Gaining muscle weight not fat

bonniegodbee

In the last year, I've lost the belly fat I wanted to get rid. I did light cardio and now do more of a circuit training or HIIT workout 4 or so times a week. I now want to gain muscle. I'm 5'5 and 110-112 lbs. I have changed my goals on MFP and I've started lifting what weights I do have. (am putting together a home gym type machine this weekend) I curl 25# dumbbells max right now. I can bench press 60#, maybe more if I had a spotter. My max squat is also 60# because of no spotter. I'm assuming once I have the machine, I can do more weight.
My fear though, is gaining back the fat in my belly. I tend to carry it there and when approaching 40 and having 3 kids, it's hard to keep it off of there. I want to be able to eat more to make the muscle, but I fear if I cut down on the cardio, I'll gain the pooch back.
Any advice on how to eat more, gain 10# of muscle, but keep fat off the belly?

Sarah4fitness

Just a heads up - gaining ten pounds of muscle, for a woman, can take YEARS. Most women can only put on up to 5lbs of muscle in a year, in optimum conditions, so don't be disappointed with slow steady progress.

bonniegodbee

Thanks for that info. I'll change that to " i want to weigh 120 with as much muscle as possible"

HMVOL7409

No sugar coating here, you can't. First you can't control where you put on fat just as you can't control where it comes off. Second if you're going to eat in a surplus to gain reputable mass, fat is part of the package. You can control how fast and how much by the amount of your surplus but even those who choose to "lean gain" end up spinning their wheels with less than desirable results.

bonniegodbee

So should I just keep up what I am doing and not worry about what I weigh? Even though I am gaining muscle, the charts say I'm underweight. (I've been underweight my whole life) I've been told I should cut all cardio and only lift, but then I've also been told I have to up the cardio when eating more. So much confusing info out there.

lrmall01

So should I just keep up what I am doing and not worry about what I weigh?

Yes. Worry more about your body fat percentage than your weight. If you want to have something for tracking purposes buy a pair of accumeasure calipers.

I know it is easier said then done, but don't worry about gaining some fat back. You've lost it once and you can always lose it again. The muscle you gain in the process will be worth it.

Good luck!

MaeRay007

Throw out the steady cardio and continue with circuits and HIIT, try higher resistance and hills as well. Gaining muscle is hard and you will gain fat as well, it's normal and supposed to happen. If you really want to stay lean though try and do a super slow bulk, for instance a year or more. I know some people who have had great results eating at a 100 cal surplus and doing a super slow bulk and staying pretty lean.
Yes information out there is conflicting and there truly is no right or wrong.

HMVOL7409

How much are you currently eating? Maintenance, deficit or surplus? This will determine what will happen to your body.

I'm currently bulking meaning I'm eating over my maintenance to put on muscle. Cardio is a personal choice and quite frankly from recent threads a touchy subject. ???? If you do cardio, you are going to raise how much you're going to need to eat to help gain since you are creating a higher burn adding it in. For ME I cut it out bc not doing it helped me progress in strength and gains on this bulk. You do you.

bonniegodbee

I was only eating around 1900-2000 calories each day to maintain my weight.(I slack at recording everything) I'm upping that now and changing my goals on the app. Especially once I realized that I'm burning more calories than what I had thought. Which would explain why i was hungry all day. I eat 6 times a day in some fashion. One of those times being a green shake with protein powder. I eat pretty well, I think I just need to eat more.

Unknown

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HMVOL7409

bulk and cut and bulk and cut for many years. The length of the cycles is up to you. Some people do long cycles, and some people do short cycles. All methods are valid. But, you have to add fat to add muscle. People who bulk, go until they feel they can't anymore. Usually though, you have a goal in mind, like 10 lbs. When you hit 10 lbs, then you cut. When you cut the fat, you might notice that you're .5 heavier. Now, do it again. The reason weight doesn't work is because with each cut cycle, you'll be slightly heavier. You can only gauge that by measuring body fat, not weight. So, bulk up to x, and cut down to y. Keep going back and forth, until you get where you want to be. it will take years. It is much, much harder for women than men.

Also, in order to do this right, make sure your workout program is a heavy lifting progressive program. I would stop the HIIT and circuits, and just lift heavy 4 days a week. It's really important that you lift your *kitten* off while bulking, and when you cut, you'll get weaker and wont be able to lift as heavy. You will LOVE the way you feel when lifting heavy and eating like a pig. It's absiolutely amazing what food does for you, strength-wise. then when you cut, you'll also see how it affects you and turns you into a weakling.

Agreed.

Year long bulks? No thanks. Being lean is not that important to me.

hilts1969

bulk and cut and bulk and cut for many years. The length of the cycles is up to you. Some people do long cycles, and some people do short cycles. All methods are valid. But, you have to add fat to add muscle. People who bulk, go until they feel they can't anymore. Usually though, you have a goal in mind, like 10 lbs. When you hit 10 lbs, then you cut. When you cut the fat, you might notice that you're .5 heavier. Now, do it again. The reason weight doesn't work is because with each cut cycle, you'll be slightly heavier. You can only gauge that by measuring body fat, not weight. So, bulk up to x, and cut down to y. Keep going back and forth, until you get where you want to be. it will take years. It is much, much harder for women than men.

Also, in order to do this right, make sure your workout program is a heavy lifting progressive program. I would stop the HIIT and circuits, and just lift heavy 4 days a week. It's really important that you lift your *kitten* off while bulking, and when you cut, you'll get weaker and wont be able to lift as heavy. You will LOVE the way you feel when lifting heavy and eating like a pig. It's absiolutely amazing what food does for you, strength-wise. then when you cut, you'll also see how it affects you and turns you into a weakling.

Agreed.

Year long bulks? No thanks. Being lean is not that important to me.

I know what you mean bulk cut bulk cut for years? not sure this will be the way to go for most, i did cardio and weights and lost nearly 40 pounds and got stronger, now maintaining within a weight range and am trying to build myself up a bit, giving myself six more months and will review it, i will not be piling on the pounds though no matter what

laylaX80

Hi, I am 34 yrs old, mother of 2 kids (5 yrs and 3 yrs old), 5'5'' and currently weigh 113 lbs. I have a tendency to gain fat in my abdominal area. I have been struggling with my belly fat/pooch for about 2 yrs now and still have it....I also have what's called diastasis recti....which is a recti muscle split due to pregnancy. I am wearing a splint and doing corrective exercises, but I still don't see any noticeable progress.

I am committed and I am 2 weeks in with my new routine...I want to lose my belly fat, strengthen my core, gain about 10lbs of muscle (not fat)....so I am going to count daily calories and will try my best to follow a diet that consists of $2,020 calories (per MFP app) with the following breakdown....50% Carbs, 30% Fat, and 20% Protein, the corrective belly exercises, 1/2 hr running 3-4 times/week, P90X 3-4 times/week (upper and lower body strength workouts)...

What are your thoughts about this plan? Is it reasonable to expect gaining a few lbs of muscle and still manage to keep away the belly fat?

Bonniegodbee - Congrats on losing your belly fat...it truly is a big achievement!

Thanks.

lrmall01

I am committed and I am 2 weeks in with my new routine...I want to lose my belly fat, strengthen my core, gain about 10lbs of muscle (not fat)....so I am going to count daily calories and will try my best to follow a diet that consists of $2,020 calories (per MFP app) with the following breakdown....50% Carbs, 30% Fat, and 20% Protein, the corrective belly exercises, 1/2 hr running 3-4 times/week, P90X 3-4 times/week (upper and lower body strength workouts)...

What are your thoughts about this plan? Is it reasonable to expect gaining a few lbs of muscle and still manage to keep away the belly fat?

P90x is more of a fat loss type of program than a muscle building program. If that is your only option for working out make sure you are keeping the reps low and the weights high. Add a weighted vest for the pushup and pullups to keep them challenging.

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

Just a heads up - gaining ten pounds of muscle, for a woman, can take YEARS. Most women can only put on up to 5lbs of muscle in a year, in optimum conditions, so don't be disappointed with slow steady progress.

Actually, a novice female who is bulking can put on about 10-12 pounds of muscle her first year under optimal conditions (on a serious bulk). It diminishes each year after.

What you can't do is gain that kind of muscle and not gain fat. To maximize growth, you have to be willing to get a little fluffy on top of the muscle and then cut. The problem then arises with how to cut without losing your gains. It isn't easy. You have to keep your strength training/hypertrophy program up and be very careful with your diet. Protein protein protein.

If you want to try to do a lean bulk, expect it to be harder. Much harder. 6-7 pounds can be gained. You'll still gain fat, but not as much, and you have to be really strict with your diet.

MaeRay007

Ultimately it's your diet. Can't lose without being on a deficit and can't gain without a surplus.
Be honest about your food: Weigh everything and log everything.

skinnyinnotime

I am committed and I am 2 weeks in with my new routine...I want to lose my belly fat, strengthen my core, gain about 10lbs of muscle (not fat)....so I am going to count daily calories and will try my best to follow a diet that consists of $2,020 calories (per MFP app) with the following breakdown....50% Carbs, 30% Fat, and 20% Protein, the corrective belly exercises, 1/2 hr running 3-4 times/week, P90X 3-4 times/week (upper and lower body strength workouts)...

What are your thoughts about this plan? Is it reasonable to expect gaining a few lbs of muscle and still manage to keep away the belly fat?

You would need alot more than 20% protein to build muscle, aim for 30%.

freddi11e

bump