Lose Fat, Build Muscle

When starting in caloric deficit and have body fat to lose you can still build muscle. As body fat diminishes you will need to rely more on food as fuel for your muscles. If you are looking to build muscle then you have to be willing to put in the work in and out of the gym. Some things that helped me create my physique over the years…

1️⃣Lift heavy- weight lifting is not meant to be easy. If it is then you aren’t working hard enough. You should be leaving the gym fatigued. Challenge yourself to experiment with lifting more than you usually do even if it’s just a few reps
2️⃣Proper Diet- if you are in deficit you can still gain muscle if you have excess body fat. If you don’t have the body fat then you need food to fuel your muscles. Adequate protein and carbs are needed for muscle growth. Carbs replenish glycogen stores which are necessary for energy in intense workouts. Your body can better process protein if carbs are available. Protein helps build and repair the muscle tissue. You can’t eat minimally and expect muscle growth
3️⃣Sleep-getting at least 7hrs of sleep is the minimum for me. With adequate sleep, energy/mood levels are increased, allowing for better training. Human growth hormone allows muscles to grow and repair, and the body is flooded with it during sleep
4️⃣Rest Days- allow for muscle recovery and repair, prevents injury. Resting is difficult for me, I like to be busy and the gym is like my antidepressant. I know it’s necessary to rest to grow
5️⃣Not over training. Doing too much cardio can negate your gains in the gym if you don’t have the body fat to support it. One of the biggest mistakes I see clients make is too much cardio, too little weights. When you have muscle you are burning calories even when out of the gym...better bang for the buck
6️⃣pre-workout & BCAAs- I don’t use pre-workouts every training session, but I do feel they are helpful in giving you that added umph when you need a burst of energy. Extra energy can make for more intense workouts. I do try to religiously take BCAAs post workout to help with muscle building and reduce recovery time

Hope that helps!