HOW TO BUILD LEAN MUSCLE
Most people come to us saying they want to look 'toned', which is typically code for:
1. Look a bit leaner
2. Look more defined
How do we ACTUALLY achieve this?
1. Losing fat 2. Building lean muscle
It's not a short and easy road, we're afraid - but we bet you'll fall in love with weight training in the process. And this brings us to:
Rookie error #1 - Not being consistent
Building lean muscle is a much slower process than losing fat, so it can be hard to stick with the process as you won't be seeing fast results. BUT, growing muscle and getting strong is the best thing you can do to create shape and 'tone', which is why we encourage all our girls to go into a calorie surplus phase at some point. If you are a novice training, learning to track your macros can hugely impact the time it takes to reach your goals.
HERE ARE THE 4 MUST-DOS FOR ANYONE WANTING TO GAIN MUSCLE:
Progressive overload: (aka a good training program). Your training program should follow the principles of progressive overload so that you continue to see results as your body adapts to the stimulus.
Fuel your body: While some can gain muscle from a deficit (newbies or detrained people), most people will see the best results if eating at maintenance or in a slight surplus.
Consistency and patience: Many will give up after point number 2 because they feel uncomfortable with weight gain. However, it is a necessary must if you want to achieve your goal. Remember, long-term goals over short-term gratification!
Rest: This is when your muscles actually grow, so without proper rest and recovery, everything you're doing is pointless! It's difficult for people to rest because they feel as if they are falling behind. It took years to build your muscle, trust us it wont disappear overnight. Take your rest days, shoot for 7-8 hours of sleep, and watch the magic happen!
Do these things consistently for a minimum of 3-5 months and your body will thank you!
Remember all good things take time.
xx Kaitlin and Kayla