What would you do? Continue losing or start gaining muscle?

bologna111

A little back ground on me. I'm 5'6" and 135 lbs (have lost 15). I have had a body comp and metabolic tests done at my doctors office. My body fat is 31.7 with only 92 lbs if lean body mass. My RMR is 1257. Ideally i would like to be some where in the 20% body fat range and I would love to gain some muscle so I'm stronger and have a better RMR. Should I continue eating a diffeciency to get a lower body fat or eat more to gain muscle? If you were me what would you do and how many calories would you eat to do it? Thanks in advance!

bologna111

I forgot to add that I do cardio and weight training 5 times per weeks (3 cardio days two weight days) I have been eating 1257 plus excersise calories. What would you change?

BusyRaeNOTBusty

A picture would help. What weight training program are you doing?

bologna111

I will try to figure out how to load a picture later. But basically I have chicken legs and arms with some fat around my middle and hips/butt. I have been doing the weight lifting group class at my rec center.

Cranquistador

you could eat slightly under maintenance to retain what LBM you have and lose a little more body fat, and then do a bulk after.

and

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/The_Starting_Strength_Novice/Beginner_Programs

Mr_Knight

I'm a male, and much taller, so I needed a frame of reference. After looking up female athletes of the same height, it doesn't appear that your lean body mass is grossly out of sync. I look at someone like Allyson Felix - 5'6", 125 pound olympic sprinter who deadliest 250 pounds - and she may only have single-digit more pounds of lean mass than you.

This would suggest the best next step may well be to lose another 10 pounds of body fat and then re-assess. It sounds like you are already pushing your body with exercise, so I wouldn't stop doing that, either.

kgeyser

Is the weight lifting class something like Body Pump? Even though it includes weights, I don't think this classes will give you the results you are looking for, because it is more of a cardio class with weights.

If I were in your shoes, I would flip my schedule and do 3 days of lifting and two days of cardio. Get out of the group class and into the free weights, or if you are not comfortable doing those, get on the machines. Aim for doing a total body workout, a few sets of each exercise with progressive increases each set, with the last set being difficult enough that you can't do all the reps. I think you would see lost inches even if the scale doesn't move, although I think you would also see losses on the scale.

bologna111

Thanks everyone for your input! It's good to know that my lean mass is not too far off. I'm not sure what body pump is but I can assume the weight class I take is probably similar. I'm sore when I'm done, I hope that's a good sign? but it does also get my heart rate up like cardio.

bologna111

I will try flipping my schedule and do free weights and see how that works out. I think I will also keep the deficiency for now.