Most believe if you want to be lean and strong you need to spend endless hours in the gym.
As a former collegiate, professional, and CrossFit Games athlete, my best, most sustainable results have come from focusing on nutrition, spending less time in the gym and performing the most efficient exercises with my time.
Today, I’ll give you some tips on how you should eat and workout to be lean and strong.
NOURISH TO FLOURISH!
Poor nutrition is like fueling your brand new sports car with water. It’s not going to work.
Nutrition gives your body the vitamins and minerals it needs to function properly. It regulates hormones, mood, helps your body repair from workouts and assists in better sleep.
These are all important pieces for you to get the most out of your work in the gym.
Everyone is different, no single plan is going to work for each individual. Try testing different methods to see what works best for you. At a minimum commit to them for 30-90 days.
Count macronutrients. This simply means setting the number of grams of protein, fats, and carbohydrates you need to eat daily based on your body type and goals. I’ve personally found the best results from counting macros.
Lower your carbohydrate and increase your protein intake. This can work well for those wanting to shed some pounds. Sugars, carbohydrates and starches can be stored as fat, reducing these can help you lean up.
Increase carbohydrates intake. If you’re already pretty lean and looking to add strength, a plan that consists of higher carbohydrates can be beneficial for you. The extra carbs can help with recovery and muscle repair after your workouts.
Take advantage of a Nutrition Coach. It can be really hard to know where to start and a nutrition coach will help you wade through all the BS out there. In my last qualification for the CrossFit Games, hiring a nutrition coach was the key to helping me break through and finally having success!
At Lincoln Nutrition and Fitness your coach will help you clearly establish goals, set a game-plan, and help with accountability.
I’M READY TO SCHEDULE A FREE CONSULTATION WITH A COACH!
HOW SHOULD YOU WORKOUT?
Similar to nutrition, there is no one program that will work the same for each person.
However, there are staples to be included in your workout program that have been proven to be highly effective if you want to be lean and strong.
Lift weights. To be lean and strong you need to build muscle. Muscle increases metabolism, which burns more calories throughout the day. Muscle is also required to gain strength!
Perform multi-jointed exercises. Exercises that take your joints through full range of motion. Squats, deadlifts, and pressing & pulling exercises are perfect examples. These types of exercises elicit hormonal responses that aid in burning fat and building strength.
Perform athletic exercises. For example, hang power cleans, snatches, and sprints. When you think about the people in your life who are lean and strong they’re generally athletes. Their training commonly consists of quick, explosive, and fast movements.
Perform your workouts at high intensity at least three times per week. Work for ten seconds to two minutes as hard as you can, rest until you recover, repeat. This pushes your muscle to full capacity for building muscle and strength while also burning calories for up to 48 hours after your workout has been completed.
Perform a longer endurance workout once or twice per week. Work steadily for 10-45 minutes. Jogging, rowing and biking are all great examples. Endurance style workouts are beneficial for burning a lot of calories while your workout. They’re also a great way to recover from your high intensity workouts.
Take advantage of a coach. Figuring out programming for yourself can be mind-boggling. Coaches take the guesswork out of it for you.
At Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness, we lift weights using multi-jointed & athletic exercises performed at high intensity. You don’t have to guess about what to do! Schedule a consultation with a coach to see how we can help you with your goals!