Is it possible to both burn fat and build up muscle at the same time?

Question

A friend advised me that I should do cardiovascular exercise with dieting to lose extra body fat, and then start to focus on building up muscle mass.

Answer 1

As far as humans are concerned, we can't build muscle and lose fat at the same time. Anabolism, the process of building muscle, requires more calories taken in than expended, plus appropriate resistance exercise to stimulate the many cells involved in muscle development, and adequate rest to allow repair and growth of muscle tissue. While trying to lose fat, it's important to work on preserving muscle. Dieters frequently lose lean body mass and experience decreases in basal metabolic rate. Stopping or excluding resistance exercise does nothing for maintaining strength, muscle tone, and bone health. Keeping lean body mass by weight training will also help to keep one's metabolism up. In order to preserve lean body mass, taking in sufficient protein (2 g/kg. or 0.9 g/lb of body weight)and Muscle milk (promoting efficient fat burning, lean muscle growth and fast recovery from exercise) are recommended.

Answer 2

Build Ripped Muscle Fast

Answer 3

Fat is burnt as a fuel, and bulking up ('hypertrophy') is a response to exercise, so they do not have to be opposite outcomes. It is possible (and very healthy) to do both at the same time. The myth that they are mutually exclusive arises because the muscle fibres that burn fat are not able to do vigorous work, and the work that causes the most hypertrophy is very vigorous. In fact, working very vigorously (using lots of 'fast-twitch' fibres, and burning sugars) causes fatigue; you can't keep it up for long. That means you need to stop, and allow 'recovery' time. It also makes you hungry. You burn more CALORIES that way, but less fat overall; you also put more calories back because your appetite is increased. Fat-burning work doesn't make you hungry, or wear you out. If you are ONLY burning fat, you can keep going indefinitely. You will be working very gently (using 'slow-twitch' fibres), so very little muscle growth will be stimulated. Most activities (and most exercises) use a blend of both fibre types (and therefore both fuels). So you can ensure that you are burning off fat by avoiding overly heavy or fast workouts. At the same time, you can be sure of stimulating muscle growth by working hard enough to ache A LITTLE BIT the next day (ideally, you should work as hard as possible WITHOUT causing an ache, but that's difficult to achieve). Your growth, and your fat-burning, will be slow but very steady. If you want fast results, then you will have to choose whether to grow muscle quickly, or lose as much weight as possible. However, this level of exercise is less sustainable and less reliable than the slower, steadier (and more versatile) style.

Answer 4

there's absolutely no reason you can't do both at the same time.

Unless we're talking competitive bodybuilding, any exercise you do, cardio or otherwise is building muscle. Maybe not bulk, show type muscle, but most people find that grotesque anyway.

Look at wrestlers (real, not 'pro') and swimmers. They're far stronger than bodybuilders in terms of any practical measure of strength, even though they may not have quite the bulk or the definition. I'll take go over show any day.

Answer 5

Yes, that actually is the WAY to burn fat... by building muscles that require more energy, when your diet is controlled it will start burning off fat quiker. The best muscles to do this with are the larger ones... so start with your legs, then work on your abs and core.

Answer 6

you should alternate cardio with strength training. you can burn up the fat tissue and build up the muscle tissue. do 30 minutes at least every day of cardio and 30 minutes 3-4 times a week of weights. that's minimum, you can do more of both.

Answer 7

Believe it or not if you build muscle most of the time you will be burning fat.

Answer 8

I've lost 5 kilos in my first week. It's my 10th day and I have included salad with some protein (eg. egg/ lean chicken) as you suggested. After 4 years of trying, the fat is finally coming off. It truly feels like magic!

Get started today!

Answer 9

Yes, I did weight lifting....and I gained muscle while burning fat at the same time.

Answer 10

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