Muscle building requires strength training several times per week. Unlike competitive bodybuilding, routine weightlifting focuses on toning muscles, rather than building them, so that you have a leaner figure. At the same time, it burns fat and encourages weight loss. Follow the guidelines below to build lean muscle.
Strength Training Tips
Lift weights for at least 30 minutes 3 days a week. You can use machines, free weights, TRX bands, weightlifting classes or a combination of these choices.
- Never go into weightlifting blind. It requires correct posture and positioning to correctly target muscle fibers. Take an intro to weightlifting class, buy some sessions with a personal trainer or take classes to learn the basics.
- Take breaks between weightlifting days. Do your weightlifting sessions every other day to give your muscles time to rebuild and strengthen. Do cardio to burn off extra fat on your “resting” days.
Best Lean Muscle Exercises
Do compound exercises. These are the exercises that work more than 1 muscle at once, and usually ask you to do more than a single movement. The following are good compound exercises to try:
- Push ups. This exercise works your core and your muscles. Get into a plank position. Check that your body is flat in the mirror. Then, lower yourself as far as you can go while maintaining the plank and push back up. For a better compound push up, do knee lifts while you push up or move your hands in and out between repetitions to target triceps, chest and biceps.
- weightlifting on tip toes. Put your feet in a ballet first position. Raise up on your tip toes, and move your heels together. Perform bicep curls while you balance to target your calves, thighs, glutes, abs and arms at once.
- TRX bands. These weightlifting devices are extremely versatile. You can do rows, chest presses, bicep curls, tricep curls, push ups and much more. Your body is in a plank position to work your core while you lift.
- Burpees. Often touted as 1 of the best total body exercise, a burpee combines jumping, squatting, push ups and core work. Start with your knees hip width apart. Squat until your hands touch the ground. Jump your feet back into a plank position. Jump your feet forward and jump up. Extend your arms toward the ceiling as you jump. Repeat as many times as possible in 1 minute.
- Kettle ball workouts. These weights are designed for dynamic use. Hold the top of the kettle ball. Squat and set the ball on the ground. Lift it and rise from the squat.
Lean Muscle Diet
Plan your meals based on your workout. Each day your meals should include the following:
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- A breakfast that is between 300 and 600 calories within 90 minutes of waking up. Your muscles will not be told to store fat, and you will get a leaner body.
- A meal 2 hours before you workout. Try to schedule lunch or a large snack so that you will have enough time to digest and use the calories as you train.
- A protein rich snack after your workout. If you can eat a protein rich meal within an hour of working out, it is preferable. However, a high-protein snack that includes low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt, almond butter, whey powder, eggs, fish or poultry will help to heal muscles more quickly.