This no BS way to get lean will teach you everything you need to know to burn fat and transform your body.
It has been designed by Jeff from Athlean X. Scroll down to watch the full video.
The No BS Way to Get Lean
“In this video, I’m going to go over the simplest way to lose weight and get lean by dropping body fat levels the right way. There are things you can do with your nutrition and your workouts that are going to help, you just have to know the proper ones to focus on.”
- The No BS Way to Get Lean
- Calories In, Calories Out
- The No BS Way to Get Lean – Calories Out
- Strength Training and Weights
- Building the Most Muscle
- The No BS Way to Get Lean – Calories In
- Not All Foods are Created Equal
- The No BS Way to Get Lean – High Fibre Foods
- Long Term or Short Term Changes?
- Don’t Take Away Too Much Protein
- Video – The No BS Way to Get Lean
- Learn More
- The No BS Way to Get Lean – The pectoral muscles
- The No BS Way to Get Lean – Pectoralis major
- The No BS Way to Get Lean – Pectoralis minor
- The No BS Way to Get Lean – Serratus anterior
- Rectus abdominis
- External oblique
- Internal oblique
- Transversus abdominis
- Conclusion
Calories In, Calories Out
“It all starts with the four most important words when it comes to losing fat and getting lean. Those are calories in, calories out. The law of thermodynamics states that we need to be in a net energy deficit in order to lose fat. This comes in the form of two approaches, or most successfully, with a combination of both of them.”
The No BS Way to Get Lean – Calories Out
“First, we can talk about the calories out part of the equation. This refers to your exercise, or as I like to call it, training. Training is exercising with a purpose.”
“Most of the time people focus on cardio and conditioning in an attempt to lose weight fast. The problem here is that the amount of caloric burn, while helpful, is never enough to offset a poor nutrition plan. It is so important to look beyond the treadmills and elliptical machines as a way of burning off calories and fat.”
Strength Training and Weights
“The better focus of the plan should be on strength training and the use of weights.”
“Now the actual workouts that involve weightlifting are generally not going to result in any significant calorie burn either. That isn’t where their benefit comes from however. They instead, will help you to build muscle which is metabolically more active tissue, so even at rest your body will consume more calories allowing you to lose fat easier.”
Building the Most Muscle
“The best type of workouts for getting lean are going to be the ones that allow you to build the most amount of muscle and focus on the multi-function, multi-muscle group exercises. These are often in the form of total body splits and push pull legs splits. If you are very short on time you may want to focus on turning these workouts into either complexes or circuits to get some additional conditioning benefits. Keep in mind however that these latter two approaches are not as effective for building or burning as the traditionally performed versions of each.”
The No BS Way to Get Lean – Calories In
“When it comes to the calories in part of the equation we are talking about your nutrition.”
“Here, is where all the changes come when you really want to get lean. It is also the harder part of the process since the discipline required to get your nutrition right is going to require much more diligence throughout the day than getting a workout in.”
Not All Foods are Created Equal
“It’s important that you realize that not all foods are created equal however. Different foods have different levels of satiation. Some foods you can eat and they make you feel full while others seem like you can eat them forever and never fill up. Since portion control is ultimately going to have a major impact on your total caloric intake, you’re going to want to be wise about the food choices you make.”
The No BS Way to Get Lean – High Fibre Foods
“High fibre foods help you consume less calories because they tend to be more filling.”
Long Term or Short Term Changes?
“Also, you have to ask yourself if your long term goals are health or just to lose body fat and get lean. If it is truly only short term, then it doesn’t really matter what you eat as long as you stay within your daily caloric allotment.”
Don’t Take Away Too Much Protein
“Make sure when making your cuts that you don’t take away too much protein if possible. This is going to be needed to maintain the muscle mass you have and support the calories out part of the process. Take instead from fats, especially if your diet is already too high in them. At twice the caloric density of carbohydrates and proteins on a gram per gram basis, the decision is the most economical.”
“Try not to overdo your depletion of carbs though. This is only going to set you up for long term failure when the reality of the restriction overcomes your desire to make a change to your body.”
Video – The No BS Way to Get Lean
Learn More
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5 Cardio Methods To Burn Fat 3 Times Faster
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10 Real Ways To Speed Up Fat Loss – Dial In Your Nutrition & Training
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Muscles of the chest and abs
The human body is an amazing machine that has the potential to do so much. It’s important to maintain your body as best you can by exercising, eating right, and taking care of yourself.
That being said, it also helps to understand how your body works in order to maximize performance and avoid injury. In this section of the article, we’ll be going over some basic anatomy of the chest muscles and abs and how they work together during different exercises.
The No BS Way to Get Lean – The pectoral muscles
The pectoralis major is a muscle that originates on the clavicle and sternum, and inserts on the humerus. It can be divided into three parts: clavicular, sternocostal and abdominal.
The pectoralis minor originates on the coracoid process of the scapula and inserts onto part of its anterior border. It also acts to depress your shoulder joint when you flex your arm.
The No BS Way to Get Lean – Pectoralis major
The pectoralis major is a large muscle that makes up the majority of your chest. It’s responsible for moving your shoulder joint, which allows you to move your arm from side to side and flex it forward. The pectoralis major also plays a role in stabilizing the shoulder joint during twists or other rotational movements.
The muscle attaches at its lower end (or origin) to three different bones: the clavicle (collarbone), sternum (breastbone), and upper medial humerus bone on either side of your body.
In addition to being able to contract independently as part of an exercise routine, there are two parts within one large muscle: sternal portion and clavicular portion.
The No BS Way to Get Lean – Pectoralis minor
The pectoralis minor is a small, triangular muscle that lies deep to the pectoralis major. It originates at the inner surfaces of the 3rd to 6th ribs, and inserts on the coracoid process and medial border of the scapula.
The pectoralis minor has two actions: adduction and internal rotation of the arm (moving it towards your chest).
When you contract this muscle, you can feel its fibres contracting horizontally across your chest as they move towards each other (adduct). This movement may be difficult to feel because it happens very close to where other muscles such as your pecs also move.
The No BS Way to Get Lean – Serratus anterior
The serratus anterior is a broad muscle that attaches to the medial border of your rib cage and scapula. It pulls down on the upper ribs, giving you a nice rounded chest and also helps to stabilize your shoulders during arm movements. The origin is at the lower eight ribs, while the insertion is at the superior borders of your scapulas.
Rectus abdominis
The rectus abdominis is the main muscle of the abdominal wall. It’s a long, flat, vertical muscle that runs down each side of your abdomen. This muscle originates at the pubic bone and inserts at your sternum (the uppermost bone in your chest).
External oblique
The external oblique is a sheet of muscle that originates along the sides of your lower eight ribs and pelvis, attaching to your linea alba (the white line that separates your stomach muscles) and pubic crest.
It also attaches to several other muscles, including the gluteus medius, erector spinae, latissimus dorsi, transversus abdominis, internal oblique, rectus femoris and vastus lateralis.
The external oblique has a few actions: side bending or twisting from side to side; flexing your trunk forward or backward; rotating toward either shoulder and adducting (drawing closer together).
Internal oblique
The internal oblique is the deepest of the abdominal muscles. It runs from the lower ribs to the pelvis, and its fibres run diagonally across the abdomen.
This muscle helps with flexing and rotating your trunk. It also plays an important role in breathing by assisting other muscles involved in respiration such as your diaphragm and intercostal muscles.
Transversus abdominis
The transversus abdominis is the deepest of the abdominal muscles, and it runs horizontally across your abdomen. It helps to compress your internal organs and supports your spine, as well as giving you a flat stomach. This muscle contracts during exhalation, so if you’re having trouble feeling it, try taking a deep breath in through your nose and then exhaling noisily through pursed lips.
This muscle is essential for stabilizing the spine and pelvis during exercise movements such as squats or lunges—it keeps everything in alignment so that there isn’t too much pressure on any one point of either bone structure.
Conclusion
With proper form and the right exercises, you can build a stronger chest and abs.
It’s important to remember that the key to building muscle is consistency. Don’t give up on your workouts, even if they seem difficult at first!
Use the tips above to find the no BS way to get lean.
Image Sources
- tia-clair-toomey-food-shopping: Dan Counsell on Unsplash / CrossFit Inc.
- Healthier-Foods: Photos courtesy of CrossFit Inc
- meal prep: Right photo courtesy of CrossFit Inc