Maximizing Your Muscle-to-fat Ratio With 5 Easy Habits

By Author: Vince DelMonte
Total Articles: 14
Comment this article

Have you ever found yourself surrounded by a crowd of really ripped athletes, wondering what they're doing that you're not?

Have you ever found yourself surrounded by a crowd of really ripped athletes, wondering what they're doing that you're not?

The answer is fairly simple - they're probably following five simple dietary rules, in support of their everyday training. If you'll do the same, it can be the other guy looking at you, wondering what he's doing wrong.

1. 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight

That may sound simple, but you might be surprised to learn that most people:
- aren't getting enough protein
- aren't getting the right protein from quality sources
- aren't using a variety of protein sources
- aren't combining them with the right macronutrients

A. You need to be getting at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight each day. If you weigh 225 pounds, that means about 38 grams of protein in each of your six daily meals. You heard me - SIX MEALS PER DAY!

In order to stimulate protein synthesis and maintain your system in an anabolic state, ...
... you should be taking on protein every 3 hours.

B. Your body needs a wide variety of different amino acids in order to function properly, so if your diet includes only one or two protein sources, you're limiting your muscle-to-fat ratio. Besides, when we consume very few protein sources, we can be creating a potential for food allergies.

That's why you should be consuming protein from several different sources each day. I recommend never eating the same protein type more than twice in one day - once per day is even better. There are plenty of good sources to choose from:

- white fish
- salmon
- beef
- eggs & egg whites
- chicken
- turkey
- bison
- whey protein

C. Your protein intake should be combined with the correct macronutrients, too, such as carbohydrates. The failure to do so is one of the most common mistakes I see people make.
Combining protein and carbs right after your workout will jumpstart your system's process of protein synthesis and help to replenish your glycogen levels. You can increase your protein synthesis by as much as 70% by consuming carbohydrates with protein in a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio, post-workout.

2. Veggies with EVERY meal
Vegetables should be a staple in your diet, present in every single meal. 1 -2 cups of veggies (green, preferably, like broccoli, spinach, kale, asparagus, green beans, etc.) will deliver loads of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to your system without a lot of calories. They're also high in nitric acid content, which helps augment the delivery of oxygen to your muscles during a workout.

Finally, consuming veggies with every meal helps alkalize your system, maintaining an anabolic state for fat burning and muscle building.

3. Give yourself a bonus each day

Believe it or not, splurging a little each day, if done right, can play a big part in optimizing your muscle-to-fat ratio. The key is to stimulate your metabolism while refueling your system.
Once each day, make one of your meals a high carb and protein feast, but low in fat. 2:1 carb to protein is a good ratio - make it a big meal!

You'll be not only refueling the old bod' - you'll also be creating hormone levels that tell your body it's full, which will help in protein synthesis and recovery, while switching your metabolism into a fat-burning mode. So grab a plateful of pasta and meatballs!

4. The right amount of carbs at the right time

A lot of fitness enthusiasts have gotten fanatical bout low- or no-carb diets in order to optimize their muscle-to-fat ratio. This is dead wrong! You can eat carbs, as long as you're eating the right amount at the right time.

The level I recommend is 1 gram per pound of bodyweight, but timing is critical. Here's my recommended plan:

A. 3 hours before your workout will boost your growth hormone release to help burn fat and build muscle, as well as serotonin for that "feelin' good" effect. 3 hours gives enough time to get the nutrients into your muscle tissues.

B. 30 minutes into your workout, a carb powder can help by spiking your insulin level to prevent catabolism and increase protein synthesis, while blunting the impact of the stress hormone, cortisol.

C. One hour after and again, 4 hours after your workout, consume some slow-digesting carbs like quinoa, brown rice or sweet potatoes. Your body is well primed to put nutrients to work after your workout, so take advantage of that to burn fat and build muscle.

5. Fish oils

FIsh oil is a dynamite nutrient that isn't utilized nearly enough by those wishing to manage their muscle-to-fat ratio. It offers 2 major benefits to fitness enthusiasts, in particular:

A. Fish oil reduces inflammation, alleviating DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) symptoms after a workout

B. It also improves insulin sensitivity, causing glucose to be put to use in the muscles rather than building fat, which is crucial to optimization of your muscle-to-fat ratio.

Fish oil can be taken in equal doses throughout the day with your meals. An ideal amount is one gram per percentage point of body fat, so if you have 20% body fat, you'd take about 3-1/2 grams of fish oil with each of your six meals.

There you have them - five great habits you need to adopt in order to hit and maintain your optimal muscle-to-fat ratio. Like any new habit, though, you need to make a conscious effort to stick to them for them to become second nature. Start now, and soon, the other folks will be looking at you, wondering what they're doing wrong.
Resource: http://www.vincedelmontefitness.com