Lose fat or build muscle?

Alishia6606

So I've been doing a cardio program on my PS3 for a month now. I have stayed within my calorie allowance and the scale read an amazing 8 lb loss from the beginning (not logging until Friday though). So it's working.
However, my muscles aren't really being built. My game includes a resistance band and doing things like squats, curls etc. and some days I am sore (which is normal I assume)
My friend does no cardio and only lifts weights at the gym. I can already see s difference in her muscles in only a few weeks. Should I cut some cardio and focus more on building muscle to see similar results?

J72FIT

Alishia6606 wrote: »

So I've been doing a cardio program on my PS3 for a month now. I have stayed within my calorie allowance and the scale read an amazing 8 lb loss from the beginning (not logging until Friday though). So it's working.
However, my muscles aren't really being built. My game includes a resistance band and doing things like squats, curls etc. and some days I am sore (which is normal I assume)
My friend does no cardio and only lifts weights at the gym. I can already see s difference in her muscles in only a few weeks. Should I cut some cardio and focus more on building muscle to see similar results?

If you want to see some muscles then yes, I would cut some cardio and focus on building...

sammyliftsandeats

To see definition, you would need to lower your bodyfat %.

That comes from a calorie deficit.

To maintain your muscle mass, start an established progressive strength training program. If you go to the gym, try Stronglifts, Starting Strength, or Strong Curves.

If you work out at home, you can do a bodyweight program such as You Are Your Own Gym.

To actually build more muscle, you would have to eat in a surplus along with the strength training goals.

J72FIT

samanthaluangphixay wrote: »

To see definition, you would need to lower your bodyfat %.

That comes from a calorie deficit.

To maintain your muscle mass, start an established progressive strength training program. If you go to the gym, try Stronglifts, Starting Strength, or Strong Curves.

If you work out at home, you can do a bodyweight program such as You Are Your Own Gym.

To actually build more muscle, you would have to eat in a surplus along with the strength training goals.

The bolded is a very good point and it made me realize I forgot to ask a very important question. How lean are you?

Alishia6606

I'm not lean. My scale says 39.2%fat and 29.9% muscle. (Believe it or not, that's a huge improvement from where I started)

ndj1979

Alishia6606 wrote: »

I'm not lean. My scale says 39.2%fat and 29.9% muscle. (Believe it or not, that's a huge improvement from where I started)

those scales are massively inaccurate...

general rule of thumb for woman is to not runa bulk until their body fat is in the 18-22% range..however, you can start lifting heavy now and keep cutting, which will help you maintain mass and lose body fat. i would look into a structured lifting program like strong lifts, strong curves, all pro beginner, etc. Make sure you keep your protein intake high at about .65 grams per pound of body weight...

J72FIT

ndj1979 wrote: »

Alishia6606 wrote: »

I'm not lean. My scale says 39.2%fat and 29.9% muscle. (Believe it or not, that's a huge improvement from where I started)

those scales are massively inaccurate...

general rule of thumb for woman is to not runa bulk until their body fat is in the 18-22% range..however, you can start lifting heavy now and keep cutting, which will help you maintain mass and lose body fat. i would look into a structured lifting program like strong lifts, strong curves, all pro beginner, etc. Make sure you keep your protein intake high at about .65 grams per pound of body weight...

^This sums it up...

wilsoncl6

Well, you can gain lean muscle while in a deficit, especially if you're new to lifting and you have a good reserve of fat to burn off, but then you'll be doing a recomp. You can do cardio, or no cardio, up to you. However, it is less likely you'll see gains if you do cardio because of the extra caloric needs. Good thing is that the more muscle you build, the more calories you'll burn overall and the more fat you'll lose but there will come a point of diminishing returns so you have to constantly adjust your caloric intake up if you're gaining muscle and losing fat or down if you're not seeing a change in your body makeup.

AllanMisner

Yes, you should be doing resistance training if for nothing more than to retain muscle mass. Depending on your age, nutrition, rest, and hormones, you can add muscle as you lose fat. It is a challenge to do both, but it can be done. Resistance training will help you end up with a better overall body composition when you're done, which I assume is your objective.

Allan Misner
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
Host of the 40+ Fitness Podcast

goldthistime

Your friend could be one of those genetically lucky ones who puts on muscle more easily than others (I have a couple friends like that).

Why not leave your cardio levels the same (for me, cardio = improved mental health, as well as heart health), and just change up your resistance bands to some dumbbells.

fredericktambunan

Build muscle.

Alishia6606

Thank you all. I started this journey thinking if I got rid of body fat first then worked on muscle I would be ok. I'm so glad I found this site.