gaining muscle size while losing fat help
RoyalRobot
Posts: 1 Member
Been working out for about a year now and I am not a small guy in general. I'm 36 years old, 6'2" and 220lbs at the moment. I dont care too much about the actual number I weigh but how I look and feel in my clothes.
I try to work out about 3-4 times per week. I switch it up and do heavy days lower reps and light days higher reps but I dont have a strict workout regiment. I have seen muscle development over the past year and am happy with some initial results in my muscle gains but I am still not losing fat and I would like to see more muscle gains.
If anyone else is also in this situation, can anyone please help me to figure out if I need to use the Myfitnesspal app to lose weight or gain weight as these look like the only option but I need to technically do both. Any help to get me on the right path is much appreciated. Thanks!!!
I try to work out about 3-4 times per week. I switch it up and do heavy days lower reps and light days higher reps but I dont have a strict workout regiment. I have seen muscle development over the past year and am happy with some initial results in my muscle gains but I am still not losing fat and I would like to see more muscle gains.
If anyone else is also in this situation, can anyone please help me to figure out if I need to use the Myfitnesspal app to lose weight or gain weight as these look like the only option but I need to technically do both. Any help to get me on the right path is much appreciated. Thanks!!!
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Replies
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It's difficult to gain muscle while losing weight. Our bodies needs extra calories to add muscle. A new lifter, someone returning from a long time off, or someone who carries significant extra weight can gain muscle while losing weight. Beyond that lifting while losing fat is done to preserve as much muscle as possible.
Your options at this point are to keep lifting while losing the fat and then consider bulking once you are lean or you can get to a comfortable level of body fat and attempt recomposition. Both options take time because building appreciable muscle takes time. It's a matter of personal preference and how well your brain can handle either option.8 -
I spent the better part of a year chasing the dream of "gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time", and wasted more money than I'd care to admit to on junk fat-burning supplements while jumping from workout to workout from "experts" on Bodybuilding.com and other such sites, before giving it up as a fool's errand.
Outside of "newbie gains", the strength and muscle gains you'll experience will be minimal at best while eating at a deficit to lose fat.
As the above commenter said, lifting will likely be geared toward retaining the muscle mass you have now while trying to lose fat.3 -
Absolutely you can gain muscle while losing body fat. You just need to eat the right amount of protein and carbs, yet stay at a slight calorie deficit. If you know what your TDEE is that would really help, just eat slightly under that and follow the recommendations for carbs/protein.8
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I gained LBM (which includes but is not limited to muscle) while losing fat over the past 12 months.
It was technically a recomp and, while my LBM increased by 6# and my BF decreased by 10#. I only lost 4# overall from 162 to 158 and dropped my BF (as measured by hydro) from 16 to 10%.
So, while my musculature became more defined, I did not gain any noticeable bulk or size, which is fine w/me because that was not my objective.
You can read the details of my experience in my "Ready to Recomp" thread posted in the Maintaining Weight subforum.4 -
You'd probably be best to cut first and more importantly get on a well structured routine that you can consistently do, while eating adequate proteins.
At best you might gain some muscle doing this but at worse, you would maintain muscle.
Workouts can be found here.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p15 -
I too tried to do both with almost no success. Beyond some minor muscle gains when you first begin training, there are only three people who can do both at the same time.
1 People who are new to training and/or have lots of fat to lose can do both for a short period of time.
2 People who are genetic freaks.
3 People who are using drugs.
You just have to pick one goal at a time, train and eat to accomplish that goal.5 -
Following this0
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Beyond some minor muscle gains when you first begin training, there are only three people who can do both at the same time.
1 People who are new to training and/or have lots of fat to lose can do both for a short period of time.
2 People who are genetic freaks.
3 People who are using drugs.
This simply not true.
I'm none of the above and was able to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. Not a lot but I was able to do it.
There was a link to an article posted by psuLemon in another thread awhile ago outlining how it can be done by other than newbies, freaks and drug users.
I'll see if I can find it.
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I have been doing this for a very long time now and personally i have seen all kinds of crap! Do yourself a huge favour and get a proper program first.
After that you have to decide what you really want, do you want to get big or do you want to loose weight totally up to you. We are all different so no matter what anyone says it might or probably not work for you.
Personally what i do is bulk up in the winter and closer to summer i start my cut but very controlled as you dont want to loose all the hard work you did.
Good luck with the adventure2 -
What does a typical week of training look like for you?
What does a typical week of eating look like for you?0 -
I too tried to do both with almost no success. Beyond some minor muscle gains when you first begin training, there are only three people who can do both at the same time.
1 People who are new to training and/or have lots of fat to lose can do both for a short period of time.
2 People who are genetic freaks.
3 People who are using drugs.
You just have to pick one goal at a time, train and eat to accomplish that goal.
I forgot to add that people who’ve built muscle in the past will exhibit the muscle memory phenomenon and can do it as well.
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Yes recomp is possible. Just be sure you have a lot of patience.californiagirl2012 wrote: »Absolutely you can gain muscle while losing body fat. You just need to eat the right amount of protein and carbs, yet stay at a slight calorie deficit. If you know what your TDEE is that would really help, just eat slightly under that and follow the recommendations for carbs/protein.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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You can gain muscle mass and lose fat at the same time. You just need to try and keep your body in an anabolic state as much as possible throughout the day. This means consuming a protein source every 2-3 hours. By doing this your body will be primarily using fat as a fuel source while building muscle.4
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natester15 wrote: »You can gain muscle mass and lose fat at the same time. You just need to try and keep your body in an anabolic state as much as possible throughout the day. This means consuming a protein source every 2-3 hours. By doing this your body will be primarily using fat as a fuel source while building muscle.
Substrate utilization is irrelevant to muscle gain. And it doesn't work that way anyway.1 -
You’re more than welcome to try it and follow some of these suggestions but you will end up frustrated by your lack of progress. To lose body fat, requires a caloric deficit. To gain muscle mass, requires a caloric surplus. Can’t do both at the same time unless you’re one of the people I mentioned on my previous post. Save yourself the trouble and work on one goal at a time if you want to move the needle one way or another with any significant results. There’s a reason why periodization is so useful.
I know that’s not a popular answer and there’s people out there that want to believe or sell something to folks claiming you can but it’s simply not true. I wish it was but the sooner you accept it and choose the goal first that’s most important to you, the sooner you can start making progress.0 -
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10611633/gaining-muscle-in-a-deficit/p1
For actual science on gaining muscle in a deficit4 -
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10611633/gaining-muscle-in-a-deficit/p1
For actual science on gaining muscle in a deficit
As I said before, an untrained person with significant fat to lose will be able to achieve this for a brief period of time, a previously trained person who has built muscle before and has since detrained, a genetically gifted person, or someone who is on drugs. All of these people can do both, for the rest of us, we can only do one at a time.0 -
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10611633/gaining-muscle-in-a-deficit/p1
For actual science on gaining muscle in a deficit
As I said before, an untrained person with significant fat to lose will be able to achieve this for a brief period of time, a previously trained person who has built muscle before and has since detrained, a genetically gifted person, or someone who is on drugs. All of these people can do both, for the rest of us, we can only do one at a time.
And considering the OP is over weight and hasnt consistently trained for 2 years, he is still a beginner.0 -
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10611633/gaining-muscle-in-a-deficit/p1
For actual science on gaining muscle in a deficit
As I said before, an untrained person with significant fat to lose will be able to achieve this for a brief period of time, a previously trained person who has built muscle before and has since detrained, a genetically gifted person, or someone who is on drugs. All of these people can do both, for the rest of us, we can only do one at a time.
And considering the OP is over weight and hasnt consistently trained for 2 years, he is still a beginner.
I agree but that will be a brief time and not a long term thing. I believe I mentioned it twice.
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https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10611633/gaining-muscle-in-a-deficit/p1
For actual science on gaining muscle in a deficit
As I said before, an untrained person with significant fat to lose will be able to achieve this for a brief period of time, a previously trained person who has built muscle before and has since detrained, a genetically gifted person, or someone who is on drugs. All of these people can do both, for the rest of us, we can only do one at a time.
And considering the OP is over weight and hasnt consistently trained for 2 years, he is still a beginner.
I agree but that will be a brief time and not a long term thing. I believe I mentioned it twice.
I am not even sure your argument. I am noy necessarily disagreeing with you. I was just posting the actual science.
And as an aside, most people assume a few months for newbie gains, which its actually longer.
But if you look at my advice, we are on the same page.
And even more, it wont matter unless he is going to get regular DEXA scans.1 -
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10611633/gaining-muscle-in-a-deficit/p1
For actual science on gaining muscle in a deficit
As I said before, an untrained person with significant fat to lose will be able to achieve this for a brief period of time, a previously trained person who has built muscle before and has since detrained, a genetically gifted person, or someone who is on drugs. All of these people can do both, for the rest of us, we can only do one at a time.
And considering the OP is over weight and hasnt consistently trained for 2 years, he is still a beginner.
I agree but that will be a brief time and not a long term thing. I believe I mentioned it twice.
I am not even sure your argument. I am noy necessarily disagreeing with you. I was just posting the actual science.
And as an aside, most people assume a few months for newbie gains, which its actually longer.
But if you look at my advice, we are on the same page.
And even more, it wont matter unless he is going to get regular DEXA scans.
I thought you were disagreeing with me. Your post about actual science was right after mine, I assumed you were. My mistake.0 -
Well in recomp, you will have days where you gain weight and days you lose weight since we never know what is exactly our maintenance calories. Mind you, it can be done, but the progress is very slow compared to the good ol' Cut and Bulk cycles. There are a few instances where you can do both at the same time, but as a few have said:
1) You're a newbie, therefore you can lose weight and gain muscles at the same time.
2) Genetic Freaks
3) People on gear
4) Former lifters who stopped training and then got back to training (Muscle memory, yes it exists)
5) Obese People
For the rest, 99% will have hard time gaining muscle and strength on a long period of time at a caloric deficit (Key word here).1
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