Muscle toning and slimming: everything you need to know

The muscle toning and weight loss are two factors related to training that can not be considered separately.

The coupling is necessary because, unfortunately, still it is believed that it means to lose weight and slim down enough. A weight loss is not necessarily synonymous with the decrease of fat, especially when it occurs in a short time, such as following an uncontrolled diet. In this case, first, vary the water body and the protein mass, ie, the cell mass, and not fat mass.

Lose weight in a correct way is to diminish body fat while maintaining or increasing lean mass. Conversely, an increase of weight following a period of training in the gym is not always correlated to an increase in muscle mass.

Unlike what you may think, the element to which reference is always lean mass not that fat, because your metabolism is essentially linked to it. And 'lean mass that produces metabolism and therefore should be controlled, well-fed and stimulated in order to avoid cases of malnutrition. And 'through increased activity of metabolism that are unable to obtain the reduction of excess body fat, preventing them from degenerating into an overweight obesity. Often, however, the focus falls erroneously and in an obsessive on fat mass.

It must be said also that adopt the classical model "bi-compartmental" Lean mass / fat mass does not give any indication of the state of nutrition and hydration of the subject: it is possible to find healthy obese 

individuals, patients, heart failure, malnourished, well fed, dehydrated or edematous and the estimated masses lean and fat is absolutely not possible to trace or monitor any of these states.

Wishing precision in the estimation, we need a model of body composition more appropriate to divide the body into several compartments, sensitive to hydration and nutrition, with which to explain all the variations of weight, regardless of which occur in the fat mass, the mass muscle or body fluids.

For this purpose, the model "tri-compartmental" which refers to one of the most sophisticated methods for evaluating body composition, Bioimpedance (BIA), it is definitely more suitable.

The model is composed of:

1. Body Fat: It expresses all body fat ranging from essential fatty adipose tissue.
2. Massa Mobile: Compartment that contains the internal tissue cells, rich in potassium, which exchanges oxygen, which oxidizes glucose.
3. Extracellular mass: Component that includes the extra cellular tissues and then the plasma, the interstitial fluids (extracellular water), the water transcellular (cerebrospinal fluid, joint fluids), tendons, dermis, collagen, elastin and skeleton.

The water represents the extracellular compartment volumetrically more significant mass of Extra-Cellular space and is subject to more rapid and significant changes.

The lean body mass is the result of the sum of Massa Mobile phone with extracellular mass.

After making an initial assessment of body composition, we will proceed with the set a schedule of workouts, a variable period. Specifically, the training will be modulated factors such as intensity, volume, loads, sets, reps and recoveries, in order to develop progressive and constant adaptations to training.

The risk that we run is to lose lbs of lean mass, leading to a reduction in basal metabolism, thus slowing down the process of weight loss.

To avoid this inconvenience, unfortunately very frequent due to misconceptions about training, I will list below some general rules to follow to set up a training program:

1. Train hard but in moderation with this statement mean that you do not need to go to the gym every day, it takes 2-3 workouts per week, provided they are strong enough to stimulate the metabolism and cause the adaptations.
2. First train in the weight room, then move to the aerobic work: The type of effort required in the weight room is "anaerobic", intense and short-lived. Therefore, the energy source required to ensure compliance with these efforts is purely of type "glucose". To make the most of the carbohydrate reserves, work in the weight room must precede the aerobic workout.
3. Always select exercises that make it possible to use more muscle groups simultaneously: So, go-ahead to bending the legs, arms, movements of pulling, pushing, etc.. These movements "global" force our body to a higher caloric expenditure and also increase strength, coordination and balance more than isolated movements.
4. Do not go overboard with aerobics: Aerobic activity (prolonged running, cycling) should be moderate, even in this case you do not need to run for hours on the treadmill, it takes 10 to 20 minutes after your workout. I do not agree much with the theory of activation of fat metabolism after the 30'-40 'of low-intensity aerobic activity. If it is true that in this way activates the metabolism of fat, it is true that there is a considerable loss of fluids and sometimes lean mass.

5. Avoid overtraining: As mentioned above, work in many cases too causes loss of muscle tone. This is just one of the signs of overtraining. Stubbornly ignore the signals intense workout has only one result: to make counterproductive training. For this reason it is important to listen to your body: the first symptoms of loss of appetite, joint pain and general feeling of weakness, it is important to take a few days of recovery.

Other important rules to follow regarding the power supply. No training program produces significant results in a short time if not accompanied by proper eating habits. Therefore the rules listed above are paired with the following dietary recommendations:

1. Divide into 5-6 daily meals every three hours, then add to the three main meals of the day, two snacks, mid-morning and mid-afternoon. If you need to insert a meal before bedtime.
2. Increase the quantity daily protein if you are physically active moderate / intense, it is necessary to counteract the catabolism, and maintain lean body mass; choose protein sources such as meat, fish and dairy products low in fat
3. Reducing sugars, refined carbohydrates and saturated fats: sugar intake creates a rapid increase in the levels of blood glucose (blood sugar). This phenomenon stimulates the release of a hormone called insulin, which promotes the absorption of glucose into the cells. The latter, if in excess, is converted into fat. Saturated fats are harmful because they increase cholesterol levels.
4. Replace them with low carbs / medium glycemic index, mono and polyunsaturated fats, such as whole grain foods, fruits, vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, walnuts or almonds.
5. Drink at least 1 ½ / 2 liters of water per day.

source : Muscle toning and slimming: everything you need to know