Lose belly fat and gain muscle, can it be done? (muscles, lifting)
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The simple answer to your question is yes. The answer gets more complicated depending on your goals. I don't do bodybuilding, so I can't speak from experience when it comes to anything related to bodybuilding, which would include building maximum muscle mass while keeping body fat percentage low, but bodybuilders will tell you that you cannot gain maximum muscle mass without also gaining some fat, since you have to increase your intake of calories in order to gain weight, including weight in the form of muscle. If you eat more and increase your weight, some of that weight gain will take the form of fat, according to bodybuilding theory.
If you aren't necessarily interested in gaining the maximum possible mass, then it's certainly possible to gain muscle while keeping the fat down and staying slim. To do this, you need to practice several strategies at once:
1) Lift weights. Lift heavy, meaning weights you can lift no more than six to twelve reps max. to exhaustion. Heavy lifting builds muscle mass.
2) Increas your consumption of calories. Also increase your intake of protein. The usual guideline is that the average person needs about 0.8 grams of protein for each kilogram (2.2 lb.) of the person's weight, in order to maintain the body's tissues. If you're trying to gain muscle, increase your consumption of protein by 50 to 100 percent. Practice good nutrition. Eat veggies, fruits, and whole grains, and go easy on the junk food, and then take in somewhere close to double the 0.8 g/kg of protein needed simply for tissue maintenance.
3) Do a moderate cardio workout. Do cardio. It's good for you, and is part of being fit and healthy. Cardio also helps in weight maintenance and keeping fat content down. If you do too much cardio, though, you may burn so many calories that you have a difficult time gaining any kind of weight, including muscle. Start out by doing something moderate, like half an hour of cardio three times a week. Then you can experiment to see how much cardio works best for you to meet your goals of being fit while gaining some muscle. Keep in mind, though, that if you end up doing a lot more cardio than the basic half an hour three times per week, you'll need to consume a lot of calories, and a lot of protein--somewhere up in the neighborhood of 2 g/kg--along with some regular heavy lifting, if you're going to gain muscle while burning as many calories as you will burn with intense cardio.
I have some fat on my belly and just want to get rid of that, turn it into a six pack, and build muscle elsewhere all at once, if possible.
NUTRITION:
Eat clean, nutritious food.
Eat a balanced diet.
Make sure to get enough protein for building muscle. The standard recommendation just to maintain the muscle you already have is 0.8 grams of protein for each kilogram of your weight (1 kg = 2.2 lb.). Consume one and a half to two times this amount of protein, which will support an increase in muscle mass. Eating ore than twice the protein needed for maintenance may mean you're shorting yourself on other nutrients you need for a balanced diet, but when you're trying to add muscle you do need to consume somewhat more protein than just the amount needed for maintenance.
Don't starve yourself, because you need calories to gain any kind of weight, including muscle. I'm not suggesting that you stuff yourself until you're uncomfortably full, but do eat your fill . . . of the right kinds of foods.
EXERCISE:
Avoid doing lots and lots of cardio the way you would if training for a marathon, because you may burn so many calories it will be difficult to eat enough to make up those calories you burn through exercise and also take in enough additional calories to support the addition of muscle mass. However, it would be good do a medium to moderately substantial amount of cardio to contribute to overall fitness, and help burn calories so you trim fat.
Lift heavy weights. Do a well rounded weight workout that works all parts of the body. Focus most on lifts involving compound movements, which are especially good for developing the body's large muscles.
I Heard "The Truth About Abs" by Mike Geary has a good ab program for men and women who want to lose stomach fat. They claim there are 7 Foods you can eat that KILL stomach fat whether you exercise or not. They have a free video you can watch at [URL]http://www.truthaboutsabs.com[/URL] How to Lose Stubborn Belly Fat, Get Flat Sexy Six Pack Abs the Right Way[/url], Good Luck and God Bless!
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7 Odd Foods that KILL Belly Fat
