How can one gain muscle AND lose fat at the same time? - Weight Loss Message Board

DonutsNCoffee · 05-20-2003, 09:33 AM

Everything I've read and heard says that it's extremely difficult for the "average" person to be able to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. For most people, if you try to gain muscle, you'll also gain some fat and if you try to lose fat, you might lose some muscle. But I also know there are people who've successfully lost fat while trying to gain muscle. What's their secret? Are they just genetically lucky? Does it make a difference how much fat they started with? Is the fat they lose internal or is it also the subcutaneous fat?

Just curious to know what's required. So far, I've been focusing just on fat loss and I got down to 13%. I figured that once I got my body fat low enough, I could switch to bulking up. But I'm getting impatient and really want to add muscle now, but I still have more fat to lose. So to anyone who's successfully lost fat while trying to gain muscle, what do you do?

QweenyBluEyes · 05-20-2003, 10:16 AM

To gain muscle you need to start body building and lifting, but to lose the fat you need to eat lots of protein.

You may want to post this in the exersize and fitness forum. You would get lots more answers.

SWAT911 · 05-20-2003, 10:20 AM

Here's the key:

A CORRECT balance of diet, cardio, and weights.

I own a bowflex and I do specific muscle groups 5 days a week. For example, I do:

Monday - 45 minutes of cardio twice a day
Tuesday - Bowflex workout for SHOULDERS and TRICEPS, then 45 minutes of cardio
Wednesday - Bowflex for back workouts and 45 minutes of cardio
Thursday - Bowflex for arms (biceps, etc)- 45 minutes of cardio
Friday - Bowflex for legs - 40 minutes of cardio
Saturday - 45 minutes of cardio
Sunday OFF

The key is a diet high in protein and supplementing your muscles with protein after a workout - and the cardio and low carb diet (plus water) will help with losing the fat.

Granted, I am trying to get back in shape but I was a Division I Collegiate athlete for 4 years and I know what worked for me.

I hope this helps.

DonutsNCoffee · 05-20-2003, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by QweenyBluEyes:
To gain muscle you need to start body building and lifting, but to lose the fat you need to eat lots of protein.

You may want to post this in the exersize and fitness forum. You would get lots more answers.

Thanks, but I already knew this stuff and I already posted this same thread in the Exercise and Fitness forum.

DonutsNCoffee · 05-20-2003, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SWAT911:
Monday - 45 minutes of cardio twice a day
Tuesday - Bowflex workout for SHOULDERS and TRICEPS, then 45 minutes of cardio
Wednesday - Bowflex for back workouts and 45 minutes of cardio
Thursday - Bowflex for arms (biceps, etc)- 45 minutes of cardio
Friday - Bowflex for legs - 40 minutes of cardio
Saturday - 45 minutes of cardio
Sunday OFF

The key is a diet high in protein and supplementing your muscles with protein after a workout - and the cardio and low carb diet (plus water) will help with losing the fat.

I generally avoid doing cardio after weight lifting. As soon as I'm done, I want to create the insulin spike and trigger IGF-1 release. Doing cardio would hamper that cause it'll just use up the sugar and prevent the insulin spike.