Bodybuilders’ Fat-Free Muscular Body is Insane!
Have you ever wondered how do bodybuilders lose fat without losing muscle?
They use leading strategies in the fitness world to achieve such stunning physiques.
But you can use those strategies to eradicate nasty flaps to get a firmer, toned, and defined muscular body without losing quality muscles.
This blog discusses how can you lose fat without losing muscles like a pro. First thing first, let’s begin by answering the question.
How Do Bodybuilders Burn or Lose Fat Without Losing Muscle?
Paying heed to a few things can preserve muscles while burning body fat. Indeed, professional bodybuilders and athletes are aware of this fact.
Thus, with expert supervision and an industry-leading fitness guide, they achieve cutting goals without putting much effort.
Here’s how do bodybuilders lose fat without losing muscle…
#1: High Protein Meal Diet
Fat loss is impossible without a low-calorie diet, but without enough protein preserving muscle is possible.
Protein helps stay full for longer while maintaining muscles. Take 1g of protein per pound of body weight.
#2: Switch to Cardio Gradually
However, this doesn’t mean going for an abrupt change and indulging in an entirely different training program.
Instead, slowly involve some cardio workouts in your existing plan. Later on, maximize the duration of cardio sessions to get intense fat-burning results.
#3: Reduce Carbs Slowly
During off seasons bodybuilders tend to consume more carbs. However, when entering the cutting cycle, cutting carbs directly will shock the body.
Thus, reducing carbs gradually with each meal can help shred fat without losing muscle and prevent the aftereffect of sudden carb reduction.
#4: Reduces Carbs in Dinner
Every macronutrient is important for proper body function.
Thus, aim to have very few carbs during the last two meals of the day. This would avert them from being reserved as body fat during the night hours when the metabolic process is slow.
#5: Plan Meals Frequently
Eating frequent meals keeps the body in consistent fat-burning mode. It keeps the fat furnace activity like metabolism to stay active for a long.
This results in intense fat elimination. So, aim to consume almost 6 meals a day, if your schedule allows you.
3 meals should rely on whole food, while the rest 3 meals should come with supplements like protein shakes, pre-workout drinks, and protein bars.
#6: Right Workout
When it comes to muscle preservation and fat loss, go for a training program facilitating both.
At the same time, cardio and HIIT can help decimate body fat. This is the top secret of athletes losing fat without losing muscles.
#7: Nutrition Timing
Professionals prefer taking their nutrition around their scheduled workouts for maximum fat loss and muscle retention.
This is the fastest way to lose fat without losing muscle.
In simple words, rather than jumping to a cutting program bodybuilders make gradual changes.
This prevents the harsh effects that can arise from the sudden shock. Also, they are attentive to diet and workouts to achieve their cutting goals.
There are other things you can do to burn fat like a bodybuilder without compromising your muscles. The next section mainly focuses on these aspects.
What Can You Do to Burn Fat Like A Bodybuilder?
Keeping up with a few details can help achieve a cutting cycle. These strategies accompany both diet and training programs. Practicing them would provide quick results.
Here’s how to lose fat without losing muscles like a bodybuilder.
#1. Plan it out: Having a solid plan can cut down half the problem. Whether dietary goal or workout goal, write down the long-term aspiration in detail.
#2. Stick to your plan: The cutting cycle is the business of patience and discipline. Weight doesn’t occur overnight; it requires weeks and months of consistent effort.
#3. Supplementation: To get the max out of the workouts, go for supplementation.
Use fat burners, pre-workout boosters, post-workout drinks, or meal replacements to achieve the targeted goal.
However, the product should be low calorie and high in protein free from additives and sugar.
You can try PhenQ meal shakes, it is one of the most recommended meal replacement shakes to try.
Read: PhenQ Meal Shakes Results Review
#4. High protein meal: Protein is the key to getting a bodybuilder with a fat-free muscular body.
The aim is to keep a high protein potion in each meal. Always bring protein from diverse sources for maximum nutrition.
#5. Right types of Carbs: Fat loss means a low-carb diet, but most focus on eliminating carbs completely.
In reality, complex carbs can be beneficial for energy sources, like sweet potatoes, white potatoes, brown and white rice, quinoa, and so on.
Moreover, avoid processed carbs like cereals, desserts, packed food, and more.
#6. Cycle carbs: carb manipulation can be great for losing weight while preserving lean muscle. On non-training days consume fewer carbs but on training days fuel your body with more carbs.
#7. Make Most of the Cheat Days: cheat meals once a week can work for your tongue. Nonetheless, using it tactfully can help reap slimming benefits.
Make sure your cheat meals are full of veggies and low in oil, cheese, and high-calorie ingredient.
Burning fat without losing muscle is possible, it just requires efforts beyond normal. In short, extra attentiveness is required whether diet, workout, or lifestyle is concerned.
Nonetheless, for most, planning the right weight loss diet is troublesome. Next, find out a sample diet plan to lose body fat fast.
7-Day Diet Plan to Burn Fat Without Losing Muscles Like A Bodybuilder
The key is to have a high protein low-calorie diet to trigger fat loss while keeping muscles.
Well, protein ensures fullness and nourishes existing muscle mass. At the same time, a low-calorie diet makes your body utilizes the body fat reserves resulting in fat loss.
As per the studies, a hypocaloric diet with adequate protein intake and increased physical activity promote maintaining muscle mass during the weight loss journey.
So, as said, here’s 7 days diet plan to lose fat.
#Day 1: Monday
Breakfast (calories 617)
cheese breakfast sandwiches and 2 egg
Lunch (calories 353)
1 caprese sandwich
Snack (calories 307)
2 portions of pineapple kale smoothies
Dinner (calories 1011)
Hard-boiled eggs 1 serving and 2 BBQ chicken sandwiches
Total daily calories: 288
#Day 2: Tuesday
Breakfast (calories 709)
1 serving of honey and butter oatmeal
Lunch (calories 345)
1 peach protein smoothie
Snack (calories 307)
1 apple, 1 serving of cucumber slices, and almond butter
Dinner (calories 940)
1 ham sandwich and 2 servings of fried eggs
Total daily calories: 2301
#Day 3: Wednesday
Breakfast (calories 675)
2 slices of buttered toast and 2 servings of blueberry protein pudding
Lunch (calories 345)
1 peach protein smoothie
Snack (calories 317)
1 apple and 1 bowl of cornflakes
Dinner (calories 869)
2 servings of balsamic chicken salad
Total daily calories: 2207
#Day 4: Thursday
Breakfast (calories 585)
2 servings of whole wheat toast and 2 corn flakes bowls
Lunch (calories 603)
1 cup of basic protein shake and 2 servings of turkey lettuce rollups
Snack (calories 287)
1 serving of yogurt and strawberries and 1 cup of grains
Dinner (calories 687)
2 BLT sandwiches
Total daily calories: 2162
#Day 5: Friday
Breakfast (calories 591)
1 apple and 4 banana egg pancakes
Lunch (calories 400)
1 ounce of almonds + 1 serving of quick buffalo chicken salad
Snack ( calories 283)
2 cups of nonfat Greek yogurt
Dinner (calories 470)
1 BBQ chicken sandwiches
Total daily calories: 1744
#Day 6: Saturday
Breakfast (calories 780)
2 servings of peanut butter protein oats
Lunch (calories 343)
1 cup of grapes and 1 serving of yogurt and banana
Snack (calories 291)
1 apple alongside almond butter
Supper (calories 807)
2 servings of easy grilled chicken teriyaki and 2 servings of easy steamed green beans
Total daily calories: 2221
#Day 7: Sunday
Breakfast (calories 752)
2 servings of cottage cheese breakfast
Lunch (calories 588)
2 cups of basic protein shake and 1 cup of grapes
Snack (calories 337)
1 bowl of cornflakes and 1 serving of cheese slices
Dinner (calories)
2 servings of Mongolian beef
Total daily calories: 2147
This weight loss diet plan is for suggestive purposes.
ALSO READ: Female Bodybuilding Meal Plan
Though, for weight loss, gradual calorie reduction is necessary. Begin with the sample diet plan to, later on, lessen calories in each meal to lose fat.
If you want to lose muscle without losing fat just like bodybuilders, never skip a meal, it can backfire making you consume more during the next meal.
How Fast Can You Lose Fat Without Losing Muscles?
There is no straightforward answer to the question, it would differ from person to person.
One with less body fat can lose fat without losing muscle much faster than one with more body fat, isn’t it?
Also, the initial results would be visible earlier for people with less body fat than more obese people. It would take a month to show the initial difference in body fat.
However, following the fat loss without a muscle loss guide would be beneficial for everyone. Some would achieve their target much easier than others.
In general, 3 months can be an ideal period for one to observe a breakthrough difference.
Oftentimes, people aren’t actually losing fat, they are losing muscle. It takes a lot of time to realize the huge setback in their fitness goals.
Luckily, we have shared 4 major signs indicating muscle loss instead of fat in the next section.
4 Signs That You Are Losing Muscle Not Fat
Yes, you can lose muscle without losing body fat like bodybuilders. Sometimes diet, workouts, and supplementation may not be
#1. Not Able to Perform
Initially, your strength and stamina stay on the bottom, but with regular training, both improve along with performance.
However, If you encounter a reduction in strength, stamina, workout performance, and quicker post-workout recovery, this is a sign you are losing more muscle than fat.
#2. Fast Weight Loss
Weight loss tips took over the internet with every fitness influencer wanting more engagement.
However, these tips may make lose more body weight in a short duration, but it isn’t body fat. Usually, fat weight loss occurs on the verge of sacrificing muscles.
#3. Unknown Lethargy
Training should make the body stronger, more energetic, active, and firmer.
However, if you feel lethargy for no unknown reason, it is a sign that you are losing muscle not fat.
#4. Lesser Body Strength
if you begin to struggle to lift weights or do bodyweight workouts earlier, it shows a reduction in strength, which again indicates muscle loss.
#5. Lose Cloth Fitting Without many reductions in Body Weight
In case, weight loss occurs, but the number of the scale remains the same, not as per your expectation, or cloth fitting remains the same or a little loss, again this shows muscle loss rather than fat loss.
#6. Physique Getting Flabby
If the physique loses its toned and firmer shape to obtain a soft and flabby figure, irrespective of weight loss, it showcases muscle loss instead of fat.
#7. No Change in Body Measurement
Even after weight loss, there is no apparent change in body measurements like chest, hip, or belly fat.
#8. Less Protein in Diet
Protein is necessary for muscle development and repair. Inadequate protein in the diet can lead to break down of muscle tissue.
You can lose fat without losing muscle by following professional bodybuilders’ way of tackling the cutting cycle.
Related: Crazy Nutrition Tri-Protein Results Review
Just following the discussion on how do bodybuilders lose fat without losing muscle can do the needful. For now, jump to the final segment for a wrap-up.
Final Thoughts
Even the Impossible is possible if you are determined!
If you want to lose belly fat without losing quality muscle, it is possible. Of course, bodybuilders don’t have time to enter the cutting and bulking cycle rapidly to get a competitive-ready body.
So, during their cutting cycle, they preserve maximum lean muscle by following precise tactics.
This blog has mentioned how gradually switching between cycles and being careful about what to feed the body with and what workouts to do, it can be done.