No single diet or exercise plan is perfect for every man. Depending on your current circumstances and future goals, a variety of plans may be right for you. Whether you're looking to lose fat, gain muscle or simply improve your overall health, you'll find the right combination of diet and exercise below.
Diet and Exercise for Fat Loss
The most important thing to consider when dieting for weight loss is the concept of caloric deficit. In order to lose weight, your body must burn more calories than it takes in. Consult a free online basal metabolic rate calculator, readily available through a simple Internet search. Enter your age, weight and height to determine the number of daily calories necessary to sustain your current body mass. Depending on the urgency of your desired weight loss, aim to construct your diet from between 500 to 1,000 fewer calories than your basal metabolic rate; this will allow you to lose between 1 and 2 lbs. per week.
For exercise, start by completing at least three sessions of cardiovascular activity per week. For each session, complete either 20 to 30 minutes of high-intensity activity or at least 45 minutes of low-intensity activity. Further, train with weights at least twice per week. While this won't burn fat per se, it will ensure that most of the weight you lose is fat rather than muscle. At each weight-training session, select five exercises of your choice, and complete three to four sets of 12 to 15 repetitions each.
Diet and Exercise for Muscle Gain
The most important things to consider when dieting to gain muscle are caloric surplus and excess protein intake. As with the fat-loss diet, consult the basal metabolic rate calculator. This time, however, aim to construct a diet containing between 1,000 to 1,500 more daily calories than your basal metabolic rate. In order to do this, split up your daily food intake into at least five meals. Further, aim to consume at least 1.6 g of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. To reach this goal, make ample use of protein-rich foods such as meat, fish and beans.
For exercise, complete between three and four resistance-training sessions per week. At each session, perform the following exercises: bench press, shoulder press, bent over row, squat and deadlift. For each exercise, complete five sets of five repetitions, using the heaviest weight you can manage without compromising your lifting form.
Diet and Exercise for Overall Health
If you're dieting for overall health, your most important consideration should be ensuring that you're getting your daily recommended values of all important vitamins, nutrients and minerals. In order to do this, consult the interactive food pyramid offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and build your diet around these values.
For exercise, choose any activity of your choice, so long as it can be completed to conform with the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for healthy adults: at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, five times per week.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Counting calories: Get back to weight-loss basics
- "Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition"; International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Protein and Exercise; B. Campbell at al.; 2007.
- MyPyramid.gov: MyPyramid Plan
- American College of Sports Medicine: Guidelines for Healthy Adults under 65
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