I'm "skinny fat" how can i gain muscle but lose fat?
Replies
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As a couple posts before, pilates is great for toning your abs…
I find that doing cardio (treadmill, etc) as well as crunches, ab workouts, etc, will definitely help losing fat in the stomach area.
Drink plenty of water… it flushes out all the bad stuff
Good luck!
Um....no.
You can do all the "ab" work you want, but it doesn't magically spot reduce the abdominal area, and neither does cardio. You can do 10,000 crunches a day, but if your body has fat on other places it wants to use for fuel first....it will.0 -
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You can absolutely gain muscle while losing fat.
The body is quite dynamic and can respond to the stimulus of exercise with muscle hypertrophy, even while total body weight and fat percentage decreases. It may just be more difficult to do so.
I was told this once before on another fitness forum, it had something to do with "beginner gains" and it was something only beginners experienced. Basically they were telling me I could have a calorie deficit for fat loss, but lift weights and still see muscle gain. I never tested out this theory though, so I have no idea if it works. Anyone can Google "beginner gains with a calorie deficit" and read the testimonials.0 -
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cardio can help to keep your calorie deficit, but i know plenty of people that don't do any traditional cardio and have a rocking six pack.
strength training is usually the key for many people to lose body fat and show off the abs.
abdominal exercises will do nothing to lose stomach fat.
This. Take it from another skinny-fatter who stopped weight training a few months ago: ~99 pounds - I run and crunch almost every day and my stomach looks a hot mess
You gotta lift. Heavy! 0 -
My advice is to eat at maintenance and recomp. Get 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass (if you don't know your LBM, get .8 grams per pound of weight), and .35 grams of fat per pound of body weight. Start a progressive loading strength training program. If you've got access to a gym (it sounds like you have) do a beginner routine like Stronglifts or Starting Strength.
Recomping means you're going to VERY SLOWLY build muscle while losing fat. I've done it for the past year. My weight is the same but I've dropped 2 pants sizes.
The other option is to bulk and cut (at your weight you shouldn't be cutting any more). But since it doesn't seem like you've got your training down yet, I'd spend 6 months or so learning to lift properly before bulking. It's not strictly necessary but I think it was helpful for me personally.
I like this advice. She always is on point.0 -
You could look into the techniques in "Body By Science". Basically ultra low reps of ultra high weights with very long rest periods, the aim being to totally exhaust the muscles in 3-5 reps, 1-2 sets. You have to use machines and it is most useful for certain muscle groups. It has been shown to build muscle density rapidly, which is what the original poster sounded like they were aiming for.
You can also look into yoga, since it is focused on building core muscle strength without adding muscle bulk.0 -
My new favorite motto for the gym :: appearance is a consequence of fitness0
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No...go do some deadlifts and squats.As a couple posts before, pilates is great for toning your abs…
I find that doing cardio (treadmill, etc) as well as crunches, ab workouts, etc, will definitely help losing fat in the stomach area.
Drink plenty of water… it flushes out all the bad stuff
Good luck!
From somebody who runs and does Pilates, you are way more likely to see results with deadlifts and squats...and push-ups.0 -
No...go do some deadlifts and squats.As a couple posts before, pilates is great for toning your abs…
I find that doing cardio (treadmill, etc) as well as crunches, ab workouts, etc, will definitely help losing fat in the stomach area.
Drink plenty of water… it flushes out all the bad stuff
Good luck!
From somebody who runs and does Pilates, you are way more likely to see results with deadlifts and squats...and push-ups.
Seconded. I did pilates for a long time and I did build some strength. But it didn't give me any better "tone."0 -
No...go do some deadlifts and squats.As a couple posts before, pilates is great for toning your abs…
I find that doing cardio (treadmill, etc) as well as crunches, ab workouts, etc, will definitely help losing fat in the stomach area.
Drink plenty of water… it flushes out all the bad stuff
Good luck!
From somebody who runs and does Pilates, you are way more likely to see results with deadlifts and squats...and push-ups.
Seconded. I did pilates for a long time and I did build some strength. But it didn't give me any better "tone."
THIS. I run, do pilates, and lift. They can all help, but the resistance work makes a big difference. Lift something heavy!0 -
Hey lady! You have to do strength training. You can do that by lifting weights. You can also strength train just by using your body by doing certain programs. As when it comes to abs and wanting a nice stomach. A lot of it has to do with what you eat. You have to be strict very healthy diet. Hope that helps. Please feel free to add me or message me for any other advice. Good luck!0
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Lift heavy stuff. ...that is all0
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Annnnnnnnnnnnnd............ Nope.Hello!
I have since beginning of December last year when I started working out, reduced my weight by about 1.5 kg per week in average, while at the same time improved my strength (I keep very detailed records of my workouts) by about 4-6% in average per week.
That weight loss can only come from burning fat, while I build muscle, so you can definitely build muscle and burn fat at the same time!
I'm doing resistance training 3 times per week for about 2-2.5 hours per session, doing a full body workout with 14 exercises, 3-4 sets per exercise and between 12-20 reps per set. This is to build strength and endurance, and especially to burn as many calories as possible during workout. I also keep the intensity as high as I can within the rep range.
Only this week have I started supplementing with cardio in the form of brisk walking. I'm still too heavy to run without risk to my lower back.
In regards to diet, well, I stay completely away from carbonated drinks (including sports/energy drinks), drinking practically only water, the occasional fruit juice and a cup of coffee in the morning. I eat sensibly, focusing on getting enough protein, but not really counting calories much.
One mistake many people do is to drink sports/energy drink while (or shortly after) exercise. Unless you're an elite athlete this serves no purpose and will do more harm than good! You will in effect consume the same or more calories than you've just been working hard to lose. Just drink water!
Focusing on resistance training, with some supplemental cardio, avoiding sugars and getting enough protein is what works for me.
Not looking to really criticize people's routines today, but man yours in really not good.
Again, nope.
Would you mind elaborating on why it is so bad please? I'm always willing to learn more, as my training will definitely change over time as my ability and goals will change.
If my routine is so bad, why does it work so well for me? As far as I'm concerned, the results speak for themselves, or do you have another explanation?
How about coming up with some good suggestions as to what can be improved and the reasoning behind it? I'm all ears!
As far as I have read from various recent studies, there's a great deal of variation as to what kind of exercise people's bodies respond to. There's no one formula that works for everyone. So what is perfect for one person is of little or no use for someone else. I certainly applaud you for your progress that obviously works very well for you, but that only makes you an expert in you, not anyone else.
I have two main reasons why I keep detailed records. Firstly, to ensure that what I'm doing actually gets the results I want. Secondly, to assure myself that I am in fact progressing and then to use my willpower to get myself to the gym on the days I have zero motivation.
All the best!0 -
Annnnnnnnnnnnnd............ Nope.Hello!
I have since beginning of December last year when I started working out, reduced my weight by about 1.5 kg per week in average, while at the same time improved my strength (I keep very detailed records of my workouts) by about 4-6% in average per week.
That weight loss can only come from burning fat, while I build muscle, so you can definitely build muscle and burn fat at the same time!
I'm doing resistance training 3 times per week for about 2-2.5 hours per session, doing a full body workout with 14 exercises, 3-4 sets per exercise and between 12-20 reps per set. This is to build strength and endurance, and especially to burn as many calories as possible during workout. I also keep the intensity as high as I can within the rep range.
Only this week have I started supplementing with cardio in the form of brisk walking. I'm still too heavy to run without risk to my lower back.
In regards to diet, well, I stay completely away from carbonated drinks (including sports/energy drinks), drinking practically only water, the occasional fruit juice and a cup of coffee in the morning. I eat sensibly, focusing on getting enough protein, but not really counting calories much.
One mistake many people do is to drink sports/energy drink while (or shortly after) exercise. Unless you're an elite athlete this serves no purpose and will do more harm than good! You will in effect consume the same or more calories than you've just been working hard to lose. Just drink water!
Focusing on resistance training, with some supplemental cardio, avoiding sugars and getting enough protein is what works for me.
Not looking to really criticize people's routines today, but man yours in really not good.
Again, nope.
Would you mind elaborating on why it is so bad please? I'm always willing to learn more, as my training will definitely change over time as my ability and goals will change.
If my routine is so bad, why does it work so well for me? As far as I'm concerned, the results speak for themselves, or do you have another explanation?
How about coming up with some good suggestions as to what can be improved and the reasoning behind it? I'm all ears!
As far as I have read from various recent studies, there's a great deal of variation as to what kind of exercise people's bodies respond to. There's no one formula that works for everyone. So what is perfect for one person is of little or no use for someone else. I certainly applaud you for your progress that obviously works very well for you, but that only makes you an expert in you, not anyone else.
I have two main reasons why I keep detailed records. Firstly, to ensure that what I'm doing actually gets the results I want. Secondly, to assure myself that I am in fact progressing and then to use my willpower to get myself to the gym on the days I have zero motivation.
All the best!
I'm up and will take a stab at it.
I don't think your program is crap. I do think that 2-2.5 hours in the gym is a lot in one blow. You are going to hit a wall with that much work, you will feel it in your central nervous system, and you will crash. Been there. Try to get your lifting sessions in between 75 and 90 minutes on the high side. Work smart and hard, not long. It will also free up time for you to enjoy those walks and the cardio you're doing.
That said, I think what people are mainly focused on is the rep range for your exercises and the number of accessories you are doing. Are you doing the major compound lifts (barbell squats, overhead press, bench press, deadlift, and some add power cleans to this list)? Is your routine all accessories? I see absolutely nothing wrong with a 8-15 rep range for accessories (8-10 for men, 10-12, sometimes 15 for women, because science that takes too long to type here says this shows the best results), depending on goals. 20 is too high, particularly if you are doing 14 different exercises. 14 different exercises is a bit for a lot of people on here. I'm in a hypertrophy program, so there are days when my accessory lifts number between 9 and 11 on this program, depending on the day. 14? Never. I don't always finish accessories, but I always get in the major lifts and the primary accessories to work the targeted muscle group. I also never lift for more than 90 minutes unless I want to end up sleeping the rest of the day.
When you are losing weight, a strength program is usually what is recommended over a hypertrophy program (strength, as heavy as possible 5x5 or 3x5, hypertrophy is 8-12 rep range). If you are incorporating the major lifts, and doing a few targeted accessories, you will very likely see the same results and spend less time in the gym.
Pick up Starting Strength and then do a little research on Dave Tate for some good accessory programs. Major lifts first, then accessories, and keep those rep ranges between 8 and 10 on accessories, going heavy and progressively loading those bars.
I hope that helps.0 -
Thanks for that. I'd always heard that ladies need higher reps because ahem, cough, "tonednotbulky"
So I was kind of throwing the baby out with the bath water.0 -
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Also, you don't need to train different because you are a man or a woman. A human is a human. Doing almost 40 sets in a workout is overkill. And unnecessary. And I will lastly say, yes there is one formula that works for everyone. We are not snowflakes.
thank you for brining this up- it gets exhausting with all this man/woman training programs.
Just train. get a solid program- reliable that's been vetted- and do it. You'll see progress.0 -
I will end up repeating a few things said Galatea but first I will say, you ask why your method is working for you. The reason is because as beginners no matter which type of training we go with if we are consistent and have a problem "diet" in place then we will see results. Because we are doing something other than just going to work or school then going home to watch TV.
Annnnnnnnnnnnnd............ Nope.Hello!
I have since beginning of December last year when I started working out, reduced my weight by about 1.5 kg per week in average, while at the same time improved my strength (I keep very detailed records of my workouts) by about 4-6% in average per week.
That weight loss can only come from burning fat, while I build muscle, so you can definitely build muscle and burn fat at the same time!
I'm doing resistance training 3 times per week for about 2-2.5 hours per session, doing a full body workout with 14 exercises, 3-4 sets per exercise and between 12-20 reps per set. This is to build strength and endurance, and especially to burn as many calories as possible during workout. I also keep the intensity as high as I can within the rep range.
Only this week have I started supplementing with cardio in the form of brisk walking. I'm still too heavy to run without risk to my lower back.
In regards to diet, well, I stay completely away from carbonated drinks (including sports/energy drinks), drinking practically only water, the occasional fruit juice and a cup of coffee in the morning. I eat sensibly, focusing on getting enough protein, but not really counting calories much.
One mistake many people do is to drink sports/energy drink while (or shortly after) exercise. Unless you're an elite athlete this serves no purpose and will do more harm than good! You will in effect consume the same or more calories than you've just been working hard to lose. Just drink water!
Focusing on resistance training, with some supplemental cardio, avoiding sugars and getting enough protein is what works for me.
Not looking to really criticize people's routines today, but man yours in really not good.
Again, nope.
Would you mind elaborating on why it is so bad please? I'm always willing to learn more, as my training will definitely change over time as my ability and goals will change.
If my routine is so bad, why does it work so well for me? As far as I'm concerned, the results speak for themselves, or do you have another explanation?
How about coming up with some good suggestions as to what can be improved and the reasoning behind it? I'm all ears!
As far as I have read from various recent studies, there's a great deal of variation as to what kind of exercise people's bodies respond to. There's no one formula that works for everyone. So what is perfect for one person is of little or no use for someone else. I certainly applaud you for your progress that obviously works very well for you, but that only makes you an expert in you, not anyone else.
I have two main reasons why I keep detailed records. Firstly, to ensure that what I'm doing actually gets the results I want. Secondly, to assure myself that I am in fact progressing and then to use my willpower to get myself to the gym on the days I have zero motivation.
All the best!
Since we know that rep ranges can vary and whatever we choose will yield results it's then about what is optimal. Choosing the strength training we do should not be based on "is it a fat loss program?". That's not how it works. Your dietary intake will dictate that. There isn't conclusive supporting evidence to back up all the claims people make that high rep ranges 15, 20 + burns more fat than lower to moderate ranges 1-6, 6-12. Unless you are training for endurance or a marathon then spending 2-2.5 hours lifting weights is just spending more time in the gym than is necessary.
We train to get stronger, have better developed muscles and have more efficient neuromuscular adaptation. Compound lifts in using a heavier load in a lower rep range is a great, effective way to achieve all 3 simultaneously while at the same time reducing the amount of time we have to spend in the gym.
Lower weight, higher reps are good for slow twitch fiber recruitment and higher weight, low reps are good for fast twitch fiber recruitment which both serve their purpose. The big compounds such as bench, squats, deadlifts, OHP are great at the lower 1-6 range while a more moderate rep range of 6-12 is better suited for accessory muscle training. Venturing into the 15, 20+ rep range you're training for endurance and if that's not your goal then ask yourself, Am I training optimally?
Also, you don't need to train different because you are a man or a woman. A human is a human. Doing almost 40 sets in a workout is overkill. And unnecessary. And I will lastly say, yes there is one formula that works for everyone. We are not snowflakes.
Hypertrophy training is slightly different. Note I said hypertrophy. He's a man, so yes, he'll do just fine on 6-10 reps. Me? Not so much. I have the T-levels of a ..... woman. The information about women with strength training to get strong is the same as men. It isn't for hypertrophy. Sorry. OP is a woman and new to lifting, so she should start with a 5x5. But what if she wants to grow bigger muscles?
Women don't have as much of the anabolic hormones like IGF-1 and testosterone and studies show greater hypertrophy in women at a slightly higher rep range and working closer to max. (You know, that whole mantra on MFP that women aren't going to get bulky, well, what if she wants to bulk? How does she do that if she can't do it by lifting the same as a man? She studies periodization, reads Bret Contreras' book, checks out some studies on PubMed, and talks to a female bodybuilder. Then she goes back to EXRX.net and looks at the conventional wisdom and links in there.) Men get great results at 65% and 8-10 reps. Women at closer to max (75% right around) and 10-12 reps.
It isn't saying anything out of the ordinary to say women need to work a little harder to get mass gains. It fits right in with the entire "but I don't want to be bulky!" thing we read all day on here, just in reverse.0 -
i had the same problem throughout my high school - my friends would jokingly call my belly "donut".
when i lost weight by DIETING and lifting but not a single abdomen exercise and very little cardio, no more than 20 minutes per session, and i lift only 3 times a week, my abs were showing. i swear. check my pics.
so diet and diet only! deficit is what you need. i usually watch what i eat but i never cut out any carbs or sugar and I'm getting less protein then recommended.0 -
Saving for later0
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Dead lifts, weighted squats and Swiss ball crunches are my ab moves. Planks for as you can hold the form are also good, though boring. My carpet is only interesting for a couple of seconds.
This. Heavy weights - don't be scared to lift like a man. You won't look like one I promise.0 -
Diet is a huge part mass increase goals. Try to consume much more protein and add carbs every other day. Weights are a must and do pyramid workouts including drop sets. Also, if anyone is looking for extra motivation to help push through check out victory blvd on Instagram they have some great posts.
Stay fit!
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Lift heavy *kitten* weights0
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dumbbell complex or circuit training. You can look up videos on YouTube. Make sure to add heavy weight and do enough reps. you need to do a lot of Korra exercise as well.0
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Lift heavy *kitten* weights
Lol. Yes. lift heavy for sure. You do higher reps with lower weight for endurance and to cut and you do higher weight, less reps to bulk and gain more muscle. Be sure to do your reps slow and squeeze the muscle at the top of the reception. 3set should be higher.weight and 4th a drop set.0
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