Many people change their habitual diet and begin to actively engage in sports to lose weight and build muscle at the same time. Unfortunately, they are often disappointed when they want to get both because they are not acting quite right.
Gaining muscle and losing weight simultaneously is quite difficult but possible if you don’t make these few common mistakes.
Too low-calorie intake
If you eat too little, your body begins to use fat and muscle tissue for energy. Of course, you will not be able to increase muscle mass in such conditions, and, most likely, you will begin to lose what you already had.
Therefore, you should not cut the calorie intake too much, and it is especially important to eat enough on training days.
Not getting enough protein
Eating a high protein diet can help maintain muscle, reduce hunger, and speed up your metabolism. If there are too few protein foods in your diet, it will be very difficult for you to achieve your goals and find the figure you dream about.
Experts recommend eating about 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. The most beneficial protein sources are white meat, cottage cheese, eggs, fish, and legumes.
Infrequent strength training
To increase muscle mass, it is important to eat right and engage in strength training regularly since it is they that stimulate muscle growth. Load and working weights should be increased gradually to avoid overtraining and injury.
It is also important to follow the correct exercise technique; otherwise, joints, muscles, tendons or ligaments can be damaged.
Too much cardio
Cardio activities such as running, swimming, dancing, and cycling are beneficial for cardiovascular health, general endurance, and fat burning. However, too much aerobic exercise, especially high-intensity exercise, can negatively affect muscle growth, slowing down muscle growth.
You can combine strength loads with cardio, but add 2-3 runs to your training program without fanaticism.
Lack of rest
Rest and recovery are critical for both weight loss and muscle gain. Any athlete needs to get enough sleep (about eight hours) and periodically fully rest from any workouts. Also, to restore muscles and prevent muscle loss after physical exertion, you can visit the sauna and go for a massage.
