My goal is to get down to around 175-180 pounds, but more importantly to exchange as much body fat for lean mass as possible. I’m basically wondering about how long this should all take and whether I can reasonably expect to achieve both at the same time. I don’t really want to gain excess muscle and look massive, but rather to look toned and well-defined.
- Try doing cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. This will allow you to immediately tap into your fat and keep your metabolism humming all day long. Have 1 scoop (25-30 grams) of whey protein 20 minutes before cardio to preserve muscle mass.
- Switch off between HIIT cardio (30 minutes max) and steady state cardio for 60 minutes and see how your body responds. Kick your cardio up to 5-7 days/week.
- Cut out starchy carbs and fruit after 5pm. Stick with lean protein and fibrous carbs (veggies). Stir frys and salads work great later in the day.
In terms of building muscle and burning fat at the same time, it’s a bit difficult to build a substantial amount of lean muscle when your diet is lower in calories and you’re doing a lot of cardio. You should focus on maintaining the muscle you have while dropping the highest amount of body fat as possible. A key to this is always lift heavy and don’t fall into the “high reps” myth. You want to keep pushing heavy weight and try not to lose any strength during this period. This will allow you to preserve your lean muscle tissue while your diet/cardio plan will strip off the fat.