How to Burn Fat Without Losing Muscle

When it comes to improving fitness for pro cheerleading, the first thing that you should do is focus on burning fat. However, plenty of women do it wrong by following strict diet programs such as vegan, vegetarian diets, and lesser-known fasting methods.

As a result of this mistake, one wouldn’t just lose body fat but also muscle. This often results in an anorexic instead of a fit appearance. So, what are the right strategies needed to burn fat, lose weight, and achieve an ideal pro cheerleader’s physique? Let this list be your guide.

1. Increase your protein intake

Amino acids are the building blocks of muscles. They are found in animal proteins such as beef, pork, poultry, and eggs. A majority of women who want to burn fat abstain from meats because they think that these animal products cause fat buildup.

This is only true among processed meats such as bacon, hotdogs, barbecue, deli, and salted meat. The excessive consumption of carbohydrates is a major culprit of fat gain. If you want to lose weight but retain muscle, always have meat in your meals and season them before cooking.

Then, use flavoring ingredients that are diet-friendly. If you’re not a meat-eater, choose plant-based alternatives like legumes.

2. Avoid drastic or restrictive diet programs

On the journey to burning fat, diet programs are the common go-to before exercise. The problem with these methods is that most of them do more harm than good. For example, an all-green diet or macronutrient-restriction fasting will cause severe nutrient deficiencies.

Experts will always say that the keys to burning fat effectively without affecting muscle mass are practicing portion control, healthy food choices, mindful eating, and regular exercise. Carbs are not evil. They are a great source of energy during exercise if you know how much and what to eat based on your needs.

Instead of total carbohydrate abstinence, limit your meals to one cup of wild rice or one to two slices of whole wheat bread. What you want to prevent from happening is catabolysis — a stage in which your body burns muscles for energy due to low or zero glycogen and fats.

3. Take food supplements

Relying on food alone may not be enough to gain or maintain muscle mass. Food supplements play a vital role in achieving an athletic physique and meeting your micronutrient intake. Another thing that makes food supplements a necessary part of your diet is that they help you burn more fat.

For example, iron, niacin, and vitamin B-6 are essential vitamins and minerals for producing L-carnitine — an amino acid that helps in boosting fat burn.

4. Follow an exercise routine

Without regular exercise on top of proper nutrition, you may either lose muscle and gain fat or lose both. Physical activity is what signals your body to utilize protein and amino acids for growing muscle mass. Dedicate time for working out at least three times a week.

5. Train with aerobic cardio

Aerobic cardio exercises are the best type of workout for burning fat and excess carbohydrates before they get converted and stored as fat. Great cardio workouts are swimming, running, cycling, walking, elliptical machine training, and rowing.

Another important part of burning fat while keeping your muscle mass is getting 7 to 9 hours of rest every night. This is because, during your sleep, the protein and amino acids you’ve eaten will be used by your body to build or maintain muscle mass.

Get more tips for burning fat, weight loss, and fitness here!

• 7 Simple Weight Loss Tips for Women
• What Are Ways to Track Your Fitness Progress?
• Pro Cheer Nutrition: Healthy Grocery Items You Should Be Adding to Your Cart
• Pro Cheer Nutrition: Tips to Make Healthy Choices When Eating Out
• 5 Mental Hacks to Push Yourself Harder During Workouts

Need a Great Workout Routine for Your Pro Cheer Audition Prep?

Pro cheerleaders stay fit, flexible, and strong so they can give out their best performance in the arena. However, achieving that wow-worthy, toned physique doesn’t happen overnight. You need to arm yourself with the right daily workouts.

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