Lose weight but gain muscle

jeremyfunderburke
jeremyfunderburke Posts: 58 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
How can I do both. It seems if I work hard I can get big on the body parts I work but I can't seem to slim down.

Replies

  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
    edited December 2015
    It won't happen. To gain muscle, you need to eat in a surplus. To lose fat, you need to eat in a deficit. Then there's recomposition, which is typically TDEE- 10%. But it is a long process. What many body builders do is bulk, which includes eating in that surplus but still gaining fat, then cutting, which is eating in a deficit and losing the fat they gained during the bulk but still losing a small percentage of the muscle they built. The gaining weight thread is a good place to start if you're looking to do the bulk/cut method.
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    I'd suggest eating at a deficit to reach your desired weight. Once you have lost your excess, look into a 'body recomp' plan (Lots of articles available online about this). Unfortunately, to gain muscle AND lose weight isn't something that can really be done. You need to eat at a surplus to gain muscle and eat at a deficit to lose weight - so of course, you really need to do one at a time.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,086 Member
    vespiquenn wrote: »
    It won't happen. To gain muscle, you need to eat in a surplus. To lose fat, you need to eat in a deficit. Then there's recomposition, which is typically TDEE- 10%. But it is a long process. What many body builders do is bulk, which includes eating in that surplus but still gaining fat, then cutting, which is eating in a deficit and losing the fat they gained during the bulk but still losing a small percentage of the muscle they built. The gaining weight thread is a good place to start if you're looking to do the bulk/cut method.
    THIS.

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  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    How can I do both. It seems if I work hard I can get big on the body parts I work but I can't seem to slim down.

    Eat at a defecit of 500-1000 calories get adequate protein (minimum 0.64-0.8g per lb bodyweight) and fat (minimum 0.35g per lb bodyweight)

    Follow a progressive resistance programme focusing on compound movements ...stronglifts 5x5, ice cream fitness, starting strength are good for beginners

    Keep doing that until your body fat is sub 15%

    Then eat in surplus (250-500 calories), get adequate protein and fat as above and continue your progressive resistance programme for 6 months or so then cut again OR eat at maintenance and continue to lift heavy for a long time
  • robs_ready
    robs_ready Posts: 1,488 Member
    How can I do both. It seems if I work hard I can get big on the body parts I work but I can't seem to slim down.

    Yes you can do both, I did it
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    If you can concentrate on preserving muscle, while losing fat, your percent of muscle automatically goes up. :)
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