If I went through my email inbox right now and sorted out all the questions I got, they would look something like this:
20% – I’m overweight, how can I lose weight?
10% – I’m skinny, how can I gain weight?
5% – Various questions on supplements, training, and nutrition
5% – I’m a hot and sexy single in your area, want to bang?
60% – How do I build muscle and lose fat at the same time?
See something interesting with the above?
The majority of people I know want to lose fat and build muscle AT THE SAME TIME.
They don’t just want to build muscle, and they don’t just want to lose fat. They want to do both at the same time.
And I get it. Everyone wants to get shit done as fast as possible, we want to lose 30 pounds of fat and pack on 20 pounds of muscle in 3 months.
But guess what? That shit ain’t going to happen.
For everyone that wants to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, let me save you years of frustration, IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
Okay let me rephrase that, it’s not going to happen the way you want it to.
The 2 (most realistic) ways you’ll gain muscle and lose fat at the same time
1) You’re a complete newbie to training
2) You cycle your calories (eat more on training days, eat less on rest days) and accept that gaining muscle/losing fat simultaneously will take a VERY VERY long time
Look at #1. When you’re a total beginner and you’re just getting into working out, pretty much anything you do is going to spark a change in your body. So a lot of guys go through what’s called the “newbie effect” where they tend to gain a decent amount of muscle and lose fat at the same time even if they’re eating in a calorie deficit.
Note: If you are a complete beginner to building muscle, read this post: The Ultimate Guide To Building Muscle
For #2, it’s very possible to lose fat and build muscle with calorie cycling. The concept being you overeat on your training days to gain muscle and undereat on your rest days to lose fat. Like I said, this does work but the results are exponentially slower than traditional bulking and lean bulking so most guys just get too frustrated and give up which is why I rarely recommend it.
This is one area where I actually agree with professional bodybuilders. During the on season, they try to get as ripped as possible and during the off season, they try to gain as much muscle as possible.
Some get super fat during the off season (you should never do this), but the main point is that they are able to maximize their fat loss and muscle building results because they only focus on one thing at a time.
How to stop being frustrated and build the body of your dreams
There are a few things you need to do:
- Stop trying to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, especially if you’re not a beginner.
- Even though it’s possible to do both at the same time via calorie cycling, most people do not have the patience to do it successfully. It’s an extremely long process.
- If you’re looking for a more badass physique with a sleek v-taper, chances are you need to gain more muscle.
- If you’re dead set on having a body like Brad Pitt in Fight Club, you can probably get away by just gaining a bit of muscle and focus on leaning down permanently.
- But….if you want a more powerful/muscular physique like Chris Evans, Henry Cavill, or John Krasinski, you need to put on a substantial of muscle so getting a ripped six pack shouldn’t be your #1 priority right away.
What do you guys think? Have you successfully gained muscle and lost fat at the same time? Let me know in the comments.
I think this could have been what held back my process. I started going to the gym about 7-8 months ago…and I kept researching and overthinking things, listening to this and then that. And I very much believed in the Build Muscle/Burn Fat, but I think my nutrition wasn’t in check (also my workout program has been begginer’s for MONTHS, with low-ish weight).
When I read your article on Lean Bulking, I’ve thought of the idea of calorie cycling and burning fat…now that I think of it, I have no idea why I even stopped (or never begun?) doing that. It’s always great to have an excuse to eat more (I’m pretty thin as it is).
Also, what do you think on Jeff Cavaliere’s method?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz3AG-oCXTE
I call BS on Jeff’s method.
LOL
I heard that the study bases himself on could have been done on people who have never lifted before, which, could make a lot of sense.
Bum, um, yeah. Even if it’s a snail-paced method, I think I’ll go with LEAN bulking. Eat more on lifting days, diet on the off days. Doesn’t sound ridiculously insanely slow, so I don’t know why people don’t go for that. 😀
ya if the guys have never trained before, you absolutely don’t need a surplus like I explained above.
The way you described above is not lean bulking, with lean bulking you eat in a surplus on training days and at maintenance on off days.
Sorry bro. Jeff has it 100% right. I’ve been following Jeffs AthleanX program and meal plan and it works perfectly as perscribed. I eat real food several times a day. Ive burned a lot of fat while packing on lean muscle. Sorry but you are just flat out wrong.
if you’re a beginner, it’s very easy to lose fat and build muscle at the same time (like i said in the article).
What do you think of the website scoobysworkshop.com?
Meh, I’m not really a fan.
scooby is a nice guy but he spits out a lotta BROETRY…. nice tips and exercises ideas, but still a good ol fashioned bro.
Yeah he has the best intentions at heart but some of the information he gives out is just horrible.
Tyler Durden plan right now. I intend to take my time with this since I’m just a regular guy with work and school. Hopefully before I’m 35.
Hey man, I am 18 6’0” about 165 lbs. trying to put on a little bit of muscle (goal of 185) Im already planning on picking up the adonis program but I was wondering if you would recommend the muscle gaining or body recomp program in the adonis index since you are against the gaining muscle and losing fat idea.
body recomp typically works if you are total beginner.
I’d just focus on lean bulking for the next few months.
also I meant to ask if you would suggest the adonis golden ratio program or the superhero workout 2.0 for my goals?
i like AGR.
So I’m 5’10 and weight about 249 (down from 295) and all I have been doing is jogging 3x a week and having a calorie deficit. Of course now I keep reading that jogging isn’t as effective and EVERYONE tells me I need to start doing weights.
I have no clue how to do weights.
All I want to do is lose weight and build muscle, but obviously I can’t do that at the same time. So how do I lift to lose weight?
Yes you need to start lifting weights.
I never said you can’t build muscle and lose fat at the same time, I just said it’s very difficult and not worth most people’s time.
I also said if you are a beginner ( which I assume you are), it’s easier to build muscle and lose fat simultaneously. Just start with a simply routine, 2-3x per week full body and focus on losing fat. Since you’ve never lifted weights you will probably gain a bit of muscle too.
“Very difficult” how so? twice as long? 6 months vs 2 months (triple the time)? or what? I think the problem is that you were using quite vague phrases throughout the blog post. A reader has no way of determining what you consider ‘very difficult’ or ‘not worth the time’ if you do not define it. An extra month or two might not be worth it as far as you see it but merely par for the course for someone with long-term lifestyle changing goals.
It’s vague on purpose.
There is no single formula for how fast someone is able to build muscle and lose fat at the same time.
If you’re a beginner, the process is typically more clear cut. If all proper conditions line up, you’ll be able to gain 10-20 pounds of muscle your first year. And a lot of beginners are able to do this even while being in a calorie deficit simply because the stimulus from weight lifting is so new to their body.
But someone’s who already has years of training under their belt might only be able to gain 0.5-1 pound of muscle per month. And when gaining that little lean muscle mass in a month, it becomes very hard to track what is or isn’t muscle. Combine that with trying to lose a bit of body fat as well (which requires a calorie deficit), and things become very frustrating very fast.
This is why it’s almost always universally recommended for anyone at the intermediate/advanced stages of lifting to do a lean bulk and not try to lose fat while trying to gain mass.
If you are a beginner, you will gain muscle and lose fat quite easily in the beginning.
I am 182 centimetres long and having only 56 kg weight. …..now I trying to build muscles as well as body.i planned to go to gym daily….and wish to eat protein powder along with it….as a beginner please instruct me to choose ma food menu and which protein powder I want to use daily? ???
After years of ho hum ie. not serious weightlifting, I finally decided to put on some mass. I’ve always been somewhat fit and V shaped but never had a 6 pack. I started lifting heavy and eating an extra 600 to 1000 calories a day (weight gainer shakes, greek yogurt, and eggs). I’m only 5’7″ and I went from 162 lbs to 172 lbs in 6 weeks but my wife isn’t happy with my constantly bulging stomach. I feel strong and my muscle mass has definitely increased but im worried that i wont get my relatively flat stomach back. Especially now that ive turned 40. My wife hates my muffin top but i keep telling her that I’ll lean up for spring /summer. Please tell me i can get my waist back after a winter bulk. FYI I was a 31/32 in. waist now i’m at a bloated 33. Thoughts?
Sounds like you simply ate too much when trying to gain muscle.
And the older you get, the less you need to eat.
Lose the fat simply by eating less (being in a calorie deficit).
what happens if i eat on a surplus only on lifting days and eat less than maintainance on off days can i build muscle and lose fat that way
yes that’s typically how you do it, but like i said in the article, it’s a very long process that most people simply don’t have the patience for. If you think you can do it, go for it but you’ve been warned 🙂
Please define “very long process” for comparison purposes. Thanks…
yes thank you keith
i have been following your articles for some time now and the whole calorie cycling deal is just brilliant. i have started doing this i told you about two weeks ago i am gaining good weight and seeing tiny differences that werent there
Interesting stuff. I am trying to lean out more as well. I was 230 lbs a year ago and im down to 200 lbs now. I want to be down to 180 lbs, but find it really tough. Just started a workout where I start with cardo for 20 mins, the hit the weights, which each lift 12-15 reps, 3-4 sets, then finish with 20 mins of cardio. Thoughts? Thanks!
I would do lower reps, heavier weights in the 5-8 rep range.
I’m 240 now.had been down to 200. I want to lose the weight and love handles. I’d like to muscle up. Any thoughts?
Had been? If you have love handles and want to lose those first, focus on that.
For women, any input on ideal BF% to cut down to before bulking?
Also, should it be one long cut (to lose about 20lbs I’m estimating) while trying to preserve as much muscle as possible?
I’ve only been lifting for 2-3 months. I cut for first month and unintentionally bulked for second. I know it’s stupid.
There’s nothing “ideal” because it depends on your starting point.
Did you start off skinny?
You can cut down to around 20-23% but that’s just an estimate. Just cut to the point that you’re happy with then start bulking a bit.
Great article.
It is important to perform either calorie surplus or deficit at a particular time. Gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time is the most difficult and slow process.
It works well for beginners, not too well for anyone else.
So are u saying to build muscle , you have to eat at a calorie surplus ? And then of course the opposite for weight loss . So I am trying to lose weight but I am lifting heavy and eating at a calorie deficit ., so when I lift heavy, arnt I tearing tissue which rebuilds stronger muscle ,and also losing weight from hiit training and the calorie deficit at the same time ?
Are you a beginner? If so, then yes, you will likely build muscle even when in a deficit. But for guys who are past that “newbie stage” of building muscle, it’s very unlikely you’ll build mass in a deficit.
Wow so does that mean you kinda gotta get fat to build muscle in a way ?
If you’re not a beginner, some fat gain is always inevitable when trying to gain muscle.