HOW DO I INCREASE MY

 Lean Muscle ?

Burning Fat at rest is the goal and as I stated many times there is only one way to make this happen and that is to gain lean muscle. 1 lb of lean muscle will burn up to 500 calories per day while at rest. If you put on 10lbs of lean muscle you will burn up to 500 calories per day and 3500 per week. 3500 calories is equivalent to 1 lb of body fat. Adding lean muscle will also help with mobility and balance which are very important as we age. Remember you are either building muscle or losing muscle once you are past 28 years old. This goes for everyone.

So consciously and actively addressing this issue requires resistance training of some form since you can not take a pill or a shot or eat enough to gain lean muscle without resistance trainig. However it is important like anything else to constantly educate yourself so that you:

• Do not hurt yourself or someone else.
• Can maximize your efforts.
• Address health concerns without increasing your risk.

Now that I am actually working at a gym I am paying more attention to the members than I ever did before. Although as a gym member for many years I realize that many need instruction if they are very going to make progress. There are way too many who put in a great deal of time and effort that is misdirected and unlikely to help them reach their goals. So pay attention to the following information which will guarantee you increase success.

Targeting a Specific Body Part for Fat Loss

For example you can not target a particular part of your body for fat loss. It just does not work that way. During my observations I believe I see more people using the abdominal machines as a major part of their routine. In fact many members never touch any other resistance device. I know they believe they are utilizing the correct devices to reach their goal of reducing their belly fat. However they are incorrect since most of us already have abdominal muscles but they are covered with fat. Increasing the lean muscle across your entire body will convert the entire body into a Fat Burning Machine. Remember 10 lbs of lean muscle burns 3500 calories per week and you are never going to put 10 lbs of muscle onto your stomach. It must be spread throughout the entire body.

Circuit Training

When done correctly this is not a bad way to workout and build lean muscle. However what I observe is people doing full body workouts on a regular basis. The pattern appears to me to be Monday,Wednesday and Friday. Let's cover another basic fact of muscle building. You build muscle by tearing down the muscle during the resistance training and  the remarkable machinery of our body rebuilds it. Simple as that. Not quite because in order for muscle to emerge larger and stronger several things are required. Here is the full equation:

Strength Training + Nutrients (Fuel & Water) + Rest = Lean Muscle.

You can not get there any other way. So what is the problem with the routine I described above. Well where is the rest. Your muscles require more than 48 hours to recover and grow. Aren't you sore for 2-3 days if you completed a rigorous routine. I know I am and I have been doing this for more than 25 years. You need to rest and  change the routine so that you get it. My recommendation is to target 2 body parts per workout so that you are not tearing down your muscles repeatedly without the rest required for it to grow. 

• Monday - Chest and Shoulders
• Wednesday - Legs 
• Friday - Back and Arms

Another quick observation I wish to address is changing the routine so that you are continuously signaling the body to grow lean muscle. You may do this by changing one or more of the following components of your routine:

• Range of Motion
• Weight
• Repetitions
• Exercise
• Pace
• Order

This is enough for now and I strongly suggest those of you who are beginners take heed so that you may avoid the dreaded plateaus that plague all of us. For the veterans a little reminder does not hurt since all of us may find our comfort zone and relax. Remember growth begins outside of your comfort zone and implementing some of these techniques will take you there and propel you towards your goals. My suggestion is to take 1 step towards your dream and your dream will take 5 steps towards you. So Get Up Get Moving Take that Step Forward cause.......

CHIT CHAT WON'T BURN FAT