How can you avoid weight loss from training hard? | Exercise.com Learn: Your Fitness Business Resource

How can you avoid weight loss from training hard?

Tyler Spraul is the director of UX and the head trainer for Exercise.com. He has his Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medicine and is an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist. He is a former All-American soccer player and still coaches soccer today. In his free time, he enjoys reading, learning, and living the dad life. He has been featured in Shape, Healthline, HuffPost, Women's...

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UPDATED: Aug 25, 2020

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  • Many people train very hard in order to gain weight and muscle.
  • Sometimes losing weight is unavoidable when training too hard.
  • The easy way to avoid weight loss is to lift weights regularly.

While this is a “problem” many people would love to have, sometimes it can be difficult to avoid losing weight while training hard.

If you are on the other side of the coin and you want to gain weight instead of losing it, then you need to understand this goal completely.

Most weight training workout plans that you will find are geared towards losing weight.

That is not to say that programs don’t exist to help you either gain weight or avoid losing weight while training, it just means that you will have to look a little harder to find them.

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What Dietary Steps Can I Follow to Avoid Weight Loss From Training Hard?

Once you have found a bodybuilding workout plan, you need to work within the context of the plan.

This can seem a little difficult and it will definitely be contrary to your standard weight loss training program, but with a little perseverance, you can train as hard as you want and not lose a pound.

To start, you will need more calories. This may seem like heaven to those that seemingly have to starve themselves to lose five pounds, but it does bring with it a fair share of problems.

It can be hard to eat as much as is required to avoid losing weight while keeping a monstrous training schedule.

Secondly, counting calories, whether you are being careful to not have too many, or are making sure that you are getting enough, can be quite boring.

However, after a short period, you should be able to settle into an eating routine and you will not have to be so meticulous when it comes to counting every calorie you consume.

The next step is to eat more frequently. The basic rule of thumb in this regard is to eat five to six smaller meals per day instead of the traditional three meals a day.

It is also best to separate these meals by at least but no more than three hours. This will give your stomach time to properly digest the food you have already eaten.

Lastly, make sure your diet includes things like proteins, carbohydrates and the right types of fat. Proteins are good because proteins are in essential amino acids, which muscles need to grow.

If they do not get enough, they will break down other muscles to get the amino acids and this can lead to muscle loss.

The right carbohydrates are important because the body uses these carbohydrates for immediate energy.

Lastly, the right fats, (unsaturated fats), are vital for proper muscle building and without them, your muscles will not grow.

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What Supplements Can I Take to Help Avoid Weight Loss From Training Hard?

There is a lot of controversy about supplements but if you keep a level head and do some research, you will find that there are some very good supplements that are safe and proven.

Here are a few to look for:

What Exercise Can I Do to Help Avoid Weight Loss From Training Hard?

The simple answer to this question is to lift weights. Cardio can be an excellent source of exercise for people, but you can sacrifice weight and muscle for the lean look of a runner.

That is why lifting weights is the perfect way to train hard and not lose weight. However, it is not as simple as just lifting.

You will want to lift heavy. Not so much that you risk injuring yourself but enough that you can only do six to eight repetitions with the specific weight.

You may also notice that the last one or two reps will be difficult to do, and that is normal. They should be hard to do, but this will help your muscles to regrow stronger.

It is also important to have more recovery days in between your workouts. After a workout, if you have pushed yourself to the limit, your muscles are going to be sore.

That is because you have effectively broken them down and created small microscopic tears. These tears are healed over time and the muscle actual heals stronger.

You need to leave time for this process to complete before you go back for more lifting. If you rush back, your muscles will not properly recover and you could risk injuring yourself.

For workout plans that will help you reach your mass-building goals, go PRO today. 

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