How to Get a Better Body for a Guy

There are many reasons why a man might be unhappy with his body. Fortunately, developing a better, more attractive body is something attainable for just about any guy. Even better, improving your body is a straightforward process -- just not an easy one. It takes a certain amount of discipline and effort, and is an ongoing process. The good news is that as long as you have the determination to get a better looking body, there are only a few key things you need to know to succeed.

Instructions

• 1

  Define your goals. Do you want to lose weight, or build bulk and muscle? The procedure for each goal is similar, but important factors like diet are very different. The basic principle is that to lose weight, you need to reduce what you consume and eat better food. To gain bulk and muscle, you need to consume better food and more of it. Strength training is essential no matter what your goal is.

• 2

  Examine your diet. More than any other factor, diet influences how your body looks. Remember the maxim: "You are what you eat." To get a better body, you need to live by that philosophy. Start by joining an online calorie counting service and start logging everything that you eat and drink (see Resources). This will tell you how many calories you eat per day.

• 3

  Use a Basal Metabolic Rate calculator to work out how many calories your body burns each day (see Resources). The difference between the calories you consume and the calories you burn will tell you where you need to begin changing your lifestyle. You need to eat fewer calories than you burn to lose weight, and more calories than you burn to gain weight.

• 4

  Lean chicken is a great source of protein

  Adjust your diet, whether you're trying to lose weight or gain muscle. You should make sure you eat at least 1 gram of protein for every pound of body weight. If you are trying to lose weight, you will need to substitute some of the carbohydrates or fat you eat for protein in order to eat enough while remaining within your calorie limit.

• 5

  Weight training builds muscle, which improves the look of your body

  Start a weight-training regimen. Weight training builds muscle, which is both attractive and burns additional calories even while resting. You can do this with machines at a gym, or free weights at home. Research a weight-training plan that suits you. Remember to eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight to build and maintain muscle.

• 6

  Moderate intensity cardio is very effective at reducing fat.

  Use cardiovascular exercise - free running or cardio machines - to lose body fat. Cardio exercise burns calories. At between 50% and 70% of your maximum heart rate, 85% of those calories burned come from your fat deposits. Therefore, regular moderate cardiovascular exercise can help you lose fat quickly and efficiently. Be sure to log calories burned through exercise in your food diary and compensate for them by eating more if you need to. Additionally, limit your cardiovascular exercise to 25 minute sessions. After 25 minutes, the body begins to fuel itself by breaking down the muscle tissue which you are attempting to build and preserve.

• 7

  Be patient. If followed properly, these steps will give you a better body. However, both losing fat and building muscle take time and dedication. It may be a number of weeks before you start seeing results, and many months until you have the body you desire. The key is to stick to the basic principles outlined above, which will eventually deliver the results you're after.