It would be safe to say that most people, at one time or another have wondered how long, and with how much intensity they would have to train in order to turn all their unwanted body fat into sexy muscle?
And, on the flip-side, when they stop training, how long before that precious muscle turns back into fat?
These are some of the questions I hear all of the time. In fact, questions like these have been asked so often that I've come to realize that there is quite a lack of knowledge, or perhaps understanding is a better word, relating to how training actually affects someone's body composition.
In order to answer these pressing questions, I want to take the time and explain the different roles of muscle and body fat.
I want to share some common statements that are used by many people, and then, I will try to give you the straight-up, honest truth about why those statements don't make sense, and why they should be taken out of your "wellness vocabulary."
Let's start with the most common one of all:
"If I workout, I will be able to turn my fat into muscle."
First things first, muscle and fat are two distinctly different types of tissues. Therefore, it is physically impossible to change muscle into fat, or vise-versa. The best way to think about fat is that it is a mass of cells which can do any of three things. They can remain together as a mass and remain at rest, they can grow and divide as more calories are taken in and turned into fat, or they can shrink in size if and when those fat-converted calories are burned off by some form of physical activity. That's it! That's all that fat can do.
Muscle, on the other hand is a very different type of tissue. Muscle cells, also known as "fibers" cannot grow in terms of their numbers, like fat can. Each of us has a pre-determined number of muscle fibers in our body. These fibers, however, can be stimulated and grow individually, therefore giving us larger, more defined muscles overall.
"I'm going to lose my fat before I start gaining muscle."
For a long time now, people have thought that losing fat and gaining muscle were two totally separate things that could never be done effectively at the same time. Well my friends, times have changed, well, not really, actually attitudes have changed, and there is now a much better understanding about how these two things actually work.
That's exactly the reason why many fitness professionals (myself included) now agree that doing BOTH an effective fat-burn, along with a muscle-gain in the SAME workout is truly the best way to get the results you want, fast! After all, if you lost all of your body fat first, before attempting to add any lean muscle, first, it would take you a very long time to get into shape, and also, you would be so weak from all of your "fat-burning" efforts, that you probably wouldn't have the strength to pick up a dumbbell! If you want to start losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time, you need to start doing a complete wellness program that incorporates dynamic training and functional nutrition.
If you remember nothing else from this article, remember this statement: "The more lean muscle you have on your body, the more fat you will burn, no matter what activity you are doing."
"I just want to target the fat on my [belly] [hips] [butt] that's all."
Targeting specific areas of fat, or "spot-training" as it is so commonly called is, in a word, a MYTH! If you remember back in my first point, fat cells all work together as a large mass, and it's impossible to know where they are going to end up sitting on your body. This is determined by how much and where your body decides it needs extra fat stored. You have absolutely no control over this, so please stop thinking that you do. When this fact finally sinks in for people, that's when they start to get the results they want, because they aren't fighting a losing battle against fat. They're attacking fat as a whole and creating a situation where fat is not permitted to grow.
The great thing about muscles on the other hand, is that they can be targeted specifically, and therefore be made more or less pronounced, depending on how much or how little work is done on them from a training standpoint. Use this strategy to your advantage when planning your workouts!
"I'm working out, so I can eat whatever I want."
This final statement is something that I hear far too often. People enter into a training program with this mis-conception that the work they are doing will magically cancel out any and all of their poor eating habits! This statement is as full of bologna as the people who believe it to be true. Don't be one of those people. Listen, all you have to remember is that if you continually burn off more calories than you consume, you will be in a "calorie deficit." And, if you are using quality, dynamic strength training to burn those calories, then the stuff you're losing will almost certainly be body fat! Remember that it's impossible to out-train a bad diet!
It really is that simple! So don't get caught up in believing false statements about losing fat and gaining muscle! Our bodies have been the same for thousands of years, and the way they work is also the same. There's no miracle drug, or shake or workout that will bring you results overnight, or while you sleep.
The FACT is that if you work hard, and put forth an honest effort to eat well, and stay motivated to see your results, you WILL succeed!
Now, go and get it done!
My Name is Dale Bateman. For over 10 years, I've been helping ordinary people (like you and me) achieve their fat loss goals with my common sense approach to health and wellness. I truly believe that long term fat loss can only be mastered by incorporating what I call my three components of fat loss.
These are Fitness, Nutrition and Motivation. Without all three components, you are setting yourself up for failure. Each week, my blog features a brand new, original post dealing with one of these three components. Also, you can sign up for my free weekly newsletter and free 5 week e-course, "5 S.T.E.P.S. to Losing Your First 5 Pounds."
So if you're looking for common sense strategies for losing fat and achieving optimal health and wellness, please visit my blog today: http://losethefatforlife.com/
Thank you.
Dale Bateman
For those who are looking to gain weight, more importantly build muscle; they usually look to the obvious choice for food... protein. After all, protein builds muscle so it makes obvious sense to add it to every meal. 
We all know saturated fats. These are the ENEMY! These types of fats are extremely dangerous because while they are the ones responsible for doing the most damage, they are also the ones that taste the best! 
These are your oils... fish oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, flaxseed oil. They are known as essential because your body cannot produce them and you must get them through your diet. These fats can actually help raise your HDL (or GOOD cholesterol levels). In addition, the fish oil Omega-3 fatty acid is crucial for building muscle in that it repairs tissue. 
These are the oils that come from vegetable and nut sources. Again, these fats can have a positive impact on your cholesterol levels. 
If you are looking to pack on some pounds of serious muscle weight, chances are carbohydrates aren’t the first thing you think of when it comes to building muscle. You’re probably thinking about eating more protein though... After all, protein is what builds muscle, right? 
Now that you know you need them, lets look at what KIND of carbohydrates you should be eating to help support your muscle building goals. Carbohydrates can more easily be described as sugars. The kind we get the most of and that are truly bad for us are what is known as simple sugars. These are things such as fruit juices, cookies, cakes, candies, etc. They contain empty calories and will most likely be stored as fat because the sugars enter your bloodstream quickly and cause a spike in blood sugar levels. 
Next we have complex carbohydrates. Brown rice, pasta, potatoes and whole grains fall into this category. These are the carbs you want to stick to for the most part as they will help fuel your workouts. These sugars are released slowly into your bloodstream and provide a steady supply of energy over a long period of time without causing the insulin spike that leads to fat storage. 
The final category is the fiber filled carbohydrates. These include such foods as corn, black beans, and broccoli among others. These foods are fantastic in that they help keep your digestive system regular and healthy. Take care to stay around 10 grams of fiber per 1000 calories consumed… Too much more than that could block your body’s absorption of vital macronutrients. 
So do weight gain pills really work? If you want my honest review, take a look at the picture to the right and you'll find the answer. 
Bodyweight training offers many advantages over a "traditional" gym workout. While many of the classic weight training exercises are isolation motions (take the curl, for instance), bodyweight exercises are compound movements, thereby working many muscle groups simultaneously. Since balance is involved in these exercises, they also build fine muscle control, which makes for practical strength. The result is a stronger, more stable core, with greater overall body control. This reduces your risk of injury during daily activities. Additionally, bodyweight training can be done almost anywhere, which makes it friendly for frequent travelers and those on a tight budget. 
The ability to lift one's bodyweight in the form of a classic pull-up is one of the most fundamental exercises for measuring and building strength. It's incorporation as one of the three exercises in the U.S. Marine Corp. fitness test is a testament to its value. Put it in your arsenal for big strength gains. 
The classic push-up is again, one of the most overlooked exercises in strength training. Yet, properly performed push-ups provide a chest workout to rival a bench workout for most guys. The classic push-up, when properly performed, brings most of the major muscles in the chest, shoulders, and triceps into play. Then there's the added challenge to the stabilizing core muscle groups, including the obliques and abs that are required to hold your body steady to properly execute a push-up. 
Step-ups are performed by placing a step no taller than knee height, directly in front of you. Begin with your feet placed together, hands loosely at your sides, and simply step up on the platform. The motion is completed by bringing your other foot up to rest beside the first, and reversing the order to step back to the floor. Repeat the motion on the other side, starting with your other foot. This works quads, hamstrings, and glutes, as well as bringing agility into the equation.