How to maintain weight, but replace fat with muscle?

jkirby79

My measurements:
Gender - Male
Age - 33
Height - 5'10"
Starting weight - 165
Current weight - 142 (I have always been very lean so I feel this is probably my "in shape" weight; this is what I weighed in my 20's)
Exercises - mostly HIIT routines 3-4 days per week for 25-30 minutes

I started using MFP in September when I finally got fed up (no pun intended) with my unhealthy lifestyle. I was eating fast food almost daily and my exercise regimen was virtually non-existent. Since that point I have lost a little over 20 pounds through good eating and exercise and reached my goal weight. However, I would like to "shape up" certain areas a bit more without shedding additional pounds. In particular, I have a bit more to get rid of in the love handles and stomach areas.

My question: Should I aim to take in enough calories to maintain my weight while continuing to workout? I am not really looking to build a bunch of muscle mass, per se. I just want to whittle off the fat and replace with toned muscle.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me!

kristen6022

Eat at maintenance, and lift heavy things. The HIIT is good, but incorporate some heavy lifting. While eating at maintenance you won't add new muscle, but the muscles you have will become more defined - congrats for getting to your "in shape weight"!

jzammetti

Agreed. less cardio, more strength training. eat at maintenance and eat your weight in grams of protein.

Yup. This

heybales

You can make some trades, but it'll be very slow. 3.5 lbs in 16 weeks in this study, and that's not muscle mass which they didn't scan for, just total LBM. Likely some was muscle since they were new, but still slow.

And that's lifting heavy, and skipping the HIIT to do that properly.

And just doing intervals is not HIIT either.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/778012-potential-muscle-gain-lifting-and-metabolism-improvement

jkirby79

Eat at maintenance, and lift heavy things. The HIIT is good, but incorporate some heavy lifting. While eating at maintenance you won't add new muscle, but the muscles you have will become more defined - congrats for getting to your "in shape weight"!

Thanks for the tips!

I have thought lately about adding strength training to my routine, but I need to figure out a way for it to be convenient. I don't want to pay a bunch to join the YMCA or another gym (wife says I'm cheap!) and all of the Planet Fitness locations are just too far away. I have also looked some on Craigslist for weight benches + weights and found some decent stuff, but have not bought anything.

If I wanted to do strength training solely at home what advice would you give me as far as equipment/workout routine?

heybales

If I wanted to do strength training solely at home what advice would you give me as far as equipment/workout routine?

http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Instructions.html

Read instructions at bottom.
Select Full body workout at top.
Select Legs, Pull, Push.
Select that again.
Go through the list of muscles, on that page look over the body weight exercises section.
Select one to see form.

Compile your routine.

mmapags

My measurements:
Gender - Male
Age - 33
Height - 5'10"
Starting weight - 165
Current weight - 142 (I have always been very lean so I feel this is probably my "in shape" weight; this is what I weighed in my 20's)
Exercises - mostly HIIT routines 3-4 days per week for 25-30 minutes

I started using MFP in September when I finally got fed up (no pun intended) with my unhealthy lifestyle. I was eating fast food almost daily and my exercise regimen was virtually non-existent. Since that point I have lost a little over 20 pounds through good eating and exercise and reached my goal weight. However, I would like to "shape up" certain areas a bit more without shedding additional pounds. In particular, I have a bit more to get rid of in the love handles and stomach areas.

My question: Should I aim to take in enough calories to maintain my weight while continuing to workout? I am not really looking to build a bunch of muscle mass, per se. I just want to whittle off the fat and replace with toned muscle.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me!

I'm guessing at 5'10" and 142 you have no fat to give up. Dude, eat some groceries and lift some heavy weights and get some muscle built!! :drinker:

jkirby79

I'm guessing at 5'10" and 142 you have no fat to give up. Dude, eat some groceries and lift some heavy weights and get some muscle built!! :drinker:

I know that sounds crazy but I think that's just how my body type is. I have just always been really lean! So when I got up to 165 through bad eating I looked horrible with a fair amount of stomach flab and the beginnings of man boobs. I didn't "fill out" like some people do.

I remember In high school I drank protein shakes, ate like a horse and weight trained every other day for a year. I did not gain a single pound, but I did get really defined muscles for my weight (130s at the time). I've been lucky that my metabolism has always been high for my age.

I think the fact that I was able to gain "bad weight" up to 165 means that I might be able to put on some bulk if I wanted. I'm not really sure.

jkirby79

If I wanted to do strength training solely at home what advice would you give me as far as equipment/workout routine?

http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Instructions.html

Read instructions at bottom.
Select Full body workout at top.
Select Legs, Pull, Push.
Select that again.
Go through the list of muscles, on that page look over the body weight exercises section.
Select one to see form.

Compile your routine.

Thank you! I will definitely check this out.

mmapags

I'm guessing at 5'10" and 142 you have no fat to give up. Dude, eat some groceries and lift some heavy weights and get some muscle built!! :drinker:

I know that sounds crazy but I think that's just how my body type is. I have just always been really lean! So when I got up to 165 through bad eating I looked horrible with a fair amount of stomach flab and the beginnings of man boobs. I didn't "fill out" like some people do.

I remember In high school I drank protein shakes, ate like a horse and weight trained every other day for a year. I did not gain a single pound, but I did get really defined muscles for my weight (130s at the time). I've been lucky that my metabolism has always been high for my age.

I think the fact that I was able to gain "bad weight" up to 165 means that I might be able to put on some bulk if I wanted. I'm not really sure.

Well when you went up to 165 the gain was probably all fat so it didn't look good. If you weight train in the hypertrophy range, say 3 sets 8 to 12 reps to failure or a program like Layne Norton's PHAT, you should be able to gain some good muscle. you'll gain a little fat too but you can always cut that later. The cardio is helping your overall health but not lean mass building right now.

Eta: This assumes eating in slight surplus.

SideSteel

Just being blunt.

5'10 and 142.
Eat in a small caloric surplus and get on a lifting program.

Crankstr

5' 11 and 175 in this picture, and a female

Eat at a surplus and lift heavy things...you will not be sorry

Sarauk2sf

Just being blunt.

5'10 and 142.
Eat in a small caloric surplus and get on a lifting program.

^^yep.

sunsnstatheart

You can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time so you have to choose which one to do at what time. IMO, there is no doubt that you need to gain muscle first, so eat more and lift.

Check out Wendler's 5/3/1, and follow the program while eating at a slight calorie surplus. If you're eating enough and lifting heavy you will put on muscle mass.

Cr01502

I would say to eat at maintenance and strength train if you're new to strength training.

Newby gains will most likely take care of the rest.

If you're still not happy with the amount of muscle you have you can create a small calorie surplus and take it from there.

LJCannon

If I wanted to do strength training solely at home what advice would you give me as far as equipment/workout routine?

http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Instructions.html

Read instructions at bottom.
Select Full body workout at top.
Select Legs, Pull, Push.
Select that again.
Go through the list of muscles, on that page look over the body weight exercises section.

Select one to see form


Going to check this out myself. Thanks!.:drinker:

Compile your routine.

danasings

I'm guessing at 5'10" and 142 you have no fat to give up. Dude, eat some groceries and lift some heavy weights and get some muscle built!! :drinker:

I know that sounds crazy but I think that's just how my body type is. I have just always been really lean! So when I got up to 165 through bad eating I looked horrible with a fair amount of stomach flab and the beginnings of man boobs. I didn't "fill out" like some people do.

I remember In high school I drank protein shakes, ate like a horse and weight trained every other day for a year. I did not gain a single pound, but I did get really defined muscles for my weight (130s at the time). I've been lucky that my metabolism has always been high for my age.

I think the fact that I was able to gain "bad weight" up to 165 means that I might be able to put on some bulk if I wanted. I'm not really sure.

You are around the same size as my husband (height and weight) He is very thin, but it looks right on him. If he were to lift weights, he'd stay lean and just look a bit more muscular (I think). So at this point I think the advice you're getting is good regarding eating at maintenance and lifting as heavy as you can.

concordancia

My sweetheart is your height and looks a bit sickly under 145. He dreams of getting up to 150! I just don't see how someone your height could have much muscle at 142. That is basically skin and bones.

ShellyBell999

info here is excellent and all from those in the know.
Good Luck jkirby!

bumblebums

I'm guessing at 5'10" and 142 you have no fat to give up. Dude, eat some groceries and lift some heavy weights and get some muscle built!! :drinker:

I know that sounds crazy but I think that's just how my body type is. I have just always been really lean! So when I got up to 165 through bad eating I looked horrible with a fair amount of stomach flab and the beginnings of man boobs. I didn't "fill out" like some people do.

I remember In high school I drank protein shakes, ate like a horse and weight trained every other day for a year. I did not gain a single pound, but I did get really defined muscles for my weight (130s at the time). I've been lucky that my metabolism has always been high for my age.

I think the fact that I was able to gain "bad weight" up to 165 means that I might be able to put on some bulk if I wanted. I'm not really sure.

Look up the terms "ectomorph" and "hard gainer"--you should find the right help for your body type.

SRHelicity

If I wanted to do strength training solely at home what advice would you give me as far as equipment/workout routine?

http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Instructions.html

Read instructions at bottom.
Select Full body workout at top.
Select Legs, Pull, Push.
Select that again.
Go through the list of muscles, on that page look over the body weight exercises section.
Select one to see form.

Compile your routine.

That www.exrx.net site is really great for new weight lifters, in my opinion. I start at http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html and select the muscle you're looking to train (obviously, you'll want to train large areas and many muscles, but just select one for now). This will bring up a (typically) long list of exercises. If you click a particular exercise, you'll see an animated GIF of *how* to do that exercise, instructions for how to do it safely, a list of muscles worked in that exercise, and so forth. It's been an excellent resource for me.

For what it's worth, I'm also 5'10", and I can't imagine being 145 lbs. My "set point", which I was at for nearly 8-9 years after high school, is in the low-mid 160s. I popped up to 185 lbs over this past Christmas and decided that it was time to get back to a healthy weight. My current goal is now 158 lbs, which should put my BF somewhere in the 11-13% range. As we know, everyone's body is a little different, though!

Sarauk2sf

Eat at maintenance, and lift heavy things. The HIIT is good, but incorporate some heavy lifting. While eating at maintenance you won't add new muscle, but the muscles you have will become more defined - congrats for getting to your "in shape weight"!

Thanks for the tips!

I have thought lately about adding strength training to my routine, but I need to figure out a way for it to be convenient. I don't want to pay a bunch to join the YMCA or another gym (wife says I'm cheap!) and all of the Planet Fitness locations are just too far away. I have also looked some on Craigslist for weight benches + weights and found some decent stuff, but have not bought anything.

If I wanted to do strength training solely at home what advice would you give me as far as equipment/workout routine?

A bench and a good set of dumbbells are a good starting point. Barbells and a squat rack would be next on the list imo.

cpudoc64

Ok, less cardio? But how much less is less?

jkirby79

You are around the same size as my husband (height and weight) He is very thin, but it looks right on him. If he were to lift weights, he'd stay lean and just look a bit more muscular (I think). So at this point I think the advice you're getting is good regarding eating at maintenance and lifting as heavy as you can.

Yes, I believe that describes me as well. My parents and grandparents all had this body type when they were young so that's where I get it. I have always identified with being really lean (120's in high school, 130's in college) so I'm not even sure how much muscle weight I'd want to put on if I could. To be honest, if I was at 150 pounds with defined features I'd be happy. I may make that my new goal.

jkirby79

Look up the terms "ectomorph" and "hard gainer"--you should find the right help for your body type.

Wow, I never knew the term "ectomorph" described my body type so well. I'm finding some really insightful stuff online about this.

Thanks!

CoraGregoryCPA

Get the book "The new rules of lifting for women" He encourages eating more and tells you why you should. It's a good book.

Sarauk2sf

Get the book "The new rules of lifting for women" He encourages eating more and tells you why you should. It's a good book.

The OP is a guy

Sarauk2sf

Look up the terms "ectomorph" and "hard gainer"--you should find the right help for your body type.

Wow, I never knew the term "ectomorph" described my body type so well. I'm finding some really insightful stuff online about this.

Thanks!

Somatotypes are a bit of a misnomer for muscle gains - you just need to eat more to gain muscle.

jkirby79

Get the book "The new rules of lifting for women" He encourages eating more and tells you why you should. It's a good book.

The OP is a guy

Was it the cat picture that made you think I was a chick?? I told him that might happen but he made me post it anyway!

mmapags

Look up the terms "ectomorph" and "hard gainer"--you should find the right help for your body type.

Wow, I never knew the term "ectomorph" described my body type so well. I'm finding some really insightful stuff online about this.

Thanks!

Somatotypes are a bit of a misnomer for muscle gains - you just need to eat more to gain muscle.

^^^This!

barebon

My belief is with the correct techniques that you should eat more protein and weight train. Your body breaks your muscle down. For the nutrients and if you provide enough for your body then it won't need that. You don't want to eat all your protein sources at once. You want to eat small amounts through the day. I also take a casein protein at night so your muscles are slowly being fed the nutrients throughout the night when you aren't eating at night, because this is the time where your muscles repair themselves. But with this in mind you do have to include weight training in your workout. Not lower weight with higher amount of reps. You also have to understand that doing it right where you aren't losing massive amounts of muscle requires you to lose weight slowly so that way your body doesn't thing that its starving. You are still more than likely going to lose some muscle, it's inevitable until you are at your ideal weight and trying to build, but it can definitely help. Now keep in mind I got this from someone that this worked for not through any studies, it may not work that way for everyone.