Need to lose fat and gain muscle!!!

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igolvera210
igolvera210 Posts: 7 Member
edited July 2018 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I’m trying to bulk up while losing stomach fat and I’m having a hard time because I’m not familiar with diets for it I’m currently working out and bulking little by little but no stomach fat loss is occurring.....help!!!

Replies

  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    What's your bodyfat %? Most males should not be bulking unless they are under around 12% bodyfat. The fact you say you have stomach fat leads me to believe you're not 12% or less bodyfat.
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
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    Recomp can happen at a higher BF%, but it seems to be limited. I have built up chest and shoulders a bit and lost a little more girth with weight bouncing around more than it did during steady maintenance, but staying in range.
  • igolvera210
    igolvera210 Posts: 7 Member
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    Packerjohn wrote: »
    What's your bodyfat %? Most males should not be bulking unless they are under around 12% bodyfat. The fact you say you have stomach fat leads me to believe you're not 12% or less bodyfat.

    I’m not sure my body fat percentage but I’m sure it’s over 12 but under 20
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    Recomp can happen at a higher BF%, but it seems to be limited. I have built up chest and shoulders a bit and lost a little more girth with weight bouncing around more than it did during steady maintenance, but staying in range.
    @CarvedTones
    Recomp isn't limited to higher BF%, it's a totally normal and usual occurrence not something special. Eric Helms....
    https://muscleandstrengthpyramids.com/calorie-deficit-gain-weight/

    Bret Contreras trains and recomps people to physique show standards.
    https://bretcontreras.com/to-bulk-and-cut-or-not/

    You really shouldn't project your results onto a young male like the OP. Being older changes everything (unfortunately!).


    OP - you need to have a serious think about your priorities.
    If you want to lose body fat and gain muscle then choose between eating at maintenance or eating at a very small deficit. The bigger the deficit the faster the fat loss but chances of building muscle get more remote the bigger the deficit.
    If building muscle is more of a priority then maintenance or a very, very small surplus but then you are deferring getting leaner and it's not optimal to bulk from a higher BF%.

    Whatever you do optimise your training with a really good program designed for your lifting status, that's what drives muscle growth and I see so many young men doing frankly awful routines and wasting the years when muscle growth is relatively easy.

    I said it can happen at a higher BF%. I did not say it was limited to a higher BF%.

    Get off my lawn! :smiley:
  • igolvera210
    igolvera210 Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    sijomial wrote: »
    Recomp can happen at a higher BF%, but it seems to be limited. I have built up chest and shoulders a bit and lost a little more girth with weight bouncing around more than it did during steady maintenance, but staying in range.
    @CarvedTones
    Recomp isn't limited to higher BF%, it's a totally normal and usual occurrence not something special. Eric Helms....
    https://muscleandstrengthpyramids.com/calorie-deficit-gain-weight/

    Bret Contreras trains and recomps people to physique show standards.
    https://bretcontreras.com/to-bulk-and-cut-or-not/

    You really shouldn't project your results onto a young male like the OP. Being older changes everything (unfortunately!).


    OP - you need to have a serious think about your priorities.
    If you want to lose body fat and gain muscle then choose between eating at maintenance or eating at a very small deficit. The bigger the deficit the faster the fat loss but chances of building muscle get more remote the bigger the deficit.
    If building muscle is more of a priority then maintenance or a very, very small surplus but then you are deferring getting leaner and it's not optimal to bulk from a higher BF%.

    Whatever you do optimise your training with a really good program designed for your lifting status, that's what drives muscle growth and I see so many young men doing frankly awful routines and wasting the years when muscle growth is relatively easy.

    Thanks for the input I’m new to this and I’m gaining muscle pretty well I just have 𝙛𝙖𝙩 around my stomach but I gotta either do one or the other and my goal is to get bigger not smaller I’m guessing I’ll work on the bulking part and run on days I’m not lifting
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    Recomp can happen at a higher BF%, but it seems to be limited. I have built up chest and shoulders a bit and lost a little more girth with weight bouncing around more than it did during steady maintenance, but staying in range.
    @CarvedTones
    Recomp isn't limited to higher BF%, it's a totally normal and usual occurrence not something special. Eric Helms....
    https://muscleandstrengthpyramids.com/calorie-deficit-gain-weight/

    Bret Contreras trains and recomps people to physique show standards.
    https://bretcontreras.com/to-bulk-and-cut-or-not/

    You really shouldn't project your results onto a young male like the OP. Being older changes everything (unfortunately!).


    OP - you need to have a serious think about your priorities.
    If you want to lose body fat and gain muscle then choose between eating at maintenance or eating at a very small deficit. The bigger the deficit the faster the fat loss but chances of building muscle get more remote the bigger the deficit.
    If building muscle is more of a priority then maintenance or a very, very small surplus but then you are deferring getting leaner and it's not optimal to bulk from a higher BF%.

    Whatever you do optimise your training with a really good program designed for your lifting status, that's what drives muscle growth and I see so many young men doing frankly awful routines and wasting the years when muscle growth is relatively easy.

    Thanks for the input I’m new to this and I’m gaining muscle pretty well I just have 𝙛𝙖𝙩 around my stomach but I gotta either do one or the other and my goal is to get bigger not smaller I’m guessing I’ll work on the bulking part and run on days I’m not lifting

    Running will not shrink your midsection unless it puts you in a calorie deficit...which would also be the same thing as just eating less to put you in a calorie deficit.
  • igolvera210
    igolvera210 Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    Recomp can happen at a higher BF%, but it seems to be limited. I have built up chest and shoulders a bit and lost a little more girth with weight bouncing around more than it did during steady maintenance, but staying in range.
    @CarvedTones
    Recomp isn't limited to higher BF%, it's a totally normal and usual occurrence not something special. Eric Helms....
    https://muscleandstrengthpyramids.com/calorie-deficit-gain-weight/

    Bret Contreras trains and recomps people to physique show standards.
    https://bretcontreras.com/to-bulk-and-cut-or-not/

    You really shouldn't project your results onto a young male like the OP. Being older changes everything (unfortunately!).


    OP - you need to have a serious think about your priorities.
    If you want to lose body fat and gain muscle then choose between eating at maintenance or eating at a very small deficit. The bigger the deficit the faster the fat loss but chances of building muscle get more remote the bigger the deficit.
    If building muscle is more of a priority then maintenance or a very, very small surplus but then you are deferring getting leaner and it's not optimal to bulk from a higher BF%.

    Whatever you do optimise your training with a really good program designed for your lifting status, that's what drives muscle growth and I see so many young men doing frankly awful routines and wasting the years when muscle growth is relatively easy.

    Thanks for the input I’m new to this and I’m gaining muscle pretty well I just have 𝙛𝙖𝙩 around my stomach but I gotta either do one or the other and my goal is to get bigger not smaller I’m guessing I’ll work on the bulking part and run on days I’m not lifting

    Running will not shrink your midsection unless it puts you in a calorie deficit...which would also be the same thing as just eating less to put you in a calorie deficit.

    So what is best then to lose fat while working out? I weigh 212 and I’m 5’11 but I have not a huge stomach but I do have some handles to lose what I’m scared of is losing weight and looking small I wanna look the same just leaner and less fat
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    Recomp can happen at a higher BF%, but it seems to be limited. I have built up chest and shoulders a bit and lost a little more girth with weight bouncing around more than it did during steady maintenance, but staying in range.
    @CarvedTones
    Recomp isn't limited to higher BF%, it's a totally normal and usual occurrence not something special. Eric Helms....
    https://muscleandstrengthpyramids.com/calorie-deficit-gain-weight/

    Bret Contreras trains and recomps people to physique show standards.
    https://bretcontreras.com/to-bulk-and-cut-or-not/

    You really shouldn't project your results onto a young male like the OP. Being older changes everything (unfortunately!).


    OP - you need to have a serious think about your priorities.
    If you want to lose body fat and gain muscle then choose between eating at maintenance or eating at a very small deficit. The bigger the deficit the faster the fat loss but chances of building muscle get more remote the bigger the deficit.
    If building muscle is more of a priority then maintenance or a very, very small surplus but then you are deferring getting leaner and it's not optimal to bulk from a higher BF%.

    Whatever you do optimise your training with a really good program designed for your lifting status, that's what drives muscle growth and I see so many young men doing frankly awful routines and wasting the years when muscle growth is relatively easy.

    Thanks for the input I’m new to this and I’m gaining muscle pretty well I just have 𝙛𝙖𝙩 around my stomach but I gotta either do one or the other and my goal is to get bigger not smaller I’m guessing I’ll work on the bulking part and run on days I’m not lifting

    Running will not shrink your midsection unless it puts you in a calorie deficit...which would also be the same thing as just eating less to put you in a calorie deficit.

    So what is best then to lose fat while working out? I weigh 212 and I’m 5’11 but I have not a huge stomach but I do have some handles to lose what I’m scared of is losing weight and looking small I wanna look the same just leaner and less fat

    Pick a quality program, follow it for 6 months.

    at your size, you could probably do a slow cut or a recomp.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    Options
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    Recomp can happen at a higher BF%, but it seems to be limited. I have built up chest and shoulders a bit and lost a little more girth with weight bouncing around more than it did during steady maintenance, but staying in range.
    @CarvedTones
    Recomp isn't limited to higher BF%, it's a totally normal and usual occurrence not something special. Eric Helms....
    https://muscleandstrengthpyramids.com/calorie-deficit-gain-weight/

    Bret Contreras trains and recomps people to physique show standards.
    https://bretcontreras.com/to-bulk-and-cut-or-not/

    You really shouldn't project your results onto a young male like the OP. Being older changes everything (unfortunately!).


    OP - you need to have a serious think about your priorities.
    If you want to lose body fat and gain muscle then choose between eating at maintenance or eating at a very small deficit. The bigger the deficit the faster the fat loss but chances of building muscle get more remote the bigger the deficit.
    If building muscle is more of a priority then maintenance or a very, very small surplus but then you are deferring getting leaner and it's not optimal to bulk from a higher BF%.

    Whatever you do optimise your training with a really good program designed for your lifting status, that's what drives muscle growth and I see so many young men doing frankly awful routines and wasting the years when muscle growth is relatively easy.

    Thanks for the input I’m new to this and I’m gaining muscle pretty well I just have 𝙛𝙖𝙩 around my stomach but I gotta either do one or the other and my goal is to get bigger not smaller I’m guessing I’ll work on the bulking part and run on days I’m not lifting

    Running will not shrink your midsection unless it puts you in a calorie deficit...which would also be the same thing as just eating less to put you in a calorie deficit.

    So what is best then to lose fat while working out? I weigh 212 and I’m 5’11 but I have not a huge stomach but I do have some handles to lose what I’m scared of is losing weight and looking small I wanna look the same just leaner and less fat

    To lose fat, you consume less calories than you burn.
  • Roadie2000
    Roadie2000 Posts: 1,801 Member
    Options
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    Recomp can happen at a higher BF%, but it seems to be limited. I have built up chest and shoulders a bit and lost a little more girth with weight bouncing around more than it did during steady maintenance, but staying in range.
    @CarvedTones
    Recomp isn't limited to higher BF%, it's a totally normal and usual occurrence not something special. Eric Helms....
    https://muscleandstrengthpyramids.com/calorie-deficit-gain-weight/

    Bret Contreras trains and recomps people to physique show standards.
    https://bretcontreras.com/to-bulk-and-cut-or-not/

    You really shouldn't project your results onto a young male like the OP. Being older changes everything (unfortunately!).


    OP - you need to have a serious think about your priorities.
    If you want to lose body fat and gain muscle then choose between eating at maintenance or eating at a very small deficit. The bigger the deficit the faster the fat loss but chances of building muscle get more remote the bigger the deficit.
    If building muscle is more of a priority then maintenance or a very, very small surplus but then you are deferring getting leaner and it's not optimal to bulk from a higher BF%.

    Whatever you do optimise your training with a really good program designed for your lifting status, that's what drives muscle growth and I see so many young men doing frankly awful routines and wasting the years when muscle growth is relatively easy.

    Thanks for the input I’m new to this and I’m gaining muscle pretty well I just have 𝙛𝙖𝙩 around my stomach but I gotta either do one or the other and my goal is to get bigger not smaller I’m guessing I’ll work on the bulking part and run on days I’m not lifting

    Running will not shrink your midsection unless it puts you in a calorie deficit...which would also be the same thing as just eating less to put you in a calorie deficit.

    So what is best then to lose fat while working out? I weigh 212 and I’m 5’11 but I have not a huge stomach but I do have some handles to lose what I’m scared of is losing weight and looking small I wanna look the same just leaner and less fat

    Eat fewer calories than you burn in a day. That is the best way to lose fat IMO. If you follow a good lifting program and eat plenty of protein you won't lose much muscle, you might even gain some for a while.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    Options
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    Recomp can happen at a higher BF%, but it seems to be limited. I have built up chest and shoulders a bit and lost a little more girth with weight bouncing around more than it did during steady maintenance, but staying in range.
    @CarvedTones
    Recomp isn't limited to higher BF%, it's a totally normal and usual occurrence not something special. Eric Helms....
    https://muscleandstrengthpyramids.com/calorie-deficit-gain-weight/

    Bret Contreras trains and recomps people to physique show standards.
    https://bretcontreras.com/to-bulk-and-cut-or-not/

    You really shouldn't project your results onto a young male like the OP. Being older changes everything (unfortunately!).


    OP - you need to have a serious think about your priorities.
    If you want to lose body fat and gain muscle then choose between eating at maintenance or eating at a very small deficit. The bigger the deficit the faster the fat loss but chances of building muscle get more remote the bigger the deficit.
    If building muscle is more of a priority then maintenance or a very, very small surplus but then you are deferring getting leaner and it's not optimal to bulk from a higher BF%.

    Whatever you do optimise your training with a really good program designed for your lifting status, that's what drives muscle growth and I see so many young men doing frankly awful routines and wasting the years when muscle growth is relatively easy.

    Thanks for the input I’m new to this and I’m gaining muscle pretty well I just have 𝙛𝙖𝙩 around my stomach but I gotta either do one or the other and my goal is to get bigger not smaller I’m guessing I’ll work on the bulking part and run on days I’m not lifting

    Running will not shrink your midsection unless it puts you in a calorie deficit...which would also be the same thing as just eating less to put you in a calorie deficit.

    So what is best then to lose fat while working out? I weigh 212 and I’m 5’11 but I have not a huge stomach but I do have some handles to lose what I’m scared of is losing weight and looking small I wanna look the same just leaner and less fat

    "Leaner and less fat" describes recomp to a T.

    With your stats and description though I would have thought a small deficit/slow rate of weight loss would be more appropriate than recomp at maintenance calories.
  • igolvera210
    igolvera210 Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    sijomial wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    Recomp can happen at a higher BF%, but it seems to be limited. I have built up chest and shoulders a bit and lost a little more girth with weight bouncing around more than it did during steady maintenance, but staying in range.
    @CarvedTones
    Recomp isn't limited to higher BF%, it's a totally normal and usual occurrence not something special. Eric Helms....
    https://muscleandstrengthpyramids.com/calorie-deficit-gain-weight/

    Bret Contreras trains and recomps people to physique show standards.
    https://bretcontreras.com/to-bulk-and-cut-or-not/

    You really shouldn't project your results onto a young male like the OP. Being older changes everything (unfortunately!).


    OP - you need to have a serious think about your priorities.
    If you want to lose body fat and gain muscle then choose between eating at maintenance or eating at a very small deficit. The bigger the deficit the faster the fat loss but chances of building muscle get more remote the bigger the deficit.
    If building muscle is more of a priority then maintenance or a very, very small surplus but then you are deferring getting leaner and it's not optimal to bulk from a higher BF%.

    Whatever you do optimise your training with a really good program designed for your lifting status, that's what drives muscle growth and I see so many young men doing frankly awful routines and wasting the years when muscle growth is relatively easy.

    Thanks for the input I’m new to this and I’m gaining muscle pretty well I just have 𝙛𝙖𝙩 around my stomach but I gotta either do one or the other and my goal is to get bigger not smaller I’m guessing I’ll work on the bulking part and run on days I’m not lifting

    Running will not shrink your midsection unless it puts you in a calorie deficit...which would also be the same thing as just eating less to put you in a calorie deficit.

    So what is best then to lose fat while working out? I weigh 212 and I’m 5’11 but I have not a huge stomach but I do have some handles to lose what I’m scared of is losing weight and looking small I wanna look the same just leaner and less fat

    "Leaner and less fat" describes recomp to a T.

    With your stats and description though I would have thought a small deficit/slow rate of weight loss would be more appropriate than recomp at maintenance calories.

    Ok how do I go about doing it that way?