THE EASIEST WAY TO BURN FAT AND BUILD MUSCLE

Right off the bat I have to confess, the title of this post was meant to suck you in! My second confession; it’s not easy to build muscle!  If it was, we would all be sporting huge biceps and 6 packs. However building muscle can be made easier if you have the required knowledge at your fingertips, this will save you from mistakes, injury and shylocks marketing miracle pills and gym equipment. Today I want us to go back to the basics on how to get the best out of our workouts, I don’t know what your focus or routine is, but I do know principles that work.

When it comes to building muscle, there are numerous theories, methods and preferences, whether the goal is improved health and fitness or aesthetics, there is no shortage of advice to get you there. So much advice in fact that it can get complicated and confusing! Today I want to give you the basic facts, getting stronger doesn’t start and end in the gym, how you eat, manage your day and even sleep all count.

If you are tired of failing, tired of starting a workout routine and then giving up, if you want to see consistent results then I recommend these tips to burn fat and build muscle, trust me, have I ever steered you wrong?

Thanks, and have a great weekend!

PROTEIN IS REQUIRED:

It is vital to eat protein with every meal as it helps to build and maintain muscle, now I know it can be a bit expensive but it gets the job done. You should eat at least 2 grams per kilo of bodyweight; this should be spread over all your meals during the day. Note; more is not necessarily better, excess animal protein consumption has been linked to kidney stones.

ALSO CARBS:

Forget that crap about carbs being bad for you, without carbohydrates you have little energy and little energy translates to shitty workouts! If you avoid carbs because of weight gain, your body will just use protein and your muscle for fuel. However be very selective in your carb sources, shun rice, pasta, white bread and indomie as much as possible and go with complex carbs like sweet potatoes, yams, beans, whole grain oats and garri as much as possible. Just be sure to watch your portions.

SLEEP IS IMPORTANT:

It is difficult to build muscle without adequate sleep; you should aim for at least 7 hours a night or more. Sleep is when most of your hormones such as growth hormones and testosterone are released, allowing your body to recover and grow. Without adequate sleep, you are sabotaging your efforts to build muscle and grow.

ROUTINE IS NOT YOUR FRIEND

I like training at the same time every day, that’s cool, routine however, is not! You should aim to change your workouts at least every month. Have you noticed how a certain exercise stops hurting after about 3 weeks? Your body has adapted and become better at doing it, that’s cool, but the down side is that your muscle building efforts will slow down considerably. So have at least 3 workout routines that you can alternate between for 3 month. These should cover all body parts.

WOMEN, DON’T BE SCARED TO LIFT WEIGHTS! :

This goes out to my friend Chinenye! A lot of women lose out on the benefits of weights and a little muscle building due to the fear of getting bulky or muscular. Nothing will help you burn fat faster than weights, and contrary to popular belief, women will not get overly muscular unless they take steroids or other harmful supplements, women simply lack the testosterone to put on that type of muscle.

TIME YOUR MEALS TO MAXIMISE RESULTS:

After an intense workout, your body needs nutrients and fast! Some people make the mistake of eating meals late after a workout, they get so tired that they just crash and sleep! That’s a mistake! The body requires fuel at this critical stage, and will feed on your muscle stores if there is no glucose in your muscles, be sure that the sooner you refuel your tank, the quicker your muscles will recover and grow. Make sure you eat your most carbohydrate heavy meal immediately after your workout to replenish your energy stores.

LIFTING WEIGHTS IS NOT THE ONLY WAY:

Don’t get me wrong, I love weights. There’s something about pushing metal that is basic and natural to every man and makes us feel powerful. However, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. Don’t limit your muscle building activities to the gym alone, you can build muscle by carrying buckets of water upstairs, carry wood (yes!) if you have old SUV or trailer tires try raising and flipping them. There are countless ways of building outside the gym and you should explore them, the best out of gym muscle building exercises are those that mimic every day movements.

YOU NEED INTENSITY:

Without intensity in your muscle building workouts, you have nothing. Intensity in the gym means being totally focused on what you are there to do and achieve, you have to forget all problems with your wife, boss or family! You have to dump your smart phone and talk less! Don’t be that guy who plays with his phone for 2 minutes between sets, you’ll lose the focus and intensity required to build muscle. Rest and talk should be at a minimum and just concentrate and feel your weights. You can always talk and take your next selfie for instagram after your workout is completed.

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO BUILD MUSCLE:

That’s right, it’s never too late. Case in point? Sylvester Stallone, he is 70 years old and in some ways he’s stronger than he ever was at 20 year of age! The thing is as we age, our bones get brittle, the only way to stave this off is to lift weights, and it will strengthen your bones and build muscle. We tend to lose muscle mass as we age, starting in our thirties and especially as we hit our fifties. However with strength training we can retain mobility and independence for years to come.

Thanks and have a wonderful weekend!