Burning Fat and Keeping Muscle

Q: Right now my main goal is to burn bodyfat while keeping as much of the muscle I built over the winter intact. I do my cardio on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. A trainer at my gym told me not to eat for about two hours after I’m done to keep burning more bodyfat. After one week of doing that, I feel as if my muscles look smaller and flatter and that I’m losing all that I worked so hard to gain. Do I just need to be patient?

A: No, you do not have to be patient! While I understand this trainer’s thought process and the physiological mechanisms he is referring to, in the real world the result of such a practice is almost always a severe loss of muscle. Your solution is rather simple and will allow you to experience the best of both worlds—rapid loss in bodyfat and effective maintenance of your lean tissue.

Continue to perform your cardio on an empty stomach in the morning. (Note: I highly recommend taking five to 10 grams of both BCAAs and glutamine prior to beginning). Then, once you’re done, have a meal that contains only protein and essential fatty acids—no starchy carbohydrates or fruits. For example, a spinach-and-egg white omelette cooked in a tablespoon of olive oil. That will keep your insulin levels very low, which will allow for a prolonged fat-burning effect from your cardio while at the same time providing necessary amino acids and fats for muscle maintenance and sustained energy. About two hours later have another meal that contains low-glycemic-index carbs-—along with a complete protein, of course—and you should quickly begin to see the results you’re after.

—Eric Broser

 

Editor’s note: Eric Broser’s new DVD, “Power/Rep Range/Shock Max-Mass Training System,” is available at Home-Gym.com. His e-books, Power/Rep Range/Shock Workout and The FD/FS Mass-Shock Workout, which include complete printable workout templates
and Q&A sections, are available at X-Workouts.com.