Now the winter flab should really give way. It has made itself comfortable around the belly and thighs for long enough. But can you turn fat into muscle? That's what you need to know about it!
When the pants pinch, the favorite sweater tightens on the belly then it's time to convert excess body fat into muscle.
If you're annoyed by your lifebelt when you look in the mirror, we're going to put an end to it.
But is it really that easy? Can you convert fat into muscle?
I checked with our personal trainer and coach Werner.
Table of contents
What a great workout that would be, where you could turn pads on your stomach directly into a six-pack. Maybe it's even possible. Let's take a closer look.
How fat loss and muscle building work
If you want to know if this works, you need to know a few facts about the human body. For example, how body fat is formed, what it consists of and how muscles are built.
Building muscle and breaking down fat are two processes that have little in common biochemically.
Losing body fat is a catabolic process. The body uses the fat as an energy supplier and builds up depots for bad times.
Muscle building is an anabolic process. This refers to all processes that produce the body's own proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
Our body makes them and uses them for growth and for storing energy. You certainly know this from weight training. Only those who eat enough can also build muscles. That's why many strength athletes turn to shakes. Only with a calorie surplus you have enough energy to build muscles.
But let's look at this in detail and then clarify if you can convert fat to muscle.
Where does the body fat disappear when losing weight?
How body fat is formed
Did you know that fat is a form of connective tissue? It consists of 100 percent fat cells. The human body has different types of body fat. Some are visible - like belly fat. Others are invisible and lie inside the body.
The fat that is a thorn in our side is called depot fat. It forms when we consume too many calories - especially those from sugar, white flour and convenience foods. And if we don't exercise enough, we quickly end up with belly fat and waist fat.
Our body puts it on to be prepared for bad times. So it actually means well with us. After all, who knows exactly when the next famine will occur. The body's principle: better safe than sorry.
The good news: Around ten percent of our fat cells die off every year. The bad news: they are immediately replaced by new ones.
Fat cells are formed from fatty acids that are present in our blood. The number of these fat cells is already determined in our childhood and changes only slightly.
Anyone who thinks "Oh, great. I was slim as a child, so I have nothing to worry about," is unfortunately wrong. It's not just the number of fat cells that determines whether we get fat, but their size.
Everyone has fat cells. Even those who are ultra-slim. But unlike an overweight person, their fat cells are not so filled.
You can influence the amount and size of fat cells through exercise. Nutrition also plays a very big role - a much bigger role than exercise. About 70 % of your weight loss success is directly related to your eating habits.
If you train a lot but don't change your diet, you won't be able to achieve any success. The reason for this is that you provide the body with so much energy that it obtains it directly from the blood and does not fall back on the fat depots.
How to calculate your body fat percentage!
If you want to lose weight, I can give you the Foodspring Shape Shake recommend. It is specially designed to provide a lot of protein for muscle building, but at the same time to saturate well. When you feel full, you consume fewer calories, which makes the fat pads melt away.
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How muscles are formed
If you look at how muscles are formed, you quickly realize: It actually happens quite differently. Fat cells grab all the excess calories and start growing all by themselves. But in order to form muscles, we have to be active. Our body can't make them grow on its own.
At the latest now it becomes clear: Converting fat into muscle - this is an undertaking that is difficult to achieve.
To build muscles, we need protein on the one hand, which we must supply from the outside. And on the other hand, a regular stimulus to the muscle.
Merely eating protein in large quantities will not get us anywhere. We need to challenge our body. Only through strength training is it possible for muscles to form.
During exercise, the muscle fibers become thicker. For this they use protein, which is stored in the muscle cell. You can see this quite clearly when you do biceps curls - during the first two repetitions you can't see much of the muscles, but after 5 repetitions it changes.
If you work out regularly, you will notice an increase in muscle size - the muscle cross-section increases.
After training, our body starts repair processes. The muscle prepares for the next loads and grows. You can feel this repair process in the form of muscle soreness.
Fat plays a very minor role in the production of muscles - it is only used during the provision of energy in certain metabolic processes.
By the way, the number of muscle cells is also determined at birth. This is also the reason why some people build muscles faster - their genetics make it possible.
Others need to exercise a lot to build even a little muscle - these people are called "hard gainers".
Losing weight through strength training is better than any diet!
Can you convert fat into muscle?
Well, you now know how body fat is formed and how muscles are formed. But can you convert fat into muscle? Yes, that really sounds very tempting, doesn't it?
But fat deposits are made up of fat cells, not muscle fibers.
Even the different structure of these two types of tissue does not bode well.
Or to put it another way, turning fat into muscle is simply not possible. But you can, of course, lose fat and build muscle. Only a direct transformation of fat into muscle can not be done.
If we stop exercising overnight, muscle slowly recedes - but body fat accumulates in the fat cells. So we can't convert fat into muscle, but muscle can give way and make room for body fat.
Lose 1 kg per week? This is how it works!
Why so many claim that you can turn fat into muscle
Yes, but how did you even get the idea that you can turn body fat into muscle? Most likely you have seen or heard that in some advertisement. That's what sports beginners like to be lured with.
In fact, total beginners in sports can both build muscle and lose body fat in the beginning. However, this effect is unfortunately lost very quickly.
A beginner is therefore possible, what we all wish for. Provided that he takes care to eat enough protein.
With the exerciser himself/herself and also with friends, it can give the impression that he/she was able to convert fat into muscle.
3 tricks for effective body shaping
But you don't have to despair or even stop training. There are a few tips and tricks that will get you there.
#1 Mix strength and endurance training.
If you want to change your body shape, you have to become more active overall. The fat pads are only there because you burn too few calories.
A good training plan always consists of endurance and weight training. It is important that you alternate between these sports and constantly expose your body to new stimuli.
Typical endurance sports are
- Jogging
- Walking
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Dance
- Kick boxing (endurance and strength)
Endurance sports help you to rev up your metabolism and activate fat burning. If you then also build up muscles with strength training at the same time, nothing stands in the way of your desired figure.
#2 The right diet
Very briefly, we already had the topic: If you eat the wrong food, you can work out for hours and still have a lot of body fat.
Nutrition accounts for 70% of your training success. To build muscle, we need protein. The rule of thumb is 1.3 to 1.5 protein per kilogram per day.
If you want to get rid of fat deposits, then white flour, sugar and other unhealthy foods have no place in your diet.
Pineapple, kiwi, papaya, asparagus and cabbage are said to have a particularly dehydrating effect.
With these vegetables the kilos fall!
#3 Motivation and fun
If you want to convert fat into muscle and strengthen your body, you need one thing above all: perseverance. You won't see any changes overnight. Losing weight and building muscle is a process that takes many months.
To stay motivated, you need to find a sport that you really enjoy. If you have to force yourself to work out every time, you'll soon give up.
What is particularly motivating is a training partner. You can spur each other on and challenge each other to new heights. But make sure that your sports buddy is about as fit as you are. If the difference is too great, you will soon lose your joy.
Our conclusion
If you want to convert fat into muscle, you have to train a lot and know that a 1:1 conversion is not possible. But if you start to change your diet and exercise regularly, you will soon see the first results. The fat cells will become smaller and the muscle cells larger - to the outside it will then look as if you have transformed your body fat into muscle. :)
Good luck and enjoy your training!
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