Help me gain muscle
afranco999
Posts: 8 Member
Hi I'm a tiny girl 4"11 trying to loose fat on my waistline nd gain muscle on my lower half and tone up my legs and buttocks. I just don't have a clue how to start or where to begin. Help me 
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Well, if you are looking to lose weight you need to be in a caloric deficit and if you are looking to gain muscle you need to begin a strength training routine that focuses on the lower half of your body. You can use MyFitnessPal's calorie calculator to determine how calories you need to lose weight. Since you are 4'11", a 500 calorie deficit is the most you should be in.0
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Thank you. I forgot to say I want to loose fat on my waistline. Thanks for your help0
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Well it's impossible to spot reduce fat. As you lose weight, fat will decrease all over your body, but strength training can help tone certain areas.0
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Ok I see thanks. Now I'm scared of loosing to much weight0
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Eat healthy, and do a hundred squats 4 times a week with no weight. I guarantee this will work as it did for me. After you get better at doing more reps bump it up to 150 and keep going0
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This dude Anthony that posted looks like. A 115 pound female so disregard his input please-1
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I just wanted to add one more thing, I said a 500 calorie deficit is the most you should be in. I meant 500 is the most you should be in calorie consumption wise since you are a 4'11" female. You can create a larger deficit through exercise depending on how much you need to lose.0
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anthony150paolucci wrote: »Well, if you are looking to lose weight you need to be in a caloric deficit and if you looking to gain muscle you need to begin a strength training routine that focuses on the lower half of your body. You can use MyFitnessPal's calorie calculator to determine how calories you need to lose weight. Since you are 4'11", a 500 calorie deficit is the most you should be in.
If you want to cut fat, you need to be in a deficit. If you want to add muscle, you need to be in a surplus. Strength training in a cut will not likely yield muscle gains, and if you do some gains, it will be very minor. Trying to gain muscle in a deficit is very difficult, regardless of what you eat.
OP, how much do you weigh? Do you know your body fat %? Do you follow a structured lifting program?0 -
Well, doing a crap load of squats (no weight) is going to help you slim down but it's not likely to help you build muscle. The best way to put on muscle is to add a weight program. You can do body weight exercises to start but you need to do progressive overload to really force muscle growth. Use a program like 5X5 as a starting point. I wouldn't suggest only training your lower half because you don't want an imbalance.0
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anthony150paolucci wrote: »Well, if you are looking to lose weight you need to be in a caloric deficit and if you looking to gain muscle you need to begin a strength training routine that focuses on the lower half of your body. You can use MyFitnessPal's calorie calculator to determine how calories you need to lose weight. Since you are 4'11", a 500 calorie deficit is the most you should be in.
If you want to cut fat, you need to be in a deficit. If you want to add muscle, you need to be in a surplus. Strength training in a cut will not likely yield muscle gains, and if you do some gains, it will be very minor. Trying to gain muscle in a deficit is very difficult, regardless of what you eat.
OP, how much do you weigh? Do you know your body fat %? Do you follow a structured lifting program?
You'll still benefit from starting a strength routine though, even in a deficit. In addition to preserving muscle mass, you can focus on form and building up strength. Then you can re-evaluate and see if you want to change your calorie intake in order to gain muscle.0 -
OK you have a lot of conflicting advice here, so let me clear some of it up.
Your goal is to lose fat on your belly, and gain muscle on your legs and butt. This needs to be tackled through training and diet.
1- Training. I suggest you look up the program Strong Curves. It is meant for women's resistance/strength training with a focus on your butt and legs. It is very highly regarded, look it up (and if you approve, buy the book). Knowing why you do something helps you stay with it (instead of listening to random people on the internet). Bret Contreas is known to be the go-to-guy for Glute Development.
2 - Diet. Go on Google and calculate your TDEE. This is how many calories you spend in a day, and you eat that amount to maintain weight. You have a choice. Eat at a deficit (-10% to -20% of that) to lose fat, or eat at a surplus (+10% to +20% your TDEE) while on a resistance/strength program to build muscle with a little fat.
If you choose to go on a deficit first, you will be losing fat and make slow progression with muscle gain (but you WILL make progression, especially since you are a novice in weight training). If you choose a caloric surplus, you won't lose your stomach fat but you will have bootylicious gains.
I recommend that you cycle between deficit and surplus. You build muscle on a surplus (with minimal fat if your diet is on point), then you go on a deficit while lifting to lose the fat and reveal your hard earned muscles.
Lastly, you CAN make gains on a deficit, so feel free to choose a deficit first while lifting. People over-emphasise the muscle loss on a deficit; as long as you eat enough protein and keep lifting, you will be fine. You might get tired more quickly (you body basically has less 'fuel' to work with), so go easy the first 2 weeks.
If you are worried about gaining too much weight on your bulk/surplus, you can do a "slow bulk" which is only +10% over your TDEE, and a more aggressive deficit/cut (-15% to -20% TDEE). Note that it takes -3500calories to lose 1 lb, so if you went on a deficit of 500 calories daily, you would lose an average of 1 lb a week (though this is much easier for a 200lb person vs a 120lb person, so don't go too crazy on this).
Let me know if you have any more questions. Cheers.
Edit: Forgot to mention when you choose to go on a deficit/cut, do so for a couple of months. Same for bulk/surplus.0 -
AlisonH729 wrote: »anthony150paolucci wrote: »Well, if you are looking to lose weight you need to be in a caloric deficit and if you looking to gain muscle you need to begin a strength training routine that focuses on the lower half of your body. You can use MyFitnessPal's calorie calculator to determine how calories you need to lose weight. Since you are 4'11", a 500 calorie deficit is the most you should be in.
If you want to cut fat, you need to be in a deficit. If you want to add muscle, you need to be in a surplus. Strength training in a cut will not likely yield muscle gains, and if you do some gains, it will be very minor. Trying to gain muscle in a deficit is very difficult, regardless of what you eat.
OP, how much do you weigh? Do you know your body fat %? Do you follow a structured lifting program?
You'll still benefit from starting a strength routine though, even in a deficit. In addition to preserving muscle mass, you can focus on form and building up strength. Then you can re-evaluate and see if you want to change your calorie intake in order to gain muscle.
I know that. But that isn't what the OP wants.
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HamsterManV2 wrote: »OK you have a lot of conflicting advice here, so let me clear some of it up.
Your goal is to lose fat on your belly, and gain muscle on your legs and butt. This needs to be tackled through training and diet.
1- Training. I suggest you look up the program Strong Curves. It is meant for women's resistance/strength training with a focus on your butt and legs. It is very highly regarded, look it up (and if you approve, buy the book). Knowing why you do something helps you stay with it (instead of listening to random people on the internet). Bret Contreas is known to be the go-to-guy for Glute Development.
2 - Diet. Go on Google and calculate your TDEE. This is how many calories you spend in a day, and you eat that amount to maintain weight. You have a choice. Eat at a deficit (-10% to -20% of that) to lose fat, or eat at a surplus (+10% to +20% your TDEE) while on a resistance/strength program to build muscle with a little fat.
If you choose to go on a deficit first, you will be losing fat and make slow progression with muscle gain (but you WILL make progression, especially since you are a novice in weight training). If you choose a caloric surplus, you won't lose your stomach fat but you will have bootylicious gains.
I recommend that you cycle between deficit and surplus. You build muscle on a surplus (with minimal fat if your diet is on point), then you go on a deficit while lifting to lose the fat and reveal your hard earned muscles.
Lastly, you CAN make gains on a deficit, so feel free to choose a deficit first while lifting. People over-emphasise the muscle loss on a deficit; as long as you eat enough protein and keep lifting, you will be fine. You might get tired more quickly (you body basically has less 'fuel' to work with), so go easy the first 2 weeks.
Let me know if you have any more questions. Cheers.
Can you expand on the cycling? I have seen this recommended a few times, but mainly cycle to have more calories on lifting days to maximize availability of energy.0 -
This dude Anthony that posted looks like. A 115 pound female so disregard his input please
Seriously? You are going to make judgement calls off of someone's profile pic.
Instead I am going to go off of what you have said...Eat healthy, and do a hundred squats 4 times a week with no weight. I guarantee this will work as it did for me. After you get better at doing more reps bump it up to 150 and keep going
Well first off you were not specific about your goals and results as they do pertain to the OP.
Did you lose stomach fat or reduce your waist line? If so are you implying that you also gained muscle whilst losing weight? Beyond newbie gains this is considered virtually impossible for most of the population as you can either be in a catabolic state or an anabolic state but rarely both. Potential rates of muscle gain are never going to approach the potential rate of fat loss once folks are past the beginner stage. It’s generally always easier to lose fat much faster than you can gain muscle. (read the link below). Maybe you thought you looked more muscular because of increased definition and fluid retention in your muscles. Also the person you criticized is correct about there is no such thing as spot reduction.
Lastly your advice about rep range would effectively contribute to a calorie deficit but minimal gains in hypertrophy as the range you are advising "hundred squats 4 times a week" would fall into what is considered the endurance range of reps.
Concerning spot reduction...
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/827838/how-to-blast-that-fat-from-a-specific-area
Concerning adding Muscle While Losing Fat...
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html
Concerning rep range...
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/850719/strength-training-the-basics
Lastly dude learn some tact. Seriously do you even adult?
OP for some solid information just go to this link below and leave the Broscience alone.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/833026/important-posts-to-read#latest
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HamsterManV2 wrote: »OK you have a lot of conflicting advice here, so let me clear some of it up.
Your goal is to lose fat on your belly, and gain muscle on your legs and butt. This needs to be tackled through training and diet.
1- Training. I suggest you look up the program Strong Curves. It is meant for women's resistance/strength training with a focus on your butt and legs. It is very highly regarded, look it up (and if you approve, buy the book). Knowing why you do something helps you stay with it (instead of listening to random people on the internet). Bret Contreas is known to be the go-to-guy for Glute Development.
2 - Diet. Go on Google and calculate your TDEE. This is how many calories you spend in a day, and you eat that amount to maintain weight. You have a choice. Eat at a deficit (-10% to -20% of that) to lose fat, or eat at a surplus (+10% to +20% your TDEE) while on a resistance/strength program to build muscle with a little fat.
If you choose to go on a deficit first, you will be losing fat and make slow progression with muscle gain (but you WILL make progression, especially since you are a novice in weight training). If you choose a caloric surplus, you won't lose your stomach fat but you will have bootylicious gains.
I recommend that you cycle between deficit and surplus. You build muscle on a surplus (with minimal fat if your diet is on point), then you go on a deficit while lifting to lose the fat and reveal your hard earned muscles.
Lastly, you CAN make gains on a deficit, so feel free to choose a deficit first while lifting. People over-emphasise the muscle loss on a deficit; as long as you eat enough protein and keep lifting, you will be fine. You might get tired more quickly (you body basically has less 'fuel' to work with), so go easy the first 2 weeks.
Let me know if you have any more questions. Cheers.
Can you expand on the cycling? I have seen this recommended a few times, but mainly cycle to have more calories on lifting days to maximize availability of energy.
Sure, I wasn't too clear on that. I suggest that do a cycle of cutting weight until you hit the desired leanness (usually takes a couple of months) then bulk with more intense lifting for a couple more months.
Our bodies can build muscle very well on a bulk, so it is recommended to make your gains during those couple of months. The joke amongst bodybuilders is "cut till you see abs, bulk till you hate yourself".
I think you are thinking about carb cycling, which is just to have a majority of your daily carbohydrates in your pre and post work out meals, as this provides very accessible energy for pushing yourself. This is beyond the OP and I didn't want to confuse her with too much detail. Lifting consistently and eating in a surplus or deficit is the most important thing for her right now.0 -
HamsterManV2 wrote: »HamsterManV2 wrote: »OK you have a lot of conflicting advice here, so let me clear some of it up.
Your goal is to lose fat on your belly, and gain muscle on your legs and butt. This needs to be tackled through training and diet.
1- Training. I suggest you look up the program Strong Curves. It is meant for women's resistance/strength training with a focus on your butt and legs. It is very highly regarded, look it up (and if you approve, buy the book). Knowing why you do something helps you stay with it (instead of listening to random people on the internet). Bret Contreas is known to be the go-to-guy for Glute Development.
2 - Diet. Go on Google and calculate your TDEE. This is how many calories you spend in a day, and you eat that amount to maintain weight. You have a choice. Eat at a deficit (-10% to -20% of that) to lose fat, or eat at a surplus (+10% to +20% your TDEE) while on a resistance/strength program to build muscle with a little fat.
If you choose to go on a deficit first, you will be losing fat and make slow progression with muscle gain (but you WILL make progression, especially since you are a novice in weight training). If you choose a caloric surplus, you won't lose your stomach fat but you will have bootylicious gains.
I recommend that you cycle between deficit and surplus. You build muscle on a surplus (with minimal fat if your diet is on point), then you go on a deficit while lifting to lose the fat and reveal your hard earned muscles.
Lastly, you CAN make gains on a deficit, so feel free to choose a deficit first while lifting. People over-emphasise the muscle loss on a deficit; as long as you eat enough protein and keep lifting, you will be fine. You might get tired more quickly (you body basically has less 'fuel' to work with), so go easy the first 2 weeks.
Let me know if you have any more questions. Cheers.
Can you expand on the cycling? I have seen this recommended a few times, but mainly cycle to have more calories on lifting days to maximize availability of energy.
Sure, I wasn't too clear on that. I suggest that do a cycle of cutting weight until you hit the desired leanness (usually takes a couple of months) then bulk with more intense lifting for a couple more months.
Our bodies can build muscle very well on a bulk, so it is recommended to make your gains during those couple of months. The joke amongst bodybuilders is "cut till you see abs, bulk till you hate yourself".
I think you are thinking about carb cycling, which is just to have a majority of your daily carbohydrates in your pre and post work out meals, as this provides very accessible energy for pushing yourself. This is beyond the OP and I didn't want to confuse her with too much detail. Lifting consistently and eating in a surplus or deficit is the most important thing for her right now.
oh ok. I have actually seen people suggest a calorie cycle. For example, I maintain at 3000 calories. So they would recommend 3300 calories on lifting days (bulking calories) and 2500 or less on non lifting days (deficit on non lifting days).
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Thanks to everybody. Now I have to search up all these definitions such as calorie deficit and surplus etc. Not familiar with any of this terminology. Thanks so much!0
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afranco999 wrote: »Thanks to everybody now I have to search up all these definitions such as calorie deficit and surplus etc. Not familiar with any of this terminology. Thank so much!
These links will sort you out for most of your needs...
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/833026/important-posts-to-read#latest
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http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
This will be helpful, too, when looking for a program. But I would either suggest NROL4W or StrongCurves.
In the end, do you want to gain muscle and then cut down to reveal it? Or do you want to lean first and then add mass.0 -
AlisonH729 wrote: »anthony150paolucci wrote: »Well, if you are looking to lose weight you need to be in a caloric deficit and if you looking to gain muscle you need to begin a strength training routine that focuses on the lower half of your body. You can use MyFitnessPal's calorie calculator to determine how calories you need to lose weight. Since you are 4'11", a 500 calorie deficit is the most you should be in.
If you want to cut fat, you need to be in a deficit. If you want to add muscle, you need to be in a surplus. Strength training in a cut will not likely yield muscle gains, and if you do some gains, it will be very minor. Trying to gain muscle in a deficit is very difficult, regardless of what you eat.
OP, how much do you weigh? Do you know your body fat %? Do you follow a structured lifting program?
You'll still benefit from starting a strength routine though, even in a deficit. In addition to preserving muscle mass, you can focus on form and building up strength. Then you can re-evaluate and see if you want to change your calorie intake in order to gain muscle.
I know that. But that isn't what the OP wants.
I guess I needed to be specific in that I was addressing the OP & building off your post, not contradicting it. Sheesh.
OP wants to lose weight and build muscle. But she said she didn't know where to begin. You explained that its difficult to do both at the same time. So I went on to add that it's a good idea to begin a strength program anyway, even if she continues to eat at a deficit. She can still increase her lifts during this time, and when she reaches a point where she's throwing around a decent amount of weight can decide if she's ready to switch to a surplus.
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AlisonH729 wrote: »AlisonH729 wrote: »anthony150paolucci wrote: »Well, if you are looking to lose weight you need to be in a caloric deficit and if you looking to gain muscle you need to begin a strength training routine that focuses on the lower half of your body. You can use MyFitnessPal's calorie calculator to determine how calories you need to lose weight. Since you are 4'11", a 500 calorie deficit is the most you should be in.
If you want to cut fat, you need to be in a deficit. If you want to add muscle, you need to be in a surplus. Strength training in a cut will not likely yield muscle gains, and if you do some gains, it will be very minor. Trying to gain muscle in a deficit is very difficult, regardless of what you eat.
OP, how much do you weigh? Do you know your body fat %? Do you follow a structured lifting program?
You'll still benefit from starting a strength routine though, even in a deficit. In addition to preserving muscle mass, you can focus on form and building up strength. Then you can re-evaluate and see if you want to change your calorie intake in order to gain muscle.
I know that. But that isn't what the OP wants.
I guess I needed to be specific in that I was addressing the OP & building off your post, not contradicting it. Sheesh.
OP wants to lose weight and build muscle. But she said she didn't know where to begin. You explained that its difficult to do both at the same time. So I went on to add that it's a good idea to begin a strength program anyway, even if she continues to eat at a deficit. She can still increase her lifts during this time, and when she reaches a point where she's throwing around a decent amount of weight can decide if she's ready to switch to a surplus.
No need to get upset. It was based the way you quoted.0 -
Afranco, I don't have specific advice, just general anecdotal encouragement, because I find myself similarly overwhelmed by the plethora of advice out there.
I started with similar goals (though more upper body focused) middle of last year. I started rock climbing in October and that made a huge difference for me. I just can't make myself go to a gym and count to 10 over and over
so having something that actually engages my brain is great. I've since hit my weight loss goal and gotten stronger and am now putting more focus on building muscle (as my arms and back keep reminding me this rest day after some serious campus board work 
)
Yes, some of this is just because I wasn't amazingly in shape before, but it's also largely because I found something that works for me and keeps me interested and motivated. You can research all the awesome lifting programs or whatever you want, but if it won't keep your interest, it won't work, because you just won't do it. Find the right way for you, though, and you can totally do it!0 -
You are right around the same height as me! Short girls unite! My goal when I started watching my calories and working out was right about the same as yours. I'm assuming that you are in a moderate weight category for your height - 100 to 120 lbs. If you are, please take my advice. For years (literally years) I ate 1,200 calories x day, did large amounts of cardio and was never satisfied. I got skinny, but never in the areas that I wanted. In October, I upped my calories to "maintenance" (1,400 x day) and starting heavy lifting. On leg days, I allowed myself to eat back exercise calories. Let me tell you, I have never been more pleased with results. I am overall toned and muscular now, and never gained "fat" or got "bulky." I suggest getting a trainer for the first few visits so that you ensure you're practicing with proper form, but don't be afraid to lift heavy. Your waist will get smaller, your legs and glutes will get bigger, it's all with proper training and nutrition. Something else that helped me immensly was upping my protein (I aim for my body weight in protein; 110 grams x day) and decreasing my sugar (my max is typically 40 grams x day). This makes sure you are "feeding" your muscles and they have optimal growth. Besides that, just cutting calories and doing cardio will not result in any muscle growth. You may have "newbie gains" but strength, nor extreme definition will come from it. All "fit girls" that you see eat very nutritional food, and lots of it, but kick *kitten* in the gym. Lift heavy. Go hard. Give it your all and you'll have success.0
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Totally agree of heavy lifting. Check out http://www.muscleforlife.com/skinny-fat-solution/ and other articles. Heavy lifting, proper calorie count and macros.0
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Yeah, when I started actually tracking what I was eating, I realized I wasn't even really eating enough protein on a regular basis for someone NOT trying to build muscle. I haven't gone low carb or anything, but watching my macros and increasing my protein has certainly helped!
Tiny people unite! (5'0" and 115, hoping to get up to 120-125 with muscle gain)0
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