Written by Menswear Style in Health & Fitness on the 1st April 2021

Building a good physique does not have to be a monumental task, especially in today’s world, where there are unlimited resources for workouts and diet plans to assist you in your journey towards a healthy life. With that said, the hard truth is that there is no way around hard work, dedication, and consistency to achieve your desired fitness goals. Building a good physique is no overnight game, and believing in a silver bullet that will transform your body overnight is nothing but futile. We have put together the most indispensable elements that go into attaining the physique you have long desired in the fastest and most efficient manner. Check them out!

Hit the Weights 

Lifting weights is perhaps the most effective and time-efficient way to tone up your body, as well as help it remain healthy and functional in the long run. Resistance training helps reduce body fat while increasing lean muscle mass and strengthening your bones and joints. Amongst many other benefits, resistance training improves your posture and keeps the body in balance while also diminishing the risk of metabolic disorders. You would want to focus on compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, and bench press, as they recruit the maximum amount of muscle fibers and lead to accelerated muscle growth. With the fast-paced and occupied life we live in the 21st century, many find it troublesome to hit the gym regularly. If that is the case with you, you may strength train at home with little to no equipment by doing bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, and planks. Consider using an online training program, such as the ones at gmb.io to learn about a wide range of movements you can perform at home with minimal equipment and maximum results. They are also a helpful tool to help develop an effective weekly weight training routine. By following a personalised training routine created by professionals, you ensure not to work the same muscles on consecutive days and give them enough time to recover in between workouts, preventing you from any potential injuries.

Watch Your Diet 

You may have heard the phrase “you are what you eat.” The food you put into your body is the most significant determinant of maintaining healthy body weight and getting an aesthetically pleasing body. With that said, consuming a healthy diet does not have to be about strict limitations or depriving yourself of your favourite foods. Instead, it is about making smart food choices. The fundamentals of a healthy diet mainly comprise replacing processed foods with real foods as much as possible. While you may be overwhelmed by all the conflicting nutritional advice out there, the cornerstone of a balanced diet plan is to include foods rich in protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins for the best results. Depending upon your fitness goals, you would also want to track your calories and food intake per day. Someone aiming to lose weight and strive for a skinnier physique will have to focus more on physical exercise than the calories they ingest. In contrast, if you seek to bulk up, it is essential to train hard while aiming to create a caloric surplus to boost muscle growth. 

Get Enough Sleep 

Think spending endless hours in the gym and brutal training will help you achieve that dream physique even sooner? Well, think again. Getting 7-9 hours of interrupted, natural sleep each night is crucial if you want to change your body composition or increase muscle mass. Getting enough sleep is particularly essential when strength training, in which the muscle tissues have been broken down to some degree and need rest to repair and recover properly. It is during sleep that our bodies release the growth hormone, stimulating cell repair and muscle growth. Inadequate amounts of sleep will not only inhibit growth but also lead to the poor functioning of the brain and other body systems.

Stay Hydrated 

With two-thirds of our body made up of water, it is no surprise that water is the most vital nutrient for our health, growth, and development. Besides its many other critical functions, it helps improve our digestive process by properly metabolising food and building muscle. Dehydration can reduce muscle tone by preventing them from properly contracting. Water transports the essential nutrients to our cells and helps form and stabilise the structures of protein and glycogen. Nutritionists recommend consuming a minimum of 8-to-12 cups of water each day. However, this amount is very low for physically active people and those involved in resistance training. Highly active people need more amounts of water to replace the fluid lost during workouts. It is critical to drink ample amounts before and especially after exercise to maintain optimal performance and regulate your body temperature. 

Possessing a strong, aesthetic physique is a universal desire. Whether you are looking to shed those pounds, increase muscle mass, or both, following these tried and tested methods diligently can speed up your fitness gains and provide you with maximum results to get in shape and feel great about yourself.

Hit the Weights, Watch Your Diet, Get Enough Sleep, and Stay Hydrated are all recommendations in this guide on How to Easily Improve Your Physique in 2021.