Pathways for Building Muscle While Losing Fat

Brian Kezer is a Maryland professional whose interests include playing and watching sports. Another passion for Brian Kezer is fitness.

One of the challenges on the pathway to peak fitness involves preserving lean muscle while losing fat. Metabolically active, lean muscle burns more than fat and also helps ensure optimal calorie use while at rest.

As people age, muscle mass is naturally lost, which impairs physical strength and function. In addition, when losing weight, muscle tissue is sacrificed, which results in less efficiency in burning calories. Basically, a caloric deficit is necessary when losing weight. However, it is a caloric surplus that sends a message to the body to build lean muscle.

Overcoming these obstacles requires careful dietary, as well as workout, planning. It’s essential to minimize the caloric deficit, which can be accomplished by emphasizing proteins and cutting unnecessary carbs. Intermittent fasting, or refraining from eating through large portions of the day, is one way of accomplishing this. At the same time, focus on frequent strength training exercises, keeping cardio as a secondary workout track.