Let’s be honest, being muscular is nothing if you don’t have defined abs. Getting lean will not only give you the six pack we all want and train so hard to obtain, but it will also enhance the appearance of your muscle size. That’s right, the leaner you are, the larger your muscles will appear. I don’t care how many crunches you do, if your body fat is not in or close to single digits, your abs WILL NOT show. You see, everyone has muscle (abs), but they aren’t visible not because you’re not working them enough, but because there is a layer of fat covering them up. Make sense? On that note, here are a few tips on getting lean for more defined abs and overall muscle appearance.
1. Proper diet- Cut out all sugars, dairy, white flour, or simple carbohydrates in general. This will prevent the usual bloating and “thick skin” look that we are trying to avoid. Follow a very clean diet consisting of only complex carbohydrates, clean proteins, and natural fats.
2. Fat Burning Activity- With a clean diet, burning fat becomes much easier and more efficient. The goal when burning fat is simply to burn calories. There is no secret heart rate that magically burns fat, forget that old story. The type of fat burning activity you take part in is completely optional, here are a few options:
Traditional cardio: This type of cardio is just your standard jogging or walking on the treadmill. Typically this approach is effective for getting lean when performed for at least 45 minutes to an hour. If you are following a strenuous workout routine with traditional cardio, I’d recommend about 30 minutes.
Traditional cardio: This type of cardio is just your standard jogging or walking on the treadmill. Typically this approach is effective for getting lean when performed for at least 45 minutes to an hour. If you are following a strenuous workout routine with traditional cardio, I’d recommend about 30 minutes.
Circuit Training: This technique is a little more intense and is usually performed for about half the time of traditional cardio. I recommend about 15-20 minutes of circuit training for best results. Unlike traditional cardio, I do not recommend this type of approach directly following an intense workout. Here is a link to a great circuit training routine you can follow.
Jog, run, jog: This is my personal favorite; it’s the best of both worlds, it can be done in little time similar to circuit training but at the same time can easily be performed directly following a high intensity workout.
How to perform jog, run, jog:
1.Start off with a jog for 1 minute.
2.At the minute mark, increase the speed to a run.
3.Run for 1 minute and decrease to a jog for the next.
4. Then repeat starting at step 2.
Try to perform about 6-10 sets of this.
3. Keep your metabolism up- It is very important that you break up your meals into 6 per day. Eating every 2.5 to 3 hours will keep your metabolism working and eventually turn your body into a fat burning machine. Not only will this aid in getting lean, but will also help to keep muscle mass by fueling your body with the proper amount of nutrients throughout the day.
A few more advanced tips to getting lean:
- Drink one gallon of water per day to avoid water retention.
- Perform your cardio in the morning on an empty stomach.
- Get the majority of your carbohydrates from vegetables.
For those of you who feel that lean is in and bulky is out, follow these few simple steps for a more ripped “fitness model” look. Getting lean is hard, but the real challenge is staying lean. Consistency is the key to success with any fitness goal you may have, every time you step out of the routine, you are only taking 2 steps backwards.
1.Start off with a jog for 1 minute.
2.At the minute mark, increase the speed to a run.
3.Run for 1 minute and decrease to a jog for the next.
4. Then repeat starting at step 2.
Try to perform about 6-10 sets of this.
3. Keep your metabolism up- It is very important that you break up your meals into 6 per day. Eating every 2.5 to 3 hours will keep your metabolism working and eventually turn your body into a fat burning machine. Not only will this aid in getting lean, but will also help to keep muscle mass by fueling your body with the proper amount of nutrients throughout the day.
A few more advanced tips to getting lean:
- Drink one gallon of water per day to avoid water retention.
- Perform your cardio in the morning on an empty stomach.
- Get the majority of your carbohydrates from vegetables.
For those of you who feel that lean is in and bulky is out, follow these few simple steps for a more ripped “fitness model” look. Getting lean is hard, but the real challenge is staying lean. Consistency is the key to success with any fitness goal you may have, every time you step out of the routine, you are only taking 2 steps backwards.
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1 comments:
Good info. Very informative.
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