Building Lean Muscle is Easy, But There's a Trick...

"I get it...You don't want to get fat while doing strength training. Neither do I. We just want to build some lean muscle mass to look and feel strong & toned."

In high school, I was over 200lbs and chubby (I'm 6' 3"). I played sports year-round, but I just couldn't seem to tone up. In college, I decided I was sick of not feeling good about the way I looked, so I started reading tons of blogs, forums and books to learn how to fix the problem. At first, I wanted to bulk up, build some big muscles, and everything would be great. But...

I quickly realized that in order to be strong AND toned (instead of fat) I had to start building lean muscle mass!

I kept reading it over and over again: "Building lean muscle muscle mass boosts metabolism, helping your body burn excess fat 24 hours/day, 7 days/week."

Though it sounded too good to be true, I found that it's not at all. I started doing just a few simple things to focus my workouts & nutrition habits (though I'm still not so great in that department), and before I knew it I was building the lean muscle everyone was talking about. My body fat percentage started going down, I was seeing definition in my abs, back and arms, and it was awesome! I had never had success so quickly before, so I was pumped.

Whether you're a girl or a guy, adding lean muscle through proper strength training will help reduce your excess body fat, boost your metabolism, decrease your LDL cholesterol (the bad one), and help you look better than you ever could spending hours upon hours running.

Long story short, I was able to apply a few things I learned from a workout routine called "Turbulence Training", and adding just two simple things from this program to my weight lifting routine helped me build lean muscle, boost my metabolism, and start looking a LOT better:

Whether you check out Turbulence Training or not, the tips below will help boost the results you're getting from your workouts.

P.S. - You're already way ahead of 90% of the people out there that are trying to lose weight or gain muscle, because you know that building lean muscle mass helps. I wish I knew that when I was in high school, but at least I know now, right? =)

Remember, though: knowledge is power, but without action, there will be no results. This article will help you apply your knowledge to actually start toning up, burning fat & gaining some lean muscle quickly.

Read on to learn the top 5 ways to build lean muscle mass...

Alright, so nothing comes easy at first, right? Well, you might be surpirsed about this one.

Most people out there (especially women), don't want to be like those ripped bodybuilders, right? Well, what's interesting about that body type is that they can eat sooooo much and keep their metabolism high enough to maintain a body fat percentage around 4-8%. It's crazy!

Remember when I mentioned how I was fat in high school? Well, guess why? I love to eat!

After months of researching and reading, I realized that there are some people with a higher metabolism, making it easier for them to burn fat (everybody knows that), but here's the kicker: building lean muscle boosts metabolism, so you can eat more without gaining weight!

So maybe I like food a little too much, but the coolest thing I learned in my quest to burn some fat was that it's easy to control the affect of what I eat with a few simple methods.

Here are the 5 easy methods you can use to build lean muscle:

• Stick to a strength-training routine (45 minutes, 3x per week)
• Mix high-intensity interval training into your routine
• Steer clear of high-sugar, processed foods, trans fats & excessive alcohol
• Drink LOTS of water
• Eat 5-6 smaller meals with natural foods spread throughout the day

Now, you might be wondering why those 5 tips sound so similar to the things bodybuilders do, even though the goal is to gain lean muscle, not bulk up.

Well, even for women, the key to building lean muscle mass is to do higher-intensity weight & strength training, mixed with short-burst interval training cardio, and boosting metabolism by eating food the right way (not just eating the right foods).

This is very different from bodybuilders, because they are doing everything imaginable to consume the perfect balance of protein, carbs, fats & calories in general (along with an insane weightlifting regimen designed specifically for bulking up). Oh yeah, and don't worry: you will NOT just 'accidentally' end up looking like a bodybuilder...it's waaaaay tooo hard to get that way.

If you just want that toned look, this is NOT what you want to do. Strength training has been proven in dozens of clinical studies to boost metabolism (which burns fat all day long), and when combined with decent nutritional habits can build lean muscle without getting too bulky or fat.

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I know I know, it sucks that there always has to be a tricky part. But, this one isn't so bad, and it can mean the difference between being 19.5% body fat and chubby and 10% body fat and toned.

Here it is: to build lean muscle, you have to follow a program that allows you to mix the high-intensity interval training along with a strength training routine that won't hurt your body!

You can't expect to just start kicking your own butt every day and actually stay motivated and healthy for months, can you? Not to mention the fact that if you don't want to get too bulky, the specific exercises you do (how much weight, how many reps, and the increase every week) are crucial!

On top of all that, you already know not to eat fatty, sugary foods, but it's tough, right? Well, I found that letting myself enjoy a meal out or some dessert is fine, as long as I eat smaller portions spread throughout the day and drink a bunch of water.

The most important thing here is that I needed guidance to put this stuff into action. Just knowing I'm supposed to eat vegetables, avoid greasy french fries, and workout all the timewasn't exactly keeping me on track...is it working for you?

With a detailed routine that's designed just for those of us that want to build lean muscle, boost our metabolism, and get that toned look without getting too bulky or fat, you'll be unstoppable:

Turbulence Training is a collection of ebooks (PDF files) I downloaded right after buying. It was sweet not having to wait for shipping! Anyway, it includes all of these guides:

• "Turbulence Training"
• "Fat Loss Nutrition Made Simple for Men & Women"
• "Dumbell/Bodyweight Fat Loss Fusion Workout Routines"
• "20-Minute Workouts for the World's Busiest Dads!"
• "Total Body Transformation Secrets"
• "Turbulence Training for Mass"

I didn't pay much attention to the transformation secrets guide, but I loved the main ebook, the nutrition guide and the fat loss fusion report. Honestly, I wish Craig wouldn't have put so many options for routines, but I guess it's nice to have the choice based on your favorite exercise style, and to be able to mix things up over time.

Either way, this program was the one (out of the 9 I bought) that got me the quickest, easiest results, because I was able to tweak my routine and put it into action following his guides the Monday after I bought it. It's also nice that Turbulence Training is cheaper than most programs ($39.95), though Craig does offer a deluxe version that I didn't end up getting. They're both stacked, so it's up to you!

By the way, you do not have to already have a routine you follow. It's very easy to get started just with Turbulence Training, I just liked the fact that I could combine mine with these techniques.

In the end, I'm much happier now that I've burned about 28lbs of excess fat and built some lean muscle, and though I still LOVE to eat, it's cool knowing how easy it really was. =)

Sticking to the advice form Turbulence Training to boost my metabolism allowed me to move up to gaining more muscle & strength with some other weight lifting programs, too, which has been nice. Though that's totally optional, the most important step is to build lean muscle, burn fat and use that foundation and newfound motivation to take your body to whatever level yo'ure happy with!

Have a fantastic day, and have fun building lean muscle to get the body you want,
Max