How do I burn ONLY fat and not muscle?

classicalguitar1
classicalguitar1 Posts: 27 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, after 6 months of pretty intense cardio and diet I have lost 56 lbs, now I want to focus on building/maintaining my upper body muscles and burn only fat.
I am still doing a lot of cardio work (5-6 hours per week) but have now incorporated some strength training into my fitness regime.
So basically my question is, is the best way NOT to lose muscle to make sure that you are working those muscles through weight lifting etc?
My calorie intake does fluctuate quite abit but I average between 1500-2200 calories per day, and taking the calories that I am burning into account (around 600 per workout), am I in danger of burning into my muscles?
Any advice is welcome.
Thanks

Replies

  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    progressively load.

    i.e lift weights.
    or body weight strength training.
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
    It's virtually impossible to ensure that you will not lose ANY muscle in a deficit. Lifting in a strength-targeted fashion and keeping protein high is the BEST way, however. Heavy weight, low reps, large compound barbell movements. And ditch the excessive cardio. Too much steady state cardio can be catabolic.
  • tyrsnbdr
    tyrsnbdr Posts: 234 Member
    It's virtually impossible to ensure that you will not lose ANY muscle in a deficit. Lifting in a strength-targeted fashion and keeping protein high is the BEST way, however. Heavy weight, low reps, large compound barbell movements. And ditch the excessive cardio. Too much steady state cardio can be catabolic.

    And make sure you get your protien. About 1gr per 1 lbs of LBM.
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
    It's virtually impossible to ensure that you will not lose ANY muscle in a deficit. Lifting in a strength-targeted fashion and keeping protein high is the BEST way, however. Heavy weight, low reps, large compound barbell movements. And ditch the excessive cardio. Too much steady state cardio can be catabolic.

    And make sure you get your protien. About 1gr per 1 lbs of LBM.

    ;)
  • tyrsnbdr
    tyrsnbdr Posts: 234 Member
    It's virtually impossible to ensure that you will not lose ANY muscle in a deficit. Lifting in a strength-targeted fashion and keeping protein high is the BEST way, however. Heavy weight, low reps, large compound barbell movements. And ditch the excessive cardio. Too much steady state cardio can be catabolic.

    And make sure you get your protien. About 1gr per 1 lbs of LBM.

    ;)

    Hey, now. I only read what I think I read!! :embarassed:

    :laugh:
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    cut the cardio back to like an hour a week, if that..

    more strength training/heavy lifting as others have pointed out...

    starting strength is a great resource ...
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    You can't. The goal is to minimize muscle losses by eating a moderate deficit, adequate protein, and strength training.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    It's virtually impossible to ensure that you will not lose ANY muscle in a deficit. Lifting in a strength-targeted fashion and keeping protein high is the BEST way, however. Heavy weight, low reps, large compound barbell movements. And ditch the excessive cardio. Too much steady state cardio can be catabolic.

    This is becoming an ever-increasing problem in marathons. Elite runners are finding their muscle mass completely burn up halfway through the race and they collapse in a heap of bones and skin.
  • _Josee_
    _Josee_ Posts: 625 Member
    It's virtually impossible to ensure that you will not lose ANY muscle in a deficit. Lifting in a strength-targeted fashion and keeping protein high is the BEST way, however. Heavy weight, low reps, large compound barbell movements. And ditch the excessive cardio. Too much steady state cardio can be catabolic.

    This is becoming an ever-increasing problem in marathons. Elite runners are finding their muscle mass completely burn up halfway through the race and they collapse in a heap of bones and skin.

    LOL Be careful, they might believe you! ;)

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