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Need help I’m worried what I’m doing is wrong

oscarchange
oscarchange Posts: 14 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
So I’m 5 ft 9. 72.8 kg. Was originally a lot bigger at 78kg I did a fad diet and lots of cardio ended up skinny fat which really pissed me off tbh , anyway I did a lot of reasearch and I can’t come to a conclusion on what to do about it

I’m around 17% I want to be 10% but I’ve been this weight and had no belly fat at all hardly and defiantly looked a lot better at this weight previously

Anyway I got a personal trainer and a nutritionist

The nutritionist telling me I can eat carbs keep my protein around 150-160 grams a day carbs 188 around

And fats 50


Then for the training my guys got me doing light weights (I’m a beginner ) but training 15 reps generally like dumbbell flys 15 reps , leg press 15 reps , squats 10 reps , press-ups 10 reps , lay pull downs all with time under tension of 3 seconds down 1 second up ,

He has upped the weights on some of my exersises but is this the best thing for a skinny fat guy Or would it be better for me to go heavy and stick to more 8-12 reps or even just stick to strength training ??

Also I did this thing called an in body and she told me not to focus on what I look like in the mirror but trust the Inbody machine , The results said I lost 1% bf and gained a kg of muscle , visible (not the case ) if anything I just gained fat around my face more and unless I’ve been slipped some anabolic steroid and a *kitten* load of creatine then I doubt I’m gaining 1kg in a week lol


Anyway please if you have any advice for me it would be highly appreciated.

Replies

  • oscarchange
    oscarchange Posts: 14 Member
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  • oscarchange
    oscarchange Posts: 14 Member
    This is from my trainer , I explained that I wanted to just basically bring my body fat down and just get lean and build some muscle , most of the advice from YouTube says it’s better to bring the bf down before bringing muscle up
  • MichelleMcKeeRN
    MichelleMcKeeRN Posts: 450 Member
    I think people generally bulk/gain muscle and then cut/lose the extra fat. Do you have a goal pic you can show the personal trainer?
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    I think as long as you are doing a good full body compound lifting routine that increases weight overtime, and you keep your calories around maintenance, you should be able to recomp. Is that what you're looking for?
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Why do you keep calling yourself skinny fat when you very clearly aren't at 17%?
    That's an athletic BF% - not fat in the slightest.
    My advice would be stop hanging a negative label on yourself when it's neither true or helpful - it also increases the likelihood of you getting inappropriate advice to fix a problem you don't actually have!
    You can have advanced goals of body composition and musculature without the negativity of where you are now.

    I would question why your trainer has you doing light weight / high rep training.
    It certainly can be effective for hypertrophy but it tends to be more fatiguing and less efficient.
    That's seems a very outmoded form of training in a cut in the mistaken belief high rep training cuts fat.
    But as a young, male, beginner you are likely to make good progress with any old training regime as long as you are consistent and work hard.

    The reason cutting to low BF% before bulking is more efficient muscle/fat gain partitioning when bulking from lean levels. But your trainer is correct you can choose to bulk from any BF%, a powerlifter who only cares about strength and not bothered about how lean they are for example. But that isn't your only goal - you want to be lean and that's primarily going to come from a calorie deficit. (But a small one would be suitable if you are hoping to gain muscle at the same time.) Your trainer is also correct you don't need to adopt the training and diet of a bodybuilder until/unless you have very lofty goals and many years of training effectively under your belt.

    It seems contrary but your rate of muscle gain as a beginner will far exceed what an experienced bodybuilder will achieve even if they have everything optimised. In your position it's actually hard to "do things wrong" as long as you train consistently. A 7% change in body composition isn't actually that big a number in terms of change in fat & muscle and as you get leaner small changes are far more visible (definition, separation, vascularity...).

    You do have conflicting goals - to get bigger (muscles) and get smaller (fat) and get heavier. You have to find how to manage the compromises that brings including setting priorities within realistic timescales.

    Some caution is required around the use of the InBody device - were you advised not to eat, drink or train before the reading? Was it under the same controlled conditions as the last (or series of) tests? They can be fine but if used badly can also be misleading.
  • Cant_think_of_a_username
    Cant_think_of_a_username Posts: 99 Member
    I'd say your trainer has got it about right for your goals - the missing bit is your consistency and time. Those are what will bring change and there's no quick fix. Body composition machines are notoriously inaccurate, rely more on the mirror and measurements of key body parts. Stick with it and let it happen.
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