Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Body Building Tips to Burn the Fat and Keep the Muscle

By Ricardo d Argence

Unsightly muscle is not the reason the majority of people diet or exercise. Sadly to say, this way is how most people take the first step towards weight loss.

They do end up losing weight because of this, but the weight loss is from muscles instead of fat. But, there are good ways to maintain your current muscle mass while losing weight, which is good news.

To dramatically cut down their intake of calories is the mistake most people make when trying to lose weight. This makes because it is a fact that for every 3,000 calories you consume and fail to burn off will make you gain one pound of weight. Unfortunately, this is the worst tactic you could try if you don't want to lose muscle.

When your body stores up fat in the first place, it does so because it wants to have a backup supply of energy in case you go through a famine period. That is a period when you don't have enough to eat to keep you alive.

You might think that when you stop taking in calories your body would automatically start using up these stockpiles but that's the case. Those are the emergency, last resort rations.

Your body will begin to turn your muscle into energy and then your metabolism will slow, meaning you'll need less calories, so it will be more difficult to lose weight.

A good plan to lose weight is by reducing your calorie intake and letting your body adjust to these changes. For example, one might reduce your caloric intake by 10% weekly until your goal is met.

You must perform the proper exercises in order to burn fat and not muscle. To focus on cardiovascular workouts, is what most fitness instructors and health advocates are going to tell you. It will help your heart and lungs get stronger so you can do more exercise without getting worn out, so it's a good way to start.

But, it will be great if you need add some weight training to that recipe at least 2 to 3 times a week. That way you'll be replenishing lost muscle and adding new muscle mass. Your metabolism is going to increase which means you'll burn off more calories and lose weight if you have a lot of lean muscle mass in your body.

You'll also see another benefit of adding some weight training into the mix, muscle tone. Many people who lose weight too quickly or without properly exercising end up flabby.

While plastic surgery can help with that problem a lot, those procedures are expensive and come with a lot of risk. Exercising while you lose weight is the best way to increase your muscle tone and to prevent loose skin.

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