Is the information my friend has been give wrong or right?

My mate told me last night he's trying to build muscle and go from 9% body fat to 6% body fat to get ripped.
He's about 6ft2 or 3 and he's 24... His personal trainer has told him to consume 1,000 calories a day and do lots of cardio every single day and weights every other day.

To me that seems very wrong. I said i'd ask on here, so any advice would be welcomed.
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Replies

  • allanrjudge
    allanrjudge Posts: 84 Member
    I told him that he wont be building muscle, he says he is. I've told him he's probably just made the muscle he's already got feel harder and as the fat disappears it makes it more visible.
    He thinks hes built half a stone of muscle, which I find hard to believe.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    edited November 2014
    It's going to be impossible for him to build muscle on a 1000 calorie diet...in fact, he'll probably lose some of it eating that low
  • As far as I know you can't gain while in deficit. You can't build something out of nothing.

    He can probably gain strength, but muscle? Not so much. If he gained it's probably his muscles holding back water because of exercise increase or something.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    My mate told me last night he's trying to build muscle and go from 9% body fat to 6% body fat to get ripped.
    He's about 6ft2 or 3 and he's 24... His personal trainer has told him to consume 1,000 calories a day and do lots of cardio every single day and weights every other day.

    To me that seems very wrong. I said i'd ask on here, so any advice would be welcomed.

    1000 calories a day + tons of cardio + being a male = muscle loss. Tell your friend to fire his personal trainer.
  • allanrjudge
    allanrjudge Posts: 84 Member
    I told him all this but he found it funny that I was going against what a personal trainer had told him. He's adamant he's gaining muscle.
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
    If he uses that method he will lose muscle and fat. I'd tell him to get a new trainer. Even if he wanted to cut first he is still not eating enough to maintain current muscle mass. He must eat more. He will not build muscle in a deficit. He needs to eat in a surplus to build muscle.
  • allanrjudge
    allanrjudge Posts: 84 Member
    I told him he needs to build muscle and then cut and explained that's what bodybuilders do. But he found it funny because I was over riding what his trainer had told him.
  • I told him all this but he found it funny that I was going against what a personal trainer had told him. He's adamant he's gaining muscle.

    If I were you, and this is just because it's me, I would let him fall in the hole. When he comes to complain I'd just tell him "I told you so."

    If he won't listen to you there's really not much else you can do about it. Except pin him down and shovel food down his throat. :neutral_face:

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I told him he needs to build muscle and then cut and explained that's what bodybuilders do. But he found it funny because I was over riding what his trainer had told him.

    then unfortunately all you can do is watch him crash and burn... and then be a good enough mate not to say 'i told you so'!!!
  • I told him he needs to build muscle and then cut and explained that's what bodybuilders do. But he found it funny because I was over riding what his trainer had told him.

    then unfortunately all you can do is watch him crash and burn... and then be a good enough mate not to say 'i told you so'!!!

    **does evil snicker** :innocent:

  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
    I told him he needs to build muscle and then cut and explained that's what bodybuilders do. But he found it funny because I was over riding what his trainer had told him.

    then unfortunately all you can do is watch him crash and burn... and then be a good enough mate not to say 'i told you so'!!!
    Yep
  • allanrjudge
    allanrjudge Posts: 84 Member
    Haha evil people.

    These are the words he told me: 'To build muscle you have to break down your old muscle and then build up your new muscle. Cardio keeps the fat off'
  • Okay you know maybe don't tell him "I told you so".

    My friends tend to be very spiteful with me sometimes so I tend to return the favor and that usually throws them off their throne which is why I do that.

    But yeah unfortunately there's still nothing else you can do. Be supportive if he later comes to apologise for laughing at you.
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  • GreenIceFloes
    GreenIceFloes Posts: 1,491 Member
    Haha evil people.

    These are the words he told me: 'To build muscle you have to break down your old muscle and then build up your new muscle. Cardio keeps the fat off'

    LOL
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Okay you know maybe don't tell him "I told you so".

    My friends tend to be very spiteful with me sometimes so I tend to return the favor and that usually throws them off their throne which is why I do that.

    But yeah unfortunately there's still nothing else you can do. Be supportive if he later comes to apologise for laughing at you.
    Haha evil people.

    These are the words he told me: 'To build muscle you have to break down your old muscle and then build up your new muscle. Cardio keeps the fat off'

    evil PERSON if you read what i posted...
  • Haha evil people.

    These are the words he told me: 'To build muscle you have to break down your old muscle and then build up your new muscle. Cardio keeps the fat off'

    Exactly he's right. Cardio keeps the fat off by burning calories. But it doesn't tear muscle. That's what lifting does. Your muscles will recover from being overworked, which is why you can increase strength while in deficit. But you won't be able to add new muscle while in deficit.

    Adding muscle is like a growing child. They need to eat a lot because they are still growing. If they undereat they will be underdeveloped. You can't grow bigger muscle while you are undereating. Only *hopefully* maintain what you have.



  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    Haha evil people.

    These are the words he told me: 'To build muscle you have to break down your old muscle and then build up your new muscle. Cardio keeps the fat off'

    Exactly he's right. Cardio keeps the fat off by burning calories. But it doesn't tear muscle. That's what lifting does. Your muscles will recover from being overworked, which is why you can increase strength while in deficit. But you won't be able to add new muscle while in deficit.

    Adding muscle is like a growing child. They need to eat a lot because they are still growing. If they undereat they will be underdeveloped. You can't grow bigger muscle while you are undereating. Only *hopefully* maintain what you have.


    Cardio doesn't keep the fat off. It may lead to a deficit.. it may not. I know plenty of people doing lots of cardio and still gaining weight/fat. In fact, I know a lot of over weight long distance runners.
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  • allanrjudge
    allanrjudge Posts: 84 Member
    Oh sorry Tavistock x

    Well he wont listen, i've told hm the bit i've learnt over the past few months and he wants to listen to his trainer and told me i'll soon see when he posts his 'after' pics in a few months lol.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Oh sorry Tavistock x

    Well he wont listen, i've told hm the bit i've learnt over the past few months and he wants to listen to his trainer and told me i'll soon see when he posts his 'after' pics in a few months lol.

    i'll be amazed if he manages weeks let alone months!
  • GreenIceFloes
    GreenIceFloes Posts: 1,491 Member
    edited November 2014
    Well he wont listen, i've told hm the bit i've learnt over the past few months and he wants to listen to his trainer and told me i'll soon see when he posts his 'after' pics in a few months lol.

    He'll definitely 'look' more ripped because he is cutting I suppose. But I hope he knows he wouldn't have gained any muscle in the process, only made pre-existing muscle more visible.
  • MrM27 wrote: »
    Haha evil people.

    These are the words he told me: 'To build muscle you have to break down your old muscle and then build up your new muscle. Cardio keeps the fat off'

    Exactly he's right. Cardio keeps the fat off by burning calories. But it doesn't tear muscle. That's what lifting does. Your muscles will recover from being overworked, which is why you can increase strength while in deficit. But you won't be able to add new muscle while in deficit.

    Adding muscle is like a growing child. They need to eat a lot because they are still growing. If they undereat they will be underdeveloped. You can't grow bigger muscle while you are undereating. Only *hopefully* maintain what you have.


    No, cardio does not keep fat off. Caloric deficit does that. You can still be fat or gain fat even if you do tons of cardiovascular but aren't in a net deficit.

    That's true. But it does burn calories. Obviously if you fill up the gap with food you will maintain weight. But it still burns calories. I create half my deficit through cardio and the other half through diet. If I ate a bit much, but still did cardio, I would still lose, just not as much.

    It depends really. Like I said if you eat your whole deficit back burned through cardio you will probably maintain.

    All in all, it still is about creating a caloric deficit one way or the other.

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    MrM27 wrote: »
    Haha evil people.

    These are the words he told me: 'To build muscle you have to break down your old muscle and then build up your new muscle. Cardio keeps the fat off'

    Exactly he's right. Cardio keeps the fat off by burning calories. But it doesn't tear muscle. That's what lifting does. Your muscles will recover from being overworked, which is why you can increase strength while in deficit. But you won't be able to add new muscle while in deficit.

    Adding muscle is like a growing child. They need to eat a lot because they are still growing. If they undereat they will be underdeveloped. You can't grow bigger muscle while you are undereating. Only *hopefully* maintain what you have.


    No, cardio does not keep fat off. Caloric deficit does that. You can still be fat or gain fat even if you do tons of cardiovascular but aren't in a net deficit.

    That's true. But it does burn calories. Obviously if you fill up the gap with food you will maintain weight. But it still burns calories. I create half my deficit through cardio and the other half through diet. If I ate a bit much, but still did cardio, I would still lose, just not as much.

    It depends really. Like I said if you eat your whole deficit back burned through cardio you will probably maintain.

    All in all, it still is about creating a caloric deficit one way or the other.

    While you can use cardio to create a deficit, suggesting the cardio burns fat is just wrong.
  • allanrjudge
    allanrjudge Posts: 84 Member
    He's quite skinny anyway, he wouldn't take that as an insult I don't think. He wants to have the Justin Bieber look, the way he looks now very ripped. Still got some muscle though.
  • psulemon wrote: »
    MrM27 wrote: »
    Haha evil people.

    These are the words he told me: 'To build muscle you have to break down your old muscle and then build up your new muscle. Cardio keeps the fat off'

    Exactly he's right. Cardio keeps the fat off by burning calories. But it doesn't tear muscle. That's what lifting does. Your muscles will recover from being overworked, which is why you can increase strength while in deficit. But you won't be able to add new muscle while in deficit.

    Adding muscle is like a growing child. They need to eat a lot because they are still growing. If they undereat they will be underdeveloped. You can't grow bigger muscle while you are undereating. Only *hopefully* maintain what you have.


    No, cardio does not keep fat off. Caloric deficit does that. You can still be fat or gain fat even if you do tons of cardiovascular but aren't in a net deficit.

    That's true. But it does burn calories. Obviously if you fill up the gap with food you will maintain weight. But it still burns calories. I create half my deficit through cardio and the other half through diet. If I ate a bit much, but still did cardio, I would still lose, just not as much.

    It depends really. Like I said if you eat your whole deficit back burned through cardio you will probably maintain.

    All in all, it still is about creating a caloric deficit one way or the other.

    While you can use cardio to create a deficit, suggesting the cardio burns fat is just wrong.

    Actually I didn't suggest that. The op's friend did. But I did word my response wrong so I'm sorry for that. What I meant was what I stated above. It can help create a caloric deficit, which burns fat.
  • Anonycatgirl
    Anonycatgirl Posts: 502 Member
    I'd start a bet with another friend to see how long your poor mate will keep going at 1000 calories while doing a ton of cardio. I'm literally twice his age and female and I'd keel over after a few days on 1,000 calories...if I didn't snap and do something terrible to my so-called trainer involving a barbell in a place where it shouldn't go.
  • Lauren8239
    Lauren8239 Posts: 1,039 Member
    1000 cals a day for a 24 year old man? Holy crap. He's going to end up sick, especially with flu season right around the corner. Too bad he won't listen to you. But...he will learn...the hard way.
  • allanrjudge
    allanrjudge Posts: 84 Member
    Haha Anonycatgirl.

    He said he can't consume over 1000 cals a day cause he doesn't eat meat. I'm vegan and I eat over 2000 cals a day.
    I think he defo needs a nee trainer.
  • allanrjudge
    allanrjudge Posts: 84 Member
    I told him to download myfitnesspal, he said 'why would I download an app when ive got a trainer' haha... He'll learn.