Although reaching and maintaining a healthy weight while preserving lean muscle tissue sounds complicated, the process is fairly straightforward. Ultimately, these goals are reached in stages, and cardio is a primary element. Use a combination of cardio, strength training and balanced eating to help you get to a healthy weight. You'll be primed to continue a fitness program that supports weight maintenance and preserves and builds lean muscle tissue. A balanced diet and a well-rounded fitness program provide the foundation you need to build a stronger, leaner and healthier body.
Step 1
Identify your weight and fitness goals. If you're using cardio to help you maintain your current weight, you're not likely to lose muscle or fat. On the other hand, you may experience both fat and muscle loss if your goal is to lose weight with cardio.
Step 2
Set a calorie target that supports your weight goal. If you need to lose weight, reduce your daily caloric intake by up to 500 calories. Your cardio workouts will also contribute to the calorie deficit you need to establish for weight loss. Manage your weight loss so that you don't lose more than 2 pounds per week. If your goal is to maintain your current weight, try to eat approximately the same number of calories you burn. You shouldn't experience any muscle loss in this latter scenario as long as you complement your cardio with muscle-strengthening activities.
Step 3
Perform strength-training exercises that target your major muscle groups at least two times per week. Weight training helps preserve and build muscle mass and is an important component of any fitness program. If you're losing weight, strength training can help counteract muscle loss associated with weight loss. Even so, you may experience some degree of muscle loss in your efforts to reach a healthy weight goal.
Step 4
Maintain a balanced fitness program even if you see fluctuations in your body composition. When you're losing weight, the accompanying muscle loss is only temporary as long as you continue your weight training. In the meantime, focus on the benefits of losing excess body fat. Once you reach your goal weight, you can get back to the business of building lean muscle mass as long as you balance your calorie expenditure and intake.
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