10 tips to gain lean mass and lose fat

When starting to practice physical activity, some people want to burn fat and lose weight, but also gain muscle mass. Then the question arises: will it work? Know that it is possible, yes, to unite the two objectives and obtain results.

Nutritionist Karoline Silva explains that, during training, fat is used as one of the energy sources by the body to produce movements and, therefore, generate muscles. The professional also clarifies that lean mass is made up of 72% water, 21% protein and 7% bone minerals. Fat mass is made up of 20% water and 80% adipose tissue.

gaining lean mass

Juliana do Vale, Physical Education teacher, also says that it is possible to gain lean mass and eliminate fat. “All strength training, no matter how small, generates hypertrophy and helps with fat loss,” she says.

She explains that when people aim gain lean mass, but they need to eliminate fat, individualized work is necessary and focused, first, on fat loss. “The work has to be done together, taking into account that one will help and interfere with the other”, adds the teacher.

For students who are starting training, the results will be more evident. This is because the new stimuli make the individual achieve both results at the same time. However, even in the case of beginners, Juliana do Vale points out that weight loss will be greater than mass gain.

Keep an eye on the food

Nutritionist Karoline Silva says that, to increase lean mass, training and food must go together. “If you don’t follow a proper diet, you won’t have the energy needed to work out and evolve in training. This will make mass gain slower. If you follow a mass-gaining diet and don’t exercise, you can get the opposite result, which is putting on weight,” he explains.

The nutritionist takes the opportunity to give some tips to help gain lean mass:

1. Do physical exercises regularly, preferably bodybuilding combined with aerobic exercises. Talk to your instructor so that he can determine what is best for your goal and body type;
2. Get a good night’s sleep. On average, you need to rest six to eight hours;
3. Make meals every three hours;
4. Give preference to natural foods (organic, without preservatives, pesticides and dyes). They help keep the skin plump and cellulite-free;
5. Decrease your salt intake diet;
6. Decrease carbohydrate consumption with white flour. Prefer the integral;
7. When preparing the dish, consume a large portion of protein (chicken, salmon, hake, tilapia, tuna, hake, egg, real quinoa in grains, turkey blanquet, kani, soy protein), an average portion of vegetables, greens and salad. Also add a small portion of carbohydrate: rice, brown rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, pasta, cassava, yams, etc.;
8. During mid-morning and afternoon snacks, eat goat cheese or buffalo mozzarella, soy yogurt, fruits or smoothies blended with real quinoa flakes;
9. Consume foods that contain whole carbohydrates before training to provide the energy needed for exercising;
10. After training, prefer foods that have protein for muscle recovery or make use of supplements such as branch chain amino acids (BCAA) and protein-based. Talk to your nutritionist to find out which product is best suited for your goal and biotype.