To effectively lose weight while building muscle you need to incorporate strength training and aerobic exercise. In "Flat Belly Diet," author Liz Vaccariello says that building muscle mass burns about seven times more calories than fat. According to Vaccariello, "the more muscle you have, the faster you will burn calories for weight loss." Aerobic exercise should be performed for a period of at least 20 minutes at a moderate or high-intensity level. In addition, perform three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions of strength training moves. Most important, rest in between strength training days to avoid injury.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise, or cardio, is a form of exercise that utilizes your lungs and heart. Examples of aerobic exercise include climbing, walking, cycling, skiing, skating and jogging. In "The Eat-Clean Diet Workout," author Tosca Reno says aerobic exercise is an effective way to keep body-fat levels low while also toning major muscles like the legs and glutes. Reno suggests doing five or six cardio sessions each week at a moderate to high intensity when you are trying to lose body fat.
Free Weights
In "Flat Belly Diet," author Liz Vacariello suggests that beginners use 5- to 8-lb. free weights when starting strength training. As you progress, consider increasing the amount of weight to build more muscle. Free weights are efficient in building muscle because you are able to control and balance the weight. There are several exercises you can perform at home with free weights such as curls, squats, tricep kickbacks and lateral raises.
Compound Exercise
Compound exercises are typically more effective in building muscles because it trains multiple muscle groups at once. Examples of compound exercises include bench press, dips, squats, dead-lifts, barbell rows, overhead press and pull-ups. For example, the squat is considered a compound exercise because it works the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, lower back, hips and abdominals.
Isolation Exercise
Isolation exercises are those that target and strengthen one specific muscle group. For example, dumbbell curls focus on strengthening bicep muscles. Leg extensions are performed to strengthen quadricep muscles. Many abdominal exercises are aimed towards specific muscles such as the obliques, lower abdomen and rectus abdominus. In "The Eat-Clean Diet," author Tosca Reno recommends taking a day of rest in between working specific areas to avoid energy and allow time for repair.
References
- "The Eat-Clean Diet Workout"; Tosca Reno; 2008
- "2-Week Total Body Turnaround"; Chris Freytag with Alyssa Shoffer; 2009
- "Flat Belly Diet"; Liz Vaccariello, Cynthia Sass; 2008
- "Men's Fitness Total Body Plan"; Bill Hartman and Adam Campbell; 2007
- Strongfits: How To Build Muscle
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