Everyone envies those fitness models who have the rock-hard six-pack and toned muscles throughout their whole body. Many people spend hundreds of dollars each year on memberships at elite fitness clubs to achieve a body that is worth flaunting on the beach.
Often, they do not even achieve their desired results or achieve their desires results after an extensive period. Little do they know that they can easily achieve that body quickly at home, where they do not have to spend hundreds of dollars each year, waste time and gas driving there, and deal with judgement from strangers.
Health Modifications to Accelerate Muscle Gain
- Green Smoothies
Green smoothies have been proven to offer many health benefits (e.g. energy, detoxification, weight loss, boosted immunity, etc.)
Green smoothies can help with gaining muscle if the right ingredients are used.
A green vegetable (e.g. spinach, kale, and broccoli) is essential for nutrition and coloring. Milk and/or Greek yogurt are the second most essential ingredients because they are rich in protein, which will support muscle build.
The milk and/or Greek yogurt must be the non-flavored and contain the full amount of fat to avoid added sugars and loss of proteins.
For people who are lactose intolerant, coconut water is a viable alternative. Fruits that are rich in anti-oxidants are the third essential ingredient because anti-oxidants benefit the immune system and overall health.
Citrus and acidic fruits have the most anti-oxidants. Protein powder, nuts, and seeds are also rich sources of protein that can be included in the smoothie.
- Incorporate Protein into Diet
In addition to making sure their smoothie is rich in protein, muscle-builders must incorporate protein-rich foods into their diet.
Chicken, turkey, and other lean meats are the best protein-rich foods. While any meat is rich in protein, muscle- builders should opt to choose lean meats over fattier meats (e.g. beef) to avoid consuming excess fats. Leaner cuts and grass-fed varieties of fattier meat are also acceptable.
- Monitoring Calories
The first key to a muscle gain diet is protein, and the second key to a muscle gain diet is keeping calories and fat intake to a minimum.
In order to gain muscle, body fat must be lost. Consuming fewer calories than the calories that are burned is key to losing weight.
That is much easier to accomplish if the smallest number of calories are being consumed.
- Eating More, but Smaller Meals
Eating frequent meals is helpful for weight loss because it boosts metabolism and reduces the risk of binge eating at meal-time.
If people are constantly eating throughout the day, they will not feel the need to fill-up during one meal. Eating smaller meals will shrink the stomach size, which help people reach satiety faster.
At-Home Exercises to Gain Muscle
- Push-Ups and Planks
Many people dreaded push-ups in high school gym class. They may be one of the toughest workouts to do, but they are worth the effort.
Push-ups target several muscle groups, which are the chest muscles, shoulders, triceps, under the armpit, and abs. When people do push-ups, they are gaining the muscle of several different workouts for the price of one.
Crunches and sit-ups used to be considered the best ab workouts. In recent years, it has been discovered that crunches and setups only target some abdominal muscles and can lead to back and neck injuries.
One-minute planks are now considered the best abdominal workout and one of the best general strength workouts because it makes people use all their abdominal muscles and conditions their leg muscles, core muscles, hip muscles, and back muscles. Planks also help people improve their posture and balance.
- Cardio-Blasting
Runners are known to have the most nicely-toned figures. Running and other cardio exercises condition the heart, but they also condition many of the other muscles in the body because they are also playing a significant role in the exercise.
Cardio-blasting is the easiest type of exercise to do from home because there are many ways it can be done (e.g. running, walking, treadmill, elliptical, stepper, workout takes, etc.).
- Target Toning Using Dumbbells
The old-fashioned dumbbells still hold true today. Dumbbells are helpful for target-toning exercises.
They are most commonly used for toning arm muscles, but they can also be used in other target toning exercises (e.g. squats, ab workouts, and strength and cardio cross-workouts).
- Yoga and Pilates
Contrary to popular belief, getting ripped is not all about consuming protein and rigorous exercise. Many yoga poses (e.g. tree pose, bridge, and dancer) help people build strength in core areas. Pilates focus on strengthening and elongating abdominal and back muscles.
Yoga and pilates can also help people gain muscle while helping them relax, gain flexibility, improve their posture and balance, and avoid muscle strain.
Getting Ripped at Home
Getting ripped at home is about lifestyle changes and appropriate exercises. The lifestyle changes should consist of incorporating protein and superior nutrition in one’s diet and consuming the least number of calories as possible.
The exercises should be a combination of overall toning, target-toning, and less rigorous exercise that also promotes relaxation. People can easily achieve the body of their dreams at home in no time.
