Take a look in the mirror. If you’re between 30 and 40 years old, chances are you’re looking at someone who put their personal health on the back burner to prioritize “more important” things in life. A growing family, emerging career, yard work, or other responsibilities required your undivided attention. What was supposed to be a temporary break turned into years of extended laziness, sloppy time management skills, and buffet-style football Sundays.
As you begin to experience low energy and you overhear colleagues talk about recent diagnoses such as prediabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, you begin to rethink how far down the priority list you placed your health. Since chronic disease and medication management aren’t part of your long term goals, you decide to bring health back to the forefront.
Smart idea, the success of everything you once prioritized over your health now relies on you being in good health to continue.
I once prioritized graduate studies above my own health.
Searching online to find the latest in building muscle and losing fat will leave you overwhelmed. Depending on where you land, “experts” suggest anything from fat slimming body wraps to 5-day detox teas and even drinking coffee with a goddamn stick of butter in it. Who thinks this stuff up… and who buys it? Don’t be that guy, don’t buy this garbage.
If you want to improve your health, start a weight training program that focuses on building muscle and losing fat. Yes, it’s going to require some work but it doesn’t have to consume your life. You may have to make a few dietary changes but it doesn’t have to end your social life. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Here are 3 basic tips to focus on when getting started.
3 Tips for Building Muscle and Losing Fat
1. Eat Enough High Quality Protein
Too many people weight train without eating enough protein. This delays recovery and severely limits the ability to build muscle. The recommended range is 0.5 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. I suggest starting with 1 gram per pound. Eating enough protein will ensure proper recovery, aid in muscle growth, and promote fat loss. If you have trouble eating that much, invest in a basic whey concentrate protein powder. There is no need for fancy, expensive, highly marketed protein products.
2. Train For Strength
Every time you walk into the gym you should challenge yourself to be stronger than the time before. This shouldn’t be hard since strength increases and building muscle are pretty constant throughout the entire first year. Because of this quick response there is no need to lift with your ego and risk injury. Focus on lifting as much weight as possible, while using perfect form, and reap the rewards for many years to come.
3. Round Out Your Nutrition
Anyone new to resistance training will see muscle gains simply by training for strength and eating enough protein. But if your long term goal is to live a healthier lifestyle, you need to build a nutrition that supports it. The best tool for this job is flexible dieting.
Each person has a range of protein, carbohydrates, and fats they should eat each day. Flexible dieting is a concept that accounts for the energy provided by these macronutrients in the foods you eat. As a general rule, 80% of your macronutrients should come from nutritious, wholesome, and minimally processed foods. The other 20% can come from whatever sources you enjoy the most. The only things required for flexible dieting are self control and portion management.
Nice. Congratulations!!