Want to get more muscle but also burn fat.
JoeyFitness1718
Posts: 38 Member
I’ve got a bit more body fat to lose around my lower stomach but not much. I want to put on size now and get bigger but I don’t want to get fat so I was thinking, should I do a small calorie surplus of about 300 calories to build more muscle, but include interval sprints into my workouts to burn body fat?
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Replies
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Sure. Are you lifting weights, using a proven progressive lifting program? If not, I’d add that in.4
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I think maybe you should consider recomposition. Your surplus won't build muscle unless you're also incorporating some sort of resistance training, which you don't mention, but perhaps you're considering it a "given." If you do cardio in a deficit, you should eat back the calories for fueling.
Best of luck with whichever path you choose.0 -
When the gyms reopen I will train 6 days a week weight lifting too0
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JoeyFitness1718 wrote: »When the gyms reopen I will train 6 days a week weight lifting too
I assume you won't start bulking until you are training otherwise you will just get fatter.5 -
Don't be adding those calories until you can lift again though!
Just want to say, remember that all the weight you gain won't ALL be muscle. So if you still have some "belly fat" you are unhappy with, you might want to consider a recomp, especially while you are just getting back to training again. It may take some time to get your training volume back up to where it was before.1 -
Okay so here’s where I stand guys, I’m 5 ft 9 and I’m 75kg. I was once 13 stone 6 so probably about 86kg. I’ve lost a lot of weight, I was training weights 5 days a week and trying to keep my protein levels at around about 150-200g of protein. I still have a tiny bit of body fat left but I want to gain muscle and I want abs. I’ve been strength training for about 2 years now I’d say. So do I bulk or do I cut? I’m really not sure, a lot of people say I look skinny and I don’t want to be skinny I want to have abs and I want to be quite big. What’s your suggestions everyone?1
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Just to add, I am also going to continue to cut until the gyms are open so that I don’t put on any excess weight, so hopefully by the time I go back to the gym I’ll be around 74kg.0
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get big and strong, then reduce body fat to reveal abs.
none if this happens over night, and by that i mean it could take years to achieve your goals, so be patient and focus on putting in the work, both in the gym and in the kitchen.2 -
stephie_nyc wrote: »Don't be adding those calories until you can lift again though!
Just want to say, remember that all the weight you gain won't ALL be muscle. So if you still have some "belly fat" you are unhappy with, you might want to consider a recomp, especially while you are just getting back to training again. It may take some time to get your training volume back up to where it was before.
I do still have some belly fat I am unhappy with. What do you mean by a recomp?
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JoeyFitness1718 wrote: »stephie_nyc wrote: »Don't be adding those calories until you can lift again though!
Just want to say, remember that all the weight you gain won't ALL be muscle. So if you still have some "belly fat" you are unhappy with, you might want to consider a recomp, especially while you are just getting back to training again. It may take some time to get your training volume back up to where it was before.
I do still have some belly fat I am unhappy with. What do you mean by a recomp?
If you eat maintenance calories and continue lifting with a progressive overload, you can lose a little fat and gain a bit of muscle. I call it..."evening out" or "cleaning up".2 -
stephie_nyc wrote: »JoeyFitness1718 wrote: »stephie_nyc wrote: »Don't be adding those calories until you can lift again though!
Just want to say, remember that all the weight you gain won't ALL be muscle. So if you still have some "belly fat" you are unhappy with, you might want to consider a recomp, especially while you are just getting back to training again. It may take some time to get your training volume back up to where it was before.
I do still have some belly fat I am unhappy with. What do you mean by a recomp?
If you eat maintenance calories and continue lifting with a progressive overload, you can lose a little fat and gain a bit of muscle. I call it..."evening out" or "cleaning up".
How long should I do that for? I seem to store most of my body fat in my lower belly and it’s really annoying.
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You do it until your fat level is where you want it.
Almost everyone starts with fat on their belly being first spot, some may have a few other spots that start off too, but belly is almost always the majority. It's normal.
Unless you are very skilled with nutrition and diet and lifting (and you aren't from your questions) - you easily risk losing muscle mass attempting to diet off those last few lbs while not able to do the kind of lifting you were doing earlier.
Your body is probably already not feeling the need for that muscle, don't diet without lifting and give it a reason to not build existing muscle back, ie losing it.3 -
You need to be patient while we are in lockdown.
Bulking when not training would make your problem worse.
Aggressive cutting when not training would be a bad idea.
Until the gyms reopen either maintain or cut very slowly and meanwhile do as much improvised training as you can.
When you are back to regular training then have a serious think decide which is your priority - to lose that bit of fat (cut or recomp) or to gain size. Theoretically you could bulk at a slower gain in weight than the amount of muscle you could add but realistically highly, highly unlikely you will get leaner while getting heavier.
BTW - your idea of interval sprints to burn fat isn't logical. Do interval sprints if you like that style of training or want to to improve your sprints but you are looking in the wrong place to lose fat. If your strength training is your priority then high intensity sprints could well be a poor choice - more fatigue, worse recovery.7 -
Yeah I’d say strength training is my priority. To be honest I want a bit of both, I want to see good, defined abs but i also want to be bigger.0
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JoeyFitness1718 wrote: »Yeah I’d say strength training is my priority. To be honest I want a bit of both, I want to see good, defined abs but i also want to be bigger.
Depending how big is "bigger" realise you are probably talking a long investment in training and time. And during that time you will periodically be feeling too small or too fat.
Small and lean is relatively easy, big and chubby is relatively easy.
Big AND lean, that's a hard choice - good luck but try and enjoy the journey.6 -
Sorry to jump in on this thread.
I am a female, 153cm and weighing 50.6 kgs. Maintenance calories of 1550 approximately. Protein intake 80gms.
I have a similar problem of fat around the midriff underneath which lie my ( wonderful ) abs. I am a newbie and have been doing weight training since December, 2019. Initially my trainer wanted me to drop a few kilos and advised a minor deficit. I took a break from training between March and July when Covid struck. I restarted in August doing the strength training from home as I was nervous to hit the gym. I have a barbell with weights.
Long story short, I have lost the few kilos I needed to lose and can see muscle definition in the larger muscle groups. But the belly fat still remains. Do I need to go into deficit to achieve that perfect sculpted body?
I have started jogging around 5k , couple of days thinking I need to go into deficit. Running is something I would rather not do in the winter.
Please advise, many thanks.
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Sorry to jump in on this thread.
I am a female, 153cm and weighing 50.6 kgs. Maintenance calories of 1550 approximately. Protein intake 80gms.
I have a similar problem of fat around the midriff underneath which lie my ( wonderful ) abs. I am a newbie and have been doing weight training since December, 2019. Initially my trainer wanted me to drop a few kilos and advised a minor deficit. I took a break from training between March and July when Covid struck. I restarted in August doing the strength training from home as I was nervous to hit the gym. I have a barbell with weights.
Long story short, I have lost the few kilos I needed to lose and can see muscle definition in the larger muscle groups. But the belly fat still remains. Do I need to go into deficit to achieve that perfect sculpted body?
I have started jogging around 5k , couple of days thinking I need to go into deficit. Running is something I would rather not do in the winter.
Please advise, many thanks.
It's easier to lose fat than gain muscle.
It's relatively easy to accidentally cause muscle loss in a diet if not careful with minor deficit, enough protein, and good progressive strength training.
You don't need to run to cause deficit, you have to eat less than you burn.
Though the running may help you be able to eat more so you don't feel so short on food, while being in deficit.
You can recomp, eat at maintenance, get the most from strength training, and slowly gain muscle and lose fat.
As you say it's winter and cold - anyone going to see you well through a coat? ;-)4 -
Thank you, heybales.
How do I recomp? I like my food way too much so don’t really want to go below 1550 : (
Winter it is, but I want to see my abs as a New Year new me : )0 -
Thank you, heybales.
How do I recomp? I like my food way too much so don’t really want to go below 1550 : (
Winter it is, but I want to see my abs as a New Year new me : )
This line from post - "You can recomp, eat at maintenance, get the most from strength training, and slowly gain muscle and lose fat."
Please be specific if some aspect of that requires more details.0 -
Thank you, heybales.
How do I recomp? I like my food way too much so don’t really want to go below 1550 : (
Winter it is, but I want to see my abs as a New Year new me : )
You will probably not see your abs for New Year's through recomp, unless you are already VERY, VERY, VERY close to that point right now. If you're only eating 1550, that's likely to be a deficit - recomp would mean you eat more food, enough that your weight is stable. But you're not going to see those abs for a longer time. Recomp is when you eat at maintenance - you don't lose or gain weight, but you lift to grow muscle slowly while maintaining your weight. Fat will be lost, but it does not turn into muscle.
In order to do recomp, you need to figure out how many calories you require to maintain your weight. Eat that much and lift heavy. And be patient.
Edited because I re-read that and realized I'm no longer addressing the OP, and you've already found your maintenance calories. Sorry. I guess it's not a deficit. The rest of what I've written still applies. If you keep up the running, you can add in the exercise calories to eat more and continue to maintain...1 -
JoeyFitness1718 wrote: »Yeah I’d say strength training is my priority. To be honest I want a bit of both, I want to see good, defined abs but i also want to be bigger.
Depending how big is "bigger" realise you are probably talking a long investment in training and time. And during that time you will periodically be feeling too small or too fat.
Small and lean is relatively easy, big and chubby is relatively easy.
Big AND lean, that's a hard choice - good luck but try and enjoy the journey.
My husband spent a decade trying for big and lean. He wanted to be 12% body fat and 200 lbs. He is 6 ft tall and the closest he ever got was 185 and 12% body fat. It is very challenging to be both big and lean.1
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