Lose weight, THEN bulk up a bit?

MSiegel00

So my main question is if I’m planning out correctly or not..new year, just need to get the few holiday pounds off. Finished p90x in the fall for the 3rd or 4th time, so I am experienced, but like I said, need to lose some of the belly fat I picked up over the last few months.

I want to be bigger and very muscle defined heading into summer and to do that I know you need to eat a lot of clean, healthy food. Calorie surplus, but at the same time, I feel like I shouldn’t do that just YET, because I want to get rid of some of the fat first.

My thinking was to do 8 weeks of a restrictive (like 1400-1600 cal) plan, mostly cardio with some strength training days mixed in, mostly to focus on losing the fat first. I’m currently at 167lbs, and thinking if I could get down to around 155 first, THEN really start with the main strength training program and the heavier eating (thinking around 2500-3000 cal.)

Just wondering if that’s the right mindset....like almost starting from scratch come March 1, while trying to burn off as much fat first in Jan/Feb or just start up right away with nothing but strength training and food surplus. Thoughts?

Protranser

If i understand this right, you'll need to be in a deficit to cause your body to use some stored fat for fuel. So, if there's fat you want to lose, you have to be in a deficit.

I think a surplus on top of where you are now will not help you lose the fat you're looking to lose.

jim180155

MSiegel00 wrote: »

So my main question is if I’m planning out correctly or not..new year, just need to get the few holiday pounds off. Finished p90x in the fall for the 3rd or 4th time, so I am experienced, but like I said, need to lose some of the belly fat I picked up over the last few months.

I want to be bigger and very muscle defined heading into summer and to do that I know you need to eat a lot of clean, healthy food. Calorie surplus, but at the same time, I feel like I shouldn’t do that just YET, because I want to get rid of some of the fat first.

My thinking was to do 8 weeks of a restrictive (like 1400-1600 cal) plan, mostly cardio with some strength training days mixed in, mostly to focus on losing the fat first. I’m currently at 167lbs, and thinking if I could get down to around 155 first, THEN really start with the main strength training program and the heavier eating (thinking around 2500-3000 cal.)

Just wondering if that’s the right mindset....like almost starting from scratch come March 1, while trying to burn off as much fat first in Jan/Feb or just start up right away with nothing but strength training and food surplus. Thoughts?

That sounds like too few calories. Start with a deficit around 500 calories per day for a 1 pound/week weight loss, which would put you at your low target of 155 around the first of April. Or calculate your TDEE and then eat at a deficit of 20%. Here’s an online calculator:
iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

I think you’ll find that it works out to significantly more than 1400 to 1600 calories. (Unless you’re in your 60s and under 150 lbs like I am. Then 1600 is all you get during a cut.)

When you start your bulk, you want to be in a moderate surplus. Keep in mind that most lifters max out at around 15 to 25 pounds of muscle gains their first year and then drop to about half that in their second year, then half that amount for their third year. And during your first year the absolute most you can gain in lean mass is about 2 pounds per month, and about half of your total weight gain will be fat. (One to one ratio of muscle and fat gain.) So don’t eat too much during your bulk. Extra calories above and beyond what your body is able to turn into muscle is going to be fat. You’re going to gain extra fat during a bulk no matter what, but you don’t want more of it than necessary.

Don’t wait to start your “main” strength training. Start now. You may be able to gain muscle even while losing weight if you’re new to it. At the very least, you will maintain more muscle mass by starting now.

Lift heavy. To maximize both strength and mass, you want to be in the 4 to 6 rep range. Do compound lifts which recruit multiple muscle sets. Compound lifts are much more effective than isolation exercises. Forget P90x. Lift heavy weights. If you don’t have them at home, join a gym.

You don’t need to eat "clean, healthy food” to get ripped, although nutritious food will help not only with that but also your all around health and well being.

Getting your macros in line will help build muscle. Make sure you’re getting at least 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body weight and 0.3 grams of fat per pound of total weight. The rest of your calories can be spent on carbohydrates which are your body’s preferred energy source.

And make sure you’re getting enough rest. That includes rest days and a good 7 to 9 hours sleep for most people. Remember that progressive overload (like "resistance training," but with a purpose) is a process of stressing the muscles which results in micro tears. Continually tearing the muscles without a chance for repair is only going to make you smaller and weaker. Rest periods give our bodies a chance to rebuild and come back just a tiny bit stronger than before.