For building muscle mass and losing body fat, a strict exercise regimen must be followed. In the fitness schedule, two types of activities should be included, namely strength training or anaerobic exercises and cardio or aerobic exercises (Aworkoutroutine.com 1).
With respect to strength training, practice an upper/lower split session to allow muscles in the upper and lower body to be trained at regular intervals.
For the upper body muscles, include bench press, incline dumbbell and barbell press, rows, lateral pull-downs and raises and triceps press downs. For the lower body muscles, do deadlifts, leg press, leg curls, squats, abs and standing calf raises. Repeat 1-3 sets of these exercises 6-12 times with 1-2 minutes rest between sets. In a week, these exercises can be done thrice with an off day every alternate day for resting. To progress, first increase the number of repetitions and sets done and then slowly increase the weight used. Couple the weight training with cardio exercises such as walking, running and hiking that can be done for 30 minutes daily, 2 to 3 times a week (Aworkoutroutine.com 1).
For gaining muscle mass and losing body fat, both anaerobic and aerobic workouts are necessary. While in the former, glycogen is used as a fuel for short bursts of high intensity exercises that can lead to discomfort and fatigue, in the latter, both glycogen and fat are used as fuels for prolonged bouts of low to moderate levels of exercises. Anaerobic exercises focus on building muscle mass, endurance and fitness levels, whereas aerobic exercises burn fat and improve the overall health (Gibson 1).
Works Cited
Gibson, Barbara. “Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise: What is the Difference?” (2012): 1. Retrieved on 17/12/2013 from http://www.fitness19.com/aerobic-and-anaerobic-exercise-what-is-the-difference/
Aworkoutroutine.com. “The Muscle Building Workout Routine” (2013): 1. Retrieved on 17/12/2013 from http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-muscle-building-workout-routine/
