Should I prioritize fat loss or muscle gain?
There’s no reason why you can’t do both at the same time, especially if you’re giving yourself 1-2 years. Your weight will be negligible since, if all goes according to plan, you will be adding muscle weight as you lose fat. So, you should concentrate first getting your percent body fat down to 15\%.
What comes first fat loss or muscle gain?
It is easy to think that you should lose some weight before you start to build muscle, but when you restrict your calorie intake to lose weight you are likely to lose fat AND muscle at the same time. This is not ideal, as it will also lower your basal metabolism rate.
Does gaining muscle make it easier to lose fat?
2. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn when resting. “Having more lean muscle can speed up the fat-loss process, as increased lean muscle increases your resting metabolic rate — so simply put, you are burning more calories in a resting state,” Worthington said.
Can you build muscle on a 500 calorie deficit?
Takeaway. If you can sustain a lifting program and eat a caloric deficit, your body will be able to pull from its fat stores to both fuel itself and potentially build muscle mass.
Should I bulk or tone first?
If you are new to working out and are at a healthy body weight, you should bulk first. The younger your training age, the quicker you are able to build muscle and therefore you should take advantage of this with a caloric surplus.
Where do you lose fat from first?
You will first lose hard fat that surrounds your organs like liver, kidneys and then you will start to lose soft fat like waistline and thigh fat. The fat loss from around the organs makes you leaner and stronger.
How quickly does fat turn to muscle?
“That said, hypertrophy is not usually obvious for at least 4-6 weeks of training, and often not until after about 8 weeks of training. What’s happening at the same time, though, is a loss of some of the fat right under the skin, so the muscles start to become more defined.”
What happens if you lift weights but don’t eat enough?
Lifting and doing strength training without adequate nutrition, especially without enough protein, can actually lead to loss of muscle tissue. Furthermore, if you aren’t eating right you won’t have the energy to do the workouts that lead to muscle gain.