Some people find they obtain some fat around the abdomen when they have been bulking for a while. This can cause discomfort, but there are ways to prevent it from happening.
The fat may be more prominent if you were quite slim beforehand. The belly could also be a build-up of water and muscle. Slow your bulking down to stop this occurring.
Eat healthily and cut down your calories. If you increase your calories too much, it will lead to fat gain. You can only gain about 1/2 to 1 pound of muscle per week. If you add more than 500 calories, you'll be bulking up by adding fat and not healthy muscle.
Eating fast food, processed snacks, sugar, saturated fats and refined grains means you're more likely to add belly fat. Instead, use extra servings of protein as the primary way to increase caloric intake. Grilled chicken with olive oil will help you develop lean body weight.
Short cardio sessions like brisk walking or stair climbing can keep your heart healthy and your joints supple. However, your focus has to be on lifting weights.
Work out all the muscle groups at least three times a week, though make sure you give yourself 48 hours in between sessions to allow your muscles to repair and recover. Split up your sessions, so you are training your upper body one day and your lower body another day.
Resistance training deters visceral fat regain. This is a type of belly fat that surrounds your internal organs and increases your risk of disease.
Supplements don’t play an important role in the building of muscle and losing fat, but the right ones can help. Creatine is a substance found naturally in the body and in foods such as red meat. It can build your muscles and improve your strength. However, this is only recommended for people with healthy kidneys.
Ornithine is an amino acid found in high amounts in dairy and meat that reduces fatigue in prolonged exercise and promotes lipid oxidation, which is the burning of fat for energy.
Bibliography:
Cespedes. A, ‘How to Bulk Up Without Gaining Belly Fat’, www.livestrong.com, July 14 2016.
Matthews. M, ‘The Best Way to Gain Muscle Without Getting Fat’, www.muscleforlife.com, May 2014.
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