Learn How to Build Muscle Tone with Diet and Exercise
We all dream of sporting that toned muscle look. It doesn't just happen, though. To build muscle tone, it's important that you have a good muscle base to begin with. The choice of exercises is important as some types of exercises build muscle tone more than others. These types are referred to as compound exercises. They allow you to lift heavier weights and have the additional benefit of working on more than one muscle group at a time.
You undoubtedly recognize the names of many of these compound exercises: bench press, military press, dead lift, squat, and barbell row. Each of these exercises will challenge all of your primary muscle groups. All you need to do is practice these exercises with a progressively increasing load.
It's possible to have a lot of muscle without showing it because of an extra layer of body fat that shields it from view. If you wish to see your abs, or have others see them, you should strive for a body fat of no more than 10%. The average Joe has a body fat that is typically from 15 to 24%. It's fairly easy to lose body fat by cutting your caloric intake.
If you cut your caloric intake by 300 calories each day from the amount of calories needed to maintain ideal body weight, your body will burn off its excess fat for energy.
How do you determine the amount of calories each day that is required to accomplish this? Simple, add up the calories that you currently consume daily to maintain your current body weight, and lower that number by 300. In other words, if you're currently eating 2500 calories each day, cut it down to 2200 calories. It's guaranteed that you'll see a change in just a couple of weeks, but it will also involve getting involved with some regular cardio exercise to burn off that excess fat. Jogging is good, but experts who know how to build muscle tone seem to agree that sprinting is more beneficial for losing fat.
You'll only know what is best in your circumstance by trying. Try jogging for one week and sprinting the next. If you lower your caloric intake, and exercise as indicated above, you'll build muscle tone, lose fat, and end up looking exactly as you had hoped.
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