Weight lifting Question(s)

[Esrue]

So I'm pretty new at this weight lifting stuff and I've been at it for maybe.... 3 months? I've been 'working out' longer than that but just in the last 3 months have i been actually trying to gain body mass, before it was for the sake of shaving off weight. Which i did shrinking from a staggering 230 to 174.5 (175). but My weight dropping is not 'done' yet. I could stand to lose a bit more weight to get rid of my belly pudge and the excess around my thighs. My dilemma is only one of opportunity, because I'm at a decent weight where my muscles.. are actually starting to show. I'm getting attention for my work and I'm liking it, but I'd like to slim down even more. But being 'new' I'm not sure if the smart path is to cut calories and do cardio to try and speed burn the weight so i can have an over all slimmer physic or just bulk up and hope that the afterburn and increase metabolism handles the fat for me? I know you can actually try to do both, lose weight and gain muscle but somehow in my head it seems counterproductive, as gaining muscle requires a caloric surplus + protein and losing weight requires a deficit in calories. But Again, I don't have all the answers so if someone out there knows what course of action i should take then I'd love to hear it ! Thanks in advance.

[dalkristel]

So I'm pretty new at this weight lifting stuff and I've been at it for maybe.... 3 months? I've been 'working out' longer than that but just in the last 3 months have i been actually trying to gain body mass, before it was for the sake of shaving off weight. Which i did shrinking from a staggering 230 to 174.5 (175). but My weight dropping is not 'done' yet. I could stand to lose a bit more weight to get rid of my belly pudge and the excess around my thighs. My dilemma is only one of opportunity, because I'm at a decent weight where my muscles.. are actually starting to show. I'm getting attention for my work and I'm liking it, but I'd like to slim down even more. But being 'new' I'm not sure if the smart path is to cut calories and do cardio to try and speed burn the weight so i can have an over all slimmer physic or just bulk up and hope that the afterburn and increase metabolism handles the fat for me? I know you can actually try to do both, lose weight and gain muscle but somehow in my head it seems counterproductive, as gaining muscle requires a caloric surplus + protein and losing weight requires a deficit in calories. But Again, I don't have all the answers so if someone out there knows what course of action i should take then I'd love to hear it ! Thanks in advance.

Hi if you want to loose body fat you need to be in a calorie deficit and to gain muscle mass in a calorie surplus - catch 22 situation for a lot if us girls I know but you just have to bite the bullet and eat more if you want to gain then you can cut when you got the muscle you want!

Muscles need feeding to grow check your macros on the forums here where it shows you how to work it out in the nutrients section.

I would suggest eating plenty of protein in either case though as your body needs this the most.

Good luck

[BubsNBean]

I may get lynched for saying this, but you can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, only because you're new at lifting. And I stress- IT'S ONLY BECAUSE YOU'RE NEW.

If you want to continue to shed fat and develop muscle, it'll be a slow process. More of a body recomposition than a cut. Eat a mild deficit so that you continue to lose, lift heavy, and only do cardio if you feel like you must. And by "must", I mean, must do it for endorphins and mental health. NOT do it to create a bigger deficit. Let your diet do the work to create weight loss. You don't have to do cardio if you don't want to.

Good luck

[dalkristel]

I may get lynched for saying this, but you can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, only because you're new at lifting. And I stress- IT'S ONLY BECAUSE YOU'RE NEW.

If you want to continue to shed fat and develop muscle, it'll be a slow process. More of a body recomposition than a cut. Eat a mild deficit so that you continue to lose, lift heavy, and only do cardio if you feel like you must. And by "must", I mean, must do it for endorphins and mental health. NOT do it to create a bigger deficit. Let your diet do the work to create weight loss. You don't have to do cardio if you don't want to.

Good luck

Actually I agree with you there when I think back to when I started I did both and lost lots and gained great physical toning so yes good start indeed - during which time though that's when you read up more, educate yourself and start to get experienced enough to do things right later on. I would strongly advise New Rules of Lifting for Women it's a great book I read at about the same stage!

[wannabefit69]

I sure miss newbie gains!!!

[dalkristel]

I sure miss newbie gains!!!

Me too!! 💪

[Esrue]

Okay so basically. I have to choose to bulk. or Cut, is what I'm getting here? So on to next quarry because I think I'll bulk. Is there a way to count calories so the fat gain from bulking isn't ... scary? I've heard of people gaining guts, thighs, and saggy butts from overplaying the 'Eat what you want when you want' card. Any tips on trying to keep it efficient?

[dalkristel]

Okay so basically. I have to choose to bulk. or Cut, is what I'm getting here? So on to next quarry because I think I'll bulk. Is there a way to count calories so the fat gain from bulking isn't ... scary? I've heard of people gaining guts, thighs, and saggy butts from overplaying the 'Eat what you want when you want' card. Any tips on trying to keep it efficient?

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=156380533 this link will show you how to calculate your calories/macros

A good tracker is either mynetdiarty app or myfitnesspal - I prefer mynetdiary as its more user friendly and you can put the grams in.

Bulking is not about eating what you want but eating more of the right foods in order to give your muscles more nutrients to grow so that when you cut the fat strips off without loosing muscle. I would recommend eating 1g of protein per 1lb of bodyweight whatever you do.

As bubsnbean quite rightly says above you should be able to do both in the first stages so its up to you what you choose but I would strongly recommend you read through these forums carefully as there is a lot of info to help you here.

Good luck!

[oregonchick76]

Okay so basically. I have to choose to bulk. or Cut, is what I'm getting here? So on to next quarry because I think I'll bulk. Is there a way to count calories so the fat gain from bulking isn't ... scary? I've heard of people gaining guts, thighs, and saggy butts from overplaying the 'Eat what you want when you want' card. Any tips on trying to keep it efficient?

How tall are you? I can't imagine starting a bulk from that weight at any height. You would need to get relatively close to your ideal body weight before starting a bulk.

On a bulk, you eat to gain a modest 1-2 lbs per month, or about 100-200 calories over maintenance. Eat enough protein, lift a heavy progressive program, and you gain muscle. It's slow for a woman though - around 1/2 lb per month. So in order for a bulk to be successful, you need to stick with it for a minimum of 6-12 months.

[Esrue]

I'm a male around 5'9" medium frame. Ideal body weight is 151-163 or so. I'm floating a bit over my ideal (which explains the gut + thighs) I'm not sure if there is confusion over my gender haha i posted in the female fitness section to ask a question for my girlfriend who is not yet registered on the site (if she ever registers).

But i understand what you're saying, but would being about.. 15 lbs off of your ideal weight be a bad time to start ?

[oregonchick76]

I'm a male around 5'9" medium frame. Ideal body weight is 151-163 or so. I'm floating a bit over my ideal (which explains the gut + thighs) I'm not sure if there is confusion over my gender haha i posted in the female fitness section to ask a question for my girlfriend who is not yet registered on the site (if she ever registers).

But i understand what you're saying, but would being about.. 15 lbs off of your ideal weight be a bad time to start ?

Oh, sorry. Just assumed you were female.
If you are comfortable with some more fat gains along with the muscle, then go for the bulk. Gaining muscle, while easier for guys, is still infinitely slower/harder than losing fat. A guy can gain probably around 1 lb of muscle per month, so you can eat to gain 1/2 - 1 lb per week.