These 4 exercises will help you lose fat and gain muscle at the same time

Losing weight is the dream of many people, but it’s important to shed kilos the right way by building lean muscle mass at the same time. To lose fat, your body needs to go into a calorie deficit, and this deficit forces your body to use pre-existing fat stores for fuel. On the other hand, your body requires calories in surplus to repair and build big muscles.

That’s why it seems almost impossible to lose fat and gain muscles at the same time. But thankfully you can, all because of some amazing exercises that do both the tasks with great success! 

So without further ado, let’s learn about some exercises to lose fat that also help you gain muscle in the process. All set?

1. Floor press

This exercise targets your chest, triceps and shoulder muscles, and is a simpler variation of the bench press. Since the range of motion in the exercise stops at the floor, your shoulders do not receive much strain, as in the case of a bench press. Also, when you lie on the floor, you don’t really get the help of your legs, and that makes it harder for your upper body. That’s a good thing when it comes to toning your chest and shoulder muscles. You need a bar for this exercise, or if you can’t find it, use dumb-bells. 

Here’s how to do it:

1. Lie with your back on the floor under a bar, or lie on the floor with a dumb bell in each hand at chest height.
2. Extend your legs forward. Brace your core and back muscles, and press your feet into the ground.
3. Once you’re holding the bar or dumb bells above your chest, with your arms outstretched, slowly lower it until your upper arms are touching the ground, then press it back up.
4. Do 3 sets of 10 reps each. 

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2. Squats

This is one of the best exercises to tone your thighs (quadriceps & hamstrings) and the glutes. As you keep practising, you can move on to a more advanced version. It also improves your lower body mobility and keeps your bones and joints healthy. 

Here’s how to do it:

1.Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and put your arms out straight in front of you or behind your head.
2. Begin by pushing your hips and butt back and bending at the knees.
3. Look straight ahead and keep your chest up and back flat. Your back should remain in this neutral position throughout the movement.
4. Squat down as low as you can and then pop back up to the starting position by driving through your heels.
5. Weight should remain on your heels throughout the exercise.
6. Do 3 sets of 10 reps each. 

3. Push-ups

We all use this exercise to lose fat, but did you know it helps to work your chest, shoulders, triceps and core muscles? Yes, it’s true! At the same time, you lose weight too and that’s what our goal is.

Here’s how to do it:

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1. Place your hands on the ground slightly more than shoulder-width apart, and lower yourself until your chest touches the floor.
2. Squeeze your glutes together and contract your abs as you lower and raise your body.
3. Keep your elbows close to your sides to protect your shoulders.
4.  Do 3 sets of 10 reps each.

If you find doing push-ups too hard, you can do a simpler version by bending your knees. Use the same technique otherwise!

4. Tricep dips

Last but not the least, don’t miss out on this exercise if you want to target the muscles on the back of your arm. We know how hard it is to lose fat here, but fret not, this is the best solution. This bodyweight exercise enhances arm and shoulder strength and can be done anywhere. All you need is a chair!

Here’s how to do it:

1. Sit at the edge of a chair, and place your hands over the edge of the seat, keeping knuckles pointing forward.
2. Bend your legs at a 90-degree position with feet pointing ahead.
3. With shoulders down and elbows close to your side, slowly bend elbows into a 90-degree angle, lower your butt towards the floor.
4. Get back to sitting, keeping pressure on the heel of your hands.
5. Do 3 sets of 10 reps each. 

So ladies, try these exercises to lose fat and gain muscle at home and get a fabulous figure in no time!