We Asked an Expert If You Have to Lose Weight Before Building Muscle — Here's What They Said

How much of the other macronutrients fat and carbs you eat is less important, but make sure you eat enough of each for your all-around health and energy. It's awesome to hear you're already active, but it sounds like you'd benefit from incorporating more heavy weights.

Servante said that training hard with heavy weights would help you to gain — and, if you're in a calorie deficit, retain — muscle. Strength training alone isn't enough, though. You need to make sure you're applying a concept called progressive overload.

Should You Cut or Bulk First If You Are Skinny Fat? — Fitbod

This means gradually increasing what you're lifting, either in reps or weight. It's something that has really worked for me, in terms of not only changing my physique but keeping me motivated to train. You can achieve a lot through being persistent. But you can achieve a lot more through being consistent. If you're new to serious resistance training, lucky you: You'll get to enjoy what's known as "newbie gains. This is the rapid muscle growth that occurs when someone starts lifting weights for the first time.

Similarly, Carpenter said, those who have a higher body-fat percentage and are new to training might be able to make quicker progress. You may be wondering when I'm going to tell you to hit the treadmill, but the truth is you don't have to do lots of steady-state cardio like jogging or cycling at a consistent pace to reach your goals. Of course, there are lots of other benefits of cardiovascular activity. In fact, if you're in a calorie deficit, doing lots of cardio will make you more likely to lose lean tissue, Servante said.

So running isn't necessarily bad, but it's probably not the best option for your physique goals. All that is not to say there won't be benefits to getting a sweat on. In fact, getting your heart rate up in the right way could help you get lean while building muscle.


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That's why Ngo Okafor , a celebrity personal trainer and transformation coach, recommends following a program combining high-intensity strength-training circuits using light weights and high repetitions with cardio bursts mixed in. Ngo Okafor, a renowned personal trainer. Ngo Okafor.

He told Insider that while lifting weights or strength training builds muscle, "your heart rate is not as elevated as it would be if you were doing cardiovascular activity. Cardio, on the other hand, may blast calories while you're doing it, but this burn "slows down immensely when the cardiovascular activity ends," he added. An example of a lower-body workout that would fit Okafor's training style? Strength movements like squats and deadlifts at a weight where you can perform 20 reps along with cardio bursts like 60 seconds of high knees.

With a goal like body recomposition, it's important to be patient and measure your progress in ways other than the scale, because you're not just trying to lose weight. Measuring body composition without expensive equipment is challenging, but a couple of options are keeping waist measurements or using a tight-fitting pair of jeans to see whether they start to feel tighter in some places as you gain muscle and looser in others as you lose fat.

Changing your body composition is a long journey, and you need to be prepared for this to take some time.


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Which should you focus on first: slimming down or building muscle? Experts take sides in the great fat-loss versus muscle-building debate and share what you should do first, no matter your goal. When you focus on building muscle first, you might gain weight initially, which could be discouraging and might even make you want to quit your healthy eating and exercise plan. Building muscle should be your main focus as it increases your metabolism and makes losing fat easier. The higher your body fat percentage, the harder it is to gain muscle while minimizing fat gain.

Bulk or Cut: Should I Build Muscle Or Lose Fat First?

There are numerous benefits to fat-loss including improved sleep and mood, improved cholesterol and blood sugar levels, reduced blood pressure, decreased risk of heart disease, diabetes, certain types of cancer and early death. Fat-loss also boosts energy. When you lose fat first, you reveal the musculature you have underneath, which you can then refine and sculpt. Whether you choose to lose fat or gain muscle first depends on your personal health profile and fitness goals.

In most cases, the nutrition professional can help you devise an eating plan that allows you to eat foods you love, but still get the nutrition you need to lose fat while weight training. Looking to lose weight? Our nutrition guide can help you get on the right track. Sign up for our newsletter and get it free!

The ONLY 7 Exercises Men Need To Build Muscle

DEXA-assessed regional body composition changes in young female military soldiers following weeks of periodised training. Effect of regular swimming exercise on the physical composition, strength, and blood lipid of middle-aged women.

Reason #1: Gaining Any More Fat Is A Slippery Slope

J Exerc Rehabil. Effects of a short-term pre-season training programme on the body composition and anaerobic performance of professional rugby union players. J Sports Sci. Dietary protein and exercise have additive effects on body composition during weight loss in adult women. J Nutr.

Should You Cut or Bulk First If You Are Skinny Fat?

Regional body composition changes in women after 6 months of periodized physical training. J Appl Physiol. What Is a Calorie Deficit? Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up.