Lose fat first or build muscle first?

[sup3ry0shi]

sorry but im not good at these stuff. but i heard that if you have more muscle you will burn more fat. i was wonder if i should workout first for about 2 months.. then start the cutting. i want to lose alot of weight. any suggestions? but i also would like to keep my muscle but i dont know what to do first

[PsychoThrower07]

Here's what I'd say:
READ READ READ. This website is amazing for beginners. Read everything you can (articles, forum topics, stickies). I'd need more stats (height/wt./bf) to help you more, but for starters. Lifting IS part of cutting. Find your maintence level of calories...subtract 300, and there you go. After the first month, then take 500 calories from your maintence. Baby steps. Come up with a full body routine that you can do 3 times a week to build some muscle. Do cardio 5 times a week and that, combined with a good diet will help. Good luck bro.
-Pat

[Freestyle72]

lose fat first...its easier to gian muscle when leaner..in my experience

[Alfz]

Yep...Leaner gets better gains imo...

[dance2trance]

i dont agree...i think it depends on the shape your in...if you're obese, lose weight first...if you're say 10-13% body fat and you wanna get lower, id say build muscle first...if you're 15-25% body fat, the choice is yours

[355 Spyder]

As the post above recommends first figure out where you are and then decide where you want to go. Since you are only 15 my recommendation would be to cut first and get lean. This is because cutting requires a lot of discipline and it forces you to get your basics right.

Your best bodybuilding years are still ahead of you. So if you get lean now and learn you can be in fantastic shape very soon.

But please read this site exhaustively. There is a ton of information here that you cannot get outside even if you paid top dollar. Read, apply and then see how your body responds and then adapt.

Good Luck!

[kunitkrzybear]

what if you were 35% bodyfat? what should you do then?

[355 Spyder]

what if you were 35% bodyfat? what should you do then?

I sincerely hope you are serious when you ask that question. I am really tempted to be a wise crack here. But since so many people helped me when I was learning - here is my 0.02 - cut and get lean. Get your basics right.

You are (also) only 15 - take 3 to 4 months and get cut up. Then you can focus on packing muscle. With your metabolism it will be fairly easy - IF you get your basics right.

Start here - http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/layne36.htm

[Solid0Snake]

I've had that question wondering in my mind, I do something, forums tell me the opposite lol, then I do forums, bodybuilders tell me opposite

You see, if I am to speak in bulk's side, I'd say that you're 15, which means your testerone and GH are very high, so you could use that advantage to pack up some size then cut back the fat later on.

But if I were to speak in cut's side, I'd say that muscle is more noticeable and makes your body look nicer when you have a single digit bf, preferbly 8%.

If you ask me, I'd say cut..but that's just my openion, you could go with the first one if you want, they both make sense.

[beerbaron105]

you can lift heavy weights and cut fat, it can be done, ive done it.

[oki9Sedo]

Its best to eat to get lean first, then eat to get big.

[numinix]

Cutting and building muscle should be done simultaneously as much as possible. This can be achieved by spiking your insulin levels immediately after heavy lifting and during the rest of the day keeping your insulin levels low.

[Amris]

Give us some statistics, please.

Very heavy people should lift first. Why? Well, not to be offensive, but you need the strength to carry that weight around while you cut. Cutting will be more cardio, and that takes more energy than does lifting. And energy is something that very overweight people have a VERY LIMITED amount of.

If you're not on the high end of obese, then you can get away with cutting first.

But the bottom line is.. if you're so heavy that you have no energy to exercise, you will quit. You will give up, because "it's too hard" to carry around 100+ extra pounds, AND exercise, too. It's very discouraging and defeating.

So... consider your energy levels, and if you need to, then put on some muscle to (literally) carry you through the difficult times ahead.

[Mavital]

This is from a purely cosmetic standpoint. I was once fat, and went from 220lbs to about 170ish before ever taking a step in the gym. I felt great, but the resulting stretch marks did not. Now granted I didn't take my multivitamins and eat as health as I should have, but I have a feeling that putting on some mass to "fill out the skin" would have left me with a much better long-term result. Of course, you have to be willing to cope with the extra fat for longer. If mentally, you desire a thin look and that is what drives you, by all means lose fat first. But *PLEASE* read these forums and make sure you do it in a healthy safe manner.

Losing weight too fast will cause skin problems, among other problems. I've already had my gallbladder out, and the doctors are amazed that a 22 year old guy had a gallstone as large as mine. This is my warning. Take it from someone who wishes he had lost weight slower!

[mpipes]

If you're overweight by any amount, lift and cut at the same time. You'll drop weight but maintain muscle. I didn't lift while I lost 100lbs and the result was a lot of loose flab. No real big deal, but it has taken me the past year of lifting to firm it all up again. Had I been lifting while losing that weight, I'd be that much further ahead right now and probably even leaner too.

If you're not really overweight but you just want to get cut, pack on some muscle first then the little bit of fat that came along for the ride will be easy to strip away.

[alkemyst]

i dont agree...i think it depends on the shape your in...if you're obese, lose weight first...if you're say 10-13% body fat and you wanna get lower, id say build muscle first...if you're 15-25% body fat, the choice is yours

exactly

if you are really fat your bang for buck will come from cutting a bit assuming you have strength.

once you are low and hard, you need to overbuild yourself so when you lose some muscle with the fat it works out.

I am at 20%+ BF coming down from almost 30%. Most that look at me would not say I am 'FAT'...I still need more definition.

I am bulking now.

[sarge_cbr]

lose the fat first then bulk like they said

[sup3ry0shi]

ok thx guys

but my stats are:
5'7
192 pounds
and around 17% bodyfat or 16%.

[BIG_GUNZ666]

eat healthy and work out youll make newbie gains...youll gain muscle while losing some fat do that for a while then decide the direction you want to go

[alkemyst]

ok thx guys

but my stats are:
5'7
192 pounds
and around 17% bodyfat or 16%.

i am smelling troll perhaps.

but if not you should just cut if being ripped is your goal.

[Jodi_Lane]

i dont agree...i think it depends on the shape your in...if you're obese, lose weight first...if you're say 10-13% body fat and you wanna get lower, id say build muscle first...if you're 15-25% body fat, the choice is yours

Yeah, I second this idea. If you're obese you need to lose the excess fat/weight first because that enables you to better form and etc.
So, it really depends on the shape you're currently in.

[Jodi_Lane]

you can lift heavy weights and cut fat, it can be done, ive done it.

I agree with this also. I've been in forums to where I get people telling me that I need to eat a lot, only do heavy weight lifting, no cardio....and then months later I'm supposed to cut.

I'm sorry but when I do that, I gain fat from all the excess calorie intake and it seems pointless to me. From my experiences both can be done. Seems to be working GREAT for me right now!!!

You're like, the only person I have EVER heard say that on these forums...THANKS!!!! HAHAH!

[Jodi_Lane]

Give us some statistics, please.

Very heavy people should lift first. Why? Well, not to be offensive, but you need the strength to carry that weight around while you cut.

I know what you mean about this!

Although I read and have seen this talking about by experts on TV that obese people tend to have good muscles underneath all of their fat, but it's severely hidden. So, when they DO cut their fat and get more lean, they already have some "show muscles" because from carrying around all their weight all the time they've got defined.
(I'm not sure what size the guy posting this thread is...probably not obese).

I like this thread .