Losing weight and building muscle quickly takes discipline and dedication. A big advantage you have when it comes to this plan is that muscle is metabolically active tissue. This means it causes you to burn calories efficiently when you are at rest. The more muscle you gain, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be. Bring this whole plan to fruition by making the right choices at the dinner table and at the gym.
Step 1
Reduce your calories slightly to promote weight loss. Do not get extreme with your restriction being that you want to lose weight and gain muscle. If you eat too few calories, you will become nutrient deficient and not have the raw materials in your body to build muscle. Determine your daily intake and reduce it by 250 calories. Utilize an online resource like The Daily Plate to track your calories for a day to find out your starting intake.
Step 2
Fill up on foods that will give you energy and promote muscle recoveries. Lean beef, chicken breasts, eggs, low-fat dairy, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, oils, fruits and vegetables are examples of these. Steer clear of foods that are high in saturated fat, sodium and sugar like pasta with cream sauce, deep fried fish nuggets, chips, white bread, frozen dinners, doughnuts and chili dogs.
Step 3
Eat a balanced meal every two to three hours throughout the day, starting with breakfast. This will keep your metabolism elevated, hunger under control and muscles well supplied with nutrients. Include protein, complex carbs and healthy fat in every meal. Cottage cheese with chopped up fruit and crushed walnuts mixed in is a meal example.
Step 4
Drink water as your main source of liquid. Skip the soda, flavored coffees, sweetened teas, lemonade, slushies, milk shakes and alcohol. All of these beverages are either high in empty calories or they dehydrate the body. Drink water throughout the day and have it with your meals. The Institute of Medicine recommends that women get about 2.7 liters a day and men get about 3.7 liters a day.
Step 5
Perform 30 minutes of interval training three days a week. This will promote weight loss, but it won't be long enough to sabotage your muscle-gaining efforts. Start out with a light warm-up then exercise all out for 30 seconds. Reduce your intensity to a moderate level for 60 seconds then increase it again. Do this for your whole workout and apply interval training to any form of cardio you like.
Step 6
Execute multi-joint exercises to gain the fastest muscle. Multi-joint exercises require you to use more than one muscle at a time. Choose these exercises over isolation exercises to recruit the most amount of muscle fibers and promote fast gains. Bench presses, push presses, snatches, deadlifts, pull-ups and squats are examples.
Step 7
Lift heavy weights with your exercises. This will fully tax your muscles and promote strength gains. Work out with a training partner for assistance and aim for eight to 12 reps with your exercises. Perform three or four sets and work out three days a week on noncardio days.
Step 8
Spend your nights sleeping. During sleep, your body goes through a recovery period where muscle-building hormones are being released. Take advantage of this by getting to bed at a decent hour. Typically, adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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