How do I burn fat while gaining strength, NOT muscle?
Recently, I have started lifting weights and am currently benching 55kg max. I work out once every two days, using both machines and free weights. I lift with weights that allow me to do only 6-8 reps as I am trying to increase my strength. I only want to gain as little muscle mass as possible while increasing my strength (Bruce Lee style). This is because I am lifting weights and trying to get stronger to help me with sport (soccer in particular).
Recently, I have also begun doing lots of cardio and core work in order to lose body fat, strengthen my midsection, and develop six-pack abs. Here is my problem:
I know that in order to lose weight, you need a calorie deficiency, but in order to build strength, I’m not supposed to limit my caloric intake as this energy is needed for muscle repair.
I have looked at countless articles saying that to burn fat I should eat less, but on the other hand, in order to gain strength, i have to eat more. This is really confusing me at the moment, so can anyone please explain to me how I can:
- build muscular strength, NOT size
- lose body fat
…at the same time.
I know this can be acheived through proper diet and adequate exercise, but I have no idea how much I should be eating, or how much i should be exercising.
Thanks heaps in advance.
(If this is required, I am 16, 174cm, 132lbs, and have very slightly visible abs.. probably around 11-13% body fat).
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Dude my friend only weighs 110 and he benches 145. He doesnt even work out. wwwweEEEEEEEaaaaaaaakkkkkkkk
ur 16…?
you need to be eating like constantly. seriously. eat small meals, all day. like 5 or 6. and by meal i mean a bagel and an apple. or a peanut butter sammy. stuff like that. drink water like no other. at least 2 liters a day, 3 is preferable. absolutely no soda aka liquid candy.
if there is a strength and conditioning coach at your school, ask him/her about exercises you can do. i know that i had different lifting programs for all my sports (football, soccer, volleyball) to focus on building different muscles and shaping them differently as well.
also, pick up a book. borders has a lot of books on what you should eat and how to work out. good luck
Do small weights, a lot of repetition. This will create long lean muscles.
Ok, you’re 16. So your metabolism is still working itself out. If you want to burn the fat, stimulate your metabolism. Eat a good breakfast with fiber and some carbs and then make yourself tired during the day. I drink Boost Extra Protein and it makes a perfect breakfast, lots of vitamins and it will help you get strong and heal. And it doesn’t taste crappy.
I worked on a farm and it was perfect, I was strong but not “cut” and bulky. But I had the good muscle tone and you could tell if you touched an arm or whatnot.
Try that, and see how it works for you. It seems simple, but the body is really just a cycle of systems all acting off eachother.
Eat around 2000 -2600 calories a day. Eat a lot of protein and you will lose fat and gain strength. By lifting weights you’re burning body fat and gaining muscle. Don’t worry about getting too big because that doesn’t happen overnight. Keep lifting your weights and do cardio and if you are not satisfied with your results tweak your caloric intake and/or cardio to suit your needs
Also mostly every exercise indirectly hits your ab muscles so you only have to workout your abs once or twice a week.
I think building endurance is what you should be working as of now.
Imo, bigger muscles = stronger muscles provided the muscles were built by natural methods (no droids etc)
Don’t do really light weights ( 5lbs) like some women do and use “I’m just trying to tone my body.I don’t want to build muscle” as an excuse.Its absolutely USELESS.That doesn’t burn fat nor does it tear down muscle fibers ( which should be your aim while working out).
You should start off with minimum 10lbs of SLOW repetitive actions and then go up from there.
And NO ,to burn fat you don’t have to eat less.
Eat more of slow burning carbs and proteins and try to keep fats to a minimum [<15% of your total calorie intake] Yes you do need to have a percentage of fat in your diet period )
Cardio is a more effective way of shedding pounds permanently since you shouldn’t deprive your body of the trio ( carbs,proteins,fats). Eating well also ensures you get adequate nutrition.
From what I’ve read, additional muscle growth helps you burn an additional 10-20 calories per day which is not much but hey,its better than nothing! Having more muscle ensures that you also burn calories doing nothing (including sleeping ) !!
Try to gain size if you can. My friend is an NCAA scholarship soccer player, and he weights a solid 205. Bulking up will not make you slower, in fact the more muscle you have the faster your muscle will explode, helping your soccer game a ton. The reason you have to eat more to gain strength is because size and strength are directly correlated. Bigger muscle move bigger objects. You can gain some strength on a calories deficient diet, but not near as much as if you load up the calories. Don’t worry about bulk though, it will be your friend. American/Canadian football players are the fast athletes next to track stars on the planet, and they are rarely less then 200 lbs. In fact, David Beckham only ran a 4.9 forty yard dash, and he is 165 lbs. Vernon Gholston is 270 lb football player and he ran his in 4.6. Size is your friend!