‘I want to have a bigger chest and thicker arms but I also wanna reduce my beer belly and get a six pack. Hahaha’
I hear this ALL the time.
Guys who are ‘skinny fat’ (basically skinny all over EXCEPT the tummy area) coming up to me and demand that both goals are met or they’ll sue my gym to bankruptcy.
For personal trainers who are less than ethical, they are always ready to promise their prospects the sky, just to make a sale. Gain muscle lose fat that is! No problem!
But there is a HUGE problem. Gaining muscles and losing fat are polar opposite goals. One is anabolic (building up) and the other is catabolic (breaking down). They cannot coexist under normal circumstances.
What are abnormal circumstances, you might ask. The following 3 conditions might cause a person to build muscles and lose fat at the same time:
1) Anabolic steroid use. With chemical enhancement, almost anything is possible! (I do not recommend anyone use steroids. But if you do that is your choice and you have to bear full responsibility).
2) A person with very high levels of bodyfat and deconditioned with little or no training experience. With him, if training and diet (right food at the right time in the right quantity) is done properly, he might actually be stimulated to build muscle mass while losing fat simultaneously. But this effect diminishes as he becomes more experienced in training or have lost more fat.
3) A person who used to be very muscular but have lost a significant amount of muscles and got fat. Resuming training and dieting can allow him to regain lost muscles and lose some fat at the same time.
For me, I like to under promise and over deliver. If you are none of the 3 above, it is highly unlikely that you will bulk up and lean out at the same time.
The truth is that while bulking up, you will inevitably gain some fat. And while leaning out for more experienced gym goers, you will inevitably lose some muscle mass. The key is to minimize these negative effects.
You have to focus on one particular goal first. That will yield you the best results.
For ‘skinny fat’ guys, I recommend you gain muscles first. With more muscles and a higher metabolism, losing fat becomes easier.
For those with higher bodyfat levels, say 16% or more, you can probably focus on losing more fat first before bulking up. After you lean out and move on to the bulking up phase, for every kilo of weight you gain, you will be able to gain a higher ratio of muscle as compared to fats. ( remember that while bulking up, you will inevitably gain some fat?)
A professional and ethical personal trainer will be able to give you an honest evaluation of your current physique and provide the best recommendations to move forward. He then customizes a training and diet plan specifically for you to yield maximal results in minimal time.
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