Gain fat weight in order to build lean muscle mass?

ViSabbi

I heard the most funny thing today. My boyfriend wants to gain weight (lean muscle mass) but he says that to do so, he needs to gain weight (fat) for his body to burn. IMO, it's just making his way longer than it should but he says that professionals told him this. To me, it seems just like he needs to eat lean proteins a lot, good carbs and work out properly. What's your thought on that?

twinmama1987

Well, you have to lift heavy weight along with it to gain mass.. But yeah some people eat a gross amount, like 3000-4000 cals/day! & then lift super heavy with low reps!

carrie_eggo

I heard the most funny thing today. My boyfriend wants to gain weight (lean muscle mass) but he says that to do so, he needs to gain weight (fat) for his body to burn. IMO, it's just making his way longer than it should but he says that professionals told him this. To me, it seems just like he needs to eat lean proteins a lot, good carbs and work out properly. What's your thought on that?

If one wants to build/gain muscle then they need to eat at a caloric surplus. Yes, there is a certain amount of fat that will be gained in the process.

ViSabbi

In the process but not prior to beginning to work out, right? He's talking of gaining 13 pounds eating crap before starting. O.o

carrie_eggo

In the process but not prior to beginning to work out, right? He's talking of gaining 13 pounds eating crap before starting. O.o

Lol.....yes. In the process. There is absolutely no reason why he needs to gain fat before trying to build muscle.

twinmama1987

Well, generally you start at the same time.. usually people do it with healthy food...

LOL. what if he decided not to do after gaining the weight lol.. that would suck!

ViSabbi

Hahaha it sure would. I will try to talk him out of it and convince him to trust me a little on this one. Let's say that he's a red fire dragon and he knows what he knows, and he has difficulties accepting that he's not 100% right.

ninerbuff

I heard the most funny thing today. My boyfriend wants to gain weight (lean muscle mass) but he says that to do so, he needs to gain weight (fat) for his body to burn. IMO, it's just making his way longer than it should but he says that professionals told him this. To me, it seems just like he needs to eat lean proteins a lot, good carbs and work out properly. What's your thought on that?

Just like you lose lean muscle when losing fat weight, you gain fat weight when you build muscle. It's inevitable. If only muscle could be gained while on calorie surplus, then competitive bodybuilders would never be "offseason" and have more definition.


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

DrBorkBork

Have him start eating healthy fatty foods like nuts, coconut milk (not the stuff in the dairy section, blech! try Thai Kitchen & Native Forest), coconut oil in cooking, olive oil on salads. He doesn't need to GAIN anything if he's getting all the necessary fat from his diet.
Check out The Primal Blueprint which is rich in fat & protein-- prime fuel for bulking up and leaning out

oneIT

Eating clean will minimize the fat gains.

jenniebean1680

By this logic, which I agree with, would it be reasonable to hope that once you reach a certain LMM (lean muscle mass), if you very slightly cut back on caloric intake, you could expect to look more cut?

I fear I am in this 'bulking' phase right now, having stalled my metabo after years of restriction despite being very active. I lift hard 4x/week, teach spinning 3x/week, and also run 2-3x/week, with one run being my long run of 10-16 miles. My nutritionist has me eating more, more, MORE (I came to her at an intake of approx 1400-1500 a day). I'm now at 1800, with 2 splurge meals a week which bring my calories up sometimes to 3000 for that day (eek).

I feel like I have more energy to complete my workouts, but I also feel huge, bloated, and after maintaining for the first month w/ her, I am now up 4 lbs.

I am fine w/ building muscle, because I know I need to do this if I want to look lean and cut, but I feel anything BUT lean and cut right now. Can I expect this to even out, or if it doesn't, will restricting back down to like 1600/day for a couple of weeks (say, before my WEDDING!) help me cut the fat down? Or am I always going to be at a high BF %, simply because I'm gaining fat along w/ muscle? When does the fat burn off???

I'm in such a tizzy.

gp79

What does 'eating clean' mean?

Acg67

Eating clean will minimize the fat gains.

That is silly, fat gains will be governed by the size of caloric surplus, not the names of foods they eat.

mgmlap

Eating clean refers to natural foods. Nothing processed. Carbs come from fruits and veggies...eating lean meats. So bascically cutting out all the processed stuff people eat (hamburger helper...ect) and no grains/pastas/breads...ect (remember corn is a grain not a veggies). Doing this..you will become more lean.

I can speak for myself..I do a primal diet. (clean eating) but do dairy like yogurt. I have managed to lose the last of my 10 pounds..and now I am toning up....and have been able to maintain for 2 months..

oneIT

Eating clean will minimize the fat gains.

That is silly, fat gains will be governed by the size of caloric surplus, not the names of foods they eat.

Then Mcdonalds it is!!

Acg67

Eating clean refers to natural foods. Nothing processed. Carbs come from fruits and veggies...eating lean meats. So bascically cutting out all the processed stuff people eat (hamburger helper...ect) and no grains/pastas/breads...ect (remember corn is a grain not a veggies). Doing this..you will become more lean.

I can speak for myself..I do a primal diet. (clean eating) but do dairy like yogurt. I have managed to lose the last of my 10 pounds..and now I am toning up....and have been able to maintain for 2 months..

Ah so i can eat as much non processed food as i want and lose weight, or does weight loss still require a calorie deficit?

Articeluvsmemphis

i think he just wants an excuse to eat. and if he gains 13pounds of fat, 3500calories a pop, that's weird. he can gain while eating at a surplus and lifting heavy.

ArroganceInStep

Eating clean will minimize the fat gains.

That is silly, fat gains will be governed by the size of caloric surplus, not the names of foods they eat.

I hear the foods with brand names starting with 'M' or green colored packaging cause you to gain the most weight.

If it starts with a 'T' or is in blue colored packaging you're safe.

gp79

To the OP, I think he's just excited to share the news with you and sure, at first he'll go wild and eat a bunch of crap but when he sees the results, especially if not putting in the time / effort in the gym, he'll change his mind and make some better food choices.

In order to gain muscle he's going to need to eat in a calorie surplus, the more of a surplus, the more of that gain will be from fat.

duharvalgt

Is he refering to calorie surplus or a "bulking" phase?

annabellj

bump bump

Sidesteal

]Just like you lose lean muscle when losing fat weight, you gain fat weight when you build muscle. It's inevitable. If only muscle could be gained while on calorie surplus, then competitive bodybuilders would never be "offseason" and have more definition.


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

^ This. OP: I think your friend is misunderstanding the trainer. It's possible that the trainer said "You will gain some fat along with the muscle while you bulk" which is true and a well known thing. I just can't comprehend a trainer directly telling someone to get fat before starting a bulk. LOLOL.

Also:

fat gains will be governed by the size of caloric surplus, not the names of foods they eat.

^ This, although I would add that they will be influenced by macronutrient composition as well. Clean vs Unclean has nothing to do with it.

3dogsrunning

Eating clean refers to natural foods. Nothing processed. Carbs come from fruits and veggies...eating lean meats. So bascically cutting out all the processed stuff people eat (hamburger helper...ect) and no grains/pastas/breads...ect (remember corn is a grain not a veggies). Doing this..you will become more lean.

I can speak for myself..I do a primal diet. (clean eating) but do dairy like yogurt. I have managed to lose the last of my 10 pounds..and now I am toning up....and have been able to maintain for 2 months..

The Clean Eating magazines and books promote eating grains in their "clean eating". I consider yogurt processed, even if it is organic.

The point is, "clean eating" has no real definition and means different things to different people.

Sidesteal

The point is, "clean eating" has no real definition and means different things to different people.

^ This, and additionally it plays no role in body composition.

http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/

oneIT

Eating clean

Instead of going into depth with a newb about nutrients it is alot easier to tell them to eat clean. It will be easier for them to understand I think and be closer to hitting the nutrients they need without tracking much. Maybe I'm wrong though.

You can eat whatever you want if it matches your macros.

bciochetti

I've put on 15 pounds in the last 4 months going to the gym 4-5 times a week and eating a fairly large surplus every day. Maximum half the weight is muscle and half is fat. I'm bigger but not any more defined then I was before. He doesn't have to gain the weight first, then start going to the gym to "make room". Just count his calories and make sure it is a surplus.

jennifershoo

In the process but not prior to beginning to work out, right? He's talking of gaining 13 pounds eating crap before starting. O.o

That's just weird!
I think he just misunderstood his trainer.