Too early to build mass

jimiller76
jimiller76 Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm a 45 year old male at 187 pounds and 20% body fat. I'm thinking about using a mass builder supplement that's high in calories to help build muscle but I'm worried that it'll just add inches to my waist or more body fat. I workout 5 days a week and have had good results losing 30 pounds. Is this the way to go or do I need to lean out more?

Replies

  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    I am guessing the people who actually know the answer to this will want to know more about your overall goals, current routines and the specific supplement.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    A mass building shake doesn't actually build mass. It's simply a high protein, high calorie drink. It's intended for skinny guys who can't eat enough calories to put on mass. In order to build muscle you must do 3 things, lift heavy weights, get in adequate protein, and eat more then you burn in a day. These shakes helps people with the latter 2 things. If you are 20% body fat, you should focus on cutting body fat, not mass building. You will always add some degree of fat when building mass so 20% body fat is too high to start IMO. Unless of course your overall goal is to be big and strong and aesthetics/health aren't important.
  • jimiller76
    jimiller76 Posts: 2
    Thanks for the feedback. Your information makes sense and is helpful. My goal is to get ripped with some real muscle definition so I'll keep at it.
  • racoiaws
    racoiaws Posts: 2
    You should be cutting, so just work out as you would normally with a diet that puts you at a moderate caloric deficit and is very high in protein. This will help you maintain your muscle as you lose weight. The mass builder probably isn't appropriate for anyone trying to lose weight.
  • Train4Foodz
    Train4Foodz Posts: 4,298 Member
    Don't worry so much about supplements just yet, keep up regular Cardio sessions, dropping your body fat %. Also, make sure that your diet is right. Including things such as fresh chicken and other protein rich foods will assist muscle growth at the same time as fat cutting. Maybe after each Cardio session do some resistance weight training, working various sections of your body each day.

    The idea is that when you have cut your bodyfat to around 13% - 14% you should start to see some definition, then you work more on muscle tone and slightly less on cutting fat. It worked for me. I'm on the 13% mark now, aiming to cut down to 10% by 4-5 weeks time.

    All the best!
  • LaneB89
    LaneB89 Posts: 93 Member
    My personal opinion would be that you need to cut. At a high body fat %, you will be more prone to gaining fat while bulking. You're essentially creating extra work for yourself.
  • trojan_bb
    trojan_bb Posts: 699 Member
    Thanks for the feedback. Your information makes sense and is helpful. My goal is to get ripped with some real muscle definition so I'll keep at it.

    If that's your goal, you should be dieting to well under 12% bodyfat before trying to eat at a caloric surplus to gain muscle mass. At over 12% you won't have decent muscle definition unless you have a ton of muscle underneath.

    Gaining muscle takes a very long time. It's MUCH more enjoyable to be lean during this process so you can feel good about your current physique and actually see the changes.
  • rm33064
    rm33064 Posts: 270 Member
    The rule of thumb is lose weight until you reach 10% body fat. Contrary to popular belief I always though it was possible to do both at there same time. Scooby has a good article about it and advice on how to train and eat to accomplish both.
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/gain-muscle-lose-fat/
  • dasimija
    dasimija Posts: 1
    Try ViSalus Shakes. You will lose weight and gain lean muscle. They work for me. I lost five pounds in less than a week so I started promoting it. Try it, we offer a money back guarantee if you don't like it. dasimija.myvi.net

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