One month into training should I be cutting or gaining?
joshhansen360
Posts: 24 Member
I train with a lot of intensity and focus on being the hardest working person in the gym I work out 5 days a week have a low calorie high protein diet any suggestions would be helpful?
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Replies
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If you're trying to gain muscle, you shouldn't be in a deficit. If you want to grow, you need to eat.
Train smarter, not harder - are you following a lifting program?2 -
I am trying to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. I follow the athlean X training program. I have a couple buddies I work out with. It's hard being the new guy at the gym I have been focusing a lot on technique and form staying consistent I have been working my muscle groups twice a week. I am absolutely addicted now. I go to the gym because of the way it makes me feel but I figure while I'm there I might as well get the best gains I can right?2
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You might be able to gain muscle ans lose fat if you're overweight and maybe less than 30. Its a debate that goes on and on.
If you want to lose fat you need to cut. If you want gains you need to look at being in atleast a 10% calorie surpless and lifting heavy, if you continue to be under calories you'll look back over 6 months and see your lifts probably havent increased much and you'll have minimal gains.
Check out Lane Norton's programs, he is about the best guy to follow. StrongLifts 5x5 is great for strength.1 -
Thanks bro2
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joshhansen360 wrote: »Thanks bro
Just worry about cutting first, based on your picture. Once you lean up, you can then worry about trying to gain muscle.
Which Athlean X video are you doing?1 -
Ax1 is the program my work. I am at 19% body fat right now. I would like to put on some lean muscle. There is so much controversy as to whether or not you can burn fat while building muscle. Jeff seems to think you can.0
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joshhansen360 wrote: »Ax1 is the program my work. I am at 19% body fat right now. I would like to put on some lean muscle. There is so much controversy as to whether or not you can burn fat while building muscle. Jeff seems to think you can.
While you can gain some muscle with losing fat, it wont be much. And i watch Jeffs videos but i doubt his programs will yield much gain. They are only 30 to 40 minutes right?0 -
joshhansen360 wrote: »I go to the gym because of the way it makes me feel but I figure while I'm there I might as well get the best gains I can right?
Gains don't come from the gym actually.
They come from the recovery, the rest.
Obviously you need the workout to do the damage - but that's all the gym is doing.
During the rest, the recovery and rebuilding occurs, stronger, and maybe bigger if diet allows.
Oh - there is no such thing as lean muscle - except at the butcher shop.
At some point you'll take a break for some reason, family responsibility, an event, vacation, sick (especially if body doesn't get rest/recovery it needs).
Then when you go back to the workout properly rested - you'll probably be shocked how strong you are then.
Meaning the entire time to get up to that point, where it felt like you were giving it your all, was not as heavy a weight as you could have been doing, and wasn't actually your all.1 -
There’s only a few people that can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. Someone who is brand new to training, a genetic freak or someone who is on drugs. If you’re brand new, you will make gains in both departments but it will be short lived and if you try to do both, you will be spinning your wheels. The caloric deficit required to lose weight will prevent you from gaining muscle. In fact, if you’re in a caloric deficit, you are probably overtraining and losing muscle being the in gym that much. Unless you’re a genetic freak or on drugs, then it’s wiser to pick one goal at a time. Maybe try cutting down to around 12% body fat and switch to a bulk phase for a while.3
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There’s only a few people that can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. Someone who is brand new to training, a genetic freak or someone who is on drugs. If you’re brand new, you will make gains in both departments but it will be short lived and if you try to do both, you will be spinning your wheels. The caloric deficit required to lose weight will prevent you from gaining muscle. In fact, if you’re in a caloric deficit, you are probably overtraining and losing muscle being the in gym that much. Unless you’re a genetic freak or on drugs, then it’s wiser to pick one goal at a time. Maybe try cutting down to around 12% body fat and switch to a bulk phase for a while.
You arent going to lose muscle from training 5 days a week, especially if you are consuming adeqaute protein.0 -
I have been eating 1800 calories a day. And as far as my macros go I consume anywhere from 170 G to 190 G of protein everyday. The only supplements I take is a pre-workout, Branched chain amino acids, a protein powder that has a mix of whey and casein proteins. I eat a lot of chicken and vegetables. Some of my favorite foods for my diet consists of egg white omelets, oatmeal, asparagus, broccoli, baked chicken breast, and I love stir fry. I typically work most muscle groups twice a week.0
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joshhansen360 wrote: »I have been eating 1800 calories a day. And as far as my macros go I consume anywhere from 170 G to 190 G of protein everyday. The only supplements I take is a pre-workout, Branched chain amino acids, a protein powder that has a mix of whey and casein proteins. I eat a lot of chicken and vegetables. Some of my favorite foods for my diet consists of egg white omelets, oatmeal, asparagus, broccoli, baked chicken breast, and I love stir fry. I typically work most muscle groups twice a week.
Drop BCAAs, they are worthless. And you probably dont need that much protein unless you prefer that high.
How much weight you losing per week?2 -
I lost 3 lb last week0
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There’s only a few people that can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. Someone who is brand new to training, a genetic freak or someone who is on drugs. If you’re brand new, you will make gains in both departments but it will be short lived and if you try to do both, you will be spinning your wheels. The caloric deficit required to lose weight will prevent you from gaining muscle. In fact, if you’re in a caloric deficit, you are probably overtraining and losing muscle being the in gym that much. Unless you’re a genetic freak or on drugs, then it’s wiser to pick one goal at a time. Maybe try cutting down to around 12% body fat and switch to a bulk phase for a while.
You arent going to lose muscle from training 5 days a week, especially if you are consuming adeqaute protein.
The OP said low calorie diet. If calories are too low then working out too hard will push the body beyond what it has the resources to recover from. Depending on his lifestyle, 5 days a week could be too much. I was assuming “low calorie” meant lower than 18000 -
How long you been doing this?joshhansen360 wrote: »I lost 3 lb last week0 -
I've only been doing the diet portion of my training for two weeks. It has been harder and takes more discipline to do the diet then going to the gym and doing the training. Especially around the holidays with all these Christmas cookies and what not LOL. Thank you for everybody's input you have all been very helpful0
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joshhansen360 wrote: »I've only been doing the diet portion of my training for two weeks. It has been harder and takes more discipline to do the diet then going to the gym and doing the training. Especially around the holidays with all these Christmas cookies and what not LOL. Thank you for everybody's input you have all been very helpful
You realise you can include those foods and still get results.... You don't have to pretend that egg white omelettes are delicious , when in reality they taste like cooked snot. (it's also likely you can eat a lot more - what calorie goal does mfp give you to lose 0.5lb a week?)4 -
It originally told me 22000
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And I happen to think egg white omelets are delicious LOL maybe I haven't had enough of them yet0
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joshhansen360 wrote: »It originally told me 2200
So why are you eating 1800?1 -
joshhansen360 wrote: »And I happen to think egg white omelets are delicious LOL maybe I haven't had enough of them yet
Add a couple of yolks. Please.
Your list of favourite foods on your "diet" sounds both low in fat and off the pages of some men's health and fitness magazine. Being in a deficit doesn't require you to be so restrictive or stuck with such boring food options.2 -
I noticed when I was eating nutrient-dense foods that I didn't have to eat that many calories to feel satisfied.0
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joshhansen360 wrote: »I noticed when I was eating nutrient-dense foods that I didn't have to eat that many calories to feel satisfied.
Just because you're eating a lot and feeling full doesn't mean you're providing your body with sufficient nutrients. Restricting calories too much, and having too much of a deficit, is not healthy1 -
Any suggestions for meals?0
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joshhansen360 wrote: »Any suggestions for meals?
Whatever you like. Literally.2 -
joshhansen360 wrote: »Any suggestions for meals?
A balanced diet that meets your daily calorie needs.1 -
Everyone’s body is different. I believe it’s a trial and error situation until you find what works for you. Some ppl can eat whatever they want and still be ripped while some ppl have to watch what they eat because if they look at some cake they gain 30lbs . I’ve been lifting for 10 years and I’ve found the best training methods for me are to incorporate them all! Lift heavy, lift moderate weight, drop sets, supersets,etc! Have fun with it! Give it a try ! It may work it may not. Plus your only a month in. Give it at least 3 months to see some results. If your not seeing what u want then tweak your diet or workout regimen a little bit and go from there.3
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Everyone’s body is different. I believe it’s a trial and error situation until you find what works for you. Some ppl can eat whatever they want and still be ripped while some ppl have to watch what they eat because if they look at some cake they gain 30lbs . I’ve been lifting for 10 years and I’ve found the best training methods for me are to incorporate them all! Lift heavy, lift moderate weight, drop sets, supersets,etc! Have fun with it! Give it a try ! It may work it may not. Plus your only a month in. Give it at least 3 months to see some results. If your not seeing what u want then tweak your diet or workout regimen a little bit and go from there.
For someone who hasn't been doing this long, a structured lifting program would be better than tooling around in the weight room.3 -
Imo the only way you can lose fat and gain muscle is by bulking. 250 - 500 cals over maintenance. This way you are building muscle and putting on more weight, therefore reducing your body's overall body fat percentage. A 100kg kg guy at 17 % BF looks a lot leaner than an 80kg guy at 15% in my opinion.0
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Following this thread for tips and help.
Being so strict eating for weight loss and now having trouble getting my head around eating enough to build without going back to the 300 lbs me. I do cardio once a day on the weekends and twice a day during the week (1000+ total a day) plus fairly heavy weights 6-7 days a week. It is all starting to close in on me.0
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