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How to Build a Lean, Tone Physique: Secrets from the Pros

How to Build a Lean, Tone Physique: Secrets from the Pros

by | Jan 20, 2023 | Bodybuilding, Exercise, Fat Loss, Fitness, Nutrition, Sleep, Strength Training

With the right training and nutrition, you can achieve the lean, tone physique you’ve always wanted. To have this physique it requires building muscle and losing fat; however, the process includes more than lifting weights and cutting calories. There are specific training methods and nutrition principles that are proven to yield better results and have been used by fitness pros for decades. If you practice these techniques yourself, you’ll more effectively build the lean, tone physique you want. These are the secrets from the pros. 

Use compound exercises

Compound exercises are exercises that involve multiple joint movements and multiple muscle groups. They should be the foundation of your training program to build muscle and body shape. These movements allow you to lift heavier weights which stimulates more muscle fibers leading to more muscle growth. Examples of compound exercises include squats, deadlifts, bench press, and rows.

In terms of training efficiency, incorporating compound exercises into your workouts can help you get better results in less time by working multiple muscle groups at once. They can also help improve your overall functional strength, as they mimic the movements you perform in everyday life.

Increase the weight progressively

One of the key factors in building muscle is progressive overload – the principle that your muscles need to be challenged with increasing loads in order to adapt and grow. When you perform the same workout week after week without progressively increasing the loads, your muscles will eventually plateau and stop making progress. If there is no need to adapt, the muscles won’t change. 

To avoid this plateau, it’s important to make small gradual changes to the load placed on each muscle group over time. This can be an increase in weight, reps, sets, range of motion, or even an additional exercise isolating that muscle. You don’t have to add or change a lot each week – small increments make a big difference. The key is to find the right balance between further challenging your muscles and avoiding overuse or injury. 

Don’t neglect your diet

Your diet plays a crucial role in building muscle and losing fat. However, the most effective nutrition plan focuses on either building more muscle or getting rid of unwanted fat. These are separate goals driven by a different nutritional plan. You need to choose to build muscle or reduce fat, because trying to do both at the same time will limit your results. Initially, beginners may be able to pursue both goals simultaneously, but within a few months their progress will stop and they will hit a plateau. 

For muscle growth, focus on consuming a surplus of calories to gain weight and at least 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass to fuel your workouts and support muscle recovery. If you’re unsure of your lean body mass, you can eat 1 gram of protein per pound of weight to be conservative. Your muscles won’t grow without enough calories and protein. When you decide to switch gears and pursue fat loss, maintain the protein intake to preserve your muscle tissue and lower your total daily calories by reducing fats and carbohydrates. Whether building muscle or losing body fat, it’s important to include a variety of nutrients from whole grains, sources of healthy fats, and several daily servings of vegetables and fruits to get in enough vitamins and minerals to support overall health and performance. 

While it’s preferred to focus on whole, unprocessed foods, it can also be helpful to include protein supplements, such as protein powders or bars, to help meet your protein needs. Just be sure to choose a high-quality option that fits your dietary needs and preferences.

Incorporate rest and recovery

Rest and recovery are just as important as the actual workouts when it comes to building a lean, tone physique. Your muscles need time to rest and repair in order to grow, and skipping rest days or overtraining can lead to burnout and injury. 

It’s important to include rest days in your workout routine, and to listen to your body when it comes to how much rest you need. You may also want to consider incorporating active recovery methods, such as foam rolling or yoga, to help your muscles recover and reduce muscle soreness.

Get enough sleep

Sleep is another crucial factor in building muscle and losing fat. During sleep, your body releases growth hormone, which plays a role in muscle growth and repair. In addition, sleep helps regulate your appetite, energy levels, and maximizes fat loss.

Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night to ensure you’re getting enough rest and recovery. You can also try incorporating sleep hygiene practices, such as setting a consistent sleep schedule and creating a relaxing bedtime routine, to help improve the quality of your sleep.

Find a workout partner or coach

Having a workout partner or coach is a great way to be supported and held accountable on your journey. A workout partner or coach plays an important role by helping you stay consistent with the process to get the best results. 

At a gym that provides group exercise programs, you’ll easily find a great workout partner pursuing similar goals and a coach to guide you each step of the way. If you’re local to Sculpt Fitness in Long Beach, check out our Small Group Boot Camp or Semi-Private Training Program. Both programs provide the training and nutrition guidance as well as support you need to build a lean, tone physique. 

Track your progress

Tracking your progress can be a powerful motivator and can help you stay on track. There are many ways to track your progress, such as keeping a workout journal, taking progress photos, and recording measurements.

In addition to tracking your workouts and measurements, it’s also important to track changes to your nutrition and lifestyle habits, as these are all signs of progress that impact your results. By regularly reviewing your progress, you can identify areas for improvement and make adjustments as needed.

Building muscle and losing fat requires dedication and consistency, but by implementing these, not so secret, secrets from the pros you can achieve the lean, tone physique you’ve always wanted.

Ready to create a sustainable lifestyle and

build the body you want?

LEARN MORE
David Minishian, MPH

David Minishian, MPH

Fitness and Nutrition Coach

David is the owner and coach at Sculpt Fitness in Long Beach, CA. The mission he has started at Sculpt is to educate, equip, and empower the local community to make the best decisions for their health. He has been coaching exercise and nutrition for over 10 years, helping clients create sustainable lifestyle to build the body they want. When he's not training, coaching or cooking, David is on an adventure with his wife and daughter or teeing up his next shot on a golf course.

The Ultimate Full Body Workout for Beginners: Transform Your Body in Just 4 Weeks

The Ultimate Full Body Workout for Beginners: Transform Your Body in Just 4 Weeks

by | Jan 16, 2023 | Bodybuilding, Core Strengthening, Exercise, Fat Loss, Fitness, Strength Training

Ready to get in shape and transform your body? If you’re a beginner looking to start an exercise routine, it may be overwhelming trying to decide where to begin. That’s why I’ve created this ultimate full-body workout for beginners to give you some direction. With this program, you’ll be able to tone and strengthen your entire body in just four weeks.

Before we dive into the workout, it’s important to understand that exercise is just one part of the equation when it comes to achieving your fitness goals. A healthy diet and lifestyle habits, such as getting enough sleep and managing stress, are also crucial for success. That being said, practicing this full-body workout routine will make significant changes in your body in only four weeks.

Full body Workout Instructions

  • Perform each of the following exercises in the order listed below for 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps, depending on your fitness level.
  • Take a 30-60 second rest between sets.
  • Aim to complete the entire workout 3 times per week.
  • As you progress, you can increase the number of sets and reps, or add additional exercises.

Full-Body Workout for Beginners

Squats

Squats are a foundational exercise for strengthening and toning your lower body, including your glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. To perform a squat, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed slightly outward. Lower your body as if you were going to sit back into a chair, keeping your chest up and your weight in your heels. Push through your heels to return to the starting position. Increase the difficulty by holding dumbbells either in front of your shoulders or down by your sides.  

Push-ups

Push-ups are a classic body weight movement for the chest, shoulders, and arms. To perform a push-up, start in a plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. The space between your arms and body should make a 45 degree angle as you bend at the elbows and lower your body until your chest almost touches the ground. Keep your core engaged and your body in a straight line, while pushing through your hands to return to the starting position. If you’re new to push-ups, you can modify the exercise by performing it on your knees or against a wall.

Deadlifts

Deadlifts target the posterior chain muscles along the backside of your body, including your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. To perform a deadlift, stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells in front of your thighs. Hinge at the hips and lower your body until the dumbbells reach your mid-shins, keeping your shoulder back, chest up and your core engaged. Thrust your hips forward by squeezing your glutes to return to the starting position, and repeat.

Back Rows

Back rows hit the upper back, including your lats, rhomboids, and traps. To perform a bent over back row, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells in front of your thighs with your palms facing inwards or towards each other. Hinge at the hips to lean forward and bend your knees slightly. Keeping your back flat, pull the dumbbells up and back to the side of your body near the belly button, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position below the shoulders, and repeat. Make sure to keep your core engaged and avoid rounding your back while performing this exercise.

Lunges

Lunges incorporate more balance and control of the lower body, including your glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. To perform a lunge, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and take a step forward with one foot. Lower your body until your thigh is parallel to the ground, keeping your chest up and your weight in your front heel. At the bottom of the movement, the knee of the back leg should be under the hip. Push through your front heel to return to the starting position, and repeat on the other side.

Bicep curls

Bicep curls are an excellent exercise for isolating your biceps on the front of the upper arms. To perform a bicep curl, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing forward. Curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders, keeping your elbows close to your sides. At the top of the movement, turn your palms away from you so that your pinky finger becomes slightly closer to your face to fully contract the bicep. Lastly, lower the dumbbells back to the starting position, and repeat.

Tricep Kickbacks

Tricep kickbacks are a great exercise for isolating the tricep muscles on the back of your upper arms. To perform a tricep kickback, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing towards the body. Hinge at the hips to lean forward, keeping your back flat and your core engaged. Bend your elbows to bring the dumbbells towards your sides. Once the upper arms are parallel to the ground, extend your arms straight behind you, by bending at the elbow and squeezing your triceps. Lower your arms back to the starting position while keeping the upper arms parallel to the ground, and repeat. Make sure to keep your elbows close to your body throughout the exercise to target the tricep muscles effectively.

Planks (optional)

Planks will strengthen your core and improve your posture. If your core is exceptionally weak, it may be beneficial to incorporate planks into your routine. To perform a plank, start in a push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. The entire body from head to toe should be straight, while paying special attention to not raise the hips. Hold this position for 30-60 seconds, keeping your core engaged. To make the exercise more challenging, you can try lifting one foot off the ground or holding the plank on your forearms instead of your hands.

With this ultimate full-body workout for beginners, you’ll be able to significantly tone and strengthen your entire body in just four weeks. Remember to focus on proper form and start with a weight that’s appropriate for your fitness level. As you progress, you can progressively increase the number of sets and reps or add additional exercises. By consistently practicing this workout routine, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your fitness goals and transforming your body.

Ready to create a sustainable lifestyle and

build the body you want?

LEARN MORE
David Minishian, MPH

David Minishian, MPH

Fitness and Nutrition Coach

David is the owner and coach at Sculpt Fitness in Long Beach, CA. The mission he has started at Sculpt is to educate, equip, and empower the local community to make the best decisions for their health. He has been coaching exercise and nutrition for over 10 years, helping clients create sustainable lifestyle to build the body they want. When he's not training, coaching or cooking, David is on an adventure with his wife and daughter or teeing up his next shot on a golf course.

The Ultimate Guide to Resistance Training: How to Maximize Your Gains and Burn Fat Fast

The Ultimate Guide to Resistance Training: How to Maximize Your Gains and Burn Fat Fast

by | Jan 6, 2023 | Bodybuilding, Exercise, Fat Loss, Fitness, Strength Training

Resistance training is a popular form of exercise, because it can help you build muscle and strength while burning fat. It’s an effective way to get in shape quickly, but there are a few key things that you need to know in order to maximize your results.

Let’s take a look at what resistance training is all about, why it works so well for building muscle and fat loss, how to set up an effective resistance training program for yourself, and provide a few tips on how you can maximize your gains from each workout session. 

What Is Resistance Training? 

Resistance training is any type of physical activity that involves using external or bodyweight forces against muscles or joints in order to increase their strength or endurance. This could include activities like weightlifting with free weights or machines, performing exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, squats or lunges, using resistance bands, or even hiking uphill with a backpack full of rocks. Any form of movement where muscles must work against a force – whether it be gravity itself (bodyweight exercises), added weight (barbells), elastic bands – qualifies as “resistance training”. 

Why Should You Do Resistance Training? 

There are plenty of benefits associated with regular resistance training! For starters, people who consistently perform resistance training workouts have better overall health than those who don’t – including a reduced risk for chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease and improved bone density and joint mobility/stability. This type of exercise also places a higher physical demand on the body, which can boost your metabolic rate for up to 72 hours after the workout. By elevating your metabolism, it becomes easier to lose excess fat fast without sacrificing lean muscle mass along the way. This phenomenon is unique to resistance training, because it can target multiple muscles simultaneously, which stimulates more growth hormone production to drive building or maintaining strong muscles even when losing fat.

How To Set Up An Effective Resistance Training Program 

To set up an effective resistance training program tailored specifically towards your personal fitness goals, begin by assessing your current level of strength, ability, and training history. Based on these factors, you’ll need to decide which specific movements to focus on and how often those movements should be repeated each week. Beginners might implement mostly basic compound lifts whereas an advanced lifter might incorporate more isolation movements alongside the compound exercises.

The next step is to select the appropriate number of repetition and sets per exercise. Again beginners might shy towards higher repetitions of 12 to 15 reps for 2 to 3 sets to first build muscular endurance, while an advanced lifter may work between 3 to 12 repetitions for 3 to 5 sets to optimize strength gains. If your goal is building muscle, you can achieve this with either higher or lower repetitions as long as you reach near failure with your lifts.

Finally, the last part of setting up an effective resistance training program is planning out your rest days between sessions. In the beginning, you may need a rest day between each workout, but as your body adapts and you develop a training history you may only need 1 or 2 rest days a week. Recovery is vital to not only get the best results, but also to prevent overtraining injuries down road too.  

Tips For Maximizing Your Results From Each Workout Session 

Here are a few tips that can help you maximize your results from each workout session:

  1. Set specific and achievable goals for each workout session. This will help you stay focused and motivated during your workout.
  2. Warm up properly before starting the workout. A proper warm-up can help prepare your body for the physical demands of exercise, reduce your risk of injury, and improve your performance.
  3. Use proper form and technique when performing each exercise. This will help you get the most out of your workout and reduce your risk of injury.
  4. Incorporate a variety of exercises and training methods into your workout routine like negatives or drop sets. This will help keep your workouts interesting and challenging, and will help prevent plateaus in your progress.
  5. Pay attention to your body and listen to your physical sensations during your workout. If you feel any pain or discomfort, stop the exercise and adjust your form or technique.
  6. Stay hydrated throughout your workout. Dehydration can impair your physical performance and make it difficult for your body to recover after.
  7. End your workout with a proper cool-down and stretching routine. This will help your body recover sooner for your next workout.

Follow the methods outlined above and you’ll find it much easier to reach your goals whether that’s toning up, gaining strength or losing fat. With the right attitude and dedication to the process, you will soon start seeing results.

Ready to create a sustainable lifestyle and

build the body you want?

LEARN MORE
David Minishian, MPH

David Minishian, MPH

Fitness and Nutrition Coach

David is the owner and coach at Sculpt Fitness in Long Beach, CA. The mission he has started at Sculpt is to educate, equip, and empower the local community to make the best decisions for their health. He has been coaching exercise and nutrition for over 10 years, helping clients create sustainable lifestyle to build the body they want. When he's not training, coaching or cooking, David is on an adventure with his wife and daughter or teeing up his next shot on a golf course.

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