An interesting dillema - Cut fat OR gain muscle?

[AxeRage]

OK:

Male
41 years old
6' tall
180 lbs.
24% BF

Due to a sedintary lifestyle, I've become very weak with a frighteningly bad chardio performance. 180 sounds good for my height but the BF should be closer to 10%. I also sport a moderate sized 'one pack'.

What do you do FIRST? Cut calories and do cardio (i.e. - lose the fat and body weight and THEN worry about my weak little pencil arms and legs)

OR

Raise calories and do weight training and worry about a cutting cycle later?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[lt6string]

Hmm, I guess it's up to you. Some people lose the fat and gain the muscle. Others start right out and bulk. If I where you i'd just start bulking I guess then cut later. But that's just my opinion

 

[jetjaguar]

well if u havent done anything before .. if u just start doing some cardio .. clean up ur diet and do full body workout 3 times a week .. ur gonna gain muscle no matter what .. also u lose fat .. maybe not down to 10% .. but should drop some .. weight prolly wont change .. since u will be replacing the fat with some muscle


i basically did the same thing a few months ago .. did very very little cardio .. but just started lifting 3 times a week .. and i gained alot of muscle and lost fat ... then i got lazy ..

right now im 5'10 178lbs 21%bf

im currently gonna cut until like sept .. hopefully i can hit 11-13% ... then i will bulk over the winter ..


i basically cut my calories by about 500-700 a day ... doing lots of cardio .. but i also do full body 3 times a week



i would do some cardio and try and cut down the bf% .. bulk over next winter

 

[Okieslims]

reply

My understanding is that extra muscle will burn your fat for you. You'll burn more calories while your sleeping and what not. I'm doing a 6 day per week cardio program that incorperates 4 days of weight training using supersets. That means that even when I'm lifting, I'm moving constantly and am benefitting from it cardiovascularly.

 

[djrell]

My understanding is that extra muscle will burn your fat for you. I'm doing a 6 day per week cardio program that incorperates 4 days of weight training using supersets. That means that even when I'm lifting, I'm moving constantly and am benefitting from it cardiovascularly.

true. 1 lb of muscle means that you will burn calories 21 times faster than without that extra lb.

You'll burn more calories while your sleeping and what not.

this is incorrect.

 

[djrell]

OK:

Male
41 years old
6' tall
180 lbs.
24% BF

Due to a sedintary lifestyle, I've become very weak with a frighteningly bad chardio performance. 180 sounds good for my height but the BF should be closer to 10%. I also sport a moderate sized 'one pack'.

What do you do FIRST? Cut calories and do cardio (i.e. - lose the fat and body weight and THEN worry about my weak little pencil arms and legs)

OR

Raise calories and do weight training and worry about a cutting cycle later?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

do both at the same time. that's what i do with my clients who want to lose weight.