One of the fitness goals that most people have is to achieve a muscular body. People do strength training and start gaining muscles. For gaining muscle, you have to increase the calorie intake also. The real challenge for you is that when you increase the calories for muscle growth, you also start gaining fat. So, despite working hard at the gym, taking supplements, and planning your diet, you don’t get the desired results. Here are 7 ways to avoid gaining fat when building muscles.
1. Adequate Protein/Carbs/Fats Ratio :
Understand the ratio between proteins, carbs, and fats(40:30:30). Carbohydrates give you instant energy. So, it is better to consume most of the carbs on days of your workout. It will provide you with instant energy, and you can have a sumptuous breakfast/cheat meals, right after your training. Although carbs are good for giving energy, some people overindulge in carbs than the required amount. So, you must take your carbs only after your workout. Popular carbs include- bread, pasta, oats, quinoa, rice, and potatoes.
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Your meal should also have enough quantities of protein. It provides your body the amino acids that help in restoring and rebuilding the proteins after a workout. At the same time, you should also consume some amount of fat, which most people avoid. As per studies, a small amount of fat after a workout helps in muscle growth. Some people also take anabolic steroids(testosterone) for gaining muscle mass quicker while reducing fat accumulation. You can check with your trainer or look for steroids for sale online to get hands-on some good quality steroids.
2. Move every 30 minutes
No matter how proper your workout routine and meal planning be, if your rest of the day is a sedentary lifestyle, then you tend to put on fat. Sitting for long durations at your desk leads to numerous health risks like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. It also stimulates the release of cortisol(stress hormones), which causes fat storage in the body called visceral fat. This kind of fat exists around your organs and is not easy to burn. So, the best way to avoid it is to get moving every 30 to 45 minutes. Do stretching exercises, aerobic exercises that will help in fat burning, but also keep your muscles intact.
3. Avoid processed foods
Processed foods do nothing good for your body. They increase your calories with no nutritional benefits. Eating a lot of cheese, sugar, corn syrup, trans-fat, frozen meals, and aerated drinks will undoubtedly raise a layer of fat in your body. To increase your muscle mass, without putting on weight, you should take whole foods 90% of the time. Whole foods are unprocessed food items that one must consume in their natural taste. For example- pulses, vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, and eggs. So, include lean meats and vegetables with your every meal.
4. Don’t overdo cardio
Cardiovascular exercises help strike a balance between intensity, duration, and frequency for maximum effectiveness. These include activities like running, rowing, swimming, and brisk walking. Some people believe that doing two to three hours of cardio and starving oneself will burn away the fat. It is a huge misconception, and in fact, too much cardio is not good for your muscles as the muscles start breaking down to release energy, also known as catabolism. It reduces your strength and decreases your metabolic rate. If your metabolism decelerates extremely, then you will face a tough time burning fat. Too much cardio without adequate intake of calories will bring the body to a starvation mode and hamper muscle growth. Therefore, do cardio in moderation to avoid gaining fat and to retain your muscles as well.
5. Exercising Correctly
People going to the gym, who do muscle training, tend to grab heavier dumbells and plates to grow muscles. But just grabbing heavy dumbbells is not enough to gain muscles. Instead of lifting heavy weights, increasing the intensity of training through increasing the number of sets and fewer pauses provide explosive growth to muscles. Exercising faster with more reps increases fat metabolism. Aiming to finish the reps makes a massive difference in burning fat and gaining muscle. More than the weight of the dumbbell, the accuracy and full range of muscle movements are more relevant to burn fat.
6. Get enough sleep
Sleep is crucial for your body to relax and repair the damaged tissues. It has a direct impact on your diet. If you don’t get enough sleep, you might face difficulty in losing weight, and you start weighing heavy. When you are sleep deprived, your body overproduces leptin and ghrelin(hunger hormones). These hormones influence your food intake and body weight. You will have an irregular appetite and a tendency to overeat. Sleep is an essential fat-burning activity. If something interferes with your sleep, then your body will switch out of fat-burning mode. Inadequate sleep will also make you crave sugary food items, which you know is unhealthy and will lead to fat gain. Therefore, you must sleep and give your body adequate rest. To get a night of sound sleep, you can take magnesium supplements, eat salty, fatty snacks items before going to bed.
7. Drink Water
Hydration plays a crucial role in weight loss, muscle function, and digestion. You lose so much water through sweat while working out. Dehydration can reduce your muscle recovery process and hence won’t develop your muscle. You must drink water during and after your workouts to prevent dehydration and control the appetite. When you drink enough water, your stomach sends the signal to your brain that it is full, and you get the feeling of fullness and hence reduces hunger.
Conclusion:
The above are the seven ways to avoid fat when gaining muscle. Your diet plays a vital role in gaining muscle. So, make sure that all your hard work in the gym pays off by eating the right kind of food.