The Lean Body: Muscle Power

Sep 17
07:19

2009

joel marion

joel marion

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Working to get a new form? The lean body centers on the power of muscle, how to get it, how to build it and how to keep from losing what you have. This article focuses on the importance of muscle in the lean body.

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Overview
A lean body,The Lean Body: Muscle Power Articles the well sought after look of firm, developed muscles with chiseled
abs and defined biceps is possible with a few well honed secrets in your program. 
Lean body mass has all the body tissue except storage fat.  Regardless of your
current condition, the lean body goal is attainable with the proper vision,
program and commitment. 

Eating Lean
The diet for building a lean body is an essential ingredient in the program.  It is
essential to take in ample calories to keep the metabolism functioning at peak
levels.   Many weight loss programs require severe restrictions in calorie level,
which actually slows metabolic burn rate.   

Essential in the diet is high quality dietary protein.  It is critical that protein sources
have both high protein content as well as a low fat content.  Lean beef, skinless
chicken, and fish offer solid choices for lean, high quality protein. 

Protein intake should be spread out throughout the day.  Some trainers suggest
every 2-3 hours for protein intake with recommendations of 1.0-1.5 grams per
pound of body weight.  It is important to talk to your doctor about the protein
level best for your body as too much protein with some health conditions can
cause problems for kidneys and other organ functions.

Balance is also an important element in eating for muscle development and lean
body mass.  High quality fats such as olive oil and avocados are important. 
Carbohydrates are important as well but the choices should be low in glycemic
index such as brown rice, sweet potatoes and green vegetables.  It is important
that the carbohydrate choices are simple ones, clean and un-sauced without butter
or other saturated fats adding on extra calories. 

Basic Metabolic Rate
When trying to burn fat while building muscle it is important to understand how
the process works.  Basic metabolic rate (BMR) is the rate of calorie burn.  If you
consume more calories than BMR you will gain weight, if you eat at BMR; you
will stay the same.  In order to lose weight, it will be important to burn more
than the BMR.  BMR is calculated by current body weight x 10 + your
bodyweight.   For a 250 pound person the BMR would be (250 x 10) + 250 =
2750 per day to stay at 250 pounds.  

Repetition
It is important to build a workout program designed to improve muscle mass and
create a leaner body mass.   High intensity interval training and resistance training
using repetitions to build lean body mass and improve muscle percentage. 

Conclusion
A lean healthy body is the result of a combination of techniques and principles
applied consistently.  Eating right, eating enough and making the right choices for
high quality, lean protein and a balance of nutrients is at the base level for this
process.  If you know your basic metabolic rate, make the right choices and build
an effective training program a lean body is very possible.