3 Simple Ways To Achieve a Lean Physique
Have you ever heard the statistic that 80 percent of your results for a lean body transformation comes from nutrition? This couldn’t be more true! You see so many people killing themselves in the gym doing endless amounts of cardio and crunches without ever truly getting the results they crave. Well, I am here to tell you that you can’t out run a bad diet, but here are some suggestions to make your diet run for you so you can lean down and
Carb Cycling: Try incorporating some lower carbohydrate days into your weekly routine. Start with one day per week and slowly build up until you are able to go every other day. The body still needs carbohydrate, though. In order to have healthy, lean muscles we must still feed them – don’t starve them! Carb cycling will allow your bigger muscle groups to strengthen and grow on your high carbohydrate days while allowing your body to utilize its fat stores for energy on your lower carbohydrate days.
Eat Every 2-3 Hours: Metabolism can be a very mysterious thing but one of the things we do know about our metabolism is that it runs on a cycle, one that repeats itself every 2-3 hours. If we are constantly supplying our bodies with fuel that feeds into that cycle we will over time increase our metabolism and create a fat burning machine within your own body!! This way you can take in excess calories that are all being utilized for energy and muscle growth!
Drink Plenty of Water: I’m sure you’ve heard this 100 times but many people don’t understand all the reasons why water is so important. Apart from the fact that water makes up 60-75 percent of our total body weight, it also plays a huge role in weight loss and fat distribution. Increased water intake helps with that feeling of satiety we receive once our body has had enough to eat, thus helping us not to over consume.
Water also plays a huge role in hormone regulation, as we know our hormones can be highly affected by many things in our environment and any little imbalance can make it extremely difficult to lose weight and shed fat. Water will help to even the score and put some of the hormones back into check when we drink enough. If those aren’t reason enough to pick up the gallon jug just yet, don’t forget about how a little H2O affects your hair, skin and nails too!
By incorporating these three simple tips into your routine, your metabolism will begin churning, you’ll burn more calories, blast fat, and build muscle. And, you’ll be much closer to achieving the lean physique you crave.
By Hannah Taylor, Personal Trainer and Nutritionist, Tucson, Arizona
