To look good is almost every other soul’s desire but there are few exceptions as well. Some just do not care for their health and appearance. I hope that my readers don’t belong to that category and are sincerely on the hunt for ‘how to get lean’ and shed that excess weight and voluptuous body. But I am not here to fool my fellow readers as I also mentioned ‘natural ways to get lean and fit’.Now we all probably are aware of the fact that ‘natural’ and ‘quick-fix/faster’ generally don’t go together. Had the quick-fix, blink-of-an-eye magical claims to get in shape been true, I would not have written this piece neither you would have been reading.
So, first and foremost, the truth – ‘faster’ here refers to the fact that you can ‘speed up’ your weight-loss process by incorporating some of the tried-and-proven tips.
Don’t dream of a ’30-days-30-kgs weight loss’ scenario. Be realistic and keep the following points in mind to get lean and fit faster.
1. Make your Warm-Up dynamic
Your warm-up need not be boring. Generally, the warm-up is associated with walking the treadmill but it doesn’t have to be like that every day, making it monotonous for you. Also, it doesn’t work for your upper body.
Make it more dynamic. A dynamic warm-up would be one that enables the circulation of blood to increase around the muscles that are needed in the main work-out later. Try different moves instead of a routine treadmill walk/jog for a complete body warm-up.
2. One-legged Moves
When you would like to get lean faster, it’s obvious that your workout must contain some good amount of cardio, especially jogging/running. For this, your single-leg stability also matters a lot as you are switching over from one leg to another in a fraction of a second.
The absence of single-leg stability increases the risk for injury due to the lack of alignment with every landing step. Try standing on one leg before the sets for upper body moves. Do it for both legs. Trying one-legged squats is a great move to incorporate.
3. Increase Cardio
You might be hearing or reading much about building muscles for losing fat but cardio training is equally important. The logic is simple – when doing any cardio exercise, after you consume all the fuel existing in the body, the body starts burning the fat for the required energy.
The muscle-building exercises alone can’t make up to the minimum amount of calories that need to be burnt for cutting down the extra fat in the body. Cardio is a great metabolism booster as compared to what having an extra muscle would do for the same.
4. Off Center Moves
Unequal weight distribution in the off-center moves requires the core muscles of the body to step in. some of the daily routine off-balance movements are carrying a heavy purse or suitcase, playing tennis (swinging racket basically), carrying a heavy grocery bag, or a child in one arm, etc.
Basic off-center moves would be squats combined with pushing the fitness ball against the wall using one arm at a time; doing lunges or squats with a kettlebell in one hand.
This routine when done with complete control and focus helps in developing core stability of the body.
Consider reading: 11 necessary Neck & Back Exercises for Work From Home Professionals
5. Less Number of Reps but Lift Heavy
Muscles lost during a good session of cardio need to be maintained. Lifting heavy weights force the body to keep the muscle that would have lost if done only the cardio. Here, one must remember that a large number of reps with light weights will do no good.
Instead, moving up on the weights ladder with fewer repetitions is recommended. Also, it is important to work on all major muscle groups through the combination of squats, deadlifts, bench press, etc. So lifting heavy along with sufficient cardio is the way to get leaner faster.
6. Change the intensity of the workout
Generally, in the initial days of the workout, the body tends to shed few kilos faster, and later on, as the body gets used to the workout, the fat-loss process slows down. The reason behind this phenomenon is that the body muscles get accustomed to a repetitive workout routine and stops responding keeping the weight stagnant. Thus, it is necessary to either change the exercises or increase the intensity at regular intervals.
You may also like: 8 Hidden Exercise Equipment at Home (Household goods used for workout)
7. Right eating habits
I have kept this at the last of my list as a lot has been said about eating the right way but at the same time, the mention in the list seemed to be necessary for the obvious reasons. This is one step you need to incorporate into your daily routine in order to get lean and fit slightly faster.
If slow and long duration weight loss is what you desire, you can afford to overlook this aspect but I don’t think you are reading this article for that. The faster result is what you want, right? So follow some of these simple eating and drinking habits that will help you in getting lean –
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Eat when hungry and stop when fullThis has to be clubbed with eating at regular intervals with proper speed. Do not overeat to satisfy a larger interval.
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Eat healthy and clean
Eating clean simply means avoiding junk, oily, and processed food and substituting it with healthy food options like whole grains, fruits, green leafy vegetables, lean protein, good fats, nuts, and beans. Indulge in what your body craves but once in a blue moon.
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Include lots of veggies and fruits in your diet
A diet change that can surely get you leaner in less time is to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. One, they are high on fiber, minerals, and vitamins that promote a healthier body and which generally lacks in most people’s diet. Two, they add volume to the food without adding much fat or calories.
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Eat high-quality carbs
Many dieticians and instructors at gyms and health centers would recommend you a low-carb diet but the matter of fact is that the body requires a sufficient amount of carbs when you are doing intense workouts. One must consume whole grains that are low in fat, sugar and high in nutrients, fiber. Oatmeal, fruits, whole-grain bread are some good examples.
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Drink water
Keep yourself hydrated with water only and avoid juices and sweet drinks that have high calories. If consuming juice, prefer it fresh and packed fruits must be avoided at any cost as they contain preservatives and artificial sweeteners. If at all you want to take juice, prefer pineapple juice because it is rich in Vitamin C which is known to aid in the weight loss process.
Reader’s choice: Weight Loss And Eating Disorders – What’s the Relation?
Above all, the will to incorporate these lifestyle changes is what matters the most and will solve your question of ‘how to get lean’. You have to keep reminding yourself of the long-term goal of getting in shape and control those short-term cravings that keep you from weight (fat) loss.
