I put “secret” in quotation marks because it’s not really a secret, it is more commonly portrayed as something that its not. So let’s simplify it into what it is and what not.

What it’s NOT – using light weights only and doing only specific kinds of exercises – not THOSE bulky making exercises/too heavy weights.

What it IS – Low amount of body fat + Decent amount of muscle.

So there’s two parts to this equation. Let’s dive right into it. 

1. Low amount of body fat

So how do we achieve this? What most of us do is actually correct; eating less food or doing cardio exercises or a combination of both. The treadmill will help here, or the elliptical, or swimming, or going for jogs, or those classes at the gym. Do keep in mind that nutrition is the most important thing.

Total calories at the end of the day, with the balance of how much you eat vs how much you spend, will dictate whether you lose or gain weight. You need to have a negative balance, so you need to take in less food than you expend. This also requires consistency and patience; usually it will take more time than you think. More likely more time than you think

2. Decent amount of muscle

This is the most underrated part of this equation, but theres only one thing you need to do in order to get this part right. Okay, well two things.

Train with resistance + Adequate protein intake.

If there’s one thing to take away from this whole post, is that one sentence above. Training with resistance will not only enhance your physical strength, strengthen your bones (increases bone density), and make you look and feel like a badass, but you will finally get that “toned” result.

Training with weights doing compound movements 3-4x a week, with moderately heavy weight (NOT 2kg pink dumbbells), with good form, progressively overloading (increasing weights and/or reps) over time is the key. Other resistance exercises could also include bodyweight training (calisthenics), use of resistance bands and to a certain extent yoga. You do not need a gym to perform these, even with weights and bands at home, you can achieve quite a remarkable physique.

Protein intake – it is useful for increasing satiety, and feeding those muscles you’re working out so hard. How much? Common guidelines according to WHO for general health are 0.8g/kg BUT once you start regularly training your muscles, a higher intake is recommended. Check here for the article I wrote on what the deal is with protein.

That’s it. That’s the secret. Do these two things, be patient, and do them regularly. And for months Doing some things some times will give some result. Doing them consistently, will lead you to your own body transformation.

See ya next time 🙂

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