Best workout plan for a skinny fat person

[JaiGoBlue]

Hi all,

I have been lifting weights for a while but my body hasn't changed a lot.

My goal is to lose fat and gain muscle. What's the best plan to accomplish this for a skinny fat person like myself?

I don't have the best muscle-fat ratio genetically, so I'm afraid putting on weight will lead to fat gain.

On the other hand, just losing weight won't help much since I'm pretty light already at 154 lbs.

What workout plan do you guys recommend? I'm looking for a book or series of workouts that I can stick to.

[95YJ]

You aren't going to lose fat and gain muscle effectively at the same time. Pick which is the priority and go from there...based on height and weight, I'd say bulk to gain muscle (and some fat). Once you get some strength and size, cut to lose some of the fat.

Read the nutrition sections, specifically calculating macros thread that is stickied.

Choose either SL5x5, ICF5x5, or AP. AP is stickied in this section of the forum. ICF5x5 is not stickied anymore however should be on the first page almost all the time. SL5x5 just do an internet search. Download the pdf for that for pages and pages to read if you want.

I personally started SL then went to ICF. I'll likely give AP a cycle or two at some point soon to see how that compares.

[TheHybridTitan]

I would suggest to bulk up by eating a ton of clean food and lifting heavy. Then once you have more muscle inflate that muscle by sarcoplasmic hypertrophy
and cut the fat.

[tj124]

Hi all,

I have been lifting weights for a while but my body hasn't changed a lot.

My goal is to lose fat and gain muscle. What's the best plan to accomplish this for a skinny fat person like myself?

I don't have the best muscle-fat ratio genetically, so I'm afraid putting on weight will lead to fat gain.

On the other hand, just losing weight won't help much since I'm pretty light already at 154 lbs.

What workout plan do you guys recommend? I'm looking for a book or series of workouts that I can stick to.

Dude cut before you bulk, if your new you'll likely gain a bit of muscle while cutting. I was in the same position as you in the beginning and I regret not cutting for 1-3 months first. I guarantee ull be more satisfied with your results if u cut for a little first

[skel1977]

Hes 154 pounds and 5'10. He shouldnt be cutting anything, except cutting in line at the grocery store to buy more food.

[haroldwruss]

Hi all,

I have been lifting weights for a while but my body hasn't changed a lot.

My goal is to lose fat and gain muscle. What's the best plan to accomplish this for a skinny fat person like myself?

I don't have the best muscle-fat ratio genetically, so I'm afraid putting on weight will lead to fat gain.

On the other hand, just losing weight won't help much since I'm pretty light already at 154 lbs.

What workout plan do you guys recommend? I'm looking for a book or series of workouts that I can stick to.

Lifting weight wasn't enough. Add cardiovascular exercises that can involve running, using the elliptical trainer or aerobics. This lets you use maximum strength for lifting and continue to burn fat during cardiovascular exercise.

[JaiGoBlue]

You aren't going to lose fat and gain muscle effectively at the same time. Pick which is the priority and go from there...based on height and weight, I'd say bulk to gain muscle (and some fat). Once you get some strength and size, cut to lose some of the fat.

Read the nutrition sections, specifically calculating macros thread that is stickied.

Choose either SL5x5, ICF5x5, or AP. AP is stickied in this section of the forum. ICF5x5 is not stickied anymore however should be on the first page almost all the time. SL5x5 just do an internet search. Download the pdf for that for pages and pages to read if you want.

I personally started SL then went to ICF. I'll likely give AP a cycle or two at some point soon to see how that compares.

This makes sense but when I look at P90X transformation photos, it looks like people have managed to do both with a mix of cardio and weightlifting.

[JaiGoBlue]

Dude cut before you bulk, if your new you'll likely gain a bit of muscle while cutting. I was in the same position as you in the beginning and I regret not cutting for 1-3 months first. I guarantee ull be more satisfied with your results if u cut for a little first

Cut how much though? Below 150lbs? I'm a solid 5'10 and have a decent-sized frame, not sure how much more I can cut.

[JaiGoBlue]

Lifting weight wasn't enough. Add cardiovascular exercises that can involve running, using the elliptical trainer or aerobics. This lets you use maximum strength for lifting and continue to burn fat during cardiovascular exercise.

What's a program that details this type of routine?

Whatever routine I try to follow usually breaks down within a couple of weeks

[Ohhank]

I know they say you can't lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously; but, I've seen it done too many times to say it can't be done (by new guys, and experienced weight trainers)). In these cases I've noticed that these guys weren't counting calories and depriving themselves -- or force feeding themselves. They just started training for mass and cleaned up their diets. So, yes, these guys were starting from a place where they had a bad diet. Then, they cut out the candy bars and ate fruit. No soda -- water instead. Normal, balanced regular meals. Now, they didn't make extremely fast gains in size or extremely fast gains in fat loss. But, 6 months later, coming to the gym regularly and sticking to "clean eating," they had lost fat and gained muscle. But, yes, it is a slower process.

Hank

[Maytricks]

Speaking as a skinnyfat, the hardest thing for me was to adjust to the idea that I had to eat a lot if I wanted to gain muscle [good weight], but I'd have to accept the fact that I would also gain some fat.

You need to get it into your head that the best way to achieve actual results you can see is by doing phases of bulking, then cutting back. What's worked for me is to eat 10% higher than my maintenance calorie intake. In two months time, going to the gym 3 times weekly, I have seen visual increases in my muscle mass and I've only put on 10 lbs since I've started. Even if 7 lbs of that is fat, that's still 3 lbs of muscle.

After a few more months, and hopefully more gains, I will change my diet over the course of two weeks to cut calories to probably 300-500 below maintenance (we'll see when the time comes). Then it's just a matter of waiting it out as the fat melts away - except this time, it should melt away seemingly easier because you have more muscle mass on your body demanding energy to burn.

To sum up: Eat 10-15% above your maintenance calories (if maintenance is 2000, eat 2250), and follow a mass gaining program for a few months at least. don't let yourself slip back to the idea that you should 'spend a week losing weight' because it will just harm your overall progress. Some people suggest consuming more than 10-15% for gaining mass, and you can, but you are putting yourself at a higher risk of gaining much more fat than you would at 10%.