How to get a muscular body?
HereLieWe
Posts: 233 Member
Right now I'm 145lb and probably 30 - 35% body fat (I don't know). I want to eventually get down to 120 lb. How do I reduce my body fat percentage (other than dieting, of course)? Right now I'm exercising 3 times a week for a 2:30 weekly total. I'm lifting weights during some of that time.
I eventually want to have a six pack and very muscular body.
I'm a female.
I eventually want to have a six pack and very muscular body.
I'm a female.
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Replies
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Caloric deficit is ur only option really. Or doing a TON of exercise all the time0
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Lift heavy. Full body routines. Compound lifts as ur staples. Be patient.
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To grow your muscles, you have to eat excess calories. Muscles (generally) won't "grow" from strength training unless your body feeds itself excess calories for them to grow. It'll all even out in the end if you give your muscles what they need--and the larger/stronger they are, the more calories they'll burn (relative to the same mass as fat), and that only helps burn off more fat.0
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Lift heavy. Full body routines. Compound lifts as ur staples. Be patient.CarlydogsMom wrote: »To grow your muscles, you have to eat excess calories. Muscles (generally) won't "grow" from strength training unless your body feeds itself excess calories for them to grow. It'll all even out in the end if you give your muscles what they need--and the larger/stronger they are, the more calories they'll burn (relative to the same mass as fat), and that only helps burn off more fat.
Ah, okay. So I'll have to wait until I reach my ideal body fat percentage before I should expect to grow muscles?
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You have a couple of options, actually, but there's debate as to which is better. You can cut (or lose weight) while lifting to increase strength, with the understanding that you won't increase muscle mass much or "get bigger" while you're at a deficit, and when you're close to your goal weight, you can do a bulk cycle...eat at an excess of around 300-400 calories per day while lifting heavy in order to grow your muscles. You will gain some fat as well, but then you can cut again to get rid of it. These cycles of cutting and bulking are how many people gain a muscular physique.
The other way is to eat as close to maintenance as possible every day, cutting no more than 250 calories, while eating extra protein and lifting heavy. The goal is to replace the bodyfat with muscle, also known as a "recomp" for changing your body composition. This is what's recommended by some very good sources like The New Rules Of Lifting.0 -
Lift heavy and caloric deficit. Lifting in a deficit will give you tone and leanness. Also remember not to be in extreme defecit, only about a 10% drop off your maintenance. To find out all your personal calculations, visit this site http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/0
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Eat less, lift heavy, abandon the need for a six pack, do the best that genetics will allow you.0
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When you bulk, do you burn the exact amount of excess? I'll check out The New Rules of Lifting. Thanks!SnuggleSmacks wrote: »You have a couple of options, actually, but there's debate as to which is better. You can cut (or lose weight) while lifting to increase strength, with the understanding that you won't increase muscle mass much or "get bigger" while you're at a deficit, and when you're close to your goal weight, you can do a bulk cycle...eat at an excess of around 300-400 calories per day while lifting heavy in order to grow your muscles. You will gain some fat as well, but then you can cut again to get rid of it. These cycles of cutting and bulking are how many people gain a muscular physique.
The other way is to eat as close to maintenance as possible every day, cutting no more than 250 calories, while eating extra protein and lifting heavy. The goal is to replace the bodyfat with muscle, also known as a "recomp" for changing your body composition. This is what's recommended by some very good sources like The New Rules Of Lifting.Lift heavy and caloric deficit. Lifting in a deficit will give you tone and leanness. Also remember not to be in extreme defecit, only about a 10% drop off your maintenance. To find out all your personal calculations, visit this site http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/
Thanks! Apparently my TDEE is 1909, while my BMR is 1389How tall are you?
It is very difficult for a female to have a well defined 6 pack and takes years old proper training and nutrition. It won't happen just because you lose weight. In order to have visible abs that pop, they need to be well developed. You can't see something that's not there.
I'm 5'2". It really takes /years?/ I'm only 18 - will that make it go faster?Eat less, lift heavy, abandon the need for a six pack, do the best that genetics will allow you.
So genetics plays a part in it?0 -
Genetics plays a huge part, yeah.
Unless you gear up.0 -
Max out your noob gain first. If all it took was a calorific excess to build muscle, no one would get fat
So, go lift. Stronglifts 5x5 is a great start.
After a few months you might feel your progress is slowing. Your muscles have learned new ways of moving but it's time for more. Now eat a small surplus - 400 extra calories a day, or so - and keep lifting. You'll put on muscle and fat. People then do a short cut - not 'diet' - to lose the fat. Then they bulk again.
Muscle growth in women is slow. Estimates can be as slow as a quarter-pound a month, though it can be more in the early days.0 -
Lift heavy. Full body routines. Compound lifts as ur staples. Be patient.CarlydogsMom wrote: »To grow your muscles, you have to eat excess calories. Muscles (generally) won't "grow" from strength training unless your body feeds itself excess calories for them to grow. It'll all even out in the end if you give your muscles what they need--and the larger/stronger they are, the more calories they'll burn (relative to the same mass as fat), and that only helps burn off more fat.
Ah, okay. So I'll have to wait until I reach my ideal body fat percentage before I should expect to grow muscles?
No....You develop your muscles as your work towards your BF% goals.
It's not like a one or other kinda thing.....
It works together...
So if you are concerned with BF% and trying to lose weight.
Then eat in a deficit, and do the lifting routine as noted above (like StrongLifts 5x5).
Your muscles may grow some in this process if you have a fair amt of Body Fat, reason being is that since you are in deficit, you will draw upon fat stores to make up the lack of energy you are eating....
So the potential to "grow" muscle is there while in deficit....in this case.
So you are able to do both and in the end it benefits you.
Good Luck0 -
There is no way to predict how long it will take. You could see it relatively quick or you may chase them forever. Do not set a time frame. Workout with a solid established program and eat at maintenance or below and be patient.0
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Agree with lift heavy, compound moves/barbell program - full body moves - functional strength training - adding in pull ups and pushups with your stuff too. Eat about 100 g of protein.0
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OMG so true.. do the best that genetics will allow you.
My legs can get unbelievably ripped and my upper body is like the man that forgets leg day0
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