Lose the fat or build muscle?

[heavytwenty]

5 ft 8-9 inches
158-160 lbs.
22 years old.
BF % unknown until tomorrow, but gut/love handles are slowly being developed

So anyways I'm clueless on what kind of diet to begin; one designed for strength training (excess calories) or one designed to lose weight (deficit of calories).

Current routine:
Monday: interval sprinting (20-25 mins; really high intensity)
Tuesday: moderate-light lifting, moderate jogging/running (whatever keeps my heart rate up to 80% max, 30 mins)
Wednesday: moderate jogging/running
Thursday: interval sprinting
Friday: moderate-light lifting, moderate jogging/running
Saturday: moderate jogging/running
Sunday: rest day

Should I give Rippetoe's weight training program a try?

[blueguitar322]

A few questions
- how long have you been exercising consistently?
- Do you have a prior history of lifting? Or are you a newbie?
- when you have BF% measured, that's a pretty critical aid in determining calorie consumption

If I were to assume that
- you're just now getting back into an exercise program
- you've lifted on/off but never made any serious gains
- you're ~20% body fat (give or take)

I would advise you to simply try and maintain your weight for a month. You'll be getting some newbie gains which means that there's a short window where you can add muscle and lose fat at the same time. Hopefully you can add a few pounds of muscle and drop a few pounds of fat.

Since I'm assuming that you're "skinny fat" at the moment (an average-to-above-average amount of fat, below-average-to-average amount of muscle) you'll probably want to put on a good 10lb of muscle before cutting, otherwise it'll be pretty difficult for you.

The trick is that it's not easy to bulk cleanly at high body fat...and it's not easy to cut effectively at low muscle mass. Since (again, my assumption) you're both, it'll be an uphill battle at first.

If my assumptions were incorrect, ignore the above; maybe it will help someone else

P.S. If you're just starting to lift again, Rippetoe is excellent.

[Sickam0re]

this blueguitar guy is the best when it comes to advice...repped

edit:..how do you rep someone?..lol

[fattony]

Just bulk, and if the love-handles get any worse then do some cross crunches. This will trim the fat from the area.

[blueguitar322]

Just bulk, and if the love-handles get any worse then do some cross crunches. This will trim the fat from the area.

You can't spot reduce. Doing cross crunches won't help burn fat from love handles any more than doing squats, bench press, or rows will.

Caloric deficit, combined with clean diet and enough calories to avoid starvation mode, is what will burn fat.

[Nobby149]

Just bulk, and if the love-handles get any worse then do some cross crunches. This will trim the fat from the area.

I have to admit that is the funnest thing I have heard in a while. The truth is that if you do cross crunches you will build the muscle around that area. So hence you will get bigger around that area. Best bet is to bulk then cut so you have muscle to show, or cut then build so you will see the muscle developing in the process.

Like just mentioned, you can't spot reduce, you can only cut and let your body decide where to take the fat from.

[blueguitar322]

Haha I just got negged by Fattony for my post above. His reason: "Don't contradict me"

Spot reduction DOES NOT WORK. That's one of the most accepted cardinal rules of fat loss.

[heavytwenty]

"- how long have you been exercising consistently?"
just started, 2 weeks
"- Do you have a prior history of lifting? Or are you a newbie?"
4-5 years ago in high school for only a semester; still very noobish
"- when you have BF% measured, that's a pretty critical aid in determining calorie consumption"
Calipers were sold out, I'll try to visit a drug store soon or something.

"If I were to assume that
- you're just now getting back into an exercise program"
yup
"- you've lifted on/off but never made any serious gains"
yup
"- you're ~20% body fat (give or take)"
I'll find out soon, but that would be my estimate.

"I would advise you to simply try and maintain your weight for a month. You'll be getting some newbie gains which means that there's a short window where you can add muscle and lose fat at the same time. Hopefully you can add a few pounds of muscle and drop a few pounds of fat."

Thanks for the advice; I'll continue and see where I stand in a month or two.

[heavytwenty]

Everyone store I've checked only has fancy $50+ electronic scales that supposedly measure body fat.

Anyone have a suggestion for finding normal body fat calipers?

[blueguitar322]

Everyone store I've checked only has fancy $50+ electronic scales that supposedly measure body fat.

Anyone have a suggestion for finding normal body fat calipers?

The bodybuilding.com website sells several. I use the cheap plastic accumeasure and am very happy with it.