Thread: Possible to trim the fat, but gain muscle?

Of course it's possible, but it is tough to accomplish. It requires tough dieting, pinpoint enough to allow anabolism but not to halt fat loss.

Just keep in mind that you can't turn fat into muscle - you're either building muscle or losing fat.

Do the HIIT, it can actually promote your gains.

if u wanna do it u'l lose fat slowly but it's possible

But won't doing HIIT take away from my muscle gain?

Originally Posted by artylives76

But won't doing HIIT take away from my muscle gain?

I've heard yes and no. You could try it and see what works for you. Some things that work for one person don't work for another.

just eat well and have a good diet and rest , u don't need to do any type of cardio for more than 30 minutes if u are going for hiit then 20 minutes will be fine

how long have you been lifting, and what does your program look like.

I just started lifting... this is my second week.

MON'THURS

Upper
Pushups 3x10-15
BB Bent-over rows 3x10-15
Overhead Press 3x10-15
Pull-ups 3x10-15
Bicep Curls/Concentrtion Curls 3x10
Tricep extensions 2x10-15

TUES'FRI

Lower
Step-ups 4x10-15
Stiff-legged deadlifts 4x10-15
DB lunges 3x10-15
Good mornings 3x10-15

Originally Posted by artylives76

I just started lifting... this is my second week.

MON'THURS

Upper
Pushups 3x10-15
BB Bent-over rows 3x10-15
Overhead Press 3x10-15
Pull-ups 3x10-15
Bicep Curls/Concentrtion Curls 3x10
Tricep extensions 2x10-15

TUES'FRI

Lower
Step-ups 4x10-15
Stiff-legged deadlifts 4x10-15
DB lunges 3x10-15
Good mornings 3x10-15

you read the stickies, didn't you?

nice job.

in regards to your q about losing fat and gaining muscle, once you learn the movements and begin progressing them you'll be experiencing whats called 'newbie gains.' in essence your body will be hit with a huge stimulus to shape, this period of training usually means that you'll be gaining muscle/strength and losing fat at the same time.

to optimize your newbie gains, check out the diet forum and get yourself into generally healthy eating habits such as balanced meals, efa's, veggies, etc.

Full body circuits three times a week and hiit 3 times a week. I notice a steady weight loss and an increase in strength and speed. Try not to train more than 1 hour at a time, that should minimize catabolism!

Originally Posted by the nut

Full body circuits three times a week and hiit 3 times a week. I notice a steady weight loss and an increase in strength and speed. Try not to train more than 1 hour at a time, that should minimize catabolism!

I think that's a little too much for the average person.

Loosing fat and gaining muscle is easy for a beginner. Your greatest results happen up front. Have fun.

Originally Posted by CowPimp

I think that's a little too much for the average person.

It only works out to about 4 hours of training per week for me; 1 hour a day on mon, wed and fri & 20 mins at track tues, thurs, and sat. I find this to be a good program when I have a busy schedule.

Originally Posted by the nut

It only works out to about 4 hours of training per week for me; 1 hour a day on mon, wed and fri & 20 mins at track tues, thurs, and sat. I find this to be a good program when I have a busy schedule.

I understand where you're coming from, but your legs don't get much of a chance for recovery like this. HIIT cardio is pretty hard on the legs, and even on the central nervous system relative to other forms of cardio. With 3 full body sessions each week, I would probably only do HIIT once. If it's working for you though, then don't stop on my account. I'm just suggesting that a lot of people probably couldn't handle that.