How to Slim Down Without Bulking Up
A common fear regarding weight training--particularly for women--is that you will end up with bodybuilder-esque muscles, with no neck and enormous arms like the Hulk. The fact is, though, that slimming down without bulking up is not particularly difficult, but it certainly takes some effort and commitment. Large muscles are usually a product of genetic predisposition, anabolic steroids or both. So don't worry about bulking up when you take on a weight training and cardio exercise program. You're far more likely to lose fat than gain visible muscle.
Instructions
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Diet
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Reduce your simple carbohydrates--like white bread and sugar--and increase your complex carbs, like whole-grain bread and vegetables. Your body processes these more efficiently and gets more energy from them.
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Increase your lean protein. White meat, beans, lentils and other low-fat sources of protein give your muscles the energy they need to become toned.
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Reduce your trans and saturated fats. Fat is not necessarily bad for you--indeed, your body needs fat--but some fats are worse than others. Olive oil and avocados, for example, are much better for your body than the processed fats in fast foods like hamburgers and French fries.
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Remember that a positive change in your diet is far more important to slimming down than exercise. While exercise does play a key role, diet is probably around 70 percent of your slimming--it is easier to reduce calories than burn them with exercise.
Exercise
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Perform cardiovascular exercises like rowing, running or biking at least three times a week. Do so on a high-intensity, interval basis--three minutes of extremely hard work followed by one minute of resting, repeated for three or four sets. This is an excellent exercise program because it stimulates the body to burn more calories while you're not exercising.
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Perform a full-body, weight training program. Remember--don't worry about bulking up. The odds are that this will never happen to you.
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Perform compound exercises. These include bench presses, squats and overhead presses. These movements put a great deal of stress on your entire body, which makes the muscles toned and tight. Because they are high intensity and done over a short period of time, they have the same effect as interval cardio training. They stimulate your body to burn more calories even when you're working, watching TV or sleeping.
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Tips & Warnings
Talk to a personal trainer to make sure you're lifting your weights with the correct form. Poor form can cause injuries.
References
- Photo Credit weight image by julien tromeur from Fotolia.com
