4 Rules to Stay Lean All Year Round

Want to gain muscle without fat? Are you afraid to eat more? The truth is that most bodybuilders want to quit the weight loss/weight gain cycle. Only a few manage to stay lean all year round. In order to build muscle, you need to work out hard and increase your calorie intake. This approach can help you get bigger and stronger, but it also causes fat gain.

Fitness models are the living proof that it’s possible to stay relatively lean year-round, even if you’re bulking up. With a little planning, you’ll look photo-ready anytime. Here are a few simple tips for staying lean through bulking season:

Watch Your Diet

Bulking up doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want. You still need to calculate your daily macros and find out how many calories you’re taking in. Determine your daily requirements of protein, fat, and carbs, write down your meals, and cook your food ahead of time. Doing these things can be time consuming, but it’s worth the effort.

As you get used with your diet, everything will seem easier. Find out what low calorie foods fill you up quickly, get rid of junk, and stock up your fridge with nutrient-dense snacks. Go shopping on weekends and buy everything you need for cooking delicious, healthy meals. Try to figure out what a day’s worth of meals looks and feels like. Over time, you’ll be able to do these things without tracking every calorie.

There are many online tools that can help you determine your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) Based on these numbers, you’ll know how many calories you need every day to lose fat, build muscle, or maintain your current body weight. Start your diet with these numbers in mind, and make adjustments along the way.

Do more cardio

Although cardio isn’t necessary for fat loss or weight management, it definitely helps. Regular cardiovascular training can increase your aerobic endurance, burn calories, and boost your overall performance. Hundreds of studies show that cardio exercises can improve your fitness level and quality of life.

Many athletes, especially bodybuilders, skip cardio because they’re afraid of losing muscle. Cardio burns fat, but it may also cause muscle waste. However, not all cardio exercises are created equal.

 High intensity interval training or HIIT can help you lose fat and preserve your hard earned muscle. It also improves your speed, endurance, agility, power, and athletic performance. By adding HIIT to your workout routine, you’ll be able to eat more and still lose weight. Who doesn’t want that?

If you hate regular cardio, go jogging or play sports. Swimming, hiking, running, cycling, and mountain climbing are great choices. The key is to find an activity that you enjoy and fits into your lifestyle. With a little creativity, you can get an intense cardiovascular workout anywhere!

Periodize Your Workouts and Nutrition

Don’t let the word “periodize” scare you! In fitness, periodization is all about planning your diet and workout routine based on your goals. If you do the same exercises and eat the same foods every day, you’ll eventually hit a plateau.

The only way to achieve your objectives and make significant progress is to plan your training program. For example, you can add new exercises to your routine every week, change the level of resistance, or increase intensity.

If your body gets used to your workout routine, it will stop growing or losing fat. Your muscles as well as your metabolism adapt very quickly to the changes in your training program.

To prevent plateaus, it’s essential to add new stimuli. Every time you try different exercises or change your diet, you activate a whole new set of adaptations in your body. This leads to greater gains in size, strength, and endurance.

Your macronutrient ratios should be based on the amount of work you do in the gym. Since you’re constantly changing your fitness routine, it’s necessary to adjust your diet accordingly. For instance, you can eat fewer carbs and reduce your daily calorie intake during those weeks when you’re working with lighter weights or skipping cardio. This way you’ll build lean muscle and keep fat gains to a minimum.

Remember That Fluctuation Is Normal

Whether you want to lose fat or build muscle, your results will fluctuate. You may lose eight pounds in one week, and gain three the next week. These things are normal and shouldn’t scare you.

Your muscle and strength gains as well as your weight loss results depend on a number of factors, such as how much water you drink, how much sodium you eat, how hard you work out, and how stressed you are. There will be days when you’ll be bloated and heavy, and days when you’ll be able to see your abs perfectly.

Staying lean all year around doesn’t equal happiness. Many times, you’ll end up feeling depressed, anxious, and frustrated. But you’ll also have moments of pure happiness when your body will look at its best. Every step you take matters. As long as you stick to your diet and workout routine, you’re on the right path. Careful planning and hard work are the keys to success.