Best Ways To Kickstart Your Metabolism As A Bodybuilder

The best ways to kickstart your metabolism to see weight loss and that desired physique.

Some of us were born with a slow metabolism and while we used to hate knowing we had to work a little harder to keep off unwanted pounds, we loathed those who could eat whatever and still look shredded. Your metabolism is one of the major parts of your body giving you energy to keep it going and while a slow metabolism can be frustrating, there are ways to boost your metabolic rate and get a kickstart to see that desired physique you’ve always wanted.

If genetics dealt you a tough hand with a slow metabolism, it just means you have to pay a little more attention to what you eat and how you train in order to get that much needed metabolic boost. Judging how fast or slow you burn calories, your metabolism can work to your benefit with the right changes in your diet and the proper exercises and techniques. Don’t let a slower than normal metabolism keep you feeling fatigued and feeling those unneeded cravings and make the change today to see great results.

While fat burner supplements can increase your metabolism and work to shed that unwanted fat, it is important to make sure you get the right one for you. A good fat burner will be natural and safe with clinically backed ingredients and come from a reputable company that will ensure long-term benefits. But there are other ways to boost your metabolism as well and many may work just fine for your metabolic needs.

Kickstarting Your Metabolism

Increasing High-Intensity Workouts

High-intensity interval training is a great way to boost your metabolism and involves quick and intense bursts of activity like running or the rowing machine. This will help you burn more fat and increase your metabolic rate even post workout. Unlike normal cardio, which elevates your metabolic rate but sees a return to normal afterwards, high-intensity interval training offers the great benefit of working for you even after the workout is completed (1).

This can be with bursts of 30 seconds on and a slower recovery of a minute or two off and should see your heart rate spike to around 85% of your max heart rate. There are many time interval variations to try with HIIT so see what works best for you.

Improve Strength Training

Lifting, like high-intensity interval training, works to keep your metabolism going long after the workout is completed as a result of the strain lifting puts on your muscles. Since muscle is more metabolically active than fat, strength training is a great way to boost your metabolism with the added benefit of seeing great muscle growth. By burning more calories you will aid in weight loss but work to keep on that lean muscle for your desired physique (2).

Increasing Your Intake Of Green Tea, Coffee, and Spicy Foods

Green tea is a great source of energy given that it contains caffeine and can increase your metabolism as well (3). Since tea can convert stored fat into free fatty acids, it allows for increased fat burn and the metabolism-boosting properties can prevent a weight loss plateau that results from a decreased metabolism.

Coffee also works to boost your metabolism and is another source of caffeine for energy, whether that be to start your day, use for a pre-workout boost, or a mid-day pick me up when you start to feel sluggish (4). Many fat burners contain caffeine but using coffee or green tea is one way to receive the same energy-boosting benefits while working to kickstart your metabolism.

Spicy foods can increase your body temperature and start the thermogenesis process, a key in weight loss. As your body temperature increases, so too does your metabolism and thermogenesis helps to break down body fat. Spicy foods also contain capsaicin, which is a key ingredient to boosting metabolism (5). While the effects of spicy foods are temporary, they are one tasty way to really kickstart your metabolism.

Get More Sleep

A lack of sleep can have negative effects on your metabolism and those who suffer from lack of sleep run the risk of weight gain. The longer you stay awake, the more you feel the urge for those unhealthy cravings leading you to indulge in a late night snack. Those who are sleep deprived may feel more hungry because the hormone ghrelin, which activates hunger, is heightened, and leptin, which helps you feel full, is decreased. Avoid late night snacking and give your body the proper rest it needs while also working the benefit of keeping your metabolism running smoothly (6).

Stay Hydrated

Hydration is a great tool to help you feel full longer and can also increase athletic performance and mental capabilities (7). With increased hydration, you can accelerate calorie burn while also promoting energy expenditure through water-induced thermogenesis, leading to more calories burned and weight loss. Since staying hydrated plays more than one vital role in your overall health and wellness, keeping a bottle near you is one sure way to stay on top of your game.

Wrap Up

Our metabolisms work for our overall benefit, but it is important to take care of it so it operates at maximum capacity. For those of us putting up big numbers in the gym, eating a vast amount of calories is important for our overall bulk. But shedding fat and getting that overall physique can be challenging and while fad diets and supplements claim to have all of the answers, sometimes it just takes a little extra attention to kickstart our metabolism. Through high-intensity interval training, weight lifting, and a healthy diet, we can really give our metabolism that boost it so desperately may need. Try these tips and watch your weight loss goals become a reality.

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*Images courtesy of Envato

References

1. Khalafi, Mousa; Symonds, Michael E. (2020). “The impact of high-intensity interval training on inflammatory markers in metabolic disorders: A meta-analysis”. (source)
2. Wright, Matthew D.; Laas, Mihkel (2016). “Strength Training and Metabolic Conditioning for Female Youth and Adolescent Soccer Players”. (source)
3. Hodgson, Adrian B.; Randell, Rebecca K.; Jeukendrup, Asker E. (2013). “The Effect of Green Tea Extract on Fat Oxidation at Rest and during Exercise: Evidence of Efficacy and Proposed Mechanisms”. (source)
4. Acheson, K. J.; Zahorska-Markiewicz, B.; Pittet, P.; Anantharaman, K.; Jequier, E. (1980). “Caffeine and coffee: their influence on metabolic rate and substrate utilization in normal weight and obese individuals”. (source)
5. Gregersen, N T.; Belza, A.; Jensen, M. G.; Ritz, C.; Bitz, C.; Hels, O.; Frandsen, E.; Mela, D. J.; Astrup, A. (2013). “Acute effects of mustard, horseradish, black pepper and ginger on energy expenditure, appetite, ad libitum energy intake and energy balance in human subjects”. (source)
6. American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2019). “Lack of sleep affects fat metabolism”. (source)
7. Stover, Beth; Murray, Bob (2007). “Drink Up!: The Science of Hydration”. (source)