Gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time?

BonyCastro
BonyCastro Posts: 110 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hello! I know you have to be in surplus to gain muscle and size.. However, I read articles that is possible for people who have been lifting less than 3 years to accomplish both! Anyone has any experience or has been successful at cutting and gaining at the same time ?
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Replies

  • caroldavison332
    caroldavison332 Posts: 864 Member
    I am losing fat so it LOOKS LIKE I am gaining muscle. I've got a lot of it under my fat. Regardless, its great to gain muscle because it consumes more calories than fat.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,386 MFP Moderator
    sijomial wrote: »
    If you want a long but excellent read on the subject by Eric Helms...
    http://muscleandstrengthpyramids.com/calorie-deficit-gain-weight/

    Conclusion.
    The main thing we want you, dear reader, to take home from this article is this – recomposition is normal. It happens – less so in trained individuals, but much more in untrained, new lifters. It’s not necessarily something to aim for, but be aware of it and how it can affect your scale weight if you use that as a metric to gauge progress for either you or your clients.


    A bit of a lighter read (not keen on the author's style but that's maybe just me!), some good links to studies though.
    http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/gain-muscle-and-lose-fat-at-the-same-time/

    Have a look at this thread in the maintaining weight forum for real world examples and experiences - that's where most people doing recomp lurk.
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat#latest

    By the way there isn't a time limit on it, the limit is your genetic potential - I first started training in 1974 and am still recomping. My genetic potential now is somewhat lower though of course!
    Speed of recomp changes though depending on many (and very individual) factors.

    To put it in perspective, a client i worked with spent 18 months recomping and had ridiculous results. But she also hit her target daily and rarely deviated from her 2100 calories. In that time, she lost 3 lbs and gained 10 lbs of lean body mass (<-- not all muscle), confirmed by dexa scan.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,386 MFP Moderator
    edited July 2016
    Another thing to add, do you have a timeline? Its going to be a lot faster to bulk/cut. And if you want to mimize fat gains, get real lean first and then have a small surplus 10 to 15% over maintenance.
  • BonyCastro
    BonyCastro Posts: 110 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    Another thing to add, do you have a timeline? Its going to be a lot faster to bulk/cut. And if you want to mimize fat gains, get real lean first and then have a small surplus 10 to 15% over maintenance.

    Actually yes I do have a timeline. I am competing in Sept. So don't have much time. I have to drop my BF to under 10% but don't want lose muscle.. Want to gain .. If possible !
  • fitnessjustin01
    fitnessjustin01 Posts: 239 Member
    healthy diet, calorie surplus, and workout. If you manage those well and gain slow you'll do great.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,386 MFP Moderator
    BonyCastro wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    Another thing to add, do you have a timeline? Its going to be a lot faster to bulk/cut. And if you want to mimize fat gains, get real lean first and then have a small surplus 10 to 15% over maintenance.

    Actually yes I do have a timeline. I am competing in Sept. So don't have much time. I have to drop my BF to under 10% but don't want lose muscle.. Want to gain .. If possible !

    Well with two months you will have to consider cutting soon. In a month you will likely only gsin 1 lb of muscle of a little more.
  • jmt08c
    jmt08c Posts: 343 Member
    BonyCastro wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    Another thing to add, do you have a timeline? Its going to be a lot faster to bulk/cut. And if you want to mimize fat gains, get real lean first and then have a small surplus 10 to 15% over maintenance.

    Actually yes I do have a timeline. I am competing in Sept. So don't have much time. I have to drop my BF to under 10% but don't want lose muscle.. Want to gain .. If possible !

    You are a female that's looking to cut your body fat to UNDER 10%?! There will be serious physiological consequences to having your BF that low as a female.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    BonyCastro wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    Another thing to add, do you have a timeline? Its going to be a lot faster to bulk/cut. And if you want to mimize fat gains, get real lean first and then have a small surplus 10 to 15% over maintenance.

    Actually yes I do have a timeline. I am competing in Sept. So don't have much time. I have to drop my BF to under 10% but don't want lose muscle.. Want to gain .. If possible !

    not going to happen, sorry...

    and why are you trying to go under 10% ..????
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    BonyCastro wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    Another thing to add, do you have a timeline? Its going to be a lot faster to bulk/cut. And if you want to mimize fat gains, get real lean first and then have a small surplus 10 to 15% over maintenance.

    Actually yes I do have a timeline. I am competing in Sept. So don't have much time. I have to drop my BF to under 10% but don't want lose muscle.. Want to gain .. If possible !

    Competing in what class?
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Very lean but doesn't look like 7% lean
  • Dano74
    Dano74 Posts: 503 Member
    Congrats on braving the stage and having the dedication to compete in the sport. You can certainly lean out before your comp which will further highlight musculature but to gain may be tough.

    Are you being coached or are you competing all on your own?
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Well done on competing but there is no chance that you are sub 10% or even sub 15%.
  • BonyCastro
    BonyCastro Posts: 110 Member
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    Well done on competing but there is no chance that you are sub 10% or even sub 15%.

    Picture of my last measures 10 days before comp. obviously I was a lot leaner when i stepped on stage. Notice the 7.7% tlehld2jzvfx.jpeg
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    Congrats! Were you figure or bikini? I don't see any capped delts on stage so I'm going to assume it wasn't physique. Also, how are you planning to control the post show bounce and all that entails? Do you have a structure eating and recover plan?
  • BonyCastro
    BonyCastro Posts: 110 Member
    Wheelhouse15 wrote: »
    Congrats! Were you figure or bikini? I don't see any capped delts on stage so I'm going to assume it wasn't physique. Also, how are you planning to control the post show bounce and all that entails? Do you have a structure eating and recover plan?

    Bikini. I'm on maintenance calories now and will start a bulk soon. My goal is to compete again next year
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    edited September 2016
    BonyCastro wrote: »
    Wheelhouse15 wrote: »
    Congrats! Were you figure or bikini? I don't see any capped delts on stage so I'm going to assume it wasn't physique. Also, how are you planning to control the post show bounce and all that entails? Do you have a structure eating and recover plan?

    Bikini. I'm on maintenance calories now and will start a bulk soon. My goal is to compete again next year

    Sounds like you kept that rebound under control. Good luck in your next show!
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Congrats on taking first. You look to be 13-15 percent which is a pretty awesome accomplishment. Good on ya! Here is a chart for reference.
    nkv8a3bv7a50.jpg

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