Losing fat and gaining muscle...

Options
lynchburg85
lynchburg85 Posts: 21 Member
...but still wanting to lose weight

This has to be the hardest thing I've ever done...

Two years ago I was up at around 265lbs and I got down to 195lbs around April but as I have really increased my training i'm now 226lbs but leaner than I have been in ages.

I know with weight training and the amount I already train It is going to be hard to stay strong, gain muscle and lose weight but do any of you have any advice?

I train 6 days a week so more training is not really an option... :(

Lynchburg
«1

Replies

  • dcurzon
    dcurzon Posts: 653 Member
    Options
    if you're already lean (what bf% do you reckon?), then you're not going to be able to GAIN muscle and LOSE weight, except by becomer leaner. Maybe drop your daily intake cals by 500, swap some weights sessions for cardio.
  • WeekndOVOXO
    WeekndOVOXO Posts: 779 Member
    Options
    eating too much maybe? Try cutting back a little.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Options
    You will have to log calories and exercise very carefully. Otherwise just bulk then cut later.
  • lynchburg85
    lynchburg85 Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    if you're already lean (what bf% do you reckon?), then you're not going to be able to GAIN muscle and LOSE weight, except by becomer leaner. Maybe drop your daily intake cals by 500, swap some weights sessions for cardio.

    I'm about 20% so I still have some way to go before i'm down to about 10%...

    I'm only taking in about 1.5K after exercise... If I eat any less then I woun't be able to train as hard.

    Lynchburg
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
    Options
    ...but still wanting to lose weight

    This has to be the hardest thing I've ever done...

    Two years ago I was up at around 265lbs and I got down to 195lbs around April but as I have really increased my training i'm now 226lbs but leaner than I have been in ages.

    I know with weight training and the amount I already train It is going to be hard to stay strong, gain muscle and lose weight but do any of you have any advice?

    I train 6 days a week so more training is not really an option... :(

    Lynchburg
    My advice is to pick a goal.

    You gain muscle with a calorie surplus.
    You lose bodyfat with a calorie deficit.

    Why are you weight training 6 days a week?
  • lynchburg85
    lynchburg85 Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    You will have to log calories and exercise very carefully. Otherwise just bulk then cut later.

    Cheers. That is the main reason i've started to use this.

    It can't be a case of me not training enough but a few people have said maybe i'm not eating enough and i'm starving my body and slowing my metabolism down...

    Lynchburg
  • dcurzon
    dcurzon Posts: 653 Member
    Options
    if you're already lean (what bf% do you reckon?), then you're not going to be able to GAIN muscle and LOSE weight, except by becomer leaner. Maybe drop your daily intake cals by 500, swap some weights sessions for cardio.

    I'm about 20% so I still have some way to go before i'm down to about 10%...

    I'm only taking in about 1.5K after exercise... If I eat any less then I woun't be able to train as hard.

    Lynchburg

    Then i suspect you're numbers might be off... But you havent mentioned your training routine, what are you doing? weights only? Maybe time to change it up a little, shake things about.
  • lynchburg85
    lynchburg85 Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    ...but still wanting to lose weight

    This has to be the hardest thing I've ever done...

    Two years ago I was up at around 265lbs and I got down to 195lbs around April but as I have really increased my training i'm now 226lbs but leaner than I have been in ages.

    I know with weight training and the amount I already train It is going to be hard to stay strong, gain muscle and lose weight but do any of you have any advice?

    I train 6 days a week so more training is not really an option... :(

    Lynchburg
    My advice is to pick a goal.

    You gain muscle with a calorie surplus.
    You lose bodyfat with a calorie deficit.

    Why are you weight training 6 days a week?

    No i'm not weight training 6 times a week... general training.

    My week looks like this;

    Monday; BJJ morning 1.5 hours. Evening Submission Wrestling 1 hour, BJJ 1.5 hours.
    Tuesday; BJJ morning 1.5 hours. Evening MMA 1.5 hours.
    Wednesday; Evening Freestyle Wrestling 1.5 hours.
    Thursday; Evening Submission Wrestling 1 hour.
    Friday; BJJ morning 1.5 hours. Evening BJJ 1.5 hours.
    Saturday; BJJ morning 1.5 hours.
    Sunday; Evening MMA 1.5 hours.

    I fit the gym in a few times a week when I have days off work... I usually do weights, swimming and use the sauna and steam room.

    Lynchburg
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Options
    If you're 20% and don't mind what you see in the mirror fat-wise then eat at maintenance and keep/start lifting.

    I joined MFP with 20%. Now down to about 12%. I just fancy seeing how cut I can get then I'll look at bulking. I am aiming for 1700-1900 a day and still lifting. Strangely, I have been lifting heavier and heavier over the last 6 months so it's possible that my estimates for stuff like PB, nuts and eating out of the house are out. I've definitely lost weight, though, and am very sure that I could have done things more efficiently if I'd bought weighing scales. Guess it depends on your patience.
  • dcurzon
    dcurzon Posts: 653 Member
    Options
    christ thats a lot!

    seriously, i'd drop a few sessions and have a run instead, or go cycling. That'll shift a few pounds
  • Marks281172
    Marks281172 Posts: 127 Member
    Options
    There is a reason why a lot of competative body builders (as opposed to the bicep boys in most gyms that claim to be body builders) have bulk and cut cycles.. unless you have mental genetics its very hard to gain significant muscle mass and strength without excess calories.. and its nigh on impossible to loss scale weight without a calorie deficite.

    My advice would be ignore your weight. Get your measurements (Thigh, Hip, Waist, Chest, Neck) done and monitor those. Eat slightly over your TDEE and keep protein high, aim for 1g of protein per lb of lean mass a day. If you are getting heavier but your hip to waist ratio isnt going up then i wouldnt worry about how many lbs you are.

    As far as your training goes... stick to a program focused on barbell compounds like Stronglifts 5x5. Squat, Bench press, Deadlifts, Over head presses, Rows, Dips, Chins .. you really dont need to do much more than those... avoid machines, look at the people using them and then decide if you want to look like them, or the dudes and dudettes in the Squat rack (assuming they are squatting, and not doing curls! :P )

    6 days a week wouldnt be neccesary on a good program. You can still do some cardio in between your weight days, i run a couple of 5ks a week and have found my squat, bench and deadlift are still making gains... just dont run a half marathon 4 times a week :)

    Good luck.
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
    Options
    ...but still wanting to lose weight

    This has to be the hardest thing I've ever done...

    Two years ago I was up at around 265lbs and I got down to 195lbs around April but as I have really increased my training i'm now 226lbs but leaner than I have been in ages.

    I know with weight training and the amount I already train It is going to be hard to stay strong, gain muscle and lose weight but do any of you have any advice?

    I train 6 days a week so more training is not really an option... :(

    Lynchburg
    My advice is to pick a goal.

    You gain muscle with a calorie surplus.
    You lose bodyfat with a calorie deficit.

    Why are you weight training 6 days a week?

    No i'm not weight training 6 times a week... general training.

    My week looks like this;

    Monday; BJJ morning 1.5 hours. Evening Submission Wrestling 1 hour, BJJ 1.5 hours.
    Tuesday; BJJ morning 1.5 hours. Evening MMA 1.5 hours.
    Wednesday; Evening Freestyle Wrestling 1.5 hours.
    Thursday; Evening Submission Wrestling 1 hour.
    Friday; BJJ morning 1.5 hours. Evening BJJ 1.5 hours.
    Saturday; BJJ morning 1.5 hours.
    Sunday; Evening MMA 1.5 hours.

    I fit the gym in a few times a week when I have days off work... I usually do weights, swimming and use the sauna and steam room.

    Lynchburg
    Damn. You have to be burning a lot of calories. That being said, start tracking.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Options
    Jesus wept. You train a lot. I am surprised you're not ripped already.

    PS What job do you have given your tattoos and metalwork? :D
  • lynchburg85
    lynchburg85 Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    Jesus wept. You train a lot. I am surprised you're not ripped already.

    PS What job do you have given your tattoos and metalwork? :D

    I work for a large wine company... I have a decent job with good pay, lots of holiday and benefits :) I've been there for 6 years and I'm good at my job so they don't really care about my tattoo's or holes in my face really :)

    Haha... I wish! I hope to be in a year or so!

    Lynchburg
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Options
    Jesus wept. You train a lot. I am surprised you're not ripped already.

    PS What job do you have given your tattoos and metalwork? :D

    I work for a large wine company... I have a decent job with good pay, lots of holiday and benefits :) I've been there for 6 years and I'm good at my job so they don't really care about my tattoo's or holes in my face really :)

    Haha... I wish! I hope to be in a year or so!

    Lynchburg

    Cool. The PS was because you often hear about people with metalwork in their face finding it hard to get jobs.

    You could cut down on one of your MMA sessions and replace that with a weights session? Depends what you want. If you eat carefully, I can't see why you can't lose weight with the amount of training you are doing.
  • lynchburg85
    lynchburg85 Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    ...but still wanting to lose weight

    This has to be the hardest thing I've ever done...

    Two years ago I was up at around 265lbs and I got down to 195lbs around April but as I have really increased my training i'm now 226lbs but leaner than I have been in ages.

    I know with weight training and the amount I already train It is going to be hard to stay strong, gain muscle and lose weight but do any of you have any advice?

    I train 6 days a week so more training is not really an option... :(

    Lynchburg
    My advice is to pick a goal.

    You gain muscle with a calorie surplus.
    You lose bodyfat with a calorie deficit.

    Why are you weight training 6 days a week?

    No i'm not weight training 6 times a week... general training.

    My week looks like this;

    Monday; BJJ morning 1.5 hours. Evening Submission Wrestling 1 hour, BJJ 1.5 hours.
    Tuesday; BJJ morning 1.5 hours. Evening MMA 1.5 hours.
    Wednesday; Evening Freestyle Wrestling 1.5 hours.
    Thursday; Evening Submission Wrestling 1 hour.
    Friday; BJJ morning 1.5 hours. Evening BJJ 1.5 hours.
    Saturday; BJJ morning 1.5 hours.
    Sunday; Evening MMA 1.5 hours.

    I fit the gym in a few times a week when I have days off work... I usually do weights, swimming and use the sauna and steam room.

    Lynchburg
    Damn. You have to be burning a lot of calories. That being said, start tracking.

    I do but I have been getting more muscular and heavier for a few months now... The problem is when I compete I need to make weight and it's becoming harder and harder.

    Someone asked about traking measurements;

    Biceps: 17"
    Neck: 17.5"
    Calfs: 17.5"
    Waist: 38"

    I'm not sure of the rest... I'm not really that bothered about being built to be honest. I just want to get down to around 195lbs so that I can make 181.5lbs for competition after cutting.

    Thanks for all the tips guys!

    Lynchburg
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Options
    Bump
  • lynchburg85
    lynchburg85 Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    Thanks for the bump...

    Lynchburg
  • lynchburg85
    lynchburg85 Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    Any more advice?

    I'm down to about 220lbs now. In two weeks I have lost about 6lbs so I'd like to keep going like that but any advice would be great.

    Lynchburg
  • spiritcrusher
    spiritcrusher Posts: 326 Member
    Options
    Intermittent fasting worked for me.