Want muscle, but still need to lose fat

thetroubleis

I'm just about to my goal weight, but I still have more fat to lose. My current weight is 126 and I'm 5' 3". I'm already at my calorie minumum of 1200 (probably less some days) and workout (UFC trainer for xbox) for about 30 minutes a day five days a week. I was hoping to start trying gaining muscle once I reached my goal weight, but since I still have fat to lose, I'm not sure what I should do next. Ultimately I'd like to be really fit and not too skinny. I'd like to hear from females who have had a similar experience. Thanks in advance!

mdutch1

I am 5'4" and weigh 124. I want to lose about 9 pounds of fat so I need to add at least 5 pounds of muscle. I am 50 years old and find it difficult to build muscle. I do the P90X workout and have just started to make sure I eat at least 1 gram of protein for 1 pound of lean body mass. I am also watching my fat intake and trying to keep it to .5 gram per lean body mass. I did a little research and realized you do truly need to eat enough protein to build muscle. I started having a protein shake to help get my protein. It isn't easy and the earlier you start the better off you are. I wish I would have done this years ago.

ninerbuff

When you gain muscle, you will gain fat. It's inevitable. Gain muscle now to burn fat off faster later.

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brushe

When you gain muscle, you will gain fat. It's inevitable. Gain muscle now to burn fat off faster later.

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Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

i would agree with this.

also everything i've read says if you want to gain muscle you have to consume more calories and not be concerned with the number on the scale or the 6 pack abs. the scale is going to go up if you want to put on muscle.

thetroubleis

Thanks for your help! Any idea how many calories I should go by? I've researched a bit, but there is no consistent amount. Also, how much protein and other nutrients do you suggest? Losing weight seems to be so much more cut and dry.

EricMurano

When you gain muscle, you will gain fat. It's inevitable. Gain muscle now to burn fat off faster later.

I have heard this a lot. Can you explain why that is or point me to an article that explains it? I'd search but there's a lot of broscience out there.

UponThisRock

When you gain muscle, you will gain fat. It's inevitable. Gain muscle now to burn fat off faster later.

I have heard this a lot. Can you explain why that is or point me to an article that explains it? I'd search but there's a lot of broscience out there.

To gain muscle, you need a surplus of calories. Your body can only build muscle so fast, so any surplus that's not used to build muscle is stored as fat.

Theoretically, I suppose it would be possible to have just enough surplus calories for muscle building and no more, but in the real world, the line between "just enough" and "not enough" is so thin that you have to accept some fat gains if you want to gain muscle.

^^^This doesn't mean you have to put on a bunch of fat just to gain some muscle. Lots of guys that think they're gaining muscle are really just getting fat. Here's a good article on the rate and limitations of muscle gains:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/whats-my-genetic-muscular-potential.html

ninerbuff

I have heard this a lot. Can you explain why that is or point me to an article that explains it? I'd search but there's a lot of broscience out there.

Just like when you lose weight and lose lean muscle along with fat, the opposite is true when trying to build/gain muscle. The body is truly amazing. The reason we lose muscle along with fat when losing weight is that our bodies truly are efficient at storing fat for energy use. Now if you reduce the fat, the body responds by reducing muscle to ensure that the body doesn't use up left over stored body fat to support that extra muscle. Same when you build muscle, to support that extra muscle, the body will store more fat.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Rae6503

I'm female. I started my "bulk" when I still had about 10lbs of fat left. Basically I was tired of dieting and winter seemed like the best time to bulk. Come spring I'll cut again, losing and fat I gained and hopefully those last 10lbs.

I started at about 10% above. I've only gained 3lbs in 3 months so now I'm trying to eat a little more. And 1 gram of protestor for every pound of lean body mass.