Build Muscle and Burn Fat

To build muscle and burn fat at the same time is possible however, it’s not an easy feat to accomplish. Most bodybuilders normally go through a ‘bulking phase’ followed by a ‘cutting phase’ to achieve their ideal physique.

To build muscle and burn fat you must adopt the correct nutritional habits, be able to split your training correctly between weights for increasing muscle size and the right level of cardiovascular activity to burn fat. Additionally, you must have realistic expectations of how much muscle you can build and how much fat you’re able to burn in a specific timescale.

Sports nutrition and sports supplements which are formulated to build muscle and burn fat can help you:

• Increase lean muscle mass
• Accelerate muscle repair and growth
• Stimulate fat burning while preserving muscle
• Decrease protein breakdown during intense exercise
• Reduce fat storage and increase fat burning

The key to build muscle and burn fat lies primarily within your dietary habits. You must consistently consume the correct ratios of protein, carbohydrates and fats and ensure you eat the right foods. Diet is so crucial to success that if you don’t get this right it will lead to frustration and failure to achieve your goals.

To build muscle and burn fat you need to consumer the correct macronutrients

Protein – aim for 1.6kg body weight per day on a fat loss programme

Carbohydrates – ideally carbohydrates should contribute 50-60% of your total calories

Fats – cut dietary fat to 20% of total calories

Water – for hydration, transporting nutrients, aiding digestion, regulating body temperature

Sports nutrition and sports supplements to build muscle and burn fat

• Amino Acids
• Creatine
• Fat Burners
• Meal Replacements
• Protein Shakes
• Ready to Drink

How to build muscle and burn fat with the right supplements and sports nutrition

Sports nutrition and sports supplements can play a vital role in your desire to build muscle and burn fat. A higher protein intake can offset some of the lean tissue loss that occurs with losing body fat. Additionally, if you’re adding or increasing weight training to your program you’ll require extra protein.

Upping your aerobic exercise and including a fat loss supplement will help to increase fat oxidisation and boost your metabolic rate. If you aim to use a muscle building supplement with a fat loss activator, you’ll need to select the right combination and take them at the correct time to achieve the best results.

Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein and help to prevent the breakdown of muscle tissue during exercise. If you’re on a fat loss programme, then supplementing with aminos can be of benefit particularly if you’re not consuming sufficient carbohydrates. Aminos can be used directly as fuel when muscle glycogen levels are depleted following intense aerobic exercise.

Creatine helps to build lean body mass and provides energy so your workouts can be maximised. By hydrating muscle cells, creatine can trigger protein synthesis and reduce protein breakdown. It also aids recovery so you’re raring to go for your next session.

Fat Burning formulas contain a variety of thermogenic nutrients that help to supercharge your fat loss efforts. They also provide energy and focus necessary for maximising your workout sessions.

Meal Replacements help ensure you get the correct balance and ratio of macronutrients and calories in your diet. Meal replacements offer time saving convenience when having to prepare multiple meals throughout the day to support your muscle building and fat burning efforts.

Protein shakes help you meet your daily protein needs. To build muscle you need approximately 1-2g per pound of bodyweight (depending on training intensity and level). Protein shakes help prevent catabolism and provide key amino acids to aid muscle recovery following exercise.

Ready to Drinks that combine protein and carbohydrates are also beneficial to helping you achieve your goals. Carbohydrates are important for energy yet good sources of complex carbohydrates are ideal when you want to burn body fat too. High amounts of protein help to repair damaged muscle tissue and keep you fuller for longer too.

How supplements help you achieve your goal to build muscle and burn fat.

The key element to ensuring you build muscle and burn fat is your diet. However, the main issue with most diets trying to achieve this dual goal is that they don’t provide sufficient calories, carbohydrates or protein to support intense training and your muscle building efforts. Don’t fall into this mistake.

Once your diet is properly set out, supplements can help to plug any deficiencies. This includes ensuring your muscle glycogen stores are topped up and you get sufficient carbohydrates to preserve muscular strength, endurance and aerobic activities. Making sure you get enough protein means you will retain lean mass which is also vital for burning fat. Remember, the less muscle you have, the lower your resting metabolic rate will be and the harder it will become to burn fat.

Key factors affecting build muscle and burn fat

When deciding on which supplements will help you build muscle and burn fat, consider these factors:

• How many calories you need to consume
• What’s correct ratio of macronutrients you need to achieve your goals
• Estimate the number of calories expended during exercise
• Availability of key nutrients required to build muscle
• Total recovery times between weights and cardio sessions
• Duration between workouts
• Extent of protein catabolism and muscle damage

There are no shortcuts to building muscle and burning fat. However by combining diet and exercise with the correct supplements, is more likely to yield long term success. Avoid slowing your metabolic rate as your body will oxidise more fat, lose lean muscle and lead to lethargy and low energy levels. The key is to reduce fat without slowing your metabolism while increasing lean muscle mass.