Losing weight or achieving a fitness goal is probably on the list of most people for their new year’s resolution. After all, what better time to kickstart a long-term commitment than during the start of the year.
However, it’s undeniable that people often fall behind the initial goals they’ve set during the start of the year. Some may quit due to time constraints, while others may just give up on the idea of working out because it seems too difficult.
However, for those who stuck to their fitness commitment, it’s probably fulfilling to see results. Of course, you don’t want to stop at the first sign of improvement. Toning your muscles and strengthening your body is a continuous process. If you’re going to further enhance your muscle toning regimen, here are some tips you should consider.
- Watch Your Diet
The road to fitness isn’t a one-way street that only relies on working out regularly. To see results, not only do you need to work out often, but you also need to watch what goes into your body. The most basic principle of any weight loss program is a calorie deficit, which means that you must burn more calories than what you eat.
You should be mindful of what goes into your body since it can either boost your muscle toning or hold you back. Avoid foods filled with sugar and carbohydrates, and try to include protein and fiber-rich foods into your diet instead. Protein can help you grow and strengthen your muscles, and it will also help you better recover from strenuous workouts.
Take note that if you don’t see any progress with your body despite religiously following a workout and diet regimen, you should consider making adjustments to how much you’re eating.
- Try Workout Supplements
One type of supplement you can take are prohormones. Prohormones are performance enhancers that usually boost the body’s hormones, like testosterone, which can help increase muscle mass and energy. If you want to maximize your workout supplements’ effects, you can try stacking prohormones. This means that you’ll take more than one supplement to see which one will provide the best results. Those who stack their supplements usually want to gain more muscle mass or muscle strength.
Some prohormones focus on burning fat and getting rid of your water weight. The best prohormone for cutting can help the body work more efficiently during exercise while building muscle mass.
Of course, before you try to take any health supplements or prohormone pills, you should first test which will boost your performance and not hinder it. Not all will be compatible with your body, so find out which one works well for you. You can do this by taking a specific supplement and observing your body’s response.
- Focus On Exercises That Target Multiple Muscle Groups
Workouts that target multiple muscle groups will be more efficient in building muscle mass in numerous parts of the body.
It’ll also help you look toned equally and decrease your risk of injuries. Remember to work out both your upper body and lower body so you’ll look proportionate as you gain more muscle.
Workouts like squats and lunges target multiple muscles in the lower body, while deadlifts, cleans, and thrusters target muscles throughout the body. Incorporate these in your workouts to better build and tone your muscles.
- Vary Your Workouts
If you want to look more toned, know that doing the same workouts repeatedly, without any variation or an increase in intensity, will not do you any good in the long run.
Sure, sticking to a workout regimen may have worked well for you at first, but not increasing the difficulty of your exercises may lead you to hit a plateau. Over time, your muscles will adapt to the kind of workouts you do, and will no longer need to recover, which means they will no longer grow bigger or stronger. Increasing your workouts’ intensity by either adding sets or weight will allow your muscles to get strained, forcing them to develop.
Also, plan your weekly workouts wherein you both have weight training and cardio exercises. Cardio will help you burn fat, while weight training will develop your muscles and may help increase your metabolic rate, which will lead to more calories burned, even at rest.
- Get Enough Sleep
Another critical factor that may affect your muscle growth is sleep. When you work out, the muscles tear apart and need time to recover for a few days. Getting enough sleep will allow you to recover from your workouts and help prepare your body for another day.
Those who do light to moderate workouts regularly, 7-8 hours of sleep is advisable, while those who complete intense and long workouts may need more than eight hours to allow their muscles to recover.
- Drink Lots Of Water
Up to 60% of the adult body is made up of water. This means water also makes up your muscles, and if you don’t drink enough, your muscles may shrink. Hydrating before workouts also helps you get through your exercises without any trouble. So, if you want to build muscles while making sure you’re not going to get sick from dehydration and ruin your workouts, drink adequate amounts of water.
However, there’s no rule as to how much water you need to consume. The best way to determine if you’re hydrated enough is by listening to your body. If you feel like you need more water, then hydrate yourself.
At the same time, stay away from energy drinks and sports drinks that promise to replenish your body after a workout. Some of those drinks contain too much sugar, which may just hinder your progress.
Takeaway
No expressway will lead you to look all fit and toned overnight. It takes commitment, time, and consistency to achieve the results you wish to see. Building and toning muscles will involve many days where you’ll feel sore, which may tempt you to give up.
Whenever you feel like you’re not making any progress, try to check on what you’re currently doing, and try to tweak some parts of your fitness lifestyle to help you reach your goals.
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