Advice for a skinny fat male?
ButteryMud
Posts: 5 Member
I could really use some advice right now, I am 18 years old (male), currently weigh 82.6kg (182lbs), 185cm (6'1'') tall and wear a size S shirt. I've lost 10kg (22lbs) since January and I am now thinking of starting to build muscle because I feel like I don't have any muscular definition. However, in order to build muscle I know you must partake in some weight training and eat at a calorific surplus, which means some fat gain. What I am trying to convey is that I have a slight fear of following this because for the most part of my teens, I've been the overweight kid and I would hate to become that again. I plan on following Arnold Schwarzenegger's 'Golden Six' Routine to build muscle as I only have access to a bench, barbell and half squat rack.
Any advice on training and diet will be appreciated!
Thank you all for your time and help!
Any advice on training and diet will be appreciated!
Thank you all for your time and help!
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Replies
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At 6'1" and 82kg you are pretty light/small. I would eat in a very moderate surplus (200-300 calories above maintenance) and lift weights. You will gain some fat but as a beginner you have the benefit of gaining the most amount of muscle as quick as possible due to your "noob gains".
Get in adequate protein (0.8-1.2g/lb) and plenty of carbs.1 -
I can't speak to the golden six routine, but you also have everything you need for Stronglifts 5x5, which is a strongly recommend plan, especially for beginners. One piece of advice, start slow, even to the point of just using the bar without weights, to perfect your form. Form is important to avoid injury and to work all the muscles the exercise is designed to work. Use your phone and video yourself to see what your form looks like too.2
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trigden1991 wrote: »At 6'1" and 82kg you are pretty light/small. I would eat in a very moderate surplus (200-300 calories above maintenance) and lift weights. You will gain some fat but as a beginner you have the benefit of gaining the most amount of muscle as quick as possible due to your "noob gains".
Get in adequate protein (0.8-1.2g/lb) and plenty of carbs.
Thanks for you advice! I will definitely watch my calorific intake and try to keep a slight surplus.richardgavel wrote: »I can't speak to the golden six routine, but you also have everything you need for Stronglifts 5x5, which is a strongly recommend plan, especially for beginners. One piece of advice, start slow, even to the point of just using the bar without weights, to perfect your form. Form is important to avoid injury and to work all the muscles the exercise is designed to work. Use your phone and video yourself to see what your form looks like too.
Thanks for your reply! I will check Stronglifts 5x5 out and I will definitely keep my form in check.1 -
You may want to consider a recomp if you fear gaining fat from a bulk. You are a young male who is fairly untrained.... this is the perfect situation to be in, as you can gain muscle and loss fat. You would need to eat around maintenance, probably aim for 160-180g of protein, and follow a progressive lifting program like something in the below thread.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
There are plenty of successful recopomp'ers on this board like @usmcmp and @Hornsby, so hopefully they can also chime in.
Reference recomp thread: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1
Now, having said that, if you are looking to maximize muscle gains and willing to cut again, then a bulk/cut might be appropriate for you. But that will ultimately be up to you to determine the best path.
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An untrained "skinny fat" 18 year old male just has to train hard and eat a reasonable diet - keep it simple!
You don't need a calorie surplus, maybe after a solid year of training, or if you feel your progress is slowing, and you decide you want to be heavier/bigger then that would be the time to switch to a surplus.0 -
An untrained "skinny fat" 18 year old male just has to train hard and eat a reasonable diet - keep it simple!
You don't need a calorie surplus, maybe after a solid year of training, or if you feel your progress is slowing, and you decide you want to be heavier/bigger then that would be the time to switch to a surplus.
Why would you suggest not eating in a small caloric surplus to maximise muscle gains?0 -
An untrained "skinny fat" 18 year old male just has to train hard and eat a reasonable diet - keep it simple!
You don't need a calorie surplus, maybe after a solid year of training, or if you feel your progress is slowing, and you decide you want to be heavier/bigger then that would be the time to switch to a surplus.
I agree with this.0 -
trigden1991 wrote: »An untrained "skinny fat" 18 year old male just has to train hard and eat a reasonable diet - keep it simple!
You don't need a calorie surplus, maybe after a solid year of training, or if you feel your progress is slowing, and you decide you want to be heavier/bigger then that would be the time to switch to a surplus.
Why would you suggest not eating in a small caloric surplus to maximise muscle gains?
Typically people who have been overfat and lost weight struggle quite a bit with the idea of intentional weight gain. Even under the right circumstances fat gain will occur and this is a REALLY hard thing to accept for the majority of people who have once been over-fat and successfully lost weight.
The goal of maximal muscle gain comes at a cost typically, and sometimes that cost isn't worth it.1 -
trigden1991 wrote: »An untrained "skinny fat" 18 year old male just has to train hard and eat a reasonable diet - keep it simple!
You don't need a calorie surplus, maybe after a solid year of training, or if you feel your progress is slowing, and you decide you want to be heavier/bigger then that would be the time to switch to a surplus.
Why would you suggest not eating in a small caloric surplus to maximise muscle gains?
@trigden1991
Because he's skinny fat, fears fat gain, has no stated high level physique goals, no speed imperative and being untrained he is going to make the fastest progress of his life anyway whether he eats at a surplus or not.
The only good reason I can think of to going to a surplus right now would be if he feels "under-fuelled" and it affects the quality of his workouts.
It could be his goals change and he wants to get bigger/heaver - then when his goals change that's the time to review everything including calorie balance, goal weight, physique, training......1 -
The most important thing you can do is get on a training program with reasonable volume that causes you to get stronger in the gym.
Any time someone is skinny fat the two biggest variables tend to be training stimulus and genetics (low individual response to training).
Beyond that, get in enough protein and eat enough food so that you're no longer losing weight.
Whether you bulk or recomp is honestly secondary in my opinion however if you do gain, I'd do it quite slowly.0 -
Look into something like Jim Wendler's 531, Bigger Leaner Stronger, StrongLifts 5x5, or Starting Strength depending on what your goals are.
You are young so you will benefit from any decent program.
The "recomp" will happen as part of the process of getting stronger, unless you eat a crappy diet all the time.
You cannot out-train a bad diet.
If you want a starting point for diet, nutrition and lifting, look into Bigger Leaner Stronger (BLS).
It is for the "bodybuilder" who wants to be strong instead of just look strong.
There is a difference. I am smaller than a lot of guys but pound for pound, I deadlift more than many of them.
If you want to get strong and look decent: Wendler's 531.
Don't bother with Wendler's 531 if you are not in a hurry. 531 is a slow, safe, gradual system.
It is designed for people more my age (45) than yours, unless you plan to go into powerlifting.
If you want to get big and strong fast and will eat like a horse, without much consideration to
body fat percentage, then SS or SL5x5 These pack on size and strength but they are very demanding and most people will not put in the work necessary for long.
After you complete any of these programs you will be on your way.
At this point, BLS is probably your best bet.
I've been there pal. I used to be 5'9" and about 125 lbs at 6.5% body fat.
Best advice: eat a good diet and focus on the big lifts: Deadlifts, squats, overhead press, bench.
Dips instead of triceps extensions, chin-ups instead of dumbbell curls.
Heavier weights at lower reps if you want to be strong: 5 - 7 range
Relatively lighter weights at higher reps if you want to look strong: 8 -12 range
Also remember: a bigger muscle does not mean bigger or stronger ligaments and tendons.
Always pushing out dozens of reps does not let the connective tissues heal and sets you up for injuries.
This is why I am in the "be strong" 5 - 7 camp. I know a lot of people with nagging injuries because they just kept pushing out dozens of reps, week after week.
I don't hear powerlifters complain about "bad backs", do you?1 -
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I would eat at a small surplus and train hard (perhaps with the programming listed above). Maybe 200 calories over. Make sure you're getting enough fuel for the workouts without gaining much fat.0
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None of the ones I work out with have. Now, bad knees is another story...trigden1991 wrote: »
My point is that a bunch of biceps curls and skull crushers will not serve you as well as deadlifts and squats will have when you hit my age and beyond.0 -
I would tend to think that powerlifting has a higher correlation with injury rates compared to bodybuilding since you tend to be using much higher loads.
I'm not sure if this has been examined in the long term but I'd be dumbfounded if it were not true.
I know in the short term, one of Schoenfeld's studies compared something like 3 x 10 with 10 x 3 and the latter group had comparable hypertrophy and greater strength gains but much higher dropout rate due to injury.
I don't think that's a hard thing to accept conceptually anyway.1 -
None of the ones I work out with have. Now, bad knees is another story...trigden1991 wrote: »
My point is that a bunch of biceps curls and skull crushers will not serve you as well as deadlifts and squats will have when you hit my age and beyond.
Most programs out there don't neglect compound lifts. I know tons of powerlifters with back pain from jumping into a strength programs as a teen or twenty something with no trainer, pushing past sticking points with horrible form and not knowing any better.1 -
I do not disagree here at all, I don't care what the activity is, doing it poorly is likely to result in problems.no trainer, pushing past sticking points with horrible form and not knowing any better.
Please do not think I am somehow recommending anyone to take up any exercise program with bad form.
But back to the OP's actual questions ...
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I would tend to think that powerlifting has a higher correlation with injury rates compared to bodybuilding since you tend to be using much higher loads.
I'm not sure if this has been examined in the long term but I'd be dumbfounded if it were not true.
I know in the short term, one of Schoenfeld's studies compared something like 3 x 10 with 10 x 3 and the latter group had comparable hypertrophy and greater strength gains but much higher dropout rate due to injury.
I don't think that's a hard thing to accept conceptually anyway.
Interestingly enough, Dr. Layne Norton just covered that in one of his recent youtube videos. He also has back issues and a record holding power lifter. So even the best can get hurt.1 -
Thanks for all your advice and support everyone! I will be undergoing a body re composition which will last probably more than a year and then I will start a lean bulk.0
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