Keeping The Muscle, Dropping The Flab

When it comes to cutting weight, strength training isn’t just a sidekick, it’s your superhero. When you want to fit into your favourite jeans again and strut your stuff in funky sneakers and men’s socks, planning is key in Dubai, or anywhere in the world.

Strength training helps you shed fat without losing muscle. Read how to keep muscle while shedding flab with top tips here!

Set Achievable Dates

Before you even think about lifting a dumbbell, pick your start and end dates for the cutting phase. If you don’t, it’s easy to drag things out longer than necessary. A smart approach is a 2-3 month cutting phase. Anything shorter and you risk losing muscle; anything longer, and your body might hit the dreaded fat-loss plateau. 

Keep the Muscle, Ditch the Fat

Here’s the deal: while you’re cutting calories, your body might try to say goodbye to muscle as well as fat. But we don’t want that. The goal here is to keep the muscle while saying adios to the fat. 

To make that happen, strength training with moderate to heavy weights is essential. Ignore the myth that lifting lighter with higher reps gives you a “toned” look. Spoiler: that’s not how it works! 

Stick to compound movements like squats, deadlifts and bench presses. These exercises give you the most bang for your buck in terms of muscle preservation.

Choose the Right Workout Split

Ah, the age-old question: How many days a week should I train? Ideally, go for a 4-5 day workout week. This allows you to hit all major muscle groups while giving your body enough rest in between. A classic upper-body-lower-body split on alternate days works wonders.

Feeling extra ambitious? Toss in some cardio—but nothing crazy. A brisk walk post-workout can help burn extra calories without draining your energy reserves. Remember, your energy is already lower due to the caloric deficit, so don’t overdo it.

Stay Consistent with Your Nutrition

Strength training alone won’t cut it, you need to focus on your diet too. Think of it like this: your workouts build the foundation, but your nutrition paints the house. 

Make sure to eat enough protein to support muscle recovery and growth. No need to completely ditch carbs, either. Carbs fuel your workouts and help you recover faster, so eat them lightly and strategically around your training sessions. Keep track of your calories and adjust if necessary, but don’t starve yourself. It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon!

Add Cardio If You Must, But Sparingly

Lastly, while cardio isn’t the star of the show during a cutting phase, it can help speed things up. Low-intensity cardio like walking can be your best friend. It burns extra calories without putting too much stress on your body. Don’t burn a hole through your trendy men’s socks in Dubai or anywhere in the world; take it slow.

If you’re a fan of high-intensity intervals (HIIT), just make sure not to overdo it. Too much HIIT can send your body into “fat-saving mode,” which is the opposite of what we want!

Smash your muscle target and body fat index and strut your sleek stuff in the best Dubai men’s socks.