# How to achieve muscle growth with fat loss



## Jedd (Mar 17, 2011)

Would I be right in saying that the majority of people on here are trying to achieve two aims; (a) muscle growth, and ( B) fat loss?

It has been said that it is actually impossible to achieve the two aims simultaneously. But many people clearly manage to achieve both by a combination of strength training and cardio. So what is the best strategy?

a) strength train one day - cardio the next day

B) strength train for the first half of the workout, and cardio for the second half?

c) concentrate purely on strength training and then tackle body fat at a later date.

d) cardio before breakfast, strength training later in the day.

What works best?? I'm confused...


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## mightymariner (Mar 16, 2010)

Well I would say either pre breakfast cardio or straight after the weights.

Cardio on a separate day to weights is fine as well.


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## freddee (Mar 2, 2009)

firstly I think diet is more important when it comes to fat loss, and also must be sufficiant to support muscle gain, I would not go overboard with cardio when trying to gain muscle.

As you attain more muscle, that muscle will need to be maintained, so your body will become more efficient at burning calories for energy, if you feed your body with the right food, then it will help build muscle while burning fat as energy, I have said this before, if you weighed 200lbs at 20% body fat then in 2 years time you weighed 200lbs at 10% body fat, I don't think you would be too upset, or you shouldn't! this would roughly mean you have lost 20lbs of fat and gained 20lbs of muscle, you are not after losing weight, you are looking to lose fat.......


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## Jedd (Mar 17, 2011)

Thanks for the responses so far.

So Fred, what you are saying is that if you eat the right foods and train, the body fat will almost take care of itself? The more muscle you build, the more your body burns fat as energy?

In an earlier post you recommended a book called The low glycemic cook book. Can you tell me the authors name because there seems to be a few books with similar names. Thanks.


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## freddee (Mar 2, 2009)

The authors name is louise Blair, it is a great book for giving a very easy to understand overview of healthy eating, it does not go into too much detail, and has some, very handy tables at the back for reference, this book mainly concerns itself with carbohydrates, and the problems they cause with insulin spikes, if you trawl the library or even charity shops you might find a copy, it does not concern itself with sport, or protein intake, but will give you a good insight into the basics of a healthy diet............


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## TrainPain (Feb 28, 2011)

You burn more calories lifting weights than you do on your average cardio workout so id say anyone wanting to do both > good diet and pump that iron HARD!!!


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## Jason88 (Mar 24, 2013)

Also light cardio before breakfast for 30mins or so will allow you to lose fat quicker, as your body's storage of carbohydrates is at low, so it taps into fat reserves quicker.... Also cardio speeds up your metabolic rate through out the day.

If your worried about the body eating its own muscle during the morning, take a protein shake before the cardio - but no carbs, or that eliminates the point


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

TrainPain said:


> You burn more calories lifting weights than you do on your average cardio workout so id say anyone wanting to do both > good diet and pump that iron HARD!!!


This may be and I am not convinced but the calories will be more from carbs than fat as the intensity would be to high or should I say should be high.....

Performing cardio at a HR between 65-75% is optimum to burn more calories from fat than glycogen(carbs)......


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## TrainPain (Feb 28, 2011)

PScarb said:


> This may be and I am not convinced but the calories will be more from carbs than fat as the intensity would be to high or should I say should be high.....
> 
> Performing cardio at a HR between 65-75% is optimum to burn more calories from fat than glycogen(carbs)......


Fare comment but a combonation of both makes sense. Im a qualified personal trainer and ive found working with clients looking to lose weight and tone - intesity in cardio and weights is a must..

Lifting light weight at high reps intensely brings more sweat with my guys than a couple of miles on the treadmill!!


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## freddee (Mar 2, 2009)

I think you will find qualified personal trainer, means very little on these sites! and when people use the word tone I stop listening!!!


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## TrainPain (Feb 28, 2011)

freddee said:


> I think you will find qualified personal trainer, means very little on these sites! and when people use the word tone I stop listening!!!


I think youll find this is a forum and everyone has the right to express their own opinion! Being Qualified as a personal trainer last time i looked made me quite qualified in this field freddy kid!

Cheers for the concern though ill bear that in mind next time i decide to voice my thoughts. Dont wanna step on anyones toes now


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## freddee (Mar 2, 2009)

Your point of view might have something to do with the fact that no one will pay for you to tell them to do 30 minutes cardio, if you need a PT you will only be doing AA training anyway, and heavy weights does not draw from fat cells, if I go low carb I am going to be burning fat anyway, but I will do my heavy work at the start of the week, while I have still got glycogen.....


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

TrainPain said:


> Fare comment but a combonation of both makes sense. Im a qualified personal trainer and ive found working with clients looking to lose weight and tone - intesity in cardio and weights is a must..
> 
> Lifting light weight at high reps intensely brings more sweat with my guys than a couple of miles on the treadmill!!


studies have shown that the combination of weights followed by cardio burns more calories than either alone.....

lifting light weights do not burn more calories than lifting moderate to high weights for 10-12 reps this is fact all you have to do is see how guys and women who compete at sub 5%BF train to get on stage.....

sweating on a treadmill or in the gym does not determine how much fat the individual burns.....as if the intensity is to high the calories will come from glycogen not fat....

i am not a PT i have however prepped guys and girls over the years to get onstage some of them Britiah champs, one thing is key light weights and high reps does not tone the muscle or drop fat any quicker than moderate to high weight with a rep range of 8-12....

your opinion is welcomed on the forum but that is all it is just like mine, an opinion based on your own experiances nothing more nothing less...this goes for freddee as well....


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## Larss (Oct 20, 2011)

Always sets the target for you lose the weight.

The main advantage will be that you will motivate towards your target and have the will to chase the target.


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## doggy (Mar 26, 2011)

PScarb said:
 

> This may be and I am not convinced but the calories will be more from carbs than fat as the intensity would be to high or should I say should be high.....
> 
> Performing cardio at a HR between 65-75% is optimum to burn more calories from fat than glycogen(carbs)......


would that be 65-75% of 220 minus your age? I find it hard to keep my heart rate that low.


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## AChappell (Jun 1, 2011)

PScarb said:


> studies have shown that the combination of weights followed by cardio burns more calories than either alone.....
> 
> lifting light weights do not burn more calories than lifting moderate to high weights for 10-12 reps this is fact all you have to do is see how guys and women who compete at sub 5%BF train to get on stage.....
> 
> ...


It should be noted that as you fitness improves the bodies ability to utilise MCT and TAG at a higher work intensities improves. Elite athletes maybe able to utilise fat at intensities as high as 85% compared to the 60 to 70%. While it's not even as black and white as that, and your body will continue to use both glucose or fat at levels much higher than this. It stands to reason that as your fitness improves the fat burning protocol should also improve. So to say that a fat burning zone is 60 to 70% may hold true for a relative novice but it maybe a muc wider range for fitter competitors. My own personal experience prepping people and training myself is that high intensity training seems to be much more effective than lower intensity cardio, in terms of burning fat, improving wellbeing, physical fitness and enjoyment.

Combing cardio and weight training is also the way to go for optimising fat burning , it just makes sense and heavy weights and a rep range of 8 -12 is also more effective in dropping fat also.


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## jakal2001 (Dec 18, 2010)

PScarb said:


> This may be and I am not convinced but the calories will be more from carbs than fat as the intensity would be to high or should I say should be high.....
> 
> Performing cardio at a HR between 65-75% is optimum to burn more calories from fat than glycogen(carbs)......


Thanks for the advice, I was goin around 5km/p well speed was 5.0 on treadmill, yet my heart rate was around 120-130, this wasnt a brisk walk at all.. Does this mean I must walk slower?


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## The Brewer (Sep 26, 2011)

i bet its a long time since anyone called you kid freddee lol


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## freddee (Mar 2, 2009)

Well coming from Merseyside its actually a term of endearment and I'll take it as such lol, this is an old post, I do hate the the term toned in bodybuilding though!


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## The Brewer (Sep 26, 2011)

we all do mate its a non body building term and this is a body building forum.


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