Ask anyone at your local health club why they are there and you’re likely to hear one of these answers: 1) to burn fat 2) to build muscle. Since it’s only the second month of the new year, there’s still plenty of time to get a plan in place to boost your workout effort and achieve your fitness goals. You may want to tone up, build your endurance or to just get moving more than you did in 2015—and that’s great! But what if your goal is to burn fat and build muscle?

Building muscle and burning fat takes discipline, perseverance and a positive attitude. Some fat burning, muscle building workouts can take place in the gym while others are meant to be done on the go, but keep in mind that all of your exercise efforts contribute to the overall transformation of your body. Check out our suggestions below if fat burning and muscle building are on your to-do list this year:

If you are overweight, concentrate on losing fat first

Your body type should determine what you decide to do first. If you find that you are overweight, the best course of action is to first concentrate your exercise efforts on losing fat before working on building muscle (though while you work to lose excess fat, you will naturally begin to build your muscular strength--yay!). Refer back to our HIIT blog or these tips on keeping your heart rate up throughout your various forms of fat-burning exercise.

Small meals for the win

There are benefits to eating smaller meals throughout the day, rather than two or three large meals each day. Particularly for those who are struggling with unhealthy snacking in between meal times, smaller meals can help you with fat loss and provide you with the energy you need to exercise regularly. Eating smaller portions throughout the day will help to curb the hunger that arises between the traditional three meals each day, as well as helping you with proper portioning. If you’re primarily aiming to build muscle, check out these tips.

Don’t get stuck in a rut

Repetitive exercise is important because it helps condition your body to take on more and more movement or to withstand more concentrated force. If you find your gym or at home routine is getting old, change it! You don’t want to be one of those people who throw in the towel on exercise because of boredom. If you’re not seeing the gains you once were, it may be time to switch up your muscle building routine. There are plenty of classes to sign up for at the gym, new trails to run or a personal trainer to consult. Don’t leave room for the boredom excuse to creep into your routine. 

Fat burning and muscle building are not simple tasks, like anytime worthwhile, they take time, energy and dedication to see the desired result in the end. Try employing our tips for the next six months and let us know how your journey goes! Share updates, victories and progress with us using #myzone #effortrewarded or #myyear