Fitness experts often recommend prioritising muscle building first, as more muscle means a higher resting metabolic rate, which naturally burns more calories, even during rest. However, many people find it more effective to focus on losing body fat first before shifting their efforts to building muscle.
It's definitely better to lose fat first, then concentrate on gaining muscle. It's known that muscle is metabolically more active than fat, so many coaches recommend to gain muscle which helps to lose fat faster. Yet gaining substantial amount of muscle mass takes relatively long time.
Fat usually comes off first and you can also loose fat and muscle at the same time. If someone has a healthy amount of fat they should not loose muscle too quickly when calorie restricting, but someone starving with little fat would loose ample amounts of muscle.
Muscle is denser, so it does weigh more than body fat for the same volume. So, if your shape doesn't change at all, and you replace all the body fat you lose 1:1 with muscle, you will definitely weigh more.
If you currently have a lot of fat to lose, cutting is better than bulking, because it will improve your physique and improve your health. Also, as fat loss can happen faster than muscle can be gained, cutting is easier to stay motivated for. For some people, it can be tricky to choose between cutting or bulking first.
If you're starting out with an already high body fat percentage, you'll want to shed the excess body fat before you bulk. This is because some fat gain is inevitable during a bulking phase, and an excessively high body fat percentage comes with a host of health risks.
Most experts think the appropriate body fat range for beginning a bulk or cut should be between 10-15% for men and 20-25% for women. This range is ideal as it provides enough energy to build muscle while allowing for visible definition. Once you hit the upper end of the range, start cutting.
Not tracking your food intake: You may be eating more than you realize and not tracking the number of calories you are consuming. Insufficient cardio: Focusing mainly on strength training and not doing enough cardio can cause muscle gain without significant fat loss.
So even though you may be losing fat, you're gaining muscle. You might feel slimmer, even as the number on the scale rises. “The scale doesn't tell the entire story,” said exercise physiologist Christopher Mohr, PhD, RD. “Since muscle and fat take up different volume, they look very different on the body.”
Unhealthy eating is the biggest driver of big bellies. Too many starchy carbohydrates and bad fats are a recipe for that midsection to expand. Instead, get plenty of veggies, choose lean proteins, and stay away from fats from red meats. Choose healthier fats in things like fish, nuts, and avocados.
But your body shouldn't naturally go for muscle first in weight loss—if you're doing it right. "A person who is attempting to lose weight by not eating may lose weight in muscle first before fat," he says.
However, it can play a beneficial role even when the goal is to lose weight. Creatine can be an advantageous supplement during weight loss for several reasons: Muscle Preservation: When losing weight, especially through a calorie deficit, there's a risk of muscle loss along with fat.
Gradual Weight Loss
One of the most effective ways to prevent loose skin is to lose weight gradually. Rapid weight loss can put stress on your skin, causing it to stretch and lose elasticity. Aim to lose no more than 1-2 pounds per week by creating a calorie deficit through a balanced diet and regular exercise.
“When someone begins exercising for the first time or significantly increases their exercise intensity, the body will undergo multiple initial adaptive responses that may lead to initial weight gain, rather than weight loss,” says Christopher McGowan, MD, a gastroenterologist and weight loss expert in Cary, North ...
The rule of thumb, Fernstrom says, is that losing 8 to 10 pounds translates to going down one size. Still, if you lose "up to 15 pounds, you may be OK in your old size," she says. But putting off buying new clothes until you really need them doesn't work for everyone.
Aerobic exercise includes any activity that raises your heart rate such as walking, dancing, running or swimming. This can also include doing housework, gardening and playing with your children. Other types of exercise such as strength training, Pilates and yoga can also help you lose belly fat.
You may not be maintaining a calorie deficit or you could be doing too much of one type of exercise. Reach out to a healthcare provider if you are feeling stuck and need help developing a more effective weight loss plan. They can help determine the reason for your plateau and help you get back on track.
Can you burn fat and build muscle at the same time? A 2020 meta-data analysis from the Strength and Conditioning Journal suggests that it may be possible to lose fat mass and gain muscle at the same time.
The cut off should be around 15-20% body fat for men and around 25-30% for females, wherein anyone who is above these body fat percentages should most likely start with a cut.
The body fat percentage needed to see your pack of abdominal muscles falls somewhere around 14 to 20% for women and 6 to 13% for men. However, the ideal body fat percentage for abs can look slightly different per person, depending on how you carry weight, where you typically store fat, and your fitness routine.
There are other terms for this, such as build mode, but bulking is a common term for this caloric surplus. Dirty bulking is when an individual is in a caloric surplus to build muscle (build mode). However, the individual is eating foods that are carb dense, unhealthy, and ultra-processed out of convenience.