It’s that time of the year when you maybe feeling a little more inspired to grab the trainers and take a run around the block! Getting ready to reveal more in the summer months is always a reason to up your physical activity because we all want to look good on the beach or by the pool.
If you already train regularly in the gym and you want to build on that routine, but you’re not quite sure how to dial it up, then this guide is for you.
We’ll go over how to build muscle, then strip (or shred) any extra body fat so that you feel confident and look leaner.
There are ways to optimise your training and help you move from feeling good to feeling great. This guide will move you through a number of phases in a way that reflects a classic bodybuilding ideal of bulking and then cutting.
If you feel you already have enough muscle mass, or don’t have the extra time to gain some more before your holiday/goal date, then you can skip straight to the ‘cutting’ section.
A lot of people struggle to adapt their diet into their training and lifestyle. We will look at that too, because without a good diet you won’t have the fuel or the building blocks to create the desired physique.
You will also be shown how to adapt your diet to each phase of training. Let's get started!
The Bulking Phase
Throughout the muscle gaining phase we will be keeping a keen eye on the diet to ensure you are getting enough fuel to encourage muscle growth, whilst tempering body fat. Body fat will be gained, but it can be minimized.
It's the opposite during the fat loss phase. You don’t want to lose any / too much of that hard won muscle. If you diet too hard, or too quickly, then there is a good chance some of the weight loss will be muscle rather than fat.
Ideally, you will give each phase adequate time to allow the effects to develop. Normally it’s up to 12 weeks for each stage but I know some of you reading this would need this be quicker.
Ideally, you will give each phase adequate time to allow the effects to develop, at least 6 weeks for each. The longer you give yourself, the better the results will be.
If you’re already happy with your muscle mass then you could move straight to the cutting phase.
The Cutting Phases
Your diet, eating habits and nutritional supplementation will be the main thing that fuels you, drives your muscle gain and, encourages your fat loss throughout the training phases.
Generally, your training could stay the same throughout both the muscle building phase and the fat loss phase but having a different diet will massively affect the results and how your body reacts. The main reason for changing the training is so you don’t get bored and you persevere.
Most people know that to build muscle you need a focus on protein and overall calories. What isn’t common knowledge is that for cutting body fat and maintaining muscle, you may need an even bigger reliance on protein.
The roles that carbohydrates and fat play in your diet are often misunderstood. Once a good grasp of understanding has been gained, you will find that dieting is a lot easier than most magazines, gurus and websites would have you believe.
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