As of now i weight around 185 pounds, and probably around 18-20% body fat, i'd like to reduce that greatly. I work out frequently, and am actually planning on going to the gym later today. I would like not necessarily lose weight, but to lose body fat. A combination of gaining muscle, and losing fat is what I'm looking for. How would I go about doing this? I generally run/cycle when i'm at the gym or if the weather is good, use machines/dumbbells, and drink whey protein shakes. Will this help?
How to Decrease Body Fat?
- Thread starter jkjk8991
- Start date
hmmm, so your want to gain more lean mass but lose fat at the same time? Remember this, you cannoy bulk and cut at the same time however you can design a diet which lets you gain lean mass while minimizing fat gains. Try incoporating a high-protein, high-fat, low to moderate carb diet. This means getting your carbs in at breakfast, pre-workout, post-workout (dont forget your protein on these meals) and spending the rest of your meals loading up on proteins and fats. protein keeps you lean so do the essentian fatty acids 
I guess what I'm trying to do is to convert fat mass into lean muscle mass, is that possible? I've been doing workouts with weights and machines, as well as doing quite a bit of cardio. Being toned for me is more important. I figured if i ripped my muscles, and consumed enough protein to repair them bigger and stronger, as well as went under on my daily calorie needs, that my muscles would grow, while my fat was deminished. I don't know too much about these things, i'm just trying to lose fat more than anything, i was obese as a child, and i'm still trying to lose the fat that has plagued me. If i could get surgery to remove the fat i would, it's very stubborn. I hate the fact that i can run for miles at a good pace, and im in better cardio shape than most of my friends yet im still much much less defined than them.
To give you an idea of my body here are some pics. My legs arn't as big i think, they seem unproportional. I work out my upper body a lot, im always tentative to work out my legs because i use them for running and biking, and i don't want them to be too tired out for that.
Attachments
its possible, but VERY slow to go through a body recomposition (burn fat while adding lean muscle mass)
you need extra calories to gain much muscle
you need a calorie deficit to lose fat
See the paradox?
You can just eat at your maintenance, and then lift hard and do plenty of cardio, and slowly you'll lose fat and add muscle.
Some people go this route. Many do not just because it can be frustratingly slow. Its more visible if you get lean first by cutting fat and losing bodyweight, then turning around and increasing muscle mass.
Its more about diet than training, though exercise IS required too.
you need extra calories to gain much muscle
you need a calorie deficit to lose fat
See the paradox?
You can just eat at your maintenance, and then lift hard and do plenty of cardio, and slowly you'll lose fat and add muscle.
Some people go this route. Many do not just because it can be frustratingly slow. Its more visible if you get lean first by cutting fat and losing bodyweight, then turning around and increasing muscle mass.
Its more about diet than training, though exercise IS required too.
I've been thinking about it, and as of right now, i just want to get cut. I need to keep running/cycling, because i'm training for a few mini triathalons and road races and things of that sort. Any suggestions? As of now i usually workout with machines, dumbbells, not many olympic lifts. Generally i run quite a bit, though it has slowed down due to winter, and i bike quite a bit. I'm 6' ~185-190 lbs, how many calories should i be consuming to lose weight? My goal was to drop 10-15 lbs by mid May.
What I would do, personally, is to go into a calorie deficit. This means eating less than what you need to maintain current body composition.
While you are in a calorie deficit, though, your body will naturally want to break down muscles to feed itself, but you will counter this through weight training.
Compounds and Olympic lifts are worth it. These exercises release way more growth hormones than simple, isolated lifts. Plus they are much less time consuming.
Here are examples of what I would have someone do:
-Have a 20% restriction on maitenance calories.
-Lift weights 3 times per week. These would need to be full body workouts.
-20 minutes of interval cardio after each lifting sessions.
-Cardio twice a week on non-lift days, prefereably on rower or crosstrainer so you activate a majority of the muscles in the body. Thus increasing calories burned making the workout more efficient.
-Eat 6 smaller meals per day.
-No sugar.
-Increase weights used by 2-3% per week.
-Increase cardio intensity/duration once per week.
-Completely revamp routines every 4-6 weeks.
I garantee results.
I have tried these personaly once and lost 10 pounds of fat in 4 weeks. There is no way this can't work. Cutting is simple math.
While you are in a calorie deficit, though, your body will naturally want to break down muscles to feed itself, but you will counter this through weight training.
Compounds and Olympic lifts are worth it. These exercises release way more growth hormones than simple, isolated lifts. Plus they are much less time consuming.
Here are examples of what I would have someone do:
-Have a 20% restriction on maitenance calories.
-Lift weights 3 times per week. These would need to be full body workouts.
-20 minutes of interval cardio after each lifting sessions.
-Cardio twice a week on non-lift days, prefereably on rower or crosstrainer so you activate a majority of the muscles in the body. Thus increasing calories burned making the workout more efficient.
-Eat 6 smaller meals per day.
-No sugar.
-Increase weights used by 2-3% per week.
-Increase cardio intensity/duration once per week.
-Completely revamp routines every 4-6 weeks.
I garantee results.
I have tried these personaly once and lost 10 pounds of fat in 4 weeks. There is no way this can't work. Cutting is simple math.
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! :action7:
Say it ain't so, Joe! Say it ain't so!!!
So that means I need to stop drinking soda, huh?
No wonder I can't see any changes.
Thanks a ton, just a quick question. The gym im a member of has guided racks, which i dont like much. I do have a barbell and weights at my house, for olympic lifts, i can do things like power cleans, split jerk, front squats. I have trouble squatting on the guided racks at my gym, but i can do front squats at my house without a rack, or leg press?? What lifts would you recommend? I do like doing weight assisted pull ups as well.
Whey protein is very good to take and you can also go with some cardio exercises also you can take bananas with the milk too which is recommended by the gym instructors.
Some liftings can be done after cardio that is no doubt very beneficial.
Thanks!
Some liftings can be done after cardio that is no doubt very beneficial.
Thanks!
I have another question, I went on creatine awhile back, probably in june i think. Would this affect anything? I'm not worried about my weight, i'm worried about how i look, my body fat%. As far as i'm aware creatine wouldn't stop me from burning fat, though i know i'd lose weight if i got off of it, it would not be fat weight, so that doesn't help. Thoughts on this??
creatine doesn't figure into fat loss at all. some people, not all, hold extra water weight while on creatine, so yeah if you stop it you might lose some water weight. you'd also probably lose some reps on your weight training days.
no need to halt it unless you want to for other reasons.
no need to halt it unless you want to for other reasons.
Now this is a miracle I want to see happen. Even Jesus could only turn water in to wine...
So I've been dieting well, eating more smaller meals, and cutting out sugar. I've been eating salad for dinner the past 4 nights, this can get old, not yet, i do enjoy salad, but was craving pasta last night. I know pasta is high in carbs and I've heard to try not to eat carbs later in the day. Is that true? Just wondering if you could take a guess at my body fat % what would you think? I'd like to be in the mid-low teens around april or may, is that possible?
hey jk if those pics are not immediately after working out and just how you look normally I would say you are at 13-15% body fat now.
if you are really trying to keep track of what you are eating go here
fitday.com It is great for helping keep track of your fat and calorie intake.
I know some people say to stay away from carbs but if you are working out your body needs carbs and protein. I eat tons and tons of carbs when i am fighting and I still lose weight.
if you want you can go look at my post in this forum and see what 12% body fat is that is what i am at now and there is still some fat to lose.
I am not fighting at the current time so i have trouble losing weight like i do when fighting I am naturally a bigger build so the fat kind of sticks to me. So unless I am doing insane amounts of cardio I have to really watch what I eat.
By the way I eat almost no vegetables. Mostly rice,mashed potatoes,pasta,chicken and beef.
And I drink atleast 4 protein shakes a day to help keep my protein intake up.
Hope some of this helps you.
Hi Guys, JK, I was very similar to what you are, in fact I am again now. But I found (when I split up with a long term girlfriend and had lots of time on my hands) I would go the gym after work and do my usual 45-60min workout with my mate. Then he would leave, I didn't want to go back to my empty house so I would do an hour of cardio which would normally be a mixture of 3 x 20 min sessions at moderate - high intensity (never 'fat burning') exercise comprising of treadmill (with incline), cross trainer, rower or bike. After about 3 weeks the weight had fallen off me just eating as I had always done which would be cereal for breakast, protein at 10.30am ish, lunch would be a sandwich and some fruit, more protein at 4.30pm then training, then dinner at 9pm ish. In fact, I think i might go back to it! I did this about 3 times per week (plus my usual rugby playing and training).
Just try to find some time for regular jogging, avoid calorie based diet and if possible take plenty of water. One effective home based method is squeeze half of a green lemon into a glass of water, have it regularly in the morning. Believe me it will surely help you. Else you can go for any vibration power plates available in the market:cheeky: