How to Get to Your Summer Body

If you are trying to lose weight and build muscle to be summer ready, this post is for you. From nutrition, to exercise and routine, here are three steps to get back in shape and get the body you want.

1- Nutrition

Generally speaking, people should eat 9-13 calories per pound of body weight per day. Keep track of your daily intake so you are not eating more than you need. Also, consider increasing your protein intake to 1.5g of protein per pound of body weight. Reduce the intake of bad fat (most derived from animal) and prefer the good fats (mostly vegetable based) including olive oil, nuts, fish and flax seed. Whey protein shakes can help you reaching your protein target. You can try a variety of protein supplements, including vegan options. If you are exercising (and you should!), consider taking fat burners, which increase metabolism and glutamine, which promotes muscle repair.

 

2- Exercise

A mix of cardio and weight lifting will bring the best results. For your cardio routine, consider running, cycling and skipping. Also, high intensity interval training (HIIT) can burn body fat for 24 hours post workout. It can’t get much better than that! Combine cardio with weight lifting to strengthen your muscles.

 

3- Get more sleep

There are plenty of reasons why you should be paying more attention to your sleeping patterns. Chronic sleep loss causes 30-40% drop in metabolism and also leads to overeating. You should aim for at least seven hours of sleep per day. Getting to your target might be as easy as 1,2,3! To stay motivated, consider taking progress photos every two weeks so you can feel rewarded. If you have a hard time hitting the gym, try finding a training buddy. Consider changing your routine once a month so you don’t get bored and also so you can work different muscles.

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