Increase Muscle Mass While Losing Fat

Q: I am planning to start a conditioning program, but I am uncertain on the proper approach and way to begin. I am seeking advice as to formulating a program that increases muscle mass while losing fat. What kind of diet should I be looking into, and what sort of training should I be commencing?

Regards,
L. Lai


My Answer: You want your cake and eat it too, huh? If you want it all, then you're going to have to give it your all. No compromised effort in training, no half-hearted attempts at dieting. Try the Strength Training for Fat Loss program and do your homework on dieting: Getting Big Without Getting Fat





Q: I would like to ask regarding on body workout: how many hours of sleep do I need? Is there any possible negative effect if you workout then sleep only in just 4-5 hours a day? Hope you could give me answer to this. Thank you.

Best Regards,
Kjmalc


My Answer: Yes there are negative effects to lack of sleep. For one thing, you won't gain as much muscle mass as you would with a full night's rest. Your muscle growth, mental clarity and mood stability are compromised, because you're not allowing for full recovery. If you can't get a full 8-9 hours in one continuous block, then take another 4-5 hour nap some other time.

I find that I often wake up 5 hours into my sleep. If I can't get back to sleep, then I'll get up and do stuff and have something to eat if I'm hungry. Just go with the flow and with what your body is telling you.

Comments

Dante said…
The article you posted related to bulking does not focus much on carb/fat/protein counting but focuses on calorie counting.

So does carb/protein/fat balancing really matter that much? Or does eating clean food matter the most?
J said…
Eating clean food usually creates an ideal macronutrient profile.

I say usually, because most people think eating clean foods involves oatmeal, egg whites, chicken breast, turkey, brown rice and wheat bread. Sounds healthy right?

Well a diet like this would be high in carbs and low in fat. High carb sucks for fat loss, low fat sucks for muscle gain.

There's no either/or. Eat a clean diet with the right ratio of macronutrients.
Dante said…
Any macronutrient recommendations for bulking?

Thanks in advance!
J said…
Zone or isocaloric: 40-30-30 or 33-33-33.
619 said…
This may seem like a stupid question, but I am kind of perplexed. I noticed that at the end of the article you say that the modern program is a "strength training/fat loss program." Like you said, cake and and eat it to. However, I was wondering since it is going to cause both effects, should a trainee have a diet with a caloric deficiency or excess? I wasn't sure because it seems strength and lean muscle gain typically requires a caloric excess while fat loss is the opposite. Also, how long do you think that it should take to finish the workout you posted? Thanks for taking your time to respond to this.
J said…
A strength training/fat loss program just means that you're using strength training to incur fat loss. It doesn't mean that you're training to gain strength. In other words: strength training is the method, fat loss is the goal.

Nevertheless, you will gain some muscle, even when you diet, as long as you ingest a lot of protein. The whole workout should take no longer than an hour.
619 said…
Thanks for the prompt response. Very much appreciated.

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