Loose Skin or Fat?

Klace

Klace

New member
Okay because people in the other section are jerks.
Here's my question: Loose skin or more fat to burn off? Or a mix of both?

Front:

<3 this frame but it's so jiggly...

Side:

Okay, looks like more fat to me, right?
Loose skin hangs off in folds.

Letting gravity do it's thing:

This will give you an idea of how jiggly/loose it is.

Pinching:
(Measuring how much I can pinch comes out to around 2 inches in any given place on my stomach/sides. Too thick to be loose skin, right? Also maybe 1 inch on my arms or thighs.)
 
too me it looks like lose skin.

thanksfully i dint have non.

you work on them sit ups. tune up. & not losse more weight at all.
 
My stomach looks kinda like yours in the first pic. But when I grab mine like you are in your last pic, I get more of a big thick chunk, yours looks pretty thin and stretchy. So I would guess it is a good bit of excess skin.

You should stop being a jackass too BTW.
 
The people in the "other section" are all over the board. Name calling us becuase we won't give you the answer you want isn't going to change the answer.

And you're not going to hear what you want to hear just by shifting your post to other areas of the board.

The answer is still the same. You have a little fat left, a lot of loose skin, and zero muscle development. Develop some muscle and you'll lose the skinny fat look.

But I've said that before and you didn't want to believe it then. So I have no idea why you might believe it now.
 
KaraCooks said:
The people in the "other section" are all over the board. Name calling us becuase we won't give you the answer you want isn't going to change the answer.

And you're not going to hear what you want to hear just by shifting your post to other areas of the board.

The answer is still the same. You have a little fat left, a lot of loose skin, and zero muscle development. Develop some muscle and you'll lose the skinny fat look.

But I've said that before and you didn't want to believe it then. So I have no idea why you might believe it now.
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Personally I'm fine with my arms.
My problem is my stomach and thighs.
So do you recommend crunches/sit ups for my abs?
Can they really get that huge to tighten up my stomach and fill the loose skin? There's seriously a lot of stuff going on down there.

I'd imagine I have to work on obliques as well.

I also don't think there's any weight lifting things that target the abs better than sit ups, is there?

Squats for my thighs as well.
How long do you think it would take to get results?
A month or two or three?

If you want to help me out with answers and maybe a routine I'd appreciate it. Sorry for before.
 
The people in the other thread were correct. You should just go reread it and you'll have your answer.
 
Dude, I have the same problem as you.

I am more toned out overall all over my body and it seems like it helped. Before I can grab a whole handful but now I know I have improved as I bend down let gravity do its thing, its not as that huge anymore.

You should start toning out your body, by toning out, build muscle. It helps alot! even though if your fine with your body.. My arm are still small but it got more defined, looks sexy than no muscle :coolgleamA: Dont worry your arm wouldnt not get extremely huge.. it takes alot to make it huge..
 
So do you recommend crunches/sit ups for my abs?
Can they really get that huge to tighten up my stomach and fill the loose skin? There's seriously a lot of stuff going on down there.
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No, for what you're looking for, crunches are mostly useless.

Read the thread called "The Conceptual Side of Weightlifting" by Steve. In fact read anything by Steve.

Squats, deadlifts, planks, pushups, chinups, dips, rows, and presses.

Concentrate on those and you'll strengthen your core while working your whole body.
 
KaraCooks said:
No, for what you're looking for, crunches are mostly useless.

Read the thread called "The Conceptual Side of Weightlifting" by Steve. In fact read anything by Steve.

Squats, deadlifts, planks, pushups, chinups, dips, rows, and presses.

Concentrate on those and you'll strengthen your core while working your whole body.
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My brother has me doing this program:

Workout A: Monday and Friday Week 1. Tuesday Week 2. Alternating.
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
1x5 Deadlift

Workout B: Tuesday Week 1. Monday and Friday Week 2. Alternating.
3x5 Squat
3x5 Press
5x3 Power Cleans

Does that sound good enough?
I tried with 40lbs but that seemed too easy so I'm gonna raise it higher next time. I should be pushing myself as much as I can go, without hurting myself, correct?
Any suggestions to add to that plan would help out.
And how long would it take for noticeable results? I've read mixed opinions on how long it takes to build muscle.
My brother says you can gain 10 pounds a month. But I've read in other places that 2 per month is maximum.
 
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Klace said:
My brother has me doing this program:

Workout A: Monday and Friday Week 1. Tuesday Week 2. Alternating.
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
1x5 Deadlift

Workout B: Tuesday Week 1. Monday and Friday Week 2. Alternating.
3x5 Squat
3x5 Press
5x3 Power Cleans

Does that sound good enough?
I tried with 40lbs but that seemed too easy so I'm gonna raise it higher next time. I should be pushing myself as much as I can go, without hurting myself, correct?
Any suggestions to add to that plan would help out.
And how long would it take for noticeable results? I've read mixed opinions on how long it takes to build muscle.
My brother says you can gain 10 pounds a month. But I've read in other places that 2 per month is maximum.
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That's not a bad setup.

Personally, I don't think the power cleans are necessary, but I wouldn't say no your shouldn't do them. And I would do more sets. I like 5x5 (1x5 for the deadlift), but YMMV.

If it helps, the core of my routine is squat, bench press, shoulder press, inverted row, deadlift, and I do that core every time I do weight training. And then I add whatever I am moved to do that day.

You might want to add some rows. Also pullups, pushups, planks. Add weight slowly, and right now when you are lifting really light weights, concentrate on developing good form. That will reward you greatly when you start getting towards your max lifts.

Don't be in a hurry to expect instant results. Don't ramp up your weight so fast that you end up overdoing it.
Loose skin can take up to a couple of years of regular exercise to tighten up. The skin didn't expand instantly; it won't shrink instantly.
 
I'll echo what Cord said.

A few other comments:

You're starting at 40lb? 40lb for what? You shouldn't use the same weight for every exercise. I can easily deadlift nearly double what I can squat - but I can only bench about 1/2 what I can squat. If you're using the same weight for all, then you're not working the muscles properly.

If you're lifting far lighter than you can, then low reps isn't much good. 3x5 of lifting less than half of your capacity doesn't do a whole lot except make it into another cardio workout. If you're going for a low rep workout 3x5 or 5x5) then you need to be lifting HEAVY. You need to be at the point that you're struggling to complete the lift with good form by the end of your sets.

I agree also with Cord that you should add rows of some kind - you want to balance out pushing exercises (presses) with pulling exercises (rows). I'd do presses during your workout A and pulls (rows) during your workout B.

Pushups (with good form) and planks will be really effective for your core.

As far as 10lbs of muscle in a month - hooey. Not unless you're taking steroids. You may gain faster your first year, but after that ... reputable sources will tell you that how much muscle mass you gain is going to be mostly genetically determined. Lyle McDonald offers the following "scale" for muscle gain per year - based on maximum potential. Meaning that IF: you're genetically capable of putting on that much muscle, AND you put in maximum effort, AND you get proper nutrition (including enough protein).

1st year of training 20-25 pounds (2 pounds per month)
2nd year of training 10-12 pounds (1 pound per month)
3rd year of training 5-6 pounds (0.5 pound per month)
4th+ year of training 2-3 pounds (not worth calculating)

He also points out that the younger you are, the more likely you are to reach these maximums and as you get older, your potential for muscle growth lessens somewhat. Also these figures are for men - and women can expect 1/2 to maybe slightly under 2/3 of that - if they bust their asses.
 
Now my brother has changed his numbers to at least 1 pound of muscle a week.

Oh, and as tiny as these numbers sound.
I'm betting muscle is a lot more noticeable once put on, rather than fat, right?
And 20-30 pounds of muscle gain would make quite a big difference.

The only thing I'm scared about is if it's working or not.
I can do everything I'm supposed to but I'm paranoid of just gaining fat rather than muscle and there's no way to differentiate the two, since I'm pretty sure fat gain is inevitable on a mass building diet.
Like if the scale goes up but I notice no difference I'll just be scared it's fat gain and give up.
But then again at the same time, some fat gain alongside muscle gain might fill that void of the loose skin, maybe?

And how much of a caloric surplus would you recommend?
 
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Now my brother has changed his numbers to at least 1 pound of muscle a week.
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Which is still wrong. Tell him to do his research - and use reputable sources.

I'm betting muscle is a lot more noticeable once put on, rather than fat, right?
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No. Muscle is denser than fat. So 1lb of muscle is considerably SMALLER than 1lb of fat. If you put on 10 lb of muscle, you'll get a lean, trim look. If you put on 10 lb of fat, you'll get ... fat. Jiggly, puffy, and soft. See this photo for comparison:
muscles.jpg



I'm paranoid of just gaining fat rather than muscle and there's no way to differentiate the two, since I'm pretty sure fat gain is inevitable on a mass building diet.
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Some fat gain is likely, but when you're starting off at the very beginning of a strength building plan, you'll build more muscle than fat. There IS a way to differentiate the two. Eating healthy foods and tailoring your workout towards muscle building will insure that more nutrients go to muscle than fat. You are in control here - but only if you choose to be.

Look, I know that you really don't believe us. I know that we can give you links and references until we're blue in the face and you're still going to be skeptical. My request is that you do what we are advising you to do for 90 days. That's 3 months - a blip out of your life. If at the end of 90 days you haven't seen a change, then you can tell us we're all full of it and move on to something else.

But I guarantee if you follow a sensible routine, eat a reasonable number of calories, and make sure you get plenty of protein, you'll see a POSITIVE change in how your body looks. No, all the loose skin and remaining body fat is not going to be completely gone in 90 days, but you WILL see a difference.
 
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KaraCooks said:
Which is still wrong. Tell him to do his research - and use reputable sources.

No. Muscle is denser than fat. So 1lb of muscle is considerably SMALLER than 1lb of fat. If you put on 10 lb of muscle, you'll get a lean, trim look. If you put on 10 lb of fat, you'll get ... fat. Jiggly, puffy, and soft. See this photo for comparison:
muscles.jpg



Some fat gain is likely, but when you're starting off at the very beginning of a strength building plan, you'll build more muscle than fat. There IS a way to differentiate the two. Eating healthy foods and tailoring your workout towards muscle building will insure that more nutrients go to muscle than fat. You are in control here - but only if you choose to be.

Look, I know that you really don't believe us. I know that we can give you links and references until we're blue in the face and you're still going to be skeptical. My request is that you do what we are advising you to do for 90 days. That's 3 months - a blip out of your life. If at the end of 90 days you haven't seen a change, then you can tell us we're all full of it and move on to something else.

But I guarantee if you follow a sensible routine, eat a reasonable number of calories, and make sure you get plenty of protein, you'll see a POSITIVE change in how your body looks. No, all the loose skin and remaining body fat is not going to be completely gone in 90 days, but you WILL see a difference.
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Deal.
I think my maintain level of calories is 2400-2500. Should I shoot for around 3000?
And as long as I get the right amount of protein and stuff I can minimize the amount of fat gained? I'm sure as long as I take protein supplements I'll get enough.
I'm gonna go halfers on protein shakes with my brother.
Is the plan I have now tailored enough towards muscle building for you to be confident in seeing results?

Oh and he also takes something called Creatine. Should I partake?
 
Your brother has you on the Starting Strength program by Mark Rippetoe. It's a great strength building program and will definitely help in increasing strength, losing weight, and maintaining/gaining muscle mass. Don't mess with the programming. Just follow it.

Having said that, there is a lot of complexity to the programming, why you should do things a certain way and the technique for each lift. If you haven't already, I suggest you get the Starting Strength book and DVD and review it front to back. The programming will have you increasing the weight that you lift every workout (linear progression) and has specific procedures for when you stall.

I've been doing this program for about 3 months now (I've casually lifted weights for ovver 15 years before) and I can say I made more progress in the last 3 months than I have ever done in the past 15 years.
 
I would skip the creatine. Right now what you need is to get a handle on how your body works. Later if you decide you want to build more muscle, you can investigate supplements and so forth.

Calories: My suggestion would be that you stick with your maintenance calories for right now. After a couple of weeks, you'll be able to see if you're losing further weight or if you're not ... and you can tweak accordingly. Right now change one thing at a time - and that would be the weight lifting.

Protein: Get as much protein as you can from food based sources, but I don't see a problem with protein shakes IN THEIR PLACE. I usually drink a shake made of protein powder and orange juice or tomato juice after a workout. That's the best time to use powder since it's absorbed by the body much more quickly than a food based protein and post workout is when your muscles are best suited to process the protein. Otherwise, as much as possible look at getting your protein from things like lean meats, legumes, and other natural sources.

I think the plan you have is fine, as long as - as I mentioned - you add some form of "pull" to your plan. Adding in rows will give you the balance you need. And of course if you *want* to add in other stuff ... planks, crunches, extensions, curls, etc., you certainly can. But the core stuff is the most important. And lift heavy. Don't wuss out on this part. Really push yourself. Yes, you'll be sore after - especially at first. As you develop strength, the soreness will go away. Be sure and allow a full 48 hours between weight lifting sessions - your muscles need time to heal properly.

If you want to do cardio on your "non weight" days to help burn a little fat, that's fine, but it shouldn't be your primary focus.
 
Your brother has you on the Starting Strength program by Mark Rippetoe. It's a great strength building program and will definitely help in increasing strength, losing weight, and maintaining/gaining muscle mass. Don't mess with the programming. Just follow it.
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Except the program only works if you're following the PROGRAM, including the incremental weight gain each workout, lifting to a percentage of max, and eating properly.

The brother seems to be pushing the workouts w/out really understanding what it is he's pushing. I see people do this a lot - they get the basic workout structure off of an Internet message board somewhere and don't bother to actually find out the REST of the program. I see them do it with Lyle McDonald's RFL program as well. It's a not-smart way to learn a program.

I'm a big fan of Rippetoe's stuff - I use his videos a lot and feed his site.

But if you're going to do his program, then buy the book and do his program. And I'm not sure that Klace is exactly ready for that yet. :) He's just coming around to the idea that weight lifting will do what he wants, rather than beating himself to death with cardio. :D
 
KaraCooks said:
Except the program only works if you're following the PROGRAM, including the incremental weight gain each workout, lifting to a percentage of max, and eating properly.

The brother seems to be pushing the workouts w/out really understanding what it is he's pushing. I see people do this a lot - they get the basic workout structure off of an Internet message board somewhere and don't bother to actually find out the REST of the program. I see them do it with Lyle McDonald's RFL program as well. It's a not-smart way to learn a program.

I'm a big fan of Rippetoe's stuff - I use his videos a lot and feed his site.

But if you're going to do his program, then buy the book and do his program. And I'm not sure that Klace is exactly ready for that yet. :) He's just coming around to the idea that weight lifting will do what he wants, rather than beating himself to death with cardio. :D
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Yeah my brother says add 2 pounds every workout which I think is a little extreme. :\
Or 5 a week.
So I'll eat to maintain, get as much protein as I can, and wait things out alongside the lifting. 200+ Grams is enough right?

My brother said he gained 2-3 pounds a week following that plan.
He said he doesn't care what research can be done, he only knows the results it gave him and other people that have done the same program. >_>

And I'll lift as much as I absolutely can, without going overboard. I was kind of struggling near the end of 40lb benchpress, but the rest was a breeze.
Maybe I'll try 50 something benchpress
100 something deadlift
and 50 something squats
 
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Yeah my brother says add 2 pounds every workout which I think is a little extreme. :\
Or 5 a week.
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Well when I started out with the New Rules of Lifting program, I was adding between 2-5 lbs per workout. And I'm a girl. :)

So I'll eat to maintain, get as much protein as I can, and wait things out alongside the lifting. 200+ Grams is enough right?
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200g is plenty.

My brother said he gained 2-3 pounds a week following that plan.
He said he doesn't care what research can be done, he only knows the results it gave him and other people that have done the same program. >_>
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There is some validity in empirical evidence. Some. But already you know that your brother has fed you information that has led to your lack of understanding about building muscle and how it relates to weight loss. That leads me to believe your brother has a lack of understanding ... which means that his empirical evidence is suspect. There's no way to know that he gained 3lbs of muscle in a week just from him saying he did. And again, 3lbs of muscle in a week is highly unlikely without the use of drugs. Sure there are one-off examples of people who have amazing gains ... but they are rare rare rare.

:)

But we could debate this ongoing. I think if you just stick with the plan for 90 days you'll be very very surprised.
 
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