Build Muscle or lose the fat ?

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sexynessa77
sexynessa77 Posts: 9 Member
edited January 2015 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I have been working out for a year now. I lost 10 pounds and started to look to skinny. I started to gain weight slowly but this time i want to keep my weight but lose some fat and gain muscle. I been weight lifting doing the 5x5 program and very little cardio. I have been clean eating but I would like to try the counting calories (macros). My calories are 1750 /carbs 35% protein 35% /30% fat not sure if this correct. Any input,advice greatly appreciated
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Replies

  • FrancisCV7
    FrancisCV7 Posts: 123 Member
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    To gain more muscle you'll need to increase your protein, lower your carbs (possibly consider eliminating them completely). Doing more reps at moderate weight can help maintain muscle tone, while fewer reps with heavier weight will build muscle quickly. But I'm no personal trainer, do some research and see what works best for you.
  • sexynessa77
    sexynessa77 Posts: 9 Member
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    Thank you
  • lucygoesrawr
    lucygoesrawr Posts: 184 Member
    edited January 2015
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    franciscvalera wrote: »
    lower your carbs (possibly consider eliminating them completely).
    Eliminating carbs won't aid muscle gain.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Small calorie deficit (by your actual weight loss results over time not some random number).
    Adequate protein (1g per lb of LBM as a minimum goal is a common recommendation)..
    Good weight / strength training (which you have covered).

    That's it - you don't have to cut cardio if you fuel it properly and it isn't affecting your recovery.
    You absolutely don't have to go low carb which quite possibly would hurt your energy levels and gym performance.

    You may not gain muscle but the worst that will happen is that your strength will improve, you will gain muscle definition and you will have preserved the maximum amount of lean mass whilst losing weight.
  • sexynessa77
    sexynessa77 Posts: 9 Member
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    So keep doing what I'm doing I think I eat enough protein. And I started to incorporate more carbs for energy.
  • myfelinepal
    myfelinepal Posts: 13,000 Member
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    franciscvalera wrote: »
    To gain more muscle you'll need to increase your protein, lower your carbs (possibly consider eliminating them completely). Doing more reps at moderate weight can help maintain muscle tone, while fewer reps with heavier weight will build muscle quickly. But I'm no personal trainer, do some research and see what works best for you.

    No. To pretty much everything you said.

    OP, if you've been training with heavy weights for a while already the only way to gain muscle is to eat at a surplus ie gain weight. If you want to lose fat you can eat at a deficit ie lose weight. If you're genetically lucky you'll maintain all your muscle with heavy lifting, if not you can still keep most of it. Your macros seem fine. There are small benefits in relation to when and what you eat prior to, during and after your workout, but I'm not an expert there and it only usually comes into play if you're a sportsperson.

    You basically have to make a choice: lose fat whilst minimising muscle loss through heavy lifting or gain muscle whilst minimising fat gain through heavy lifting. Generally speaking, you can't gain muscle and lose fat at the same time unless you're a newbie, genetically special or roiding.
  • sexynessa77
    sexynessa77 Posts: 9 Member
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    If I eat more that means I could gain weight and fat? But build muscle?
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    sexynessa77 wrote: »
    If I eat more that means I could gain weight and fat? But build muscle?

    Yes, that's how it works. After you gain both fat and muscle you go back to a "cut" phase where you go back to a slight deficit, lift heavy to maintain as much of the muscle you gained as you can while you lose the fat that was gained.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    edited January 2015
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    franciscvalera wrote: »
    To gain more muscle you'll need to increase your protein, lower your carbs (possibly consider eliminating them completely). Doing more reps at moderate weight can help maintain muscle tone, while fewer reps with heavier weight will build muscle quickly. But I'm no personal trainer, do some research and see what works best for you.

    Two of these statements are actually true. Anyone want to guess which ones?
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
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    franciscvalera wrote: »
    To gain more muscle you'll need to increase your protein, lower your carbs (possibly consider eliminating them completely). Doing more reps at moderate weight can help maintain muscle tone, while fewer reps with heavier weight will build muscle quickly. But I'm no personal trainer, do some research and see what works best for you.

    You should do some research. Everything you said here is false...

    OP - If you've been lifting consistently, at this point you've probably exhausted your newbie gains (not that significant anyway). Point is, you can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time - or it will be such a slow process you'll quit. In order to lose fat you need to be in a deficit. In order to build muscle you need to be in a surplus. If you've lost weight and feel you need to gain, calculate your TDEE and aim for a 250-500 calorie surplus as a minimum to bulk. Macro ratios aren't magic. Adequate protein in a bulk is around .8g/lbs. Since you'll be in a surplus, .3g/lbs of fat should be sufficient. Fill the rest in with CARBS. Elliminating carbs is the worst thing you can do when looking to gain muscle. You'll most likely need to do a few bulk and cut cycles to gain the mass you are looking for.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    franciscvalera wrote: »
    To gain more muscle you'll need to increase your protein, lower your carbs (possibly consider eliminating them completely). Doing more reps at moderate weight can help maintain muscle tone, while fewer reps with heavier weight will build muscle quickly. But I'm no personal trainer, do some research and see what works best for you.


    Ignore everything in that post. Seriously.


    myfelinepal and RG gave you good info.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
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    sexynessa77 wrote: »
    If I eat more that means I could gain weight and fat? But build muscle?

    Yes. Eating at a surplus while lifting heavy will cause you to gain muscle and fat... Then you can eat at a modest deficit to cut the fat, while lifting to maintain the muscle. You can cycle through there periods until you've reached the goal physique.

  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
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    franciscvalera wrote: »
    To gain more muscle you'll need to increase your protein, lower your carbs (possibly consider eliminating them completely). Doing more reps at moderate weight can help maintain muscle tone, while fewer reps with heavier weight will build muscle quickly. But I'm no personal trainer, do some research and see what works best for you.

    Thanks for pointing that out, chief. But I think we clued in to it already.
  • FitWarrior7
    FitWarrior7 Posts: 332 Member
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    Lose the fat then gain the muscle.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    franciscvalera wrote: »
    To gain more muscle you'll need to increase your protein, lower your carbs (possibly consider eliminating them completely). Doing more reps at moderate weight can help maintain muscle tone, while fewer reps with heavier weight will build muscle quickly. But I'm no personal trainer, do some research and see what works best for you.

    what???

    to increase muscle you need to increase calories, and increase carbs...

    carbs are energy and are essential in building muscle..

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    OP - what is your current body fat % ...what is your age/height/weight/gender?
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
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    franciscvalera wrote: »
    To gain more muscle you'll need to increase your protein, lower your carbs (possibly consider eliminating them completely).
    Where on earth did you hear this???
    franciscvalera wrote: »
    Doing more reps at moderate weight can help maintain muscle tone, while fewer reps with heavier weight will build muscle quickly.
    Where on earth did you hear this???
    franciscvalera wrote: »
    But I'm no personal trainer, do some research and see what works best for you.
    This is the only accurate thing you have said...
  • tarheelboy
    tarheelboy Posts: 74 Member
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    Ok so I am 43 years old, 5'11" tall, 207 pounds with probably 30% BF. I have lost 8 pounds in 26 days on my way to losing 30. Is there a benefit to lifting weights while I am cutting calories to lose weight or lose the weight I want and then do the surplus/deficit cycles?
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
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    tarheelboy wrote: »
    Ok so I am 43 years old, 5'11" tall, 207 pounds with probably 30% BF. I have lost 8 pounds in 26 days on my way to losing 30. Is there a benefit to lifting weights while I am cutting calories to lose weight or lose the weight I want and then do the surplus/deficit cycles?

    Lifting weights while cutting will assist in retaining lean mass so more of your weight loss will be from fat. You can also gain strength while lifting at a deficit even if you aren't gaining muscle mass.
  • tarheelboy
    tarheelboy Posts: 74 Member
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    oh. That makes sense. Does it matter if I lift heavy or not?

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