How Can You Lose Fat & Build Muscle At The Same Time?
Jul 26th, 2007 by Mehdi Posted in Build Muscle
Reader H. contacted me twice during the last 10 days. His question: “How can you lose fat & build muscle at the same time?”. Every time I replied, I received an error back from his mail-server.
I got your question H. Here’s your answer to how you can lose fat & build muscle at the same time.
Question. I’ve been following the Abs Diet and training program for the last 18 months. It worked well for me. But now I need to move it up a level. I hope the 4 sets of 12 reps have given a good base for strength training.
I started your beginners strength training program a week ago. I’m keeping a log of training & diet. My current stats:
- Age: 31
- Height: 1m82 (6″)
- Weight: 80kg (176lbs)
- Body fat: 18%
My goals
- Lose body fat to 10-12%
- Keep body fat at 10-12% year-round
- Build muscle mass - as much as possible
My question. Can I lose body fat & build muscle at the same time if:
- I perform the beginner strength training program 3 times a week
- I apply progressive loading until I achieve intermediate strength stats
- I eat healthy clean food 90% of the time
- I do a slow bulk: increasing calorie intake as weight increases on the bar
- I eat real food. Only using whey in breakfast, pre & post workout shake.
My current diet:
- 06:30: 50g oats, 250ml semi-skimmed milk & 30g whey in water
- 09:30: 1 apple
- 12:00: chicken/fish/beef with salad bowl
- 15:30: handful of almonds
- Pre-workout: half of a 30g whey with 300ml water shake
- 18:00-19:00: training
- Post-workout: second half of whey shake
- 19:30: chicken/fish/beef with peas, sweet corn & cottage cheese
- 1-2 cups of strong green tea
- 1-2 cups of coffee
- 1.5 litres of water
My diet is slight relaxed at the weekend but nothing too far off this baseline.
Answer. How can you lose body fat & build muscle at the same time? This is a very popular question. I’m preparing several articles on the subject. But don’t hold your breath. It will take some time. In the meanwhile, here’s some info on losing body fat while building muscle.
The Abs Diet. I’m not familiar with the Abs Diet & training program. This is my opinion based on the info you gave me.
4 sets of 12 is good for bodybuilding & endurance. For strength, 5 reps & lower work best. You probably have a solid base of technique (I hope). But you’ll need to adapt to squatting 3 times a week. Once you have, you’ll see the difference.
Losing Body Fat & Building Muscle. You weigh 80kg & want to lose body fat from 18% to 10% while building muscle. How do you achieve this? Here are some tips. You’re already applying several of them.
- Eat every 3 hours.
- Eat eggs for breakfast.
- Eat clean food 80% of time.
- Eat proteins with every meal.
- Drink 1 liter water per 1000kcal daily.
- Eat enough calories - 18x your goal weight in lbs.
- Get 2g of protein per bodyweight in lbs a day (80kg *2,2 *2= 350g).
- Be patient & persist. Stick to the beginner strength training program & increase the weight every workout.
Strength is Key to Losing Fat & Building Muscle. Your body doesn’t like stress. The more you stress it by adding weight, the more you force it to adapt. Your body adapts to the load by building stronger & bigger muscles.
The stronger you become, the stronger you’ll look. When you have a 150kg squat, 80kg Overhead Press & 200kg Deadlift, you will be muscular. It’s just a matter of time.
You weigh 80kg at 18% body fat. Get your daily calories from clean food & train hard. Your body will “turn the fat into muscles”. You’ll stay at the same bodyweight, but with more muscles & less fat. Dropping to 10% is perfectly doable.
I Answer Every Single E-mail. If you don’t get a reply, please try again. Or post it using the comment. Either I didn’t receive your e-mail or you didn’t receive mine. If I get an error back, I’ll answer your e-mail by making a post like this one.
Good info,
I also wanted to know the answer to this question. Looking forward to the next post on this topic.
Is there anyway you could state the amount of protein and calories that you should be having on the differant stages of the begginer training guide. (i no you have sort of answerd this already) just wanted some more info.
calories - 18x your goal weight in lbs. - how high do you aim?
I also weigh 80kg - only 5weeks into beg training program, do you still eat 350g of protein a day?
How do you know your body fat %?
Cheers
It’s much more simple than you think Eddie.
1) How much do you want to weigh?
2) How much do you weigh now?
You weigh 80kg. If you like your current bodyweight, go for 18x your weight in lbs. In you’re case: 3500kal a day.
Next eat 2g of protein per lbs: 80*2,2*2 = 350g protein a day.
Apply the rest of the tips, and the fat will turn into muscle as you advance into the program.
You can measure your bodyfat using a fat caliper. There are other methods. There’s a website where you can calculate your bodyfat based on the circumference of bodyparts, height, weight,… But I can’t remember the link. It’s been years since I measured my body fat.
If somebody else know, feel free to post.
Salaam Mehdi
What are your thoughts on how females should train?
My GF is 21 - and is not overweight or overly skinny- she has the typical goals of wanting to “tone up and lose some BF”- the program she is currently on ( done by the trainer at her gym) is the typical mostly cardio (low intensity) , high rep ,low wt. ,machine- what are ]your thoughtsm, ideas and recommondations?
Salaam Ali.
I’ll start with the advantages of strength training for women:
-Strength training prevents osteoporosis (by increasing bone density)
-Increased strength makes householdery, holding baby,… easier
Women can build strength, lose fat & build muscle using the same methods men use. There shouldn’t be any difference in training program. The only difference is that it will take longer. This is because of the lower testosterone levels of women. A woman will always:
-have more fat than a man
-be less stronger
-have less muscles
If you want an example, check the women over at crosffit: athletic, not bulky.
Great question btw Ali.
Mehdi,
Great article. I’ve found that focusing on the big 3 lifts has helped me a ton. I still have a ways to go and right now I’m working on battling the fork (ie eating MORE!). Thanks for the great info!
Glad to read you like it Dan. Great blog you have btw. Some good articles.
Mehdi, I just came upon your blog today somehow, I don’t remember, but this is some good stuff which i think would really benefit me.
Glad to read this will help. Thanks for sticking by Ethics.
Hi,
I am a 5 7 male 30 years of age and 175 lbs in weight. My goal is to drop down to 150 lbs in about 4 months (or faster )and I have started working towards the same in the last 3 weeks. My other goal is to knock off fat around my waist (34″) and gain muscle.
I’ll be as specific as possible:
My diet is as follows:
Breakfast (8 am) I have a Protein shake (1% milk + 1 scoop EAS Protein from Costco) and a banana.
Around 10:30 am I have High Fiber Cereal (w/o milk) and another banana.
Lunch is around 12:30 pm comprising Vegetables and Legumes. Chicken occasionally.
Between 3 and 3:30 pm snack on apple and some raisins or fruit bar.
Dinner is around 8 pm.
10 pm. Another Protein shake (same as breakfast)
Splurge once a week (controlled and am trying to knock off sweets completely…atleast till I reach my goal)
My exercise regimen is as follows:
Monday evening, Wed morning, Fri morning:
10 min warmup on Elliptical.
Pushups (30)
Forward and reverse crunches (30 each)
Free weights with focus on upper body (2 sets 10 reps. Have a bench at home.)
(Lat pulldown, bench press, triceps, biceps, shoulders)
Tuesday:
3 mile run
Forward and reverse crunches (30 each)
Thursday:
45 min swim
Forward and reverse crunches (30 each)
Sat or Sun:
6 mile run (Eventually go upto 12 miles. A lifetime earlier I ran a marathon…twice…so I know I can hit this number in a couple of months)
Forward and reverse crunches (30 each)
Rest one day a week.
I have barely lost 2-3 lbs, but definitely feel fitter. Is there a change that I need to make or improve on something to attain my goal?
Thanks much!
Rissam,
Running will increase your fitness & endurance, what you experienced. Running will burn fat, but will also burn muscles. Unless you like the skinny look (check marathons), you should go for more strength training.
My advice: get on the beginner strength training program.
You’re also doing lots of crunches. I suppose it’s to trim your waist. It won’t have the effect you expect it to. Focus on getting stronger to build muscles, check your food intake using the tips above.
Thanks for your quick response.
Following the Beginner program, you are implying I just need to do squats, bench/overhead press and chin/pull ups for 10 weeks? No other routines needed?
What do I do on Tue, Thu and Sat?
Thanks a ton!
Rissam. Yes Squats, Bench Press, Overhead Press, Pullups, Chinups & Deadlifts. 3 days a week alternating these exercises.
Tu/Th/Sa/Su are off days. I can assure you, you’ll need it. Squatting 3 times a week is tough. Your current program doesn’t include leg work, except for running. Long-distance running is different from squats.
Try the program, you’ll see the difference.
OK I’ll try this starting tomorrow for atleast a month
I’ll keep you posted….
Thanks a ton!
Make it 2 months. 1 month is a bit short to see a difference.
Good luck with the strength training program. Thanks for keeping me updated.
I took a look at your (Anabolic) Diet plan. I dont eat Read Meat…White meat is fine with me..Your diet regimen strongly recommends Read Meat. Any suggestions?
You don’t need to eat red meat if you don’t want to. White meat is fine. Just keep in mind that saturated fat is good for your testosterone levels. Red meat is a great source of saturated fats. Eggs too.
Salmon and eggs should replenish my T levels?
Diets consisting of fish oil & saturated fat increase testosterone levels, yes. Salmon is a good choice of fish oil, although expensive.
Well this post got my attention as I am already skinny.. but i would actually like to gain muscle weight and not fat weight.. Unfortunately the majority of sites say to eat and generally follow the same guidelines you’ve posted here, but also say that in order to really gain the muscle and bulk up, (I’m doing it naturally.. whey, casein and vitamins being my only supplements) that you’ve gotta eat and actually get a little fat (”bulking) then cut back when you are ready to show just your lean muscle.. The majority of articles on the internet from all major websites and more all say that is the only way to make real gains on muscle.. So my question is it true you have to get a little chubby to gain muscle? or is what you’re suggesting more of a slow progressive way of doing so..
Nathaniel ,
If you are eating clean food then you won’t get chubby you may gain a little fat , though if you have tendency to gain weight easily then you can add some cardio into your routine to balance things (which i think is not your case). Also do not increase calories consumption in one go instead increase it by few every week..
Great advice by Harsh as always: you said it all. I’ve replied to your e-mail Nathaniel. This question will be the topic of a future post btw.
hi,im 6ft1 and 18stone,i wantto lose weight around my waist,any tips on doing dis,and any tips on losing weight on my thighs tanks
Sure Damien. Check these tips, it should help.
I worked out very hard to be at the weight that I am now which is 175 lbs.. I still have a lot of fat to lose, my body fat is currently 17%. I want to gain muscle but I am afraid that I will also get fatter on my way, eating 18x of my weight calories. If I just lift weights without doing cardio will I be able to cut out the fat. My diet is the following, 0730 eggs, whey protein in the morning and oatmeal
1000 Peanut butter or a fruit
1230 chicken and salad or tuna
1530 nuts, or turkey
1830 dinner,, steak or chicken, with salad or steamed rice and beans
2130 slices of turkey or nuts or peanut butter or fruit or jerky or tuna.
Drink a protein shake before workout and post workout
lift weights 4 times a week and rest 3 days…..Can Anyone help me on cutting fat off my body? Is it my diet?
Hi !!
Great readings above ! I am 38 years old and 7 months back I weighed 140 kgs. I started gym and lost 25 kg in 7 months. I am doing cardio @ 60-80 minutes , 6 days a week, burning off 500-600 cals in each session. On top of it I am training diff muscle groups on diff days. I am doing 80 kg in benching, 20 kg in EZ curl biceps, 30 kg in triceps pushdown and 60 kg in wide grip pulldown for back etc etc .. I have developed good muscles but have hit a plateu now and not able to go below 115 kg mark despite lots of labour. What do you suggest. Mail me. My target is to reach 90 kg finally.
Thanks much !!
@Sandy
Download StrongLifts 5×5 eBook, read it & apply. That will help.
Hi, im 17 years old 5′11 and weigh about 165. I’m about 10 ish percetn body fat. I can see 4 of my abs when i flex so I know im pretty close to that six pack. Im trying to get to 165 ripped by trading 5 pounds of fat for 5 pounds of muscle over the summer. Can anyone give me a diet plan (calories a day,fat,carbs,protein) that can build lean muscle while slowly losing fat. I’ve been on a low carb diet for a couple weeks and have got alot more ripped but i feel like my muscles are leaving me. I get about 300 grams of protein a day from eggs, chicken, turkey. I eat a piece of bread or 2 or rice with every meal and only drink water. Also at the gym lately i’ve jsut being doing reps. Since im only looking for 5 pounds of muscle cant reps build it as well as cut it up? If after eating a meal and still being hungry should i have some more carbs to fill me up (i havn’t been because i felt that it would just make me fatter). Any advice would help.
Hi there,
I am 32 years old, 6 feet and weigh 194lb (Approx 88 Kg). My heaviest weight was 205 and my lowest was 179. My goal is to lose fat around my waist and build muscles. I am following a Defranco workout routine (4x a week) as follow:
Monday (heavy upper body) Barbell press (120lb), Dumbell press (80lb), Fly and shoulder press.
Wed (legs) Squat (200lb), lunge, upper back and abs.
Fri (repitition upper body) Pushups, fly, biceps and triceps.
Sat. I start the cycle back (heavy upper body).
I try to do cardio on non-workout days (20-30 Sprint on a treadmil or eliptical). I have been following this program for six weeks and so far I can’t see much results and I am wondering if I am doing something wrong in my workout routine. One other area of confusion for me is my diet. I tend to go into extreme either by cutting carbs or to eat much of it. Overall I avoid sugars and deserts but not sure if i should be eating carbs or not or how much protein I should be eating..
Here is a sample of my diet:
Breakfast: one slice Rye bread with peanut butter, 2 small yougart (fat free) a fruit and 2 scoops of protein shake (27 gram protein per scoop) with milk, Green plus, fish oil and flax seed.
Lunch: salad with some sort of protein (chicken, cold cuts)
Pre workout: A protein bar (30 gr protein)
Diner: a low fat frozen diner (chicken or beef or fish with rice)
snack before bed (fruits) ( I tend to eat lots of fruits throughout the day as sugar, not sure if thats too much sugar or not)
In addition I take Purple K Creatine (4 pills on workout day and 2 on non-workout days)
Can anybody please tell me what I am doing wrong as I am pretty confused and have been reading endless articles on the internet that added to my confusion… My goal seems to be realistic which is to lose belly fat and get better muscle definition, however I am not sure what I am missing..
I will appreciate your comments
Cheers