losing fat/ gaining muscle mass simutaneously

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there's no goal in here set to account for both losing fat and gaining muscle at the time, if I just lose fat, I'm just losing weight, if I just build muscle, I'm just gaining weight. I want to do both, so how do I make my goal? I will not do like all these other body buiilders and "bulk then cut" because I know it's possible to do both at the same time. So how do I set my goal weight and goal calorie intake and all that stuff?
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Replies

  • iwillsucceed0444
    iwillsucceed0444 Posts: 432 Member
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    Brah you can't do both the same time, that's why everyone does bulking/cutting. If there was a way to do both, there would be no need for bulks and cuts, and everyone would be in a happy place with their shirts off 24/7 (not that I would complain). I don't even lift and even I know that.
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
    edited February 2015
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    I could be wrong, but as I understand it fat loss requires a caloric deficit. Muscle building requires a slight caloric surplus and lifting. You cannot do both at the same time, it's not possible.

    ETA: I currently don't lift either, and I also know that.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    As far as I know, you can't do both.

    To lose fat, you need to eat at a deficit.

    To gain muscle, you need to eat at a surplus.

    They don't go together. You can work on strengthening the muscles you have, of course. But you can't build muscle out of thin air - you need something (the extra calories) with which to build them.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    It may not be as efficient to attempt to do both but it can be done. To argue otherwise seems a bit silly.

    If you take someone and put them at maintenance calories and put them on a progressively demanding resistance training program and push progress for a year or two, do you honestly believe that there will be NO CHANGE in physique?


    You can do both at the same time, it might not be as efficient.

    Stick calories at maintenance and monitor weight for a couple of weeks. If your weight goes up, slightly reduce calories. If it goes down, slightly increase calories. Monitor and adjust/repeat as needed.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    Okay, my mistake.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Okay, my mistake.

    Sorry, I wasn't meaning to direct my comment at you. It's just that it's often claimed that recomping does not exist or that you CANT do it and I believe that's incorrect.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    SideSteel wrote: »
    Okay, my mistake.

    Sorry, I wasn't meaning to direct my comment at you. It's just that it's often claimed that recomping does not exist or that you CANT do it and I believe that's incorrect.

    It's okay. I really didn't think it could be done. Learn something new every day :)
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
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    As far as I know, you can't do both.

    To lose fat, you need to eat at a deficit.

    To gain muscle, you need to eat at a surplus.

    They don't go together. You can work on strengthening the muscles you have, of course. But you can't build muscle out of thin air - you need something (the extra calories) with which to build them.
    I don't understand this...I thought strengthening muscle was the result of building muscle. Isn't that how they get stronger? You work them hard, microtears occur, the body then rebuilds it stronger and bigger than before to adapt?

    This is a serious question. I don't understand how you get stronger without building muscle. I am not a body builder and haven't researched this.

  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    It takes a whole lot longer, I've done it and it wasn't my thing. You have to find your maintenance level where you don't gain or lose and work from that. Your diet must be on point.
  • Mech9
    Mech9 Posts: 252 Member
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    @SideSteel‌ - Thank you.

    I've heard repeatedly "it's impossible, aside from some small newbie gains" so that was discouraging... I lost a decent chunk of muscle weight that I had from heavy weight training in the past. I want to build it back up but still lose weight, or my tears will floweth without end!
  • JimFsfitnesspal
    JimFsfitnesspal Posts: 313 Member
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    It's a lie. You CAN build muscle and cut fat at the same time. The muscle burns calories faster anyway. It's not rocket science. Ignore the noise.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    SideSteel wrote: »
    Okay, my mistake.

    Sorry, I wasn't meaning to direct my comment at you. It's just that it's often claimed that recomping does not exist or that you CANT do it and I believe that's incorrect.

    To be fair, it seems that most people choose to bulk and cut because recomping can take a very long time. I have not done it, but from the success stories I've seen, it can take years to notice dramatic changes in the body. While possible, it seems that many people would lack the dedication, but it will vary from person to person.
  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
    edited February 2015
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    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    As far as I know, you can't do both.

    To lose fat, you need to eat at a deficit.

    To gain muscle, you need to eat at a surplus.

    They don't go together. You can work on strengthening the muscles you have, of course. But you can't build muscle out of thin air - you need something (the extra calories) with which to build them.
    I don't understand this...I thought strengthening muscle was the result of building muscle. Isn't that how they get stronger? You work them hard, microtears occur, the body then rebuilds it stronger and bigger than before to adapt?

    This is a serious question. I don't understand how you get stronger without building muscle. I am not a body builder and haven't researched this.
    It is possible to gain strength without actually adding new muscle mass, especially for those who are new to lifting. I started lifting on a mostly consistent basis in the fall. Not only was I able to lift more weight with the exercises I was doing, but within a couple months I could tell with lifting/pushing heavy things in real life I had gained strength. During this time I did not gain any weight, but my muscles had adapted to the stress placed on them to be able to lift heavier weight. This is called neural adaption.

  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    edited February 2015
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    According to this calculator (which claims to be used by the US Navy), I've lost 81 lb of fat and gained 4 lb of lean body mass at the same time. I would have been happy simply not to lose muscle [ETA: while losing fat, of course].

    I ate at a calorie deficit (generally several hundred under my BMR), did lots of cardio (generally 5 hours or more a week), and lifted weights 2-3 times a week.

    51637601.png
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    edited February 2015
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    The muscle burns calories faster anyway.
    This blog post has quotes from & links to a couple of articles discussing that concept.
    There's a difference, but not as much as people seem to think.

    "a pound of muscle burns six calories a day at rest and a pound of fat burns about two calories a day"
    http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/16/health/la-he-fitness-muscle-myth-20110516

    "Sedentary muscle mass burns about 6 kcals per pound/day ... Fat about 2 kcals per pound [per day]."
    http://www.ncsf.org/enew/articles/articles-poundofmuscle.aspx

    The author says on the first page:
    "... let's use me as a guinea pig and do the math. The 20 pounds of muscle I've gained through years of hard work equate to an added 120 calories to my RMR... However, I also engaged in a lot of aerobic activity and dietary restriction to lose 50 pounds of fat, which means I also lost 100 calories per day of RMR. So, post-physical transformation, my net caloric burn is only 20 calories higher per day, earning me one-third of an Oreo cookie. Bummer."
    http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/16/health/la-he-fitness-muscle-myth-20110516/2
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    As far as I know, you can't do both.

    To lose fat, you need to eat at a deficit.

    To gain muscle, you need to eat at a surplus.

    They don't go together. You can work on strengthening the muscles you have, of course. But you can't build muscle out of thin air - you need something (the extra calories) with which to build them.
    I don't understand this...I thought strengthening muscle was the result of building muscle. Isn't that how they get stronger? You work them hard, microtears occur, the body then rebuilds it stronger and bigger than before to adapt?

    This is a serious question. I don't understand how you get stronger without building muscle. I am not a body builder and haven't researched this.

    One major component of strength is neurological. I wouldn't be able to accurately cite things in great detail but here's me taking a basic crack at it -- the rate at which neurons fire signals to innervate motor units effects your force production. Higher motor unit firing rate = greater force production. So basically without any change in muscle size if you can improve rate coding you can get stronger.

    But in fairness, doing a strength based routine will typically cause the potential for a gain in muscular size and vise versa. So you CAN get stronger without getting bigger but in many cases the things you do to make yourself stronger also provide the stimulus to allow for growth.
  • JimFsfitnesspal
    JimFsfitnesspal Posts: 313 Member
    edited February 2015
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    >There's a difference, but not as much as people seem to think.... "a pound of muscle >burns six calories a day at rest and a pound of fat burns about two calories a day"

    You are contradicting yourself. Plus I have 8 inches of lost waist in a year that says you are wrong.


  • JimFsfitnesspal
    JimFsfitnesspal Posts: 313 Member
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    SideSteel wrote: »
    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    As far as I know, you can't do both.

    ....

    This is a serious question. I don't understand how you get stronger without building muscle. I am not a body builder and haven't researched this.

    One major component of strength is neurological. I wouldn't be able to accurately cite things in great detail but here's me taking a basic crack at it -- the rate at which neurons fire signals to innervate motor units effects your force production. Higher motor unit firing rate = greater force production...

    Agreed. Thanks for posting. I saw a study where they lifted heavy (to failure) with just one arm and at the end the left arm was almost as strong just from the nervous system gains.
  • Alassonde
    Alassonde Posts: 228 Member
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    I have been working on recomping for a few months now (profile pic is not current!) and I just have my goals set to maintain. It seems to be working for me.
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
    edited February 2015
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    SideSteel wrote: »

    One major component of strength is neurological. I wouldn't be able to accurately cite things in great detail but here's me taking a basic crack at it -- the rate at which neurons fire signals to innervate motor units effects your force production. Higher motor unit firing rate = greater force production. So basically without any change in muscle size if you can improve rate coding you can get stronger.

    But in fairness, doing a strength based routine will typically cause the potential for a gain in muscular size and vise versa. So you CAN get stronger without getting bigger but in many cases the things you do to make yourself stronger also provide the stimulus to allow for growth.
    Thanks, I definitely learned something here.

    It is possible to gain strength without actually adding new muscle mass, especially for those who are new to lifting. I started lifting on a mostly consistent basis in the fall. Not only was I able to lift more weight with the exercises I was doing, but within a couple months I could tell with lifting/pushing heavy things in real life I had gained strength. During this time I did not gain any weight, but my muscles had adapted to the stress placed on them to be able to lift heavier weight. This is called neural adaption.
    I see I should read up on neural adaption...I had never heard of it before this thread.