Gaining a lean body mass is serious business. One wrong move, say, unhealthy dieting, not having enough rest after workouts or skipping on vital exercise routines could mean you make little progress.
If bulking up is your goal, then chomping more calories and dead weight lifting is enough to get you going and seeing results fairly quickly.
But, if however, you want a bit more than a mass of muscle – if you are gunning for a more toned and lean body mass, you will need a more specific action plan.
Here are five ways to consider as you strive for a lean body mass.
Consume plenty of protein
Building a lean body mass is as much a function of your workout routine as it is of the food you eat.
Think of your diet as the fuel that powers your workout. The more food you eat, the more fuel your body has to burn, which in turn prevents it from converting protein and muscle mass into the energy it needs.
However, you need some food more than others if you want to gain a lean body. Protein, for instance, is essential to achieve and maintain a chiselled, jacked physique.
For one, your body needs protein to build muscle cells. Hence, consuming protein-rich meals daily helps stimulate protein synthesis.
Optimize your protein intake
When considering your protein intake, time your meals wisely. To ensure your body maximizes the benefit of your protein-rich food, you may want to consider consuming high protein meal at a specific time of the day.
For example, by consuming a high protein meal, say early in the evening, you not only help your body stimulate protein synthesis but also help it to minimize the rise of cortisol (a hormone in the body that triggers protein breakdown) while sleeping.
Also, taking high protein drinks like a protein shake, 30-45 minutes after workout helps speed up muscle recovery.
Leverage compound exercises
While mono-routines are great to train specific muscle groups, for a lean, shredded look, you may want to co-opt compound exercises into your workout regimen.
You see, compound exercises like combining weightlifting and running, are a pretty efficient way of working several muscle groups at a time. While at it, be sure not to jump straight into heavy lifting. Gradually work your way to those heavyweights.
Ensure you have the correct lifting techniques before attempting heavyweights. Wearing suitable workout clothing is a priority. If you intend working on heavy weights over a long period, then a weightlifting suit would be a good investment to help minimise injury and add to the total amount you can lift.
Incorporate low-impact cardio
Interestingly, there is a popular belief that aerobic exercises do little to improve a lean body mass, there is now a growing body of knowledge to the contrary.
Cardio boosts blood flow which in turn increases nutrient delivery to the cells that need it. And, as you know, your body needs those nutrients to repair, recover and grow lean mass.
We now know that vigorous, high-intensity cardio helps increase muscle size and density.
Supplements, drink plenty of fluids, rest
For most people, they may find that they need to supplement to provide their body with the required vitamins and minerals essential for a lean muscle.
Fish oil, multi-vitamins, creatine are a couple of supplements to consider. Be sure though that these supplements do not replace your regular healthy meals as they are insufficient to provide your body with vital micro-nutrients they need.
Drink plenty of fluids (water and workout fluids) to rehydrate and replenish your system with ions lost during the workout sessions.
Finally, take enough rest to give your body a chance to recover and repair itself. This way, you are primed and ready to go the next day again.
