Losing Fat While Maintaining Muscle

[Turbos6]

Hey All,

First post for me, I am just curious as to how do I go about losing fat while maintaining my muscle (or adding muscle). Just any useful hints/tips you all may have would be appreciated!

Cheers

[Pseudonym]

Hey mate, welcome. There are many different theories on how to lose fat while maintaining muscle. Ultimately, regardless of what you do, you'll need to keep your protein intake high.

I'm testing the Anabolic Dietnow - you could give that a go.

[sharky]

Hey bro,

what kind of cardio do you do? i think HIIT training is good for shredding that unwanted fat and keeping your muscles. Take a look a sprinters for example, there cut as. I trying to also get lean, protein intake must stay high I'm assuming and diet must be clean. any other suggestions from others would be great.

[Turbos6]

Doing Interval training generally, also long runs too a couple of times a week. What kind of intervals and stuff do you recommend with the HIT? Some people believe longer and slower is better don't they?

[polish]

Hey mate, welcome. There are many different theories on how to lose fat while maintaining muscle. Ultimately, regardless of what you do, you'll need to keep your protein intake high.

I'm testing the Anabolic Dietnow - you could give that a go.

This looks interesting......how's it going for you? How long you been on it and what are your results??

I am currently on a cutting diet 50/30/20 (P/C/F)

Here is my meal plan

http://polish69er.blogspot.com/2009/11/ ... -plan.html

so far so good i lost about 13 lbs in 2.5 weeks. I lost too much at first. I adjusted my diet...and I am good now. This is without any cardio (well I play hockey once a week)...I will be adding cardio soon.

I wouldn't mind trying this diet as well. Looking forward to your response.

[InZane]

Like many others, I too am cutting from a winter bulk. Roll on summer!!!

I have had good success so far by an overall reduction in calories by reducing carbs (significantly) and raising protien intake. Only light cardio (mostly walking).

So far I've lost a heap of fat (about 5kgs) and actually gained muscle. I.e. I'm at a stage were the scale isn't moving downwards very quickly but I can see in the morror lines showing (every week) where there were previously none.

The secrect (I think) is in not overdoing the cardio but also keeping the intensity up at the Gym (which is bloody hard on low carbs), but it can be done.

I'm now looking forward to winter again :?

[agent86]

Inzan wrote:

So far I've lost a heap of fat (about 5kgs) and actually gained muscle.

How did you calculate this or are you just guessing as it is a bold statement to make without evidence?

[KIMURA]

Inzan wrote:

So far I've lost a heap of fat (about 5kgs) and actually gained muscle.

How did you calculate this or are you just guessing as it is a bold statement to make without evidence?

Don't be too hard on him, was probably just a guesstimate. Sounds like he's on the right track though and its not that difficult to lose 5kg of bodyfat if you have a good diet and training program (depending on how much you have, obviously). But a skinfold test before and after would be a simple way to calculate this.

[trainharder]

Inzan wrote:

So far I've lost a heap of fat (about 5kgs) and actually gained muscle.

How did you calculate this or are you just guessing as it is a bold statement to make without evidence?

Don't be too hard on him, was probably just a guesstimate. Sounds like he's on the right track though and its not that difficult to lose 5kg of bodyfat if you have a good diet and training program (depending on how much you have, obviously). But a skinfold test before and after would be a simple way to calculate this.

i dont think Agent86 was being hard on him

i think it was more directed at the fact he says hes lost 5 kgs of fat and gained muscle

i think whats happening is hes seeing the muscle that was previously hidden and looks better.not gained any new muscle

to gain muscle while loosing fat is nearly impossible if its possible we would all be big and ripped with no fat.

when your on a calorie deficit diet how can you gain muscle?

[KIMURA]

Inzan wrote:

How did you calculate this or are you just guessing as it is a bold statement to make without evidence?

Don't be too hard on him, was probably just a guesstimate. Sounds like he's on the right track though and its not that difficult to lose 5kg of bodyfat if you have a good diet and training program (depending on how much you have, obviously). But a skinfold test before and after would be a simple way to calculate this.

i dont think Agent86 was being hard on him

i think it was more directed at the fact he says hes lost 5 kgs of fat and gained muscle

i think whats happening is hes seeing the muscle that was previously hidden and looks better.not gained any new muscle

to gain muscle while loosing fat is nearly impossible if its possible we would all be big and ripped with no fat.

when your on a calorie deficit diet how can you gain muscle?

For a newbie like him it would be very possible if he has not had good nutrition previously. Maybe for you it would be a different story. To say if it was possible we would all be big and ripped with no fat is abit silly. I can vouch for gaining muscle while losing bodyfat as it has happened to me on a couple of different diets i got given and had the skin fold tests from a very reputable nutritionalist in the bussiness.

[agent86]

This article is inspired by a lot of the questions people have e-mailed to me since I've had this site up. I must have answered this question 100's of times by now. The questions are usually something like "How can I gain muscle and lose fat at the same time?" or "I want to lose fat but gain muscle at the same time, how can I do it?" If you went into a gym and took a poll of what everyone's goal was, I can bet that most, if not all, would say to gain muscle and lose fat. I doubt there is anyone who just wants to lose fat, they want to gain muscle while they are at it, and visa-versa! So, is it? Is it possible to both lose fat and gain muscle at the same time? No, it is NOT possible, and I will not only tell you why its not possible, but I'll also tell you how you can do both, just not at the same time.

To lose fat, what do you have to do? You have to do lots of cardio, eat a low carb/low fat/lower calorie diet, and of course, lift weights. To gain muscle, what do you have to do? Do little or no cardio, eat a high calorie/higher carb/higher fat diet, and again, lift weights. Did you notice something there? Yup, they are complete opposites. Trying to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time would be like trying to sit and stand at the same time. It just can't be done. This is why most people who are trying to do both at the same time see no results and give up. So, then how can it be done? How can you lose fat and gain muscle if you can't do both at the same time? Simple, you don't do them at the same time. You do them in phases.

[trainharder]

Don't be too hard on him, was probably just a guesstimate. Sounds like he's on the right track though and its not that difficult to lose 5kg of bodyfat if you have a good diet and training program (depending on how much you have, obviously). But a skinfold test before and after would be a simple way to calculate this.

i dont think Agent86 was being hard on him

i think it was more directed at the fact he says hes lost 5 kgs of fat and gained muscle

i think whats happening is hes seeing the muscle that was previously hidden and looks better.not gained any new muscle

to gain muscle while loosing fat is nearly impossible if its possible we would all be big and ripped with no fat.

when your on a calorie deficit diet how can you gain muscle?

For a newbie like him it would be very possible if he has not had good nutrition previously. Maybe for you it would be a different story. To say if it was possible we would all be big and ripped with no fat is abit silly. I can vouch for gaining muscle while losing bodyfat as it has happened to me on a couple of different diets i got given and had the skin fold tests from a very reputable nutritionalist in the bussiness.

skinfold tests are not accurate theres so many factors to take into account water retension etc

so if you did this on 2 different diets why stop?

why change from your first diet if you made such great results?

why even experiment with another diet?

why not keep going on these diets if you go such good gains?

and why do you need to see a nutritianalist for skin fold tests?

i would get someone impartial who isnt getting paid to tell you what great results your getting just so you return for more advice.

seriously the only way to get leaner and gain muscle is with gh etc.

i know when dieting i look bigger and with more muscle but there is muscle loss when dieting.its an illussion.

dieting for fat loss meands you are getting into calorie deficiency and how can you gain muscle when your body is burning more than is coming in.

[InZane]

So funny how there are those who have debates over someone else's body yet don't know shit about them or their history. I suppose I should be used to this as it's happened to me so many times on this site. Yet I'm still not dissuaded from posting comments that I think are relevant to the topic at hand.

Now, I certainly don't have to prove anything here. Just passing on my experience. I've been posting photos on the site over the past year and will continue to do so in another few weeks to show progress.

FYI: I'm not a newbie and don't do training in a vacuum. I obviously get feedback by way of various means and have been employing numerous methods in this cutting phase.

[agent86]

As soon as you make a post you leave yourself open for discussion. If you don't want that then don't post. You make a statement without proof on a subject which is the holy grail to bodybuilders which is to lose fat and gain muscle.

If you want photos of me go to the Nabba website and look for Results and find Max Stott.

Don't get so uptight people when your thoughts are challenged. This is the Kiwi attitude of nobody questions me. Well I am questioning your statement of building muscle and losing fat at the same time. If you have credible evidence then show it or shut up.

[InZane]

As soon as you make a post you leave yourself open for discussion. If you don't want that then don't post. You make a statement without proof on a subject which is the holy grail to bodybuilders which is to lose fat and gain muscle.

If you want photos of me go to the Nabba website and look for Results and find Max Stott.

Don't get so uptight people when your thoughts are challenged. This is the Kiwi attitude of nobody questions me. Well I am questioning your statement of building muscle and losing fat at the same time. If you have credible evidence then show it or shut up.

Nice.

Ok then...

...just did and am VERY impressed. Particularly at the 50+. Totally awesome.

[boostinggtir]

As soon as you make a post you leave yourself open for discussion. If you don't want that then don't post. You make a statement without proof on a subject which is the holy grail to bodybuilders which is to lose fat and gain muscle.

If you want photos of me go to the Nabba website and look for Results and find Max Stott.

Don't get so uptight people when your thoughts are challenged. This is the Kiwi attitude of nobody questions me. Well I am questioning your statement of building muscle and losing fat at the same time. If you have credible evidence then show it or shut up.

Cosign...

[KIMURA]

so if you did this on 2 different diets why stop?

why change from your first diet if you made such great results?

why even experiment with another diet?

why not keep going on these diets if you go such good gains?

and why do you need to see a nutritianalist for skin fold tests?

As I said before RE: Newbie gains, this was when i first began competing. i had been training for a couple of years previous to this and had no idea about nutrition then went to see a nutritionalist got a good diet STUCK TO IT and gained weight while losing bodyfat. Of course i ganed less each time as you do, then experimented with aas which this particular lady doesnt agree with so i went my separate way. Researched and learnt enough that i felt confident to semi do my own. as for skin caliper tests, regardless of all the 'hu ha' thery're accurate enough to give u an idea of what your bodys doing. and you don't need a nutritionalist to do a fucking caliper test, what a foolish question. It just makes sense for them to do it at each consultation leading up to a comp. normally included in the price too. Blah blah you get the picture.

Just because someone has done something you can't doesn't mean it can't be done.

[KIMURA]

FYI: I'm not a newbie and don't do training in a vacuum.

Coulda fooled me.

[Roidzilla]

you bigred's are comparing apples and oranges - gaining LEANMASS while dropping BF% is a totally different animal when aas is involved. that is one of the attractions of it!

im not saying it can only be done on aas, but the circumstances that are needed for it to happen naturally is a PERFECT diet, and usually better than average genetics.

newbie gains not included.

[InZane]

As soon as you make a post you leave yourself open for discussion. If you don't want that then don't post. You make a statement without proof on a subject which is the holy grail to bodybuilders which is to lose fat and gain muscle.

If you want photos of me go to the Nabba website and look for Results and find Max Stott.

Don't get so uptight people when your thoughts are challenged. This is the Kiwi attitude of nobody questions me. Well I am questioning your statement of building muscle and losing fat at the same time. If you have credible evidence then show it or shut up.

Cosign...

Like that's a surprise coming from you...one of the bigger shit stirrers around here. Heat getting to you up there in the tropics...

[boostinggtir]

As soon as you make a post you leave yourself open for discussion. If you don't want that then don't post. You make a statement without proof on a subject which is the holy grail to bodybuilders which is to lose fat and gain muscle.

If you want photos of me go to the Nabba website and look for Results and find Max Stott.

Don't get so uptight people when your thoughts are challenged. This is the Kiwi attitude of nobody questions me. Well I am questioning your statement of building muscle and losing fat at the same time. If you have credible evidence then show it or shut up.

Cosign...

Like that's a surprise coming from you...one of the bigger shit stirrers around here. Heat getting to you up there in the tropics...

lmao, sounding a little sensitive bro..

yes, it is actually.

Cheers for caring.

Izboostinggtire

[InZane]

Just envious...love the heat.

[drizzt]

FWIW, in my recent (well, current) cut I've lost 10kg and the weights I'm lifting have improved across the board since I started.

I think this has a lot to do with going from absolutely no idea of what I was doing nutrition-wise (I rarely ever bothered with Protein supplementation), to a pretty damn clean diet with a heck of a lot more protein than I was taking previously.

I also revamped my weights routine. I was generally just maintaining my weights through Rugby season (i.e 6months or so, same old 12-15 reps for everything mostly, focusing on explosiveness), so changing the way I exercised - particularly going to lower reps more often - was IMHO always going to yield improvements. Better technique has helped in a couple of exercises which has not only helped build muscle that I wasn't utilizing previously, but in the case of bench for example, a couple of adjustments has helped what I'm lifting also.

The cardio didn't change too much really, apart from adding Boxing which I find to be a really effective HIIT workout. In fact, I swapped my Weds cardio day at the gym out which I had been doing all Rugby season. So on top of no Rugby game, no Rugby trainings (twice a week), I'm now doing 2-3 cardio sessions per week as opposed to 4-5 during Rugby season So Cardio quantity has decreased, although the quality of it has arguably increased.

The above combined apparently has given me weight loss alongside muscle gain. So with the total revamp of what I was doing, I guess I effectively started again? :shrug:

In saying the above, I think I've pretty much plateaued in regards to the improvements in my lifts at this point... which doesn't really bother me, as I'm in the final stages of my cut now and increasing rep ranges

[Rewi74]

Anyway, back to the origial question ...

If you are just starting out, keep it simple.

Make sure your diet is good with exra protein and do some cardio.

Thats pretty much it in a nut shell.

Good luck.

[drsportsci]

Keys to this are:

-keep weights heavy

-diet high in protein and essential fats

-use creatine, whey, proven muscle builders

-use intervals, proven to burn fat not muscle

it's possible, genetics come into play as always. Nothing beats training hard and a solid diet - well maybe kick-ass genetics do...

good luck