Stay in Shape Year-Round With These Tips
The word “transformation” is popular because it’s hard to stay lean throughout the year. Most people get in shape, lose their form after some time and then start a leaning program again. Staying in shape year-around can be a real test of self-discipline and dedication.
It’s a well-known fact that getting in shape is easier than staying in shape. Through this article, we want to help you keep all the hard work you put in crafting the physique of your dream so you can cherish it for all the 12 months of the year.
Keep Your Diet in Check
One of the most crucial aspects of shedding fat and keeping it away is to carefully consider what you eat. You’ll have to rethink your whole diet plan and change your lifestyle completely.
“Dieting” will have to take on a whole new meaning for you. There should be no inner conflict the next time you see your favorite dessert. Make your healthy diet so interesting so you don’t have to go around satisfying your cravings.
Count Your Macros
If your goal is to maintain a chiseled physique throughout the year, you’ll be better off counting your macros. Minor changes in your macronutrients can cause a big effect on your body.
You should understand how your body reacts to a change in each of the three macronutrients. Setting a daily calorie and macronutrients goal will also help you in staying on the right path.
Switch Over to HIIT
Staying lean requires that you don’t store a lot of fat in your body. HIIT workouts will not only increase the number of calories you burn during your workout but will also boost your metabolism for the next 24 hours.
HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) implies that you push your workout intensity to the extreme while keeping the rest interval between sets short. To shed the extra calories, you should follow up a HIIT cardio workout with HIIT weight training.
Choose Your Supplements Wisely
Most people don’t care to learn everything about their supplements. They are happy with the fact they’re taking a whey protein or a pre-workout supplement. Each supplement has different ingredients with different compositions.
Some supplements might have more sugar and carbs than others. So, the next time you go supplement shopping, read the nutrition labels carefully and buy the ones which meet your goals.
Allow Yourself a Cheat Meal Every Week
Since you’ll be staying on a diet all-year round, you can’t expect yourself to completely cut out the junk food. You don’t want the junk food to turn into the “forbidden fruits” because we all know how it ends.
Abstaining from your favorite junk food for a long time can lead to serious cravings. Rather than blowing off all your progress during a wild cheat weekend, allow yourself a cheat meal every week. A once in a week cheat meal can also help boost your metabolism.
Use Compound Movements in Your Workouts
Compound (multi-joint) movements engage multiple muscle groups as compared to the isolation exercises. Compound exercises get a greater hormonal and energy response than isolation (single-joint) lifts which can help in burning more calories.
Make the bench press, squats and deadlifts an essential part of your workouts. And, whenever you can, try to replace the isolation exercises life cable curls, cable press-downs with compound lifts like barbell curls and barbell close-grip bench presses.
Switch Your Diet and Training Programs
A major reason why people stray away from the fit lifestyle is that the same workouts and food start to bore them. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, your best bet would be to switch to a new diet and training program.
Starting a new workout plan or diet program can reignite your motivation. It can also add to your knowledge which will pay dividends in the future. There are tonnes of new training principles and diet plans you can choose from, learn and implement.
Do you stay lean all year-round?
Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
