Losing weight and building muscle isn’t easy.
It takes dedication, hard work and a strict mindset to achieve your goals and perform a successful body transformation, and this can be tough.
Tough, but not impossible.
Whether you’re looking to make a change that takes a year or something much quicker, making sure you create the right environment and go about your exercise in the right way is vital to hitting your targets.
But how do you achieve this environment?
Let’s find out.
Have a Transformation Plan
As the old saying goes, ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’.
This is very true when it comes to body transformation plans. It is vital to have a plan in mind to make sure you are setting yourself realistic goals, that you’re not doing too many or too little workouts, and also to keep on track.
Planning when to workout means you can make sure your body has the appropriate rest and doesn’t become overworked. It is also a great way of gaining extra motivation, as if you know you have a workout planned you are much more likely to go and do it.
Creating a plan that suits you and your goals is one of the first steps you should take on your body transformation journey.
A good plan will pave the way for good progress as you lose weight and gain muscle.
Progressive Overload
Progressive overload is a slow increase of stress on the body whilst training.
Effective ways of doing this is by increasing the resistance used, the number of sets and reps, and altering how fast or slow you do each exercise.
To put it simply, it’s doing more than the previous workout. For example, if you deadlifted 80kg comfortably in one workout session, the next time you do this exercise you’d increase it to 85kg or 90kg.
If you complete all sets and reps, you could add more weight again in the next workout and so on.
However, it may get to a point where you can’t lift any heavier. In this case you could increase the number of reps you do or change the exercise to target the same muscle but in a more challenging way.
A great way to overload the body is by focusing on different aspects of development such as mechanical tension, metabolic stress, and muscular damage.
Mechanical tension is using heavy weights to build tension in the muscle fibres. This allows the central nervous system to adapt to heavier weights.
Metabolic stress is the use of metabolites in the muscle fibres and pump the muscle full of blood.
Muscular damage is good for causing damage to the muscle fibres, so they repair and come back stronger and bigger. However, be cautious to not seriously injure yourself.
Be Realistic
If all you had to do was head down to the gym and push out a few sit ups to get a six-pack, we would all have one.
Undergoing a successful body transformation is tough, and it takes time.
If you’re expecting the weight to start dropping off in the first few days, then you may be disappointed.
What is hugely important is to set realistic goals. By doing this, you can stay on track of your fitness and not be disheartened if you aren’t seeing visible results straight away.
The key to a body transformation is perseverance. You may hit some roadblocks on the way, but with realistic goals that are picked by a professional after they get to know you and your body, you can have a clear path in your mind of how to get to your target.
Whether it’s a 12-week body transformation, or a six month one, setting a target that is achievable with hard work and determination is a great way of keeping morale high and ensuring good progress is being made.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
Having a healthy diet is paramount to staying on track.
All the time in the gym, in the pool, or on the bike are going to be wiped away if you get home and tuck into a large pizza.
To lose weight you need to create a calorie deficit. This doesn’t necessarily apply to building muscle though where you can eat more, as long as it is the right food.
What’s key is to keep your refeed days and cheat meals under control, and if you do have a good meal, try to avoid high sugar, high-fat meals, instead opting for vegetables, grains, fish (not the battered variety) and fruit.
If you’re struggling to keep track of your diet, making a plan always helps. Speak to your personal trainer if you want any information on nutrition and how to make sure your workouts are being complemented by your meals.
One thing to remember is that food is not the enemy. Skipping meals and fasting are sometimes used intermittently, but the key here is not to stop eating altogether.
A diet doesn’t mean you need to be hungry. It means you are consuming the right foods for your desired body, and this is vital to a successful body transformation.
Drink Plenty of Water
When on a diet, drinking water is hugely beneficial.
Why?
Well, firstly, it is 100% calorie free. That’s right. You can drink pints and pints of the stuff and won’t put one calorie in your body.
If you like a fizzy drink, like most of us do, then you can expect to add over calories per 330ml can. That’s a lot of calories to add to your daily intake if you drink more than one.
But that’s not the only benefit of drinking water. It also helps you burn calories, with a 25% increase in resting energy expenditure.
It is also a way of reducing your appetite. If you are craving some snacks, then replacing this with a glass of water can help in reducing your cravings.
Finally, water is great for helping build muscle. Muscles need energy to work and to grow. By staying well hydrated, your body is full of electrolytes and the nutrients in your body can easily make their way to your muscles to help them build.
Staying hydrated is important not just for maintaining a high level of exercise, but also for avoiding injuries such as cramp.
Who’d have thought that thing that comes out of your kitchen tap had so many hidden talents?
Know the Importance of Recovery
There are three main reasons that having time to recover is vital for a successful body transformation.
Firstly, your muscles need time to recover if they are trying to grow. The way muscles grow is by being put under strain, tearing, and then having to rebuild.
If you are not giving your muscles time to do this, you won’t see them grow at the rate they could be.
Secondly, your whole body needs a break every now and then. If you run a 10K, then having a day off the following day is a good way to allow your body to rest and make sure you aren’t overworking yourself.
By taking a day to recover, you get your body back into the perfect shape to get into the gym the following day and make the most of your workouts. If you and your body are tired, then you will start to skip corners and not perform your workouts well enough.
Finally, recovery days are not just for the muscles, but also for the mind.
Having days off in the week allows you time to take a breather, relax, and not think about exercise.
It is vital that you enjoy your transformation, and by taking a break every now and then, you can remain in the perfect mindset to keep on going for a longer time period.
Ask a Professional
Body transformations aren’t easy.
You may want to go it alone, and that’s fine, but if you want to seek professional help, the team at The Cut Gym can offer years of expertise and advice to get you where you need to be.
Getting the body of your dreams can be different for everyone. Some people want to lose a stone in a month. Some want to bigger biceps and abs.
No matter what you are hoping to achieve, a professional can give advice in all areas. From training and meal plans to recovery days and workout schedules, we have seen many body transformations over many years and can always point you in the right direction to a successful body change.
If you are wanting a change but don’t know where to begin, get in touch with the team at The Cut Gym today and let us help you get where you want to be.
Believe in Yourself
One of the most important tips for a successful body transformation is to believe that you can really do it.
There may be days when you’re craving a slice of cake. Or days when the thought of lacing up your trainers and hitting the road is the last thing you want to do. There may even be days that you step on the weights to realise you’ve not hit your goals.
What’s important is not to be disheartened. Turn the cake down. Get out on the run. And forget about the setback, because next week you know you will hit your goals.
Going through a body transformation isn’t easy. In fact, it’s very hard.
With every plan we set out though, we believe in our client.
The only thing left is to make sure you believe in yourself.
Body Transformation at The Cut Gym
Body transformations aren’t easy, but they are worth every second of pain when you reach your end goal.
If you want to speak to a personal trainer at The Cut Gym, then get in touch today.
Looking for some inspiration? Why not take a look at some of our previous client’s journeys?