“Getting lean” is one of those fitness-promises that doesn’t happen In fact It could mean anything – like “toning,” or “nutrition.” It vaguely means getting in better physical shape. And if you had to put a finer point on it, you could say that being lean means losing weight while maintaining or increasing muscle mass. “Typically, when we talk about lean, we’re talking about body restructuring—burning fat as well as building muscle,” says the dietitian. Maddie Pasquarillo, MS, RD.
But beyond the desire or pressure to look a certain way, being lean (in the right way) can also come with health benefits.
“The idea of being lean has definitely evolved over time, as it’s no longer just something that’s reflected in scale weight,” says Glenn DeSimone, a personal trainer. lifetime Boulder. “We now know that muscle mass is one of the best indicators for longevity, and having a high muscle-to-fat ratio can reduce the risk of things like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and even cancer. It’s all about putting yourself in a healthy, functioning metabolic state.”
Regardless of the “what” of getting lean, or your “why” for wanting to do it, the “how” of getting there remains the same. At the end of the day, it all comes down to a relatively simple combination of diet and exercise.
“A good program at the gym will be your best friend when you’re trying to get lean, but eating enough calories and protein is equally important,” says Pasquariello. “If you’ve only changed your diet, but you’ve done so in a meaningful way over a significant period of time, you’ll start to see changes in overall body composition, even without making too many changes to your workout. But without putting in the work in the gym, you won’t get the defined muscle you’re looking for.”
Whatever getting lean means for you, here are Pasquarillo and DeSimone’s top tips for building muscle, burning fat, and restoring balance to your body.
Make strength training your priority
A common misconception about getting lean is that it’s all about cutting calories and constantly lifting weights on the treadmill. But if there’s one absolutely indispensable component to getting lean, it’s resistance training. “If we don’t take advantage of resistance training, we’re not going to be able to build the lean tissue that we’re talking about, which is definitely muscle,” says Desimone.
Strength training isn’t just about building muscle. Pumping iron is also a big part of your fat burning strategy. “The more muscle we have in our body, the more metabolically active we are — and that’s really important,” says DeSimone. “Basically, the more muscle we have, the more fat we burn at rest.”
Importantly, strength training also stimulates the production of anabolic hormones like testosterone and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which do double duty to help you strengthen muscle and burn fat. According to a 2005 research Review published in journal Sports MedicineThese hormones increase after resistance training – especially workouts that focus on large muscle groups. “We want to make sure we’re doing compound lifts,” says DeSimone, who recommends building workouts around strength training and functional exercises like multi-joint, squats, deadlifts, presses and pulls at least three or four times a week.
Cast Cardio in a Supporting Role
“This might be the right time to reduce your cardio a bit, if that’s the majority of what you do — and focus on weights instead,” says Pasquariello. At the end of the day, you can get lean only with strength training and a prescribed diet. That said, if you’re able to find time for one or two cardio sessions a week, a little bit can go a long way.