Losing fat and adding muscle?

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2007-01-09 1:07 PM

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Master
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Subject: Losing fat and adding muscle?
 I would like to lose another 20 pounds of fat this year while adding 10 pounds of muscle.  SO net loss is 10lbs.  but body fat% would change dramatically.    Is this possible over a year? To add muscle you want to eat extra cals while pumping iron.  To lose fat you want to eat less and do aerobic exercise.   Don't these contradict one another?  How can you do both?   Any ideas?

2007-01-09 1:49 PM
in reply to: #647967

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Subject: RE: Losing fat and adding muscle?
I have been kinda working on the same thing (we're having a contest here at work). While I dont have a specific goal such as yourself, here is what is working for me so far (I am winning the contest right now):

1. Control your calories: Make sure you know, or can estimate, your BMR and try to make your standard 500 calorie deficit for the day that way. Any additional you burn over this is gravy but you have to have a calorie deficit to lose weight, its just science.
2. Up your protein: Most say that you should shoot for an average of 1-1.5g per pound of body weight, I still havent been able to get there though. What I do know is that the combination of watching my calories and adding protein has dramatically increased my body fat percentages for the better.
3. Add weight training: Me, I am doing circuits. Six to eight exercises with no rest in between, 2min rest between circuits, 3-4 circuits at a time. It keeps your heart rate elevated while building muscle. It also makes you hurt
4. Dont stop your normal training: Keep your overall triathlon goals in mind and make sure you train for them first. You can always lose fat, add muscle over the course of time.
5. Make sure you have a day of eating for yourself: Since you're going to need to change your diet, probably dramatically, make sure that you leave yourself time (1-2 days a month or so) where you can eat the bad things you are used to eating.

For you, if you want to add the ten pounds I would think that dropping the fat would be the best first step and then adding the muscle back on in a healthy fashion would be the second step.

Overall for me, these things have helped me drop 12 pounds and decrease my body fat percentage from 17.5 to 14.4 in the last 6-8 weeks while keeping my muscle mass current, I hope to get my body fat to around 13% before the end of Feb while maintaing my current muscle mass (right around 160 right now).
2007-01-09 3:10 PM
in reply to: #647967

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Master
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West Jordan, UT
Subject: RE: Losing fat and adding muscle?
Those sound like good ideas, thanks.   I last 40 pounds last year, including 10 pounds of muscle.    I went from 28 to 22% , so my diet is probably OK although it could be better.    
2007-01-09 4:16 PM
in reply to: #647967

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Subject: RE: Losing fat and adding muscle?
Yeah I saw your logs, you should be really proud of yourself and your weight loss to date. Just keep in mind that you are going to lose muscle if you want to weigh less, its just going to happen. I would pick a goal weight and then figure out what a healthy muscle weight would be from there. That way it isnt such a looming number for you to watch.
2007-01-09 8:08 PM
in reply to: #647967

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Master
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Subject: RE: Losing fat and adding muscle?

I may have misread what I think you're saying, so please correct me if I misunderstood.  You can't lose XX lbs of body fat and then gain XX pounds of muscle.  It's a simultaneous process.  By lifting weights, you'll build more muscle.  During cardio workouts, your muscles help  burn the fat.  As you gain more muscle, you'll burn more fat and you WILL lose weight.  The equation you sited in your original post is not accurate.  It's not a one-or-the-other type of thing.

Check out these two BT articles: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=...

2007-01-09 11:33 PM
in reply to: #647967

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Master
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Subject: RE: Losing fat and adding muscle?

okaaaaaaay, so my links didn't work!  Go to "Articles" and read the "The Benefits of Strength Training in Triathlon" and "Triathlon for Weightloss?"  Good stuff.

Good luck!

 

2007-01-12 5:22 PM
in reply to: #648488

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Subject: RE: Losing fat and adding muscle?
elektra - 2007-01-09 6:08 PM

I may have misread what I think you're saying, so please correct me if I misunderstood. You can't lose XX lbs of body fat and then gain XX pounds of muscle. It's a simultaneous process. By lifting weights, you'll build more muscle. During cardio workouts, your muscles help burn the fat. As you gain more muscle, you'll burn more fat and you WILL lose weight. The equation you sited in your original post is not accurate. It's not a one-or-the-other type of thing.

Check out these two BT articles: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=...

 

I agree with Elektra so often, but here I might disagree. Newbies can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, and all but perhaps the most serious BB'ers can as well (maybe). It would require serious diligence with the diet, eating the right things at the right time, and limiting many macronutrients to certain times of day (post exercise for all starchy carbs, for example).

 

The OP might be better off losing the fat first - race during the season - then come Spetember or so, actively work on bulking, while reducing the amount of cardio in the form of training.

 

Again, however, I like John Berardi and found his book, The Metabolism Advantage to be a good read - and it follows topic here (re: gaining muscle and losing fat at the 'same time').

 

 

2007-01-13 11:34 AM
in reply to: #653009

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Subject: RE: Losing fat and adding muscle?
coachese - 2007-01-12 3:22 PM
elektra - 2007-01-09 6:08 PM

I may have misread what I think you're saying, so please correct me if I misunderstood. You can't lose XX lbs of body fat and then gain XX pounds of muscle. It's a simultaneous process. By lifting weights, you'll build more muscle. During cardio workouts, your muscles help burn the fat. As you gain more muscle, you'll burn more fat and you WILL lose weight. The equation you sited in your original post is not accurate. It's not a one-or-the-other type of thing.

Check out these two BT articles: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=...

 

I agree with Elektra so often, but here I might disagree. Newbies can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, and all but perhaps the most serious BB'ers can as well (maybe). It would require serious diligence with the diet, eating the right things at the right time, and limiting many macronutrients to certain times of day (post exercise for all starchy carbs, for example).

 

The OP might be better off losing the fat first - race during the season - then come Spetember or so, actively work on bulking, while reducing the amount of cardio in the form of training.

 

Again, however, I like John Berardi and found his book, The Metabolism Advantage to be a good read - and it follows topic here (re: gaining muscle and losing fat at the 'same time').

 

 

You can disagree with me anytime...I'm in love with your avatar. 

I concur that the muscle gain/weight loss is easier for newbies...that's when I saw my most significant losses.  

But if muscle helps us burn up the fat, doesn't it make sense to add weight training now?  I've been pretty disappointed with my recent plateau and was just looking at some of my weight chart data.  In the last three weeks, my muscle mass has increased 3.2 pounds but my weight has stayed the same (relatively...there were minor fluctuations.).  So there had to be a fat loss as well, right? My BF% is also down roughly 2%...which would make sense: aprox. 3 pounds of body fat lost.

I absolutely agree that is easier to focus on just fat loss outside of training/racing season.  The problem is...I always seem to be training for SOMETHING.   

2007-01-16 6:33 PM
in reply to: #653444

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Subject: RE: Losing fat and adding muscle?

But if muscle helps us burn up the fat, doesn't it make sense to add weight training now?

 

Absolutely. OP should be lifting with the same attention/intensity given to S/B/R. 

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