can a beginner lose fat and gain muscle ?

[abett07]

can a beginner lose fat and gain muscle at the same time ?

a number of articles and the book say that this can be done but too me
this just defies logic

[big valsalva]

Depends on one's bodytype. An obese person would probably have a better chance of pulling this off than a skinny person.

Pretty tough to do. Impossible? I don't know. Not very likely though. Think about it. You're having to fight two conflicting battles at once. Hopefully others will chime in, but my experience says, "No."

Probably as a beginner, you should concern yourself with getting as strong as possible. If you're eating properly, this will undoubtedly lead to weight gain. And yes, some of that weight will be fat. But if you're getting stronger, some of that weight gain will be muscle. Muscle, being an active tissue, needs calories to survive and grow. Some of those calories will come from stored fat. The (perhaps oversimplified) takeaway is: the more active muscle tissue, the easier it is to lose the accumulated fat.

Now, all that being said, you don't HAVE to turn into a tub of goo, like yours truly. A sound and consistant lifting program combined with a SENSIBLE hyper-caloric diet, and even moderate cardio exercise should keep fat gain to a minimum.

For a beginner, though I still say to lift and eat to grow. Maybe leave the beach body for next summer. To qoute Rippetoe, "What's the use of having a six-pack unless you have a chest to put it in?"

[Abaddon]

Vasalva makes some good points.

This is not the same for everybody, but if you are overweight and young, starting a regular hypertrophy routine that sees you in the gym for an hour, 3-4 days a week is going to assist you to lose fat, while building muscle at the same time. As long as your diet is in order

As always, diet is essential here. If an overweight person can keep their calories at the same level as they always have been, effects will be slow and difficult to see right away. And of course, if the individual is eating a crappy diet, results of any kind will never be optimal.

But with a high protein, low carb, properly calculated diet, a beginner can see quite dramatic results in terms of losing fat and gaining muscle simultaneously.

Losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time is called 'beginner gains' for those with less than a year or so of training and/or who are young. When veterans and oldies try and do it, it's called 're-comping' and it's a slow, steady process where - once again - diet is absolutely key.

Hope this helps.

[Carl1174]

Yes you can build muscle an lose fat, muscle growth is also to do with a positive nitrogen/protein balance as well as an abundance of calories. Plus as you start the body will use almost all the extra calories to build tghe muscle as this will be more important to it than holding on to fat.

In addition to this, the more muscle you have the higher your metabolism whilst resting which means that fat will also be burnt, also as the muscle grows even if the fat remains constant then bf% (which is what makes you look fat or not) will also reduce, giving the appearance of losing fat whilst gaining muscle.

Its not easy obvuiously, but if you are young and just starting then there is no reason why this shouldnt happen naturally, for a while at least, as long as, like people have said, DIET is in check.

Carl.

[Szelago]

I have to agree with Ab and Carl.
In fact, I have been doing just that for three years now.
You will have to find that sweet spot in your macro ratios and a training program that works for you. And these will change over time.
You will lose fat slower and gain muscle slower than if you were to focus on just one of those goals alone, but it can be done.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by abett07

can a beginner lose fat and gain muscle at the same time ?

a number of articles and the book say that this can be done but too me
this just defies logic

It is very difficult to do. Most experienced lifters will tell you it's near impossible because the average trainee can't figure out how to train hard enough to build muscle. To me the diet is the easy part. But getting someone to train right is a bigger problem.

Beginners can make incredible muscle gains their first two years of training if they focus on simple programs with basic lifts, and on the most important thing...progression. They must push themselves on every set for more reps, and add weight when possible. A beginning trainee can handle rapid progression.

If progression is half-hearted, gains will be minimal.

Diet. 35 to 40 grams of protein every 2.5 to 3 hours. 20-30% of your calories from fats. Fill in the gaps with carbs. This is merely a starting point. There are many factors that can change things, especially age and insulin sensitivity.

Calories will come down to age, metabolism and other factors. You start with a number based on the above factors. Say 2300 if you are in your late 30's or maybe 2500-2800 if you are 18-21. You start and then adjust so you aren't losing weight too rapidly.

Even with everything perfect, you still might not be able to do both. There are many guys in gyms who just can't stay consistent with their eating.

You have to be perfect with your eating and perfect with progression of weight. That's your best shot.

[abett07]

thanks for the feedback

My goal is to build muscle/strength while at the same time keep my my current fat levels the same.I actualy dont want to lose any fat

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by abett07

thanks for the feedback

My goal is to build muscle/strength while at the same time keep my my current fat levels the same.I actualy dont want to lose any fat

That will function pretty much the same way as trying to build and lose.

It's easy enough to build and add very little, as in 5-10 pounds of fat. Building and not gaining will require some precision. Pretty much all building does unless someone is a genetic freak.

[Nat60s]

Originally Posted by abett07

thanks for the feedback

My goal is to build muscle/strength while at the same time keep my my current fat levels the same.I actualy dont want to lose any fat

You are most likely not a bodybuilder, since they are would like to lose fat. What's your sport?

[Relentl3ss]

I believe losing fat and gaining muscle when you are a beginner is possible depending on how solid your diet is.