Can you lose fat and build muscle at the same time?
Often the sweet spot is to reduce body fat and preserve muscle mass
And Yes it’s been shown beyond doubt that you can
When I say build muscle I don’t necessarily mean to ‘bulk up’
Simply gain more lean muscle tissue means ‘toning up’ in simple terms
i.e. – weight may not change much but your body shape, physique has & clothes feel looser
This is not to say that it’s the optimal position to build muscle, as you do need calories as well as protein to build new tissue
but it’s important realise that you do not have to have a huge ‘surplus’
(rather than deficit if looking to lose weight) of calories to build muscle tissue.
The amount we truly need, although not exactly known, will be much smaller than you would imagine.
So if you look to force-feed 300, 500 or even more extra calories per day, it will often simply end up in you gaining body fat which is detrimental to your goals.
The key with building lean muscle is that food is not the most important factor here (quite the opposite with weight loss, in which food & what you do away from gym is really important)
With building muscle the stimulus is the major factor and if you are not giving your body and very good reason to be muscular it never will be.
That means progressively lifting more weight and with more volume over your entire week, then doing so consistently over a period of years, not simply weeks.
If you are ‘force-feeding’ food and trying to gain several pounds per week, you are simply end up losing your shape and having to then switch your goal to losing weight to ever display any muscle that you build.
So be wary if you’re switching to a ‘bulking’ type eating phase in an effort to more rapidly promote muscle building
We’ve seen many people over the years switching to this mindset, lose all control of their food intake then struggling for the rest of their lives to ever get there body fat down to its previous level.
But if done correctly, attending your regular sessions with purpose as well as Build, Power Hour.
You can lose fat and gain muscle mass without being too focused on eating more than you physically can.
Muscle is like your mindset
The more you work on it and push it outwith your comfort zone = the more it grows
Pushing boundaries at the right times always creates growth