When to move from losing weight to building muscle?

Amy_B

I have about 18-20 pounds left to lose to get to my "ideal weight"...the one that I have always had in my mind would be my perfect number. However, I haven't been losing much lately. I know I want to have some muscles (not bodybuilder or anything but nicely sculpted ones). Should I start focusing more on building more muscle at this point or on losing weight to get to a more ideal weight/BMI first? I do strength train at home 2-3x/week now.

I'm 5'4" with a small frame if that helps.

How did you all decide?

rolandhulme

Just giving this a bump because I'm interested too. I'm a guy and have incorporated weights into my routine for a while, but it seems like you can't LOSE weight and GAIN muscle, it's either one or the other.

questionablemethods

I'm not sure if you are talking about actually wanting to gain pounds of muscle or just maintain the muscle that you have. If you are eating well (not too few calories, enough quality protein) and lifting heavy weights regularly, you are already on the right track to maintaining the muscle you have while continuing to lose fat.

I am sure that others have more specific advice, but I've recently purchased Tom Venuto's well-known e-book "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" which, I think, very clearly lays out a good plan to lose body fat while maintaining lean muscle mass. He also has a blog that I think is very informative and easy to understand: http://www.burnthefatblog.com

Edit to say that there was no point of deciding for me. I think that from the start when people are looking to lose weight, they should be concerned with that weight coming from FAT and not losing muscle mass. So I haven't ever shifting my focus, I guess. I have upped the intensity of both my weights and cardio in the process, however.

mariposa808

i just know from my own experience and from reading lots and taking a fitness course, that the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn doing anything, including sleeping. i think that it is best to focus on doing a balanced mix of cardio and weight bearing exercises throughout the week. i personally like to do cardio one day, and then weight training the next, and then cardio the next day and so on. this way it gives my body's muscles a chance to rest.

to burn more calories when you are doing weight training, try doing "compound" exercises which are movements where you are doing 2 exercises in one ie; squats and bicep curls and reduce the resting time between sets and try to keep the pace up. one of the videos i do is jari love's ripped to the core.

i hope this helps!! you are doing great i am sure!!!