How to lose body fat while trying to gain muscle mass

[ForeverKnownAsX]

New to lifting. Trying to get stronger. While losing body fat. Heavier weight- less reps or light weight more reps?? Also how to keep losing body fat. Cause I keep hearing and reading I need a calorie surplus if I want muscle mass but scared I will gain weight and not lose body fat... Please help!!

[ReyJay]

As a beginner you might be able to still make respectable strenght/muscle gains while still losing weight or without gaining much or at all fat. Also called "noob gains". You will not howerer gain the potential muscle mass you'd have gained in a proper surplus. Don't be afraid to gain weight! After your noob gains are gone you will always gain a portion of fat while bulking, depending on how big your surplus is.

[MrM27]

At 5'10" 158 lbs and due to the fact that you stated you are new to lifting I would imagine that your biggest issue right now is that you lack LBM. You can see minimal gains as a totally new lifter but that's short lived.

I would post a picture if I were you in order to get some better opinion. I suspect that dropping to much weight may not be the right move.

[matman1813]

Strength gains =/= muscle mass gains.

The title say you are looking for mass gains, the thread says you are looking for strength gains, which one are you looking for? You aren't going to be gaining any noticeable amounts of muscle mass in a calorie deficit (which is a necessity for fat loss). As a noob though, you could gain quite a lot of strength. The best way to achieve this would be by following a good beginners routine, there are plenty out there that follow the age old 5x5 template. Starting Strength, MadCow, Strong Lifts, ICF 5x5, the list goes on.

[jamessharman]

Like the other posters have said you need to go one way or the other. I wasted two years at the gym trying to lose fat and gain muscle (noob gains completely threw me off because I assumed they would last forever). I wish I'd found these forums earlier, only now am I seeing strong progress in the gym (& losing fat)

[pierrson]

people always talk about being in deficit/surplus. sometimes they gain muscle/lose fat on either making them feel that they do both on the same time. but the thing is, do you really know that youre in a surplus/deficit? chances are not; hence you float around 'gaining muscle and losing fat'. but hey, if youre seeing results and happy, stick with it. consistency is the most important thing imo

[ForeverKnownAsX]

At 5'10" 158 lbs and due to the fact that you stated you are new to lifting I would imagine that your biggest issue right now is that you lack LBM. You can see minimal gains as a totally new lifter but that's short lived.

I would post a picture if I were you in order to get some better opinion. I suspect that dropping to much weight may not be the right move.

just uploaded a pic and what is lbm?

[ForeverKnownAsX]

also my post was confusing yes, but what i am pretty much looking for is to be fit. and to increase my overall strength.

[sentinel3]

New to lifting. Trying to get stronger. While losing body fat. Heavier weight- less reps or light weight more reps?? Also how to keep losing body fat. Cause I keep hearing and reading I need a calorie surplus if I want muscle mass but scared I will gain weight and not lose body fat... Please help!!

Its possible to gain a small amount of muscle while burning fat. Dont worry about lifting heavy.

Worry about lifting as much as possible in slow precise form. And you will see gains in muscle and true strength like never before.

If you can bench 225 for 12. Try 180 for 12 but take 3--4 seconds on the upward movement. Hold for two seconds and take 3-4 seconds to lower the bar. Do one set like this to failure. Rest for 30 secs and do a set of flyes in the same controlled fashion to failure.

You will feel every fiber in your pecs working. Master this in all your exercises. And train on a split so you do upper body on say a Monday

Abs and legs on a Friday. Rest at least 4 days before repeating the workout.

The greater the intensity the higher gear your metabolism will be pushed into. And the fat will literally fall off of you.

You will then be the master of your own destiny. To cut you will simply downsize your carb intake. To clean bulk. Up carbs slighly over maintainance level.

The trick is to make every cal earn its keep. If you understand muscle is calorie light. And a pound only contains 600 calories.

You will realize you dont have to be more than two to three hundred cals over maintainance to gain predominantly lean muscle.

Understand this. Past newbie stage unless youre a genetic freak like a Casey Viator. You should be pleased if you can even gain two pounds of quality muscle a month. Very few can.

If you bulk for 4 months and gain even 5 pounds of true quality muscle jump for joy.

HIT training may speed you to your genetic potential faster than anyother type of training.

[Masochron]

Its possible to gain a small amount of muscle while burning fat. Dont worry about lifting heavy.

Worry about lifting as much as possible in slow precise form. And you will see gains in muscle and true strength like never before.

If you can bench 225 for 12. Try 180 for 12 but take 3--4 seconds on the upward movement. Hold for two seconds and take 3-4 seconds to lower the bar. Do one set like this to failure. Rest for 30 secs and do a set of flyes in the same controlled fashion to failure.

You will feel every fiber in your pecs working. Master this in all your exercises. And train on a split so you do upper body on say a Monday

Abs and legs on a Friday. Rest at least 4 days before repeating the workout.

The greater the intensity the higher gear your metabolism will be pushed into. And the fat will literally fall off of you.

You will then be the master of your own destiny. To cut you will simply downsize your carb intake. To clean bulk. Up carbs slighly over maintainance level.

The trick is to make every cal earn its keep. If you understand muscle is calorie light. And a pound only contains 600 calories.

You will realize you dont have to be more than two to three hundred cals over maintainance to gain predominantly lean muscle.

Understand this. Past newbie stage unless youre a genetic freak like a Casey Viator. You should be pleased if you can even gain two pounds of quality muscle a month. Very few can.

If you bulk for 4 months and gain even 5 pounds of true quality muscle jump for joy.

HIT training may speed you to your genetic potential faster than anyother type of training.

Now there's something that I actually agree with you on Slow, controlled reps, in good form, are KEY.

[ForeverKnownAsX]

THANK YOU GUYS! Definatly going to take these suggestins and put them into motion. On my way to the gym now! hahah love bodybuilding.com best place to get the information you need!

[sentinel3]

Now there's something that I actually agree with you on Slow, controlled reps, in good form, are KEY.

Jesus is the world going to end tonight? Someone actually agrees with me on something.

Yes I have never seen a man for example curl more than 100lbs for 10 reps in strict form. Yet I see dozens of guys swinging 135lbs like mad men.

I learnt that whether youre doing a compound or isolation movement the more control you have over the weight, not only will the muscle/s being trained benefit from it more.

The chances of you getting silly injuries are virtually zero.

[mavajo]

Its possible to gain a small amount of muscle while burning fat. Dont worry about lifting heavy.

This is the first somewhat reasonable thing I've seen you say on this topic. It's funny how you keep slowing backing off of your original statements.

[matman1813]

This is the first somewhat reasonable thing I've seen you say on this topic. It's funny how you keep slowing backing off of your original statements.

Yep, he will militantly defend any point he makes, but over time changes his stance on topics. He will never ever admit he was/is wrong but his advice is getting better, so what we say obviously sinks in.

[EjnarKolinkar]

also my post was confusing yes, but what i am pretty much looking for is to be fit. and to increase my overall strength.

Calculate Estimated TDEE from sticky topic. Eat 20% surplus, adjust intake as needed to make gains, train on stronglifts. This isn't that hard OP. We all have to do it, just get on with it. Don't be afraid of the gains, just train hard.

Diet is over for now man, congrats.

[MrM27]

Yep, he will militantly defend any point he makes, but over time changes his stance on topics. He will never ever admit he was/is wrong but his advice is getting better, so what we say obviously sinks in.

One can only hope.

[sentinel3]

This is the first somewhat reasonable thing I've seen you say on this topic. It's funny how you keep slowing backing off of your original statements.

How are you? Hows the training going?

Im tired if confrontations. I will just go with the flow to keep the peace. Its alot easier.
.

[Mdenatale]

How are you? Hows the training going?

Im tired if confrontations. I will just go with the flow to keep the peace. Its alot easier.
.

LOL, credit for trying