Lifting weights to bulk up. So cardio is a no no. But I want to lose some fat too?
I am a skinny guy (male) trying to bulk up. I have put on some muscle lately, and I’m not too fat. You can actually see my abs easily. BUT. But the annnoying little bags of fat on my lower back (male love handles, I guess) never leaves. My back has a good V-shape (cuz I have good lats), but the lower back kills it, making my back look more like an hour glass. Cardio might help, but I heard that doing cardio is not good for people who are trying to bulk up on muscle. And I eat no more than 1600-1800 calories daily (I’m 5’5″, 130lbs). Do you know a way to lose that fat.?
October 19th, 2010 at 8:18 am
You will lose fat but it takes much longer when you’re building muscle.
October 19th, 2010 at 8:37 am
First of all cardio is good for everybody. At least 30 min a day most days of the week. But anyways, when you are building muscle that muscle is going to burn more calories. Muscle takes more calories to sustain than fat does, and it weighs more but takes up less space. So by adding muscle you are going to loose fat because that muscle is going to burn the fat. Does that make since to you…? There also is no way to but fat in a specific area. People try to do this all of the time with stomach fat but the reality is that when you burn calories and fat you burn it all over your body.
My preferred routine to recommend…
2-3 days of strength training never do the same body part two days in a row though because those muscles need time to recover between workouts
3-4 days of cardio for at least 30 min. This is to keep your heart in good condition. You can swim and strengthen your whole body at the same time as getting a cardio workout. You can run and work your lower body either outside, on a treadmill, on an elliptical, or even doing stairs and you will build muscle at the same time.
Do this every week and slowly build intensity and change it up with your reps to keep your body from growing used to the workout.
As far as eating goes. Try to get 45% of your calories from carbs. 30-35% from protein (so you build muscle) and 20-23%% from fat.
Eat carbs and protein before and after your work out and stay hydrated by drinking water before after and during your workout.