The Ultimate Guide to Building Muscle Fast: The Best Ways to Lose Weight and Build Muscle

Would you like to build muscle?

Are you looking for the best ways to lose weight and build muscle at the same time?

If so, then this article is going to be of interest.

We'll discuss how building muscles can help with fat loss and vice versa, what training techniques are best for building both muscle and losing fat, as well as a list of food products that will help make your goals easier!

What is muscle building and why do it?

This is a great question.

We know that building muscle will help us lose fat, but how does it work?

Building muscles require a lot of energy and protein.

This means you'll need to eat more calories than when you're not building muscle in order for your body to build new tissues. The added caloric intake can also lead to an increase in metabolism.

The body repairs damaged muscle fibers by fusing them, increasing the mass and size of muscles.

Certain hormones - including testosterone, human growth hormone, and insulin-growth factor – also help to promote muscle growth.

Building lean muscle can help you maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk of chronic disease, and improve the quality of your life.

Muscles act as an engine that burns calories at rest and—for every pound of muscle gain—your body uses about 50 extra calories a day.

What’s a sample routine for muscle training?

The best way to build muscle is to train with weights. You can do this by using a weight machine, dumbbells, or barbells – either alone or in combination.

A good routine consists of three sets for each exercise you’re completing:

The first set should be performed at about 60% of the maximum amount that would make

The second set is a little more difficult and should be done at about 75% of your maximum

The third set is the most challenging, performed close to 100% of what you can do weight-wise.

Most people who want a fast muscle-building routine will choose two or three different exercises that work every major muscle group and execute each exercise once per week.

Here are some more tips:

- Do cardio workout at least three times a week.

- Start your weight training with lighter weights for the first few sets and work up to heavier ones, completing as many reps as possible in each set. This will help you get stronger quicker

- Try not to take more than one day off from working out per week

- Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout

What's The Best Diet To Gain Muscle?

Branch Chain Amino Acids - Branch chain aminos are the building blocks of protein; you can find them in many foods like chicken breast, beans, grains, and fish.

BCAA's help build muscle because they increase your body's ability to produce proteins so it has more material.

Carbs and Protein:

Protein should be about 30% of your diet while we want carbs to make up 40%. You'll

The best diet to gain muscle is one that provides enough protein. You should aim for at least 40 grams per day, up to 75-90g a day if you're trying to build more lean mass.

Maintaining an adequate calorie intake is important when building muscle too; you'll need 600-1200 calories above your basal metabolic rate.

You should also be eating a balance of carbohydrates, fats, and protein so your body can maintain anabolism and build muscle tissue.

A good ratio would be 40% carbs, 30% proteins, 30% fat - but this will depend on whether you're in the building muscle or losing weight phase.

You'll need to eat fewer carbs and more protein as you get closer to your goal weight.

Egg Whites - Egg whites are a great way to eat protein without the fat, they're also good if meat makes you feel queasy. The great thing about eggs is they are inexpensive, easy to make, and quick to eat.

Whey Protein - Whey is a good option if you don't want to eat meat, it's easier on your stomach too.

Peanut Butter or Almond Butter - Both are great sources of fat that will help with building muscle because they provide calories that the body needs for building muscle.

Salmon - Salmon is an excellent source of protein whenever you are building muscle.

Tuna - As well as Salmon, Tuna is an excellent option for building muscle.

Shrimp - Not many people think of shrimp when it comes to building muscle, but shrimp provides protein which is necessary for building muscle.

Quinoa - Quinoa has a low glycemic index and provides protein, carbs, and fiber that are all important to building muscle. It's also gluten-free if you're looking out for a diet restricted by food allergies or preferences like celiac disease or paleo diets.

Cottage Cheese - Cottage cheese has a high protein content and can be used as an excellent source for your diet while you are building or trying to build muscles.

Wheat Germ - Wheat germ provides the body with essential fatty acids that will help in gaining muscle.

Lean Beef -  Protein is necessary for building muscle, that's why lean beef should be on your menu.

Protein Shakes - Protein shakes are a quick and easy way to get protein into your diet each day. You can pick them up and throw them in your bag to drink anytime.

Organic Whey Protein - A good option if you want a vegetarian protein source as well.

Protein Bars - One of the easiest ways to get all the proteins you need is with protein bars, they are quick and easy for when building muscle on the go.

Nuts - Almonds, peanuts, walnuts are all great sources of healthy fat. It's important to have a balance of healthy fats and proteins because they both provide fuel for the body.

Fruit - You can't go wrong with fruit because it's full of vitamins and nutrients that your body needs to build muscle and lose weight fast.

Green veggies like broccoli or asparagus are a good option too!

Calculating Calorie Consumption

Focusing on the correct diet can help you put on muscle in a safe and effective manner. You'll need to increase your total calorie intake by at least 3500 calories per week, which is about 500 extra calories each day.

How do you calculate muscle gain?

The first thing you need to do is subtract your starting weight from your desired weight to determine how many calories you'll need.

For example, if you weigh 150lbs and want to be 180 lbs then it will take at least 3600 extra calories per week for a safe and effective gain in muscle mass.

To calculate the number of daily calories you'll need, divide the total number of weekly calories by seven and add 1000 to that.

In this example, it would be 3600 divided by seven, which is 480 additional calories per day.

If your goal weight exceeds 180lbs then you will have to calculate more than just a one-pound increase in body mass for every 500 calorie surplus consumed.

Habits that sabotage weight loss goals

There are a number of eating habits that can sabotage weight loss goals.

- Eating too much sugar - Sugar is found in many processed foods, so it's important to read labels and stay away from added sugars where possible.

- Skipping breakfast - Breakfast provides your body with energy for the day ahead and helps you avoid overeating at lunchtime or later on during the day. It's best to eat something within an hour of waking up, even if that means just having a cup of tea or coffee and some fruit.

- You slept in and missed your exercise - Leave time in the morning to fit in a quick workout, and always have some form of exercise planned for evenings when you're not working.

- Eating out all week - Include at least one healthy home-cooked meal per day that is different from what you would eat if eating on the go or dining out every night.

- You skipped dinner - A healthy dinner is important as it provides your body with energy and nutrients throughout the night.

- You left the blinds down - Open the curtains during the day, and let natural light in to help with your mood. If your mood is low, your body will produce more cortisol, which can lead to a decrease in muscle building.

- You waited until work to drink coffee - Coffee increases alertness and can help with muscle building. Drink your favorite caffeinated beverage before breakfast to get the most out of it, or have one after dinner if you need an extra caffeine boost in the evening for a night workout session.

- You didn't take a break - don't forget to stretch or take breaks during workouts for recovery. Without these small periods of time for rest and restoration, it will be harder and slower for your muscles to rebuild themselves after tough workouts.

- You grabbed a bowl of cereal for breakfast - cereal is a low-protein, high sugar food that can make you feel sluggish. It will also cause your blood sugar to spike and then drop shortly after.

- You had a large lunch with something unhealthy - try to eat healthy foods in moderation alongside the occasional treat (like pizza!). Not only will you have more energy throughout the day, but you'll have more flexibility to fit healthy foods into your busy schedule.

Will I get too bulky lifting weights? 

Lifting weights is a great way to break down mental barriers. When you start lifting, your body will actually change without any changes in diet or sleep schedule!

More weight means more muscle mass and faster results - but it takes time for muscles to grow back stronger than before.

However, when your muscles are constantly adapting from stresses of training, nutrition and recovery there are always ways they can trick themselves into growth with no effort on your part.

Can you lose weight and gain muscle at the same time?

Yes! You can build muscle and lose weight at the same time.

Research has shown that it's possible to gain up to 20 pounds of muscle in a year while simultaneously losing fat, as long as you are eating enough calories and following an effective workout program for building muscles.

Did you know that weight loss will continue at the same pace even if you stop exercising? This is because the body will continue to burn fat for fuel.

A study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found that a group of young, active men who improved their muscle strength by lifting weights increased muscle mass even without increasing calories or reducing physical activity.

Sounds pretty cool, right?

It is, but the only thing is that you need to be patient.

The amount of muscle mass that someone can gain in a year is different for each person, depending on their age and how out-of-shape they are when they start the regimen.

So it might take you longer than 12 months to build 20 pounds of muscles while simultaneously losing fat if building your muscles from scratch.

You can't have your cake and eat it too (no pun intended ;)).

By making sure you're eating enough calories to build muscle but not so many that they turn into fat.

As well as training smart with a focus on lifting heavy weights instead of doing endless cardio sessions for hours at a time, you might be able to lose some body fat while building up the muscles in other parts of your body.

Rest days for building muscle and strength

Bodybuilding, or weight training for a better you, incorporates rest days by rotating the muscles worked.

After exercising one specific muscle group to exhaustion and over-exertion on day 1 (Monday), let it get some much-needed time off with 24 hours of total relaxation from Tuesday through Thursday before beginning again Friday as if Day 1 had never occurred.

This gives your body's smaller parts like tendons an opportunity to repair themselves so they can do their jobs longer - which means that next Monday will be all-new gains.

Taking two to three days off from intense exercise each week will give your body time to heal and regenerate, but this doesn't mean you need sit around on the couch for those few days.

Take some easy breaks by going out with friends or doing something that gets you up and moving like water aerobics- it'll keep things fresh in between workouts so they don't get too monotonous.

Contrary to popular belief, muscle growth takes place during resting periods. The science behind it is that during training you're actually breaking down muscle tissue and not building up more of it; when you give them time to recover they can rebuild themselves stronger than before.

Make sure to take enough recovery days so these benefits don't go away!

Wrapping Up

You can't just sit on your couch and drink protein shakes - it's not going to happen.

What does this mean?

If you want to build muscle fast (or more definition in general), then train hard with weights 3-5 times a week for 45 minutes per session.

If this sounds like too much work for now but something you might do later on down the road when you have more time or confidence.

We know that building muscle can seem like a daunting task. But if you have the right diet, it doesn't need to be so difficult

Having the right diet will allow you to build muscle fast and without having to worry about being protein starved. If you are protein starved, then it increases the chance of not building muscle and also makes you have a higher risk for injury.

In order to build muscle, you need to consume enough calories.

The key is calculating your calorie consumption so that you don't end up eating too many or too few and either gaining weight or losing it.

This is where so many go wrong because they want to lose weight and they end up doing too much cardio that it robs them of their appetite or they cut back on calories so drastically, which ends up making them not be able to build muscle.

It's quite simple really because your body needs a certain number of calories in order for it to work at its optimum and build muscle.

If you are not getting enough calories, then your body will actually break down the protein in order to use it as energy so that you can survive instead of building muscle tissue.

If you are looking to make a change in your life, bad habits could be the reason why you're struggling to lose weight and also build muscle.

In order to break this vicious cycle of sabotaging yourself and getting nowhere, it's important that you first identify what is causing them so that you can start making changes today.

It’s important to take rest days in muscle building.

You should focus on resting the muscles you are not working out that day and giving them time to recover before they are worked again.

If done correctly, your body will be able to build up more muscle mass and strength because it has had enough time to strengthen those muscles at a slower rate than if you were just constantly trying to work them with every workout session.

What is your favorite thing about taking a break from weight training for a few days?

We'd love to know.