Okay, we all want a lean, muscular physique, right? We must because one of the goals I hear most from my clients is… “I want to build muscle and lose fat”

In other words, they want to tone up. Toning is no more than building muscle while losing fat. Both of them come together to form a lean, muscular physique.

If you focus on just building muscle, then you’ll get bigger but not leaner. If you focus just on losing fat, you won’t have that muscle tone that so many people desire.

So you have to approach both separately and not try to tone by doing just one or the other.

But many people I talk with really have no idea how to do it — correctly. They think that lifting light weights for high reps will help them tone.

Wrong.

If you’re unsure how to go about toning to get that lean, muscular body you want, here’s my simple “toning” equation.

A Loss in Body Fat + A Gain in Lean Muscle = Toning

Both sides of the equation need to be worked on, simulataneously, for any real results to be achieved.

Let’s cover each side…

A Loss In Body Fat

This is primarily achieved by:

3-4 INTENSE Cardio Sessions of 20-30 minutes per week.

5-6 small, well-balanced meals (each consisting of 50% protein, 40% carbs, 10% fats).

Drink AT LEAST 1 gallon of water a day. You will also FEEL better!

Reduce daily caloric intake by 150-200 calories until you see/feel the results.

Let’s cover the next part of the toning equation:

A Gain in Lean Muscle

This is done by…

3-4 INTENSE Weight-training sessions per week.
Strive to progressively increase resistance each week.

Keep your rep range lower on heavy sets.

Perform just a few heavy sets per exercise.

Keep workout under 1 hour.

Keep protein intake high. Protein (amino acids) builds muscle.

Shoot for 1.5 to 2 grams per pound of bodyweight.

Consume a high protein/high carb meal or shake right after training.

In closing, in order to tone up properly, you must work on both losing fat and building muscle… at the same time.

And that’s done with an approach to:

1. Proper weight training
2. Proper nutrition
3. Proper cardio

Think of a combination lock. In order to open the lock, you must get the three numbers exactly right.

Even if you’re off by just one, you do not get what you want. Well, the same is true in building muscle, losing fat, and toning.

You must get weight training, cardio, and nutrition just right or you will not get what you want.

Again, you want to work on both sides equally. If you just focus on dropping fat, you’re going to look frail and thin, without any muscle mass.

If you just focus on gaining mass, it could cause you to look bloated and bigger than you want.

Gaining muscle and losing fat can be achieved at the same time. I know, I personally did it for my bodybuilding show and I see it with clients all the time.

For a step-by-step “how to” guide for building muscle and losing fat, trainer Shawn Lebrun’s “Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded” training program is one of the most popular programs online. Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded”

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