A Blueprint for Muscle Building and Weight Loss Success

When you think about muscle building, you probably imagine these huge bodybuilders with bulging bodies that look like they’re about to explode. In reality, developing your muscles is highly beneficiary to your body, allowing it to renew itself and to function at its best. Bodybuilders are athletes working for specific goals, with highly competitive and intense routines and you don’t need to get to where they are to have a muscular, toned and healthy body.  You can achieve this simply by lowering your body fat and increasing your muscle size and mass. It is not an impossible mission and the benefits will impact your life in a tremendously positive way.

So, whether you are unhappy with the way you look or you just want to be in better shape, you should invest some time and thought on coming up with a proven and effective muscle building program that will fit your exercise needs and your daily routine. It doesn’t matter if you are a guy or a girl, or if you’re younger or older. We were all built to move and it’s time to get fit and healthy.

Some Benefits of Regular Workouts at High Intensity

Just in case you still don’t know the many benefits of exercise and, more specifically, of weight and strength training, here are a few:

– It battles most symptoms of old age;
– It increases your energy levels;
– It reduces bone deterioration and osteoporosis by building bone mass;
– It prevents the loss of muscle mass, increasing strength and the ability to function;
– It balances your insulin levels;
– It boosts your metabolism, by burning fat;
– It stabilizes your blood pressure and flow and gastrointestinal transit time;
– It prevents diabetes, heart disease and cancer;
– It helps you feel good about yourself, raising your self esteem, either about your new look or
your new found pride in yourself;
– It gives you recognition from your peers.

So, you are pumped up, but not quite sure where to start…Well, it actually depends on your goals. Depending on what you want to do – lose weight, have a more toned or muscular body, gain extra energy, get in shape, be healthier – you need to devise a plan that balances nutrition and exercise. This is basically a lifestyle change and it needs to be a conscious decision. You won’t have immediate satisfaction and it will take time and a lot of dedication.

The best way to do it is to fall in love with the journey, instead of anxiously waiting for the end results. If you are devoted to your muscle building program, you will notice the subtle changes in your body each week or month, but you need to realize that it is a gradual process. Your hard work and dedication WILL pay off, so get with it and stick with it!

About Optimal Nutrition

To burn fat, lose weight, and build lean muscle, a balanced, healthier diet is essential. Food is the necessary fuel that will compensate your physical efforts and that will help you recover from your training. Here’s what you should be eating:

- Protein – poultry (chicken, turkey, duck), fish (tuna, salmon, mackerel, sardines), red meat (lean beef, wild game) and eggs;

- Carbs – sweet potato, brown rice, oat meal, whole grain pasta, beans;

- Veggies – broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, tomato, carrot, salad, peas;

- Fruit – banana, orange, apple, pineapple, avocado;

- Dairy – skimmed milk, cottage cheese, yogurt;

- Fats – olive oil, fish oil, real butter, nuts, flax seeds, natural peanut butter;

Eat whole foods and home cooked meals. Clean up your kitchen of all processed foods. Divide your intake in 6 daily meals, approximately three hours apart. If you are overweight, you’ll need to eat less calories, but don’t starve yourself or you’ll make things worse. The easier way to figure out how many calories you should consume during the average day is to calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate, which indicates the amount of calories you burn no matter what you are doing (even if you are sleeping). This is based on gender, age, height and weight and there are a lot of available calculators online (for ex.: http://health.discovery.com/centers/heart/basal/basal.html) that can provide your BMR. If you want to lose weight, deduct 500 calories of your BMR and you’ll be able to determine what to eat.

Also, as a supplement to your workout, you’ll need to include some whey protein in your system. It is a high content protein powder, considered one of the most important dietary supplements for building muscle. It rebuilds and repairs muscle tissue. Drink a protein shake (one scoop diluted in water) 30 minutes before your workout and another one immediately after it.

About Weight Training

That brings us to your weight training workout. You can either do it in a gym or build your own at home, which it will save a lot of money in the long run.

1. Learn proper technique and form while starting to lift weights;
2. Start light and add weight to your exercises every week;
3. Use free weights – machines force your body into unnatural, strained movements that may cause injuries. Use barbells as the base to your workout, since they allow tons of different exercises;
4. Do exercises that work several muscles at the same time – when you are more toned, you can then try to isolate them and work them one at a time;
5. The basic exercises are : Dead lifts, Squats, Bench presses, overhead presses, rows, pull-ups;
6. Do some cardio – a fast paced walk, a bike ride, a swim or a run, will complem ent your weight lifting and will help you to achieve more intense, less painful workouts. 15 to 20 minutes of cardio 3 times a week is great for losing body fat and keeping it off, as long as you keep it very intense; Consider running sprints for incredibly effective fat burning and muscle building activity.
7. Keep yourself hydrated – water is responsible for muscle repair and recovery, muscle contraction, energy production, joint lubrication and many other bodily chemical functions. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day and be sure to sip water when you are training, so you won’t dehydrate;
8. Rest your body – do 3 complete full body workouts 3 times a week, focusing on intensity, rather than on time and repetition;
9. Sleep – Aim for 8 hours of sleep a day. Growth hormones work while you sleep, regenerating and increasing muscle mass.
10. Have a Plan – Take out all the guesswork and save time and headaches. Go with a proven formula that works for getting lean muscle gain.

To understand your evolution and to keep yourself motivated, you should also keep a journal. Record your daily calorie intake and your workout details for each session, like exercises done, weights used sets and repetitions. This way you can analyze your weekly progress and decide how to improve in the future. Don’t worry if you falter once in a while. The important thing is that you are doing it and soon enough you’ll get the results you want.

Additional Resources for an Awesome Body

There are many resources and tools online and a world of information for you to further your knowledge on muscle building. Just to name a few, I would recommend:

www.livestrong.com – Fitness, nutrition, inspiration and tracker tools;

www.leangains.com – very well research site on intermittent fasting diet for fat loss, muscle gain and health in general;

www.sparklepeople.com – free diet plans, recipes, food and exercise trackers and a huge and very supportive community;

http://www.reddit.com/help/faqs/Fitness – great community of people all working for better bodies and health – very straight forward and easy FAQ page, perfect for anyone that wants to start muscle building;

http://paleodietlifestyle.com/ – the paleo diet follows the principles of eating like our ancestors to achieve great health.

So, now you have the basics. All you need to do is start. Stay strong and focused and you’ll get the body you want and most important you’ll feel rejuvenated, full of energy and healthier. Good luck!

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