6 Tips for Transforming Fat Into Muscle

Burning fat is essential for maintaining a healthy weight. However, fat doesn't just transform into muscle. Instead, shredding fat makes room for more muscle. Without building muscle, your body will lack definition. Help replace your fat with muscle with these exercise and diet tips!

Can You Turn Fat Into Muscle?

Technically, no. Fat and muscle are made up of different tissues. So, one cannot become the other, or vice versa.

Burning fat and building muscle can happen simultaneously. However, they also have their own unique requirements. Let's discuss some fat-burning tips that will allow you the space to sculpt your muscles and meet your wellness goals.

3 Tips for Burning Fat to Build Muscle

In order to shred fat, you must lose weight. Losing weight means you must burn more calories than you consume. Here are some ways you can achieve this balance!

1. Cardio Workouts

The only way to burn fat is to literally burn it. You need to build heat up in your body that kickstarts thermogenesis. 

Cardiovascular exercises are extremely effective for raising your body temperature and dropping your waist size. Perform 75-150 minutes of cardio workouts per week to maintain a healthy weight.

2. Eat Spicier Foods

Kick the heat up a notch by introducing some spicy food into your meal planning. Particularly, peppers are excellent for managing your metabolism.

Their active molecule, capsaicin, stimulates neurons in the brain responsible for blasting fat cells. Wake up your digestive system every morning by drinking lemon water with a dash of cayenne on an empty stomach!

3. Change Your Fat Intake

There's a reason why the Western Diet is synonymous with obesity. It is laden with omega-6 fatty acids present in vegetable oils, fatty meats, and processed meals. 

Choose leaner meats, like poultry and fish. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that offset the damage caused by excessive omega-6 intake. Whole grains, nuts, and seeds are also excellent options for plant-based omega-3s. 

3 Tips for Building Muscle

Once you get into a healthy fat-burning routine, it's time to start building muscle. Here are three ways you can add serious gains to your diet and workout routine.

1. Increase Your Protein Portions

Losing weight can also cause you to lose muscle mass. Your body needs the tools necessary to replenish your muscles. That resource is protein.

Proteins contain amino acids. Amino acids are the basic building blocks responsible for all things, including muscle tissues. After you burn calories, always nourish your body with a clean, protein-heavy meal.

2. Weight and Resistance Training

As you drop weight from your waist, you should be lifting it in the gym. The only way to gain muscle is to work it out. 

Consider using machines at your gym to provide a full-body workout at a quicker pace. Then, you can really define your muscles with isometric weight training.

Gym memberships can be expensive, but that's still not an excuse to avoid strength training. Resistance bands are a cost-effective way to tone your muscles.

All you need is your body. You can easily perform these exercises in small spaces or outdoors!

3. Less Rest, More Work

The more work you put in, the more results you witness. Start with increasing your training volume.

Your training volume is the number of repetitions you perform multiplied by the number of sets. If you're lifting four sets of 10 reps, try increasing to five sets of 15 reps. 

Stick with incremental increases. Be sure to listen to your body to avoid unnecessary strain.

Lastly, allow for less rest time between sets. Your body produces the most growth hormones during the first 30-90 seconds of rest.

Capitalize on this influx by getting in more reps with shorter breaks to create a steady stream of growth hormones throughout your workout!