Advice on Losing Bodyfat

DaddyMantz

Hi everybody. I have been working on MFP for about 4 and a half months and am changed everything about my life. I have finally come within 5 pounds of my goal weight by eating the recommended calories and exercising 5-6 times/week. Now that I am close to where I want to be, I would like to see how I can start losing more body fat. When I first started, my BF% was about 28% and now it is between 16 and 17%.

Does anyone have any advice about how to get your bodyfat down to about 10% or so without losing too much (if any) muscle? I appreciate all advice.

Thanks!

Mike

dave4d

It's hard to not lose any muscle. 2 years ago I got down to somewhere below 10%. The scale at the gym said I was 6, but my calipers told me I was around 10. I believe I started out at around 215 with 28% bf, giving me a lean body mass of around 155 lbs. I ended up at 153lbs, but My lean body mass was about 145lbs. I wasn't counting calories at the time or keeping track of the grams of protein I was consuming. I was just using the palm fist method to determine portions. I think if I had paid more attention to those I might not have lost so much muscle.

Make sure you are getting enough protein. It should be around 1 to 2 grams per pound of lean mass. HIIT cardio works good, but only do it about 20 minutes 3 days a week. Keep working out. Lift to failure. Get plenty of rest.

Congratulations on your weight loss.

DaddyMantz

Thanks Dave,

I will start monitoring my grams of protein and lift harder. I think my martial arts covers the HIIT. I am doing upper body workouts with dumbbells and pull ups/push ups two days a week. Do you think the amount of weight I lift makes a huge difference to body fat reduction? Also, do you know how I can approximate my lean body mass?

runningneo122

X-Treme Lean - Steve Holman and The Ultimate Mass Workout - Steve Holman & Jonathan Lawson are two books that I've read in anticipation of being where you are. A couple months of "fasted cardio" and I'll be there. These two guys have been bodybuilders for like 20+ years and are publishers of Ironman magazine.

These guys make serious gains in muscle mass and drops in BF% in their routines. Another one of theirs talks about "X-reps" but I can't think of the book title. That probably is in the title.

dave4d

You can google bodyfat calculators. They usually go off your measurements to determine bodyfat. If you know your bodyfat you can then figure your lean body mass mathmatically. Take your weight. Times by your bodyfat percent. That gives your fat mass. Then subtract your fat mass from your bodyweight. That should give you your lean mass.

DaddyMantz

Thanks gents.

Teemo

Does anyone have any advice about how to get your bodyfat down to about 10% or so without losing too much (if any) muscle? I appreciate all advice.

Keep protein intake high, lift as heavily as you would when bulking/normally. Keep cardio to a minimum and keep your diet strict.