|
THERE IS no doubt
that lean look is in. We even have the fact corroborated
by models and fitness experts. And if you are a film buff,
English and even Hindi, have a look at people like Pierce
Bronson, Leonardo Di'Capr io, Zayed Khan and Dino Lorea and
you will see exactly what we are saying.
But to gain mass and yet remain lean and strong, one must
have a well-rounded exercise routine consisting of a
well-planned diet, strength training, cardiovascular
training and some kind of speed work. Today, we will tell
you how you can go about achieving that lean and healthy
look.
Diet : To look lean you must eat fewer calories
than your body burns off. So EAT LESS but make sure you do
not end up starving yourself, otherwise you will lose more
muscle than fat! Which is not good? Professionals like
models and actors need to watch out — do not eat too much
before a shoot.
Start eating 5-6 meals per day (space them out to about
one every 3 hours). That way you are eating more often,
but not necessarily more.
Increase your protein intake. Without protein your body
cannot build new muscle. Protein also helps to increase
your metabolism —which burns calories.
Have lots and lots of water. A good formula for this is to
multiply your body-weight by .66 to get the required
number of ounces per day That does a lot including washing
out the toxins.
Strength Training : Do not train for more than 3
times per week.
You should aim to increase the amount of weight you lift
only as long as you can maintain medium to high
repetitions (meaning 10 to 12) and doing mostly tri sets
(three exercises in a row involving two body parts, having
practically no rest in between exercises)
Rest for no more than two minutes between sets. Your
muscle gain may be smaller but you will look better
chiselled and your progress will be steady and your
performance will remain consistent.
Follow them up by core exercises (Abdominal and back
strengthening exercises ) in the circuit manner (training
lower, oblique and upper abs).
Cardiovascular : Perform aerobic exercise 3-4 times
per week.
As your strength increases, you should continually improve
your cardio training by regularly increasing the duration
(aim for an hour of cardio) and/or intensity. Keep) up
your cardiovascular and strength training together; if you emphasise weight training over cardio, you are far more
likely to gain mass without definition.
Speed work :
The explosiveness and agility you develop doing speed work
will help lay the foundation for things such as increased
metabolism and functional strength.
If you prefer to run, try doing wind sprints. Runners can
also do bounds, in which you run with an exaggerated
stride, skipping in the air from one foot to the other.
Speed work not only helps build strong, lean muscles but
also improves body coordination. |