Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Burn fat
• Part 2 of 3: Building strength
• Part 3 of 3: Adjusting your diet
• Tips

Do you have enough strength and stamina, but don't you think it shows in your body? Do you want a washboard and arms that are defined and muscular? This type of physique requires targeted training, combined with a protein-rich diet that stimulates muscle development. If you want to sculpt a new shape, stick to a fat-burning, strength-building routine to define your muscles, and leave out those empty calories that only allow the fat to cover the muscles you're working so hard for. You will notice a difference within eight weeks.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Burn fat

1. Do high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for the best fat burning. With tabata, aerobics or boot camp you put your body at maximum speed for 1-4 minutes and then rest for 1-4 minutes. HIIT workouts increase your metabolic rate, so your body will burn fat faster.
   • If you are short on time to exercise, tabata may give you the best results. These intense workouts can greatly improve your cardiovascular strength and maintain your overall fitness level in just 10 minutes a day.
   • However, these are advanced workouts that you shouldn't try if you're a beginner and don't deliver much in terms of muscle tone and muscle definition.
   • Boot camp workouts use simple movements and are often designed for beginners and slightly more experienced exercisers.
   • You can usually find boot camp workouts or other HIIT training programs at your local gym or fitness center.
2. Exercise for at least 30 minutes. The human body usually only uses carbohydrates in the first 15 to 20 minutes of moderate intensity. If you continue after that point, your body will start burning fat.
   • At least 40 minutes of cardio at a moderate to vigorous intensity has the added benefit of lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, in addition to overall benefits for cardiovascular health.
   • Not only will you have less body fat and more defined muscle, but you will also have less risk of a heart attack or stroke.
   • Good fat-burning cardio exercises can be as easy as jogging on the treadmill (or outside, when the weather is nice). If you need more variety, join the aerobics classes at your local gym or fitness center.
3. Do cardio exercises 5-6 days a week. While strength training builds muscle, cardio sessions focus on burning fat. The combination of cardio and strength training is the best way to achieve maximum muscle tone and definition.
   • How you combine your cardio and strength training depends on your needs and your schedule.
   • For example, it may be easier for you to do your cardio by running early in the morning and then strength training after work.
   • Another option is to schedule your training sessions for an hour, alternating cardio and strength training in 15-minute intervals.
4. Extend cardio sessions on non-strength days. Consider 45 to 60 minutes instead of 30 minutes to lose more fat and define your muscles. Overtraining can be very tough on your body, so rest for 1-2 days every week.
   • Doing cardio twice as long ensures that you still work out for the same amount of time and at the same hours a day.
   • You might also consider doing yoga on your days off to replace your regular weight training. While yoga puts your muscles to work, it's generally not considered as intense as weight training, so a light routine would be appropriate for your rest days.

Part 2 of 3: Building strength

1. Do at least 30 minutes of strength training 3-4 days a week. You don't build muscle definition if you only do a 15 or 20 minute strength workout once or twice a week. To get the muscle tone you want, make a commitment to go to the gym more often.
   • Work on a strength training routine of moderate to vigorous intensity, depending on your experience level.
   • Do some research on your own and create a routine on your own, but the easiest way to create your routine is to schedule a session with a certified personal trainer. They can not only advise you on the exercises you need to do to achieve your goals, but also assess your form and technique.
   • Typically, you will get the best results by focusing the first day on your upper body, the second day on your lower body, and the third day on your core.
   • If you do strength training for four days each week, you will divide your core muscle training over each of the four days and work your upper body for two days and your lower body for two days.
2. Rest for 36 to 48 hours between strength workouts. If you do the exercises properly, small tears will appear in your muscle fibers. Your body then needs time to repair and rebuild your muscles so that they become stronger.
   • Take enough time to rest by alternating the muscle groups you train each day. For example, you can do your upper body on day 1, the next day your lower body, day 3 rest and day 4 your upper body again, etc.
   • You can usually do core strengthening exercises with just 24 hours of rest before the next strength training session.
   • Adequate rest also means getting plenty of sleep. Your body builds muscle while you sleep, so make sure to get between 7-9 a.m. every night.
3. Choose the correct weights. You should do strength training with a weight heavy enough to perform an exercise with proper form for 12 to 15 repetitions. The idea was once that you use heavier weights to gain mass and do more reps with lighter weights for tone and definition. However, modern training suggests there is a middle ground.
   • This plan can work well if you have fewer days per week to spend on strength training.
   • Combining bulk or strength training with strength training consisting of many reps can also work well to give you the definition you want.
   • For example, you can do a heavy upper body strength workout on the first day. The next day, do a similar tough lower body strength workout.
   • Rest for a day and then do an upper body strength workout with lower weights and more reps. The next day you follow up with a similar lower body workout.
4. Focus on good form and technique. Move slowly through the push and pull motions, emphasizing quality over quantity. Especially if you are just starting out, you don't have to worry about the number of reps you can do. Instead, you better work on a solid, consistent technique.
   • To control your movement, lower or release the weight on each rep at about the same speed as you lifted it. Actively lower (or release) the weight, without simply dropping it.
   • Hire a personal trainer or experienced weightlifter to check and correct your form.
   • Keep in mind that poor technique and sloppy form not only mean your workout is less effective, but you also run the risk of injury.
5. Do supersets, and alternate between pushing and pulling movements. Organize your strength training routine to do 3-4 sets of 12 to 15 reps of each exercise. Rest for 30 seconds to 1 minute between each superset.
   • For example, you could first push and then pull.
   • When you alternate pushing and pulling movements, you work on different parts of the muscle.
   • This will give the part of the muscle you were previously working on some extra time to recover, so you can take a shorter rest period between sets.
6. Exercise until your muscles are tired. When you push your muscles to the limit, you stimulate the hypertrophy, which increases the volume of your muscles. This will not only build muscle mass but will also improve their definition.
   • For example: Three sets of bicep curls, flyes, and push-ups should make your arms vibrate. If they don't, you need to add more weight.
   • Make sure to do simple exercises, such as push-ups or the dumbbell press, that you can control and perform with good technique, even when your muscles are exhausted.
7. Train as many muscles as possible. Don't work your biceps without also exercising your triceps, shoulders, back, and chest. You will not achieve good resting definition unless your whole body is being exercised.
   • Ignoring the surrounding muscles in favor of the ones that matter most to you, such as perhaps the biceps, can lead to muscle imbalances that significantly increase your risk of injury.
   • Work on an entire muscle group with each exercise. If you don't know many different exercises, sign up for a few sessions with a personal trainer. They can help you put together a well-rounded training schedule.
   • Don't just train the muscles you see in the mirror. You may not think about training your back (because you don't notice it right away), but don't forget that others will see your back!

Part 3 of 3: Adjusting your diet

1. Make your diet a priority. Trainers often say that "abs are made in the kitchen." Muscle definition requires a body fat percentage of less than 10 percent, which is based almost entirely on what you eat. In general, you should eat more protein and omit foods that are high in fat and simple carbohydrates.
   • If you're already a relatively lean person, you should still limit your carbs while working on a strength training program that emphasizes building muscle mass.
   • Instead of three large meals a day, you can eat 5-6 smaller meals, so that you eat once every two to three hours.
   • Plan your meals so that 40 percent of your calories come from protein, while limiting fats and carbohydrates to 30 percent per meal.
   • At least 85 percent of the carbohydrates you eat should come from vegetables, with the rest from complex carbohydrates such as fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
2. Eat or drink a protein-rich snack before and after your workout. Protein (protein) helps the muscles to grow larger and ensures a faster recovery. Try a protein shake, apple with peanut butter, chicken, nuts, Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese.
   • It is best to eat a snack 30 to 45 minutes before you start your workout.
   • Whole foods are usually better prior to your pre-workout snack. A protein shake may work better after a workout, especially if you find it difficult to eat after an intense workout.
   • Whey white is one of the best sources of complete protein because it contains all the essential amino acids you need to rebuild your muscles.
   • You can buy powdered whey protein and mix it into shakes yourself, or you can buy ready-to-eat protein shakes at grocery stores or health food stores.
3. Eat ancient grains. Quinoa, spelled, oat bran, amaranth and other ancient grains are high in protein and minerals, which can help promote muscle growth by providing your body with much-needed nutrition.
   • Many of these grains can be mixed in salads or side dishes, or in breakfast cereals.
   • You can buy bread from these grains in organic or health food stores.
4. Drink more water before, during and after a workout. Dehydration decreases your performance and can put you at risk of injury, but also make recovery difficult. During strength training you should not lose more than two percent of your body weight in fluid.
   • To get an idea of ​​how much fluid you lose during your training, weigh yourself before and immediately after your training session. The difference between the two weights is the amount of fluid you have lost.
   • For every pint of fluid you lose, you need to drink 600-720 ml of water to replace it.
   • Replacing the lost body water is enough to keep you hydrated, provided your moisture balance was already up to standard. To determine this, check your urine. If it is clear, it will be fine.

Tips

• Notice how your muscles contract while resting. When your muscles feel harder, you start to get definition. When you burn fat, the muscles start to look sculpted.
• Stretching the muscles prevents the skeletal muscles from becoming unbalanced, which can ruin your posture, so make sure to stretch the large muscles at least a few times a week (after exercise).