gain weight but not fat

fevdean38
fevdean38 Posts: 10 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I'm currently eating at a deficit and getting close to my target weight but i still want to reduce my body fat %, i understand that to lose more fat i'll probably have to lose more weight.
once the fat % is at a low enough level i want to gain weight to make my target weight then maintain.
Does anyone have any tips to gain weight but keep the fat % down?
I'm male 5 ft 9, 39 years old and weigh around 13 st 3lb, with around 20% body fat.
I run nearly every morning and weight train 3 times per week.
Ideally i'd like my body fat at 10% but realistically 15%

Replies

  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Don't eat too much, that's about the only tip that's worthwhile. You can't gain muscle without gaining fat so all you can really do is limit overall weight gain to keep from putting on too much fat too quickly. Add a couple pounds a month to start with.
  • PwrLftr82
    PwrLftr82 Posts: 945 Member
    edited October 2014
    DopeItUp wrote: »
    Don't eat too much, that's about the only tip that's worthwhile. You can't gain muscle without gaining fat so all you can really do is limit overall weight gain to keep from putting on too much fat too quickly. Add a couple pounds a month to start with.

    Yup--the faster you put the weight on, the higher % of fat you're gaining. Take it slow, increase cals as necessary.

    Also, the running is going to hinder your gains. What are your goals, both performance and aesthetic?
  • yondaime81
    yondaime81 Posts: 2
    I agree. Running might hurt if you are trying to gain.
    I try to keep cardio light and get my workout through strength training.

    Also eat good carbs - lots of brown rice, fruits/veggies especially sweet potato.
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
    Unless you really know your body's consumption and macro needs.. It's quite hard to do it man.. Luckily for me I've found my ideal goals, and have remained a relatively low fat % throughout the year
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
    Any time you gain weight, you also gain some fat....there is nothing you can do about it.
    How much fat you gain depends on what you eat, ( since you have to eat at a calorie surplus to gain, this is one of the times where it does matter what you eat ) and on the exercise you do. I bet you can find knowledgeable weightlifters who can help you with that.
    Good Luck !
  • TrainerLB
    TrainerLB Posts: 42 Member
    Eat at your maintenance level and train to gain muscle. The extra muscle mass will eventually decrease your bodyfat, but it will be very slow.
  • fevdean38
    fevdean38 Posts: 10 Member
    edited October 2014
    PwrLftr82 wrote: »
    DopeItUp wrote: »
    Don't eat too much, that's about the only tip that's worthwhile. You can't gain muscle without gaining fat so all you can really do is limit overall weight gain to keep from putting on too much fat too quickly. Add a couple pounds a month to start with.

    Yup--the faster you put the weight on, the higher % of fat you're gaining. Take it slow, increase cals as necessary.

    Also, the running is going to hinder your gains. What are your goals, both performance and aesthetic?

    I was going to cut the running down once i start to gain weight back, no real goals i just want to be around the 13 stone mark with low body fat and lean muscle.
    Thanks for all the advice and i guess i'll just have to see how it goes.
    I'm currently losing around a pound a week and aren't hungry so it'll probably be hard to overeat too much (i hope)

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