Advanced Personal Training Essentials Build muscle while ditching the fat Part 1 To ensure that your clients experience the physical transformation progress they have spent vast sums of money on bringing about, then it is crucial that you understand the delicate balance between the simultaneous building, or maintaining, of muscle, and fat loss. Unquestionably the most important objective when planning and implementing a physical transformation plan (whether it is bodybuilding centered or otherwise) is the gradual gaining of lean muscle tissue and the corresponding loss of bodyfat. It is also the most difficult. While many experts feel that a loss of muscle tissue is an inevitable consequence of the higher levels of cardio, intense resistance work and low calorie diets we must adopt en route to achieving a lean and muscular look, with the right approach we need not experience a declining of lean mass as we rip up. By following the strategies outlined below you can better enable your clients to retain their hard fought size gains while gradually revealing the definition needed to bring their muscularity into a clearer perspective. Boost protein intake Let’s get one thing straight: retaining lean muscle gains while shredding is no easy task. In fact, most of us will sacrifice a fair percentage of our muscle tissue to achieve the kind of separation that distinguishes the best from the rest. However, whether it is due to the lower energy levels that are often associated with getting in shape, appetite suppression, or improper meal planning (a plethora of reasons may be provided), many shredders do not consume nearly enough protein, an important prerequisite for offsetting muscle degradation. To preserve lean muscle as we strip the fat, it is essential that we take in at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day (in most cases up to 1.5g is even better). Protein also does a great job of filling us up; the more lean proteins we eat, the greater the appetite suppressant effect. This is important when leaning up, as we want to keep our intake of harmful calories down. Indeed, the wrong nutritional choices may not only further flesh out our fat cells, but can also negatively impact the muscle building process. When we eat junk our clean, beneficial caloric intake must compete with this deleterious fare. Result: less muscle building nutrition is available to engage the healing process and fewer muscle gains are likely to be experienced. About the author David Robson is a specialist health and fitness writer who has written professionally for such publications as Muscle & Fitness magazine, FLEX, bodybuilding, New Zealand Fitness, Inside Fitness, ALLMAX Nutrition, and Status Fitness magazine. As Founder and President of the New Zealand Wheelchair Body Building Federation (NZWBBF), and founder and managing director of Fit Futures Charitable Trust (both not for profit organisations set up to provide sporting and exercise options for people with physical disabilities), and Advanced Personal Training, David also doubles as a trainer, health and fitness educator and mentor to both established elite athletes and novice trainees alike. A competitive bodybuilder, David believes in leading by example.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 19:48:20 +0000