Gaining muscles and losing weight simultaneously are the twin goals of weight training and physical conditioning. Experts call this ‘body recomposition’. Though gaining muscles while losing weight is not always easy, it is necessary for maintaining overall health and wellness. As aging affects the strength of the muscles, maintaining muscle mass and strength is crucial. It also improves overall health and supports metabolic activities. There are both workouts as well as dietary plans for body recomposition.
Though body recomposition is not a simple process, you can achieve your goals by making slight changes in your existing diet and workouts. Everyday activities also contribute to burning calories. Here are some tips to gain muscle while losing weight.
1) Aim for calorie deficit
A calorie deficit will help prevent muscle loss when you are focusing on losing weight. However, the experts say that your goal shouldn’t be losing more than 1 to 2 pounds a week. Also going below 1,200 calories a day can lead muscle break down muscle. The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) recommends aiming for a 500 calorie deficit when people are trying to lose body fat or weight.
2) Try Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is a good option for preserving and gaining mass strength while losing weight. This option also supports metabolic activities and metabolic flexibilities (switching between carbs and fat). When you combine this type of fasting with strength training, your body will tend tp activate the process of burning leftover carbs stored overnight as well as increase the chance of burning fat in the morning.
3) Strength Training
Experts recommend including weight training sessions at least two days a week to maintain existing muscle mass as well as at least three times a week to build muscle. Exercising this way will work in multiple muscle groups at the same time. Examples of strength training exercises include squats, chest presses and rows.
4) Cardio Workouts
When you start prioritizing strength training exercises, you can also start thinking about performing cardio exercises. Low-intensity cardio activities such as walking, jogging, gentle cycling, and swimming increase blood flow throughout the body and increase the supply of oxygen and other nutrients to the muscle cells.
5) Stay hydrated and get enough rest
Just exercise will not help to meet your goal. For that, you need to stay hydrated. Experts recommended drinking at least a gallon of water a day to support the effort of losing fat and gaining weight.
In addition to these strategies, it is necessary to give your body sufficient rest as the muscle fibers experience significant stress during muscle building workouts. Stress at work and in your personal life can have a huge impact on your recovery and the capacity of your body to return to the gym for a workout session the next day. Sound sleep at night is essential for your overall wellbeing. An average adult should get at least 7 to 9 hours sleep every night. You can also practice stress relieving activities like meditation for relaxing your body.
In our next blog, we will discuss foods that can build muscle as you lose weight.
