You were on bulk for a long time and now that you have got bigger and stronger enough, it’s time to cut down that extra fat and reveal your true physique. You would think that the hard part is over and now you just need to dial down your daily calorie intake and be consistent with your training and tada – there comes the six-pack abs and lean physique you have been dreaming of.
Well, yes, this is what you basically need to do to attain a lean physique. However, for those who want a good understanding on your bodybuilding pursuits, read our blog on Bear Mode Vs Lean Mode: Which is Better & Why? Reading this before you decide which approach to take will give you a clear insight and understanding of the pros and cons. But this is not all. To get into a lean mode, there are other factors that decide how quickly and efficiently you will achieve it. This article will provide you with the ultimate guide to Lean Mode.
So, sit back and keep reading to know all the needed secrets to get lean.
Cut Back on Sugar and Eat More Fibre
Low-carb diets that provide less than 35–40% of calories from carbs are very effective at promoting fat loss. However, severely limiting carbohydrate intake is not always beneficial. This is because it can have a negative impact on training and sports performance.
To maximize fat loss, aim for a carb intake of 40% of your daily calories. Consume at least 1.4–1.8 g of carbs per pound (3–4 g per kg) per day. The healthiest way to reduce your total carb intake is to avoid added sugars.
To do so, read labels and avoid foods with added sugars such as glucose, sucrose, and fructose. Cane juice, dextrin, maltodextrin, barley malt, caramel, fruit juice concentrate, fruit juice crystals, and other syrups should also be avoided. Instead, increase your intake of fibrous vegetables. These will help you feel fuller for longer periods, making you feel more satisfied.
Follow a High Protein Diet
Protein helps with fat loss in several ways. To begin, high-protein diets make you feel full for a longer period, and hence you consume lesser calories through the day. They also aid in the prevention of muscle loss during weight loss, even in well-trained athletes. Several studies have found that eating as much as twice the amount of protein per day as your body weight in kgs can help athletes retain more muscle while losing fat.
As a result, athletes trying to lose weight should consume anywhere between 1.8–2.7 g per kg of body weight per day. However, there is no benefit to exceeding these recommendations, and exceeding these amounts can cause other important nutrients, such as carbs, to be removed from your diet. This can limit your ability to train and maintain a high level of athletic performance.
Strength Training is a Must
Individuals attempting to lose weight are frequently at risk of losing muscle as well as fat. Some muscle loss can be avoided by eating enough protein, staying away from crash diets, and lifting weights. Several studies suggest that protein consumption and strength-training exercises both stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Furthermore, combining the two appears to have the most significant impact.
However, before adding any additional workouts to your schedule, consult with your coach. This reduces your chances of overtraining or injury.
Inculcate Cardio
However, losing fat is primarily about being in a calorie deficit — if you burn more calories than you consume, your body will burn fat for fuel. And there's no better way to achieve a calorie deficit than by doing a lot of cardio. Lifting weights is also a great way of burning calories, but you cannot just solely rely on it. As a result, try to incorporate some cardio into your fitness routine, whether it's running, cycling, or even walking. A 30-45-minute session, 4-5 times per week, would suffice.
Few More Secrets
Come to the acceptance that getting lean is incredibly simple if you stay consistent and honest with yourself. Once you reconcile your feelings towards getting lean and accept that you have to work your tail off, then you’ve overcome a huge barrier and will be ready to start.
- It is best to plan everything: from your time, workouts, and meal. Everything must be meticulously planned.
- It doesn’t matter as much what you do in the 6-8 hours you train per week as long as you’re working hard and progressing in your workout. What matters is what you do in the other remaining time. That said, here are the things that you should be focusing on are:
- Sleep 8-9 hours per night.
- Eat whole natural foods and avoid processed food as much as you can.
- Train with intensity and stay consistent.
- Balance your high-intensity exercise with complementary practices such as yoga or mediation to manage stress.
You can also keep a check on weight you have lost, your current fitness levels, and maintain a healthy body composition. Our Lean Body Mass Calculator employs some powerful algorithms to precisely calculate your lean body mass (LBM). Take a look.
Do You Need Supplements to Get Lean?
Supplements can be of great help to push you in training and help you perform better. A good multivitamin like Maximult from Epicvita can help you recover quickly from your exhaustive training sessions by providing all the essential vitamins and minerals needed.
On the other hand, you can also add a fat burner in your supplement stack to give you that extra little push to get to you that low body fat percentage. Getting lean is not always a straight path, and you can find yourself stuck at a certain body fat percentage after few weeks of training. This is where a fat burner becomes essential to give you that advantage of dialing down your body fat and becoming even leaner. Ripcut Thermo is an amazing thermogenic fat burner from Epicvita that helps you burn fat and enables you to perform better at the gym.
References
Ness-Abramof, R. (2011). Insufficient Sleep Undermines Dietary Efforts to Reduce Adiposity. Yearbook of Endocrinology, 2011, 88–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yend.2011.06.048
Kim, K., Shin, D., Jung, G. U., Lee, D., & Park, S. M. (2017). Association between sleep duration, fat mass, lean mass and obesity in Korean adults: the fourth and fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Journal of Sleep Research, 26(4), 453–460. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12504
Gonzalez, A. M. (2016). Effect of Interset Rest Interval Length on Resistance Exercise Performance and Muscular Adaptation. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 38(6), 65–68. https://doi.org/10.1519/ssc.0000000000000257
