet will be much more protein-oriented - this is because muscle is protein and it needs its own building blocks to grow.
The other very important thing to focus on is progressive overload. A good hack is going old-school and keeping a notebook and pen with you in the gym. Buying one designated to keep track of the weight you’re doing on each exercise will help prevent getting distracted, as you’re not using your phone. In general, you should aim to increase the weight by a few kilos each successive week to ensure you progressively overload. When training, you should also be thinking about stopping only when you reach failure or muscle fatigue, rather than always doing a regimental ’12 reps’.
Here at Arrow Fitness in Chiswick our Personal Trainers are level-3 qualified, have a certificate in Nutrition as well as over 10 years of experience working with clients to achieve their goals. Our dedication to helping you on your fitness journey is unparalleled, with various testimonials praising our professionalism and expertise. Let us create tailored plans that suit your lifestyle, your needs and most importantly, you.
If you want to look and feel better, develop self-drive and receive invaluable knowledge, get in touch with us via:
Email: contact@arrowfitness.co.uk
Phone: 07871 201334
or by filling out an enquiry form here.
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