Burning fat while retaining muscle mass can be a very challenging encounter. One that a lot of people fail at only because their approach is all wrong. The concept of this frustrates many bodybuilders and only some can achieve low bodyfat percentages while not losing any of their muscle mass. These tips are to help you achieve exactly that, how to burn fat fast and retain your hard earned muscle mass.
1) Reduce your overall calorie intake
For example if you maintain your current body weight on 2500 calories a day then reduce it by 200 calories to start for your first week. Monitor your progress and adjust your calorie intake accordingly from week to week while in your fat loss stage. Never lose more then 1 to 2 pounds a week, if you are then most likely you are also losing muscle mass. Once the weight loss stops then reduce by 200 calories again. You will find a point where you do not want to go any lower for your calorie intake, you should be at the end of your fat loss cycle at this point.
2) For every 1 gram of carbohydrates taken away, add 1 gram of protein
As explained in #1 reduce your overall calorie intake, now I do recommend on lowering your carb intake and increasing your protein intake while burning fat. I am not saying to cut out carbs completely as you still need them and this will set you up for failure as you will eventually burn out. Now the reason for this protein increase is because it will help you burn fat and keep it off because of something called, "dietary thermogenesis"(also known as the thermic effect of food). Doing this will decrease your appetite and help retain that muscle mass you worked so hard to gain. I recommend a split in percentages of protein/carbs/fat as such 35/55/10. It does not have to be drastic either, take away 30 grams of carbs and add 30 grams of protein. Even that small of an amount will have immediate effects on burning fat and retaining your muscle.
3) Preform HIT(High Intensity Cardio)
This form of cardiovascular exercise is very effective on using fat as it's primary fuel over muscle. Yes your body will use muscle as energy if your have a poor diet or preform too long of periods of cardio. One way to combat this is to use a very effective form of cardio called HIT(High intensity training). One form of HIT I particularly like is 'sprints.' You jog for let's say 50 seconds and sprint for 10 seconds then repeat in intervals. Start with maybe only 8 intervals when you first start this form of cardio as it is very tough. Yes I did say 8 so that totals to only 8 minutes! Now once that one becomes easy then up it another minute or two but never go over 20 intervals(or minutes). You can also increase the time you sprint to the time you jog once it becomes to easy for you. I recommend preforming this form of cardio for fat loss 3 to 4 times a week for no more then 8 weeks. You will see dramatic results!
4) Continue with your weight training program
This is a mistake many people make, focusing too much on cardio to burn fat and not training with weights as much anymore. I HIGHLY do not recommend doing this. Please continue with your regular weight training program at least 3 days a week and no more then 5 days a week. This is a HUGE factor in helping you maintain your muscle mass. If there is no stimulation of those muscle your muscles will simply waste away.
5) Eat every 2 to 3 hours
Spread your meals into smaller ones throughout the day for every 2 to 3 hours following the 35/55/10 split of protein/carbs/fat. This will supercharge your metabolism and keep it working all day so you cannot store anymore fat and instead burn it because your body is sufficiently fueled. This is another major factor on maintaining your muscle mass as it also keeps protein synthesis going and keeps you in a positive nitrogen balance. This way your muscles will not waste away. Starving yourself will slow your metabolism right down which is exactly opposite from what we are trying to achieve in burning fat fast.
6) Rest, Rest, Rest and get some more Rest
Did I get my point across? I cannot stress enough the importance of getting a proper nights sleep when it comes to burning fat and retaining muscle. Lack of sleep places a lot of stress on your body and produces a hormone called cortisol. This will block fat loss completely and also block the proper nutrients to getting to your muscles. So guess what will happen? You will stop burning fat and your muscles will also start to waste away. Sleep is super important and a minimum of 6 hours every night will be sufficient for most, but not all, some people will need more. Obviously 8 would be ideal but that is not always possible in our busy lives today.
7) Take a break after 8 weeks of training
Your body needs a break to fully recover after all the vigorous training you have done over the last 8 weeks. When I say a break I mean a full week off of no exercise what so ever. It will be well deserved! You will notice a huge difference in how you feel and how much more energy you will have once you return to the gym as your body has had a chance to fully recover.
To review, we covered some basic concepts(7 to be exact) on how to burn fat fast and maintain your muscle. Implement these concepts into your fat loss routine and you will see results and it will be results that you will like.
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