Muscle Strength vs. Body Fat %

cmccarthy7

Hey Everyone,

I have a few questions in regards to muscle strength vs. muscle build / fat loss. 50+ yr old male, 180 lbs, body fat 22% according to the hand held monitor (I know these are not very accurate, but I have seen consistency). For the past 4 months my weight and fat % has stayed very constant +/- 1 lb, and +/- 0.1% on the body fat. I work out both cardio and with weights very consistently 4-5 days per week and have been doing so for 2 years now. Only recently, last 4 months, have I been tracking my weight and fat % though.

Since I started working out 2 years ago, I have definitely gained strength and definition - being able to lift more, feeling much less winded during cardio, etc. During the past 4 months that I have been tracking my weight and fat%, I have also seen a small increase in the weight I can lift to failure at 10 reps x 3 sets.

My main question is can a male at 50+ years old reduce their fat% by increasing muscle without gaining total weight? Or is this just a diet issue - losing weight will then reduce fat%?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

stroutman81

Strength gains don't necessarily mean muscle gains.

Strength is a manifestation of number of variables. Some of those variables have to do with the neuromuscular system. Put simply, as you train, your brain and the network of nerves that connect your brain to your muscles gets better at "telling your muscles to be strong." I can go into details if you'd like, but just know that you can certainly get stronger without adding muscle.

33Freya

My main question is can a male at 50+ years old reduce their fat% by increasing muscle without gaining total weight? Or is this just a diet issue - losing weight will then reduce fat%?

Strength gains do not always mean muscle gain. It could be better technique! You have lean mass (muscle, bones, organs) and you have fat mass (adipose tissue: fat). If you reduce your fat%, then yes, your lean mass % goes up (you are only dealing with 100% of yourself). Conversely, if you gain in lean mass, you reduce your body fat % over all. If one stays the same and the other adjusts up or down though, you will see a difference in your body weight.

Yes it is absolutely possible for you to reduce your body fat % by increasing muscle!

MinnieInMaine

Just because you've gained strength doesn't mean you've gained muscle. That's two different things. Actual strength and endurance gains can happen to anyone who trains enough. Actual muscle gain (hypertrophy) comes from a combination of consistent training AND a calorie surplus. The only way to reduce fat is to maintain a calorie deficit so that your calorie intake is less than your TDEE (total # of calories your body would need to maintain weight).

Likely what happened over the last couple years is that you've lost some fat so that the muscles show more.

And yes, it is possible for you to lose fat but it has nothing to do with gaining muscle. Keep working out, eat at a reasonable calorie deficit, get plenty of protein and you will lose weight/fat without losing much muscle. After that, if you want to actually gain muscle, you'll have to start experimenting with gain/cut cycles.