Lose fat but gain muscle?!
Question: I have trouble understanding exactly how to achieve this. I am 17 year old male. I've heard that cutting the calories can help you lose fat but I've also heard cutting 500 calories weekly to lose a pound. Which one is more effective? burning 500 calories everyday to make a -500 day or cut calories from the daily requirement?
Also I exercise 2-3hrs on Mon, Tues, Thurs, Friday, and Sunday. Will the muscle be gained?
Thanks
Answers: I have trouble understanding exactly how to achieve this. I am 17 year old male. I've heard that cutting the calories can help you lose fat but I've also heard cutting 500 calories weekly to lose a pound. Which one is more effective? burning 500 calories everyday to make a -500 day or cut calories from the daily requirement?
Also I exercise 2-3hrs on Mon, Tues, Thurs, Friday, and Sunday. Will the muscle be gained?
Thanks
It is impossibe to lose fat but gain muscle 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.
I call my muscle gaining, weight gaining, size and strength gaining phase the "bulking up phase." And I call my fat lose phase the "cutting up phase." The bulking up phase is the phase where my diet is high in calories, carbs, protein, and a little fat here and there (but only good fat of course, no fried food or potato chips or anything) and I do no cardio. This phase will usually go on during the winter. Why did I pick to do this phase during the winter? Because here in Brooklyn, New York, USA, its cold during the winter, which would be the best time for me to put on a bit of fat. Don't get me wrong here, its not like I become overly fat with a big gut or anything even close to that, I just get bigger. I will usually do this phase from October until around March. During this phase my goal is to gain all of the strength, muscle and size that I possibly can before its time to change phases. But then.....
But then it comes time for the cutting phase, which for me usually lasts from March until October, during the hotter, spring and summer months. During this phase, I will greatly lower my carb intake, slightly increase my protein intake, and my fat intake (which only really comes from fish, fish oil supplements, nuts and olive oil) will stay about the same. I will also start doing cardio, about 30 mins a day, 3 days a week. Also, my weightlifting workout will stay exactly the same as it was during my bulking phase. The only difference will be that the weights I was able to lift during the bulking phase will start to slightly decrease during the cutting phase. Why? Because my body weight is getting a little lower, and therefore I am losing some strength. My goal during this phase is to lower my bodyfat and lose all of the fat that I gained during my bulking phase, and basically get those abs showing again.
See how it works? Lets say for example you are 150lbs now, during the bulking phase you may go all the way up to 175lbs, but then during the cutting phase you may go down to 163lbs. But, now you are back where you started at, except with 13 new pounds of muscle, plus by now you should be pretty ripped and have those abs showing. So now your 163lbs, repeat the phases over again and you'll be maybe 170lbs at the end of the next cycle. See how it works now? Repeat the phases over and over again. For more specific information about losing weight and gaining weight, check out the weight loss or weight gain section of the site.
Now that your done reading, you may have another question on your mind. Lets see if I can guess it, your wondering if during the cutting phase, will you lose muscle that you gained during the bulking phase. The answer is yes, you will lose some.
It is pretty hard to gain muscle while losing fat at the same time, the only times I have seen it done are on low carb diets with a diet that is focused on lean protien.