1. "Advice for people who ask “I want to gain muscle and lose bodyfat”

The most important thing you have to do is construct a sensible eating plan. To try and lose body fat and gain muscle is a very difficult task, but if you construct your diet correctly especially if it hasn't been good beforehand, you should experience to some degree a composition change. The most important goal when in this position is maybe to reduce body fat and conserve muscle, but whilst doing so you could experience a compositional change as mentioned if a quality diet and rules mentioned below are followed.

There are 3 nutrients that you should be interested in, Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats these are all measured in calories, a calorie is not a nutrient it is a measurement of energy and there are 4 calories in 1 gram of protein and carbs, 9 calories in 1 gram of fat, by the way there are 7 calories in 1 gram of alcohol.

Your metabolism is how many calories you need a day and if you eat more calories than your body needs you've got to put weight on, if you eat less calories you will lose weight, but depending on what type of calories you eat will determine what type of weight you put on, muscle is stored protein. Body fat is stored energy normally from excessive carbohydrate and fat intake that you have not metabolised. Simply put muscle is stored protein that you have metabolised and body fat is carbohydrates & fats that you have not metabolised.

How can your body store protein in its muscles (making them bigger or stronger) if you've not eaten or metabolised enough protein, you can eat and metabolise protein about every 3 hours, so common sense the more protein you consume and metabolise the more building blocks the body has to build muscle.

We suggest you eat about 1.5g of protein per pound of bodyweight and eat a similar amount of carbohydrates from quality sources; oats, weetabix, shredded wheat, rice, potato’s, pasta, wholemeal bread, always eat plenty of green veg with them as the fibre will slow down the realise of carbohydrates giving you a steady release of blood sugar for energy. Space your calculated intake over 6 meals a day this should give you an adequate amount of protein for your body to build muscle.

Try to eat oily fish twice a week and take some form of oil (sunflower/flaxseed) poured over your rice or pasta everyday, this provide you your healthy fats.

Weight train 4 times a week, training each bodypart once per week.

To assist in bodyfat reduction and overall health we suggest you incorporate cardio preferable fast pace walking before breakfast on an empty stomach for 30-40 mins (start off doing 20 mins and work upwards). Do cardio for 5 times a week initially, this can at a later date be increased to 7 days.

We suggest you use Pro Peptide/Pro Mr (Advanced protein formula), Pro Recover (only take immediately after weight training) Pro Vital (multi vitamin/mineral formula), Sida Cordifolia and Pro Lean SF (fat burners) and Pro Lipid (Convenient high quality Essential Fatty Acid capsules).


2. Fitness Training advice

There are two components that you are mainly interested in on your body.

1. Body fat
2. Muscle

There are three main nutrients that you are also interested in, carbs, fats and protein.
The body for energy uses Carbs and fats and if you eat more energy (in carbs and fats) than your body needs your body will convert this unused energy into body fat for future use.

If you do some form of resistance training (lifting weights) your body will use protein to firm that muscle, or if you train like a bodybuilder it will use protein to make those muscles bigger and stronger.

A general fitness regime (men or women) where that person wishes to firm up and lose body fat you are best doing some form of aerobic exercise (walking, swimming, slow to medium running or some form of exercise equipment in the gym) and some form of anaerobic exercise (resistance training). The reasons behind this are as follows:

Aerobic exercise is proven top burn body fat for fuel especially if you are eating less calories than your body needs so this is your best way of losing body fat. If you live a busy lifestyle and can’t get to the gym as often as you would like to, on non gym days just go walking for 30 minutes, this is a non skill exercise (anyone can do this). Some people make the mistake of starting to jog but they end up with shin splints and bad joints and can only run for maybe 5 or 10 minutes where anybody can walk for 30 minutes burning more calories.

Anaerobic exercise will firm those muscles up. How many people have you seen that lose weight but look the same only smaller, that’s because they do not do any resistance training. A good resistance-training regime is as follows:

Monday – chest, shoulders and triceps

Bench Press machine:- 4 sets of 10-15 reps
Pec dec:-  4 sets of 10-15 reps
Shoulder press machine:- 4 sets of 10-15 reps
Side dumbbell raises:- 4 sets of 10-15 reps
Tricep extensions:-  3 sets of 10-15 reps
or pushdowns

Wednesday - Legs

Before your leg workout do 10 minutes on a stationary bike to fully warm up your legs

Leg extensions  3 sets of 10-15 reps
Leg Press  3 sets of 10-15 reps
Leg Abductors  3 sets of 10-15 reps
Leg curl machine  3 sets of 10-15 reps
Lunges with dumbbells 3 sets of 10-15 reps
Standing calf machine 3 sets of 10-15 reps

Friday

Lat pulldowns:-  4 sets of 10-15 reps
(Wide grip to the front)
Dumbbell rows:-  4 sets of 10-15 reps
Hyper extensions:-  3 sets of 10-15 reps
Ab crunches:-  3 sets of 10-15 reps
Hanging leg raises:- 3 sets of 10-15 reps
Bicep curls:-   3 sets of 10-15 reps
(Machine or barbell)

If you feel you still have some energy left after resistance training do some aerobics.

Arrange exercises, sets, reps and weights to suit you.

Your body’s ability to burn body fat is governed by your metabolism. Resistance training and aerobics will not only burn body fat but also move the goal posts favourable making your metabolism faster.

Metabolisms are not how many calories you can use (metabolise) per day they are who many calories you can metabolise per meal. Some people make the mistake of not eating all day and when they finally sit down to eat, they over eat, one meal, to many calories your body ends up storing half of that meal as body fat. If you eat small and often you can metabolise all the nutrients giving you more protein (to firm your muscles) and carbs and fats (healthy –EFA’s) to fuel your metabolism. Remember the best way to lose weight is top eat small and often.