Because of all this, it all becomes confusing very fast and if you are inexperienced, the chances of you making all the mistakes in the book due to them are very likely. Also, there is the consideration that not all humans have the exact, same body mechanisms which contributes a lot to the different results that people get even though they have the same diet regimen, workout routines, and body attribute start off points.

So if you are just starting out or have been at it for some time but have been unable to make any headway, a solid base for your dietary and workout needs might be necessary.

Thinning down

If you are overweight and are desperate to lose that weight, you may have already tried starving yourself and doing a grueling workout at the same time. But not eating while pushing your body beyond its limits is very dangerous and has long term effects. Also, the only thing that fasting will do is put your body into starvation mode and conserve as much fat as it can manage.

Now for the healthy alternative, know first that though eating is required, it does not have to be three times a day. You just need to eat to stay alive without giving your body an excuse to get flabby. Eating a midday brunch and dinner with a healthy amount of grains, meat, fish, fruits like goji berries, vegetables and fluids is enough. The occasional cupcake is good too, but for goodness sake, do not binge.

Don’t worry that your body might not be getting enough energy to move or that you have put in so much fat that you won’t be able to get rid of it. Even if either of these is true, since this is just the base, you can adjust it later on. You are simply giving your body enough extra nutrients to replace the ones you lose as you work out and make sure that it does not crash.

As for the workout, go for high-intensity, fast paced exercises. You know the ones that keep you moving and do not give you an inch of reprieve. They don’t need to be killer routines like Crossfit. They can just be Aerobics or Dancing. The reason for this is that resting or doing a sluggish workout will not encourage your body enough to use up the useless fat. Believe it or not, a good jarring is just what your body needs to trim down.

Bulking up

If you a want a body that you can compare to Conan the Barbarian, that will definitely take more than what you will find here. However, if all you need is to stop looking like a beanpole, the diet plan up there still applies. But you might want to up the meat and vegetables. Why? Because as you workout for muscle building, you are tearing up a lot of muscle fibers. Those muscle fibers will eventually heal up by using protein and making more fibers. This then, is how muscles become bigger.

Since meat and vegetables provide protein, you will have more building blocks to build more muscles. But alas, if you don’t tear those muscle fibers, then no amount of protein is going to help you. So along with your diet, a little change in your workout session might also be called for.

Now that we have mentioned tearing muscle fibers, this might have already given you an idea of what it really takes to bulk up. To be clear, it means more weights. Not more time or more sets. By lifting heavier and heavier things, not only will your muscles get used to such conditions and get stronger, you are also tearing more and more muscle fibers. Also, the reps and sets don’t need to be that many. By lifting once or twice, those fibers are already torn. So you gain more, for less.

Now remember that this is just a base and is not a perfect system. After this, you have to make your own. Good luck.