Easy Tips for Losing Fat and Building Muscle

Dec. 6, 2011 - PRLog -- Lessen cardio to build

Low to moderate intensity cardio is best to build muscle while still promoting a healthy heart. Even though cardio exercise is absolutely beneficial for overall wellness, performing high intensity cardio 4-6 times per week is counter-productive to increasing muscle mass. If you do cardio while attempting to build muscle, it must be done at a low intensity. Cardio burns excess calories, and if you are not careful, you will burn some muscle too.

Time your meals to burn up more fat

Meal composition and timing can play a big role in your capability to burn body fat. If you do your cardio in the early morning, do it immediately upon rising, without eating. Take a diet/energy formula with caffeine just before your cardio to assist mobilize fat for energy. Research shows that caffeine can assist you burn more body extra fat during exercise than without it by mobilizing fat for energy. Do your cardio 2-3 hours after your pre-workout meal. Make your pre-workout meal low in high glycemic carbs to reduce insulin spikes and to maximize fat burning. After your workout, try sticking to a relatively low glycemic meal. This may help keep the fat-burning hormones, like glucagon, elevated and fat-promoting hormones, like insulin, in check. Consuming your last meal at least two hours before your cardio session and making sure that your pre- and post-workout meals are low glycemic will help you burn more calories from fat and keep your energy level from crashing.

Burn more excess fat with morning exercise

A study at Kansas State University looked at the kind of calories you burn while working out in a fasted state as well as in a fed state. The results revealed that you burn the same quantity of calories in a fasted state as in a fed state. But those fasting prior to exercising burned a greater amount of fat than those who ate their last meal up to an hour and a half before exercising.

Other advantages to morning cardio include increased energy throughout the day and increased metabolism (calorie burning) during waking hours. Exercise experts agree that having exercise in general is far more essential than the time of day you do it. While getting up early to do your cardio may help you burn up more excess fat calories, evening cardio is also beneficial and should not be discounted. When you exercise in the evening, your metabolism still gets elevated, you burn fat, and your heart advantages too.

Meal timing to develop muscle

Building muscle means eating high quality calories in order to increase muscle mass. Eat a lot of high quality protein throughout the day as well as before and after your workout routines.
Start your morning hours with a high protein meal supplement shake. Next begin your morning exercise. If you work out in the evening, eat quality calories including protein, complex carbs, and essential fats before you begin. This is totally different than trying to burn fat where you would avoid eating before cardio.

Latest study by Tipton displays that getting 30 grams of whey protein (containing 15 grams of essential amino acids) before and after your workout can boost protein synthesis by 400%! Additional research shows that consuming a protein/carbohydrate beverage, like a meal supplement powder drink, immediately after workout can boost muscle protein synthesis greater than one consumed several hours later. Subsequent post workout meals should contain a combination of high quality protein and complex carbohydrates like vegetables, yams, etc.

Building muscle is a blend of proper training, high quality, well thought-out nutrition plans, and adequate rest and recovery time. Thanks for reading, you can also visit my site: forzat5.blogspot.com