How To Build A Lean Body
If you’re someone who watches a lot of TV shows, movies or plays a lot of video games, I am sure you must have come across some characters who seem amazingly fit and wondered, “Is it even possible for me to get a body like that?” The answer is yes. You do not build a muscle just to look attractive, even though that’s one of its many perks, you also do it to keep yourself healthy as it involves a strict diet, constant focus and loads of physical activity. Contrary to popular belief, a gym is not the only place where you can go to tone your muscles. You can do it anywhere depending on the equipment you’re using. You can look out for gym equipment along with some of the trendy and practical bikes and trikes online. I prefer working out outside as the presence of fresh air helps your body that much more when compared to working out in a room with air conditioning.
Before we move on to some of the tips for building a lean body, let’s look at a few of the benefits of having a lean body, just to help you to stay motivated.
Weight loss:
Muscle mass is directly related to how much and how fast your body can burn calories. By increasing your strength and muscle mass, you automatically improve your body to burn more calories and lose all the excess and unwanted fat stored in your body. This helps your body gain a good figure without all the excess fat coming in the way.
Strength gain:
Once you start working out, your strength starts increasing exponentially. You will be able to lift things with ease where you would have otherwise struggled, and also perform a lot more activities that require you to have at least a minimal amount of strength. Increasing your body’s strength gives you a lot more options for you to do in your life. All the physical activities that might have seemed impossible at the beginning will now seem like a cake walk.Not only that, but the older you grow the weaker your muscles get. By starting to build your body early, you can avoid all the typical body pain related issues later in life.
Strong Bones:
It’s no surprise that even your bones get stronger once you start working for a better body. This directly reduces the risk of getting injured. Remember the trendy and practical bikes and trikes we spoke about? You can go for such activities without any fear. Even if you do fall down, the injury would significantly be fewer thanks to all the strength that you have gained.
Long-term benefits:
Apart from the most obvious benefits, having a lean body would allow you to have a lot of stamina. You can do all sorts of physical activities without tiring yourself out too easily.
Now that we’re done listing most of the benefits, let’s finally move on to a few of the tips to help you start getting your body in shape, and keeping it that way.
- You might be tempted to rush into lifting the heaviest weights possible, hoping you would get all toned up in as little time as possible. You would be wrong to do so. Like everything else that’s good, you need patience and need to work your way up from the bottom. When you start working out, your body will not be used to doing such sort of physical activities. Lifting heavy weights first could seriously damage your body in a major way. Start off with lifting 1kg to 5Kgs, depending on what your trainer tells you, and then gradually move on to lifting heavier ones. This gives your body enough time to get used to your workout routine.
- When you are just starting to working out, your trainer might ask you to do a lot more than you’re capable of during the first couple of weeks. This could make your entire body hurt a lot. Sometimes they hurt to an extent where you can’t drink a glass of water without feeling pain. This is absolutely normal. In fact, this is encouraged as it loosens up your muscles faster. I suggest working out through the pain and not giving up as the payout at the end is massive and absolutely worth it.
- Try not to consume a lot of supplements. Taking supplements might prove to be a great add-on to your daily workout routine. This could also make your progress seem a bit faster. But, I suggest getting all the required fat, carbohydrates and protein through the traditional method of eating actual food. You can eat meat and veggies for all the fibers, carbs, fat and protein that needs to go in your body. Besides, they also taste great.
- Cardio can be a tricky thing when it comes to buffing up your body. Do it too much and you will lose all the necessary fat and calories required to do the heavy lifting. Neglect it and your legs might end up looking like a pair of sticks compared to the rest of your body. However, it is a fact that cardio is most essential to any kind of workout you’re doing. Always ask your trainer to advise you on how much cardio you should be doing. Of course, one extra step here and there would not make a significant difference, but I suggest sticking to an expert’s opinion when it comes to balancing between cardio and lifting weights.
- Sticking to a proper scheduled diet is very crucial to your workout. Having only one meal a day just to get rid of all the calories might end up making you weak when you have to lift weights. Create your routine in such a way that you have at least one meal containing high-protein, low-fiber and low-fat three to four hours before you start working out.
- I am sure most of you have gotten headaches or felt nauseated after a good workout. This is because there’s not enough water in your body. Dehydration could be a huge problem when it comes to maintaining your diet. People who are dehydrated often think they are hungry and tend to overeat most of the time. If you’re following a strict diet, then this could end up upsetting the balance. Make sure you drink at least two liters of water spread out evenly throughout the dayand you should be fine.
- It’s okay to give yourself a break every once a week. Keep your Sundays off so that you could give your body an entire day’s rest for it to recover from minute injuries. You do not have to push yourself. Taking it easy can sometimes be beneficial to your body.
- Never workout when you’re angry or sad. You need to stay in a calm, motivated state of mind to get proper results. Working out when you’re stressed out can only hurt your body’s ability to get in shape as you won’t be able to focus properly.
- I know I said taking a lot of supplements could be a bad thing, but if at all you need that extra buff, you can take controlled supplements, which would not damage your body and would actually help you look better. Just make sure you do not go overboard with supplements.
- Lastly, sleep is the most important part of not only your workout, but your entire lifestyle in general. Getting at least eight hours of sleep everyday can help you stay fresh throughout the day without feeling drowsy or tired. Protein synthesis is most active when your body is at rest, so when you are not sleeping properly, it can decrease synthesis of proteins in your body. Not only that, but your body would not be able to heal completely from a previous workout session if you do not give your body enough rest.
Working out towards a better body is not only beneficial for your physical health but also reduces stress and the chances of going into depression. It is a cure for most psychological illness too. It also opens up a lot of possible activities such as playing a sport, wall climbing or even going for dirt ride on the trendy and practical bikes and trikes that we mentioned before. Make sure you stick to a routine once you start working out and you should be able to see the difference after a few months.
