Comments on: Reducing Body Fat Percentage by Gaining Muscle – Q&A

By: Patrick Kallie

Patrick Kallie — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 04:01:34 +0000

I really like your charts that you use in your posts. Their are a lot of people out their that think that you can lose body fat without any strength training .

This post really breaks it down to where you can understand. I love to do plenty of cardio, but I notice that it breaks down your strength levels over time, so I cut back on it considerably. It all depends on the look you are trying to achieve.

By: mike

mike — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 10:00:44 +0000

i forgot im on hase three nowwhich is 5 reps of each 3 sets .phase 2 was 15 reps 3 sets again though with as much weight u can do on the first sets

By: mike

mike — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 09:53:14 +0000

Hi Lyle 8 weeks ago i started the workout from hell it consists of 30 reps 3 sets 8 different exercise aday mon tues back and chest tues bis and tris off wednesdaythen same thurs fri off 2 days with filling in cardio and legs.also some cardio everyday then the next 4 weeks is 15 reps with as much as u can do as im finished the 8 weeks my next 4 weeks is 5 reps piling on as much as i can do 3 sets still on all. .my strength increased dramtically but what i dont understand is i went from 165 to 175 in 8 weeks.ive lost 40 lbs in the last year getting down to 163 at my lowest.my clothes pants are still the same shirts fitting better is it possible tat this is muscle if so how mch is muscle versus fat.im eating more cause im flat out starving..im 50 yrs old never lifted much until this past year so am i gaining muscle at a faster clip then someone who weightlifts for years .thanks…

By: lylemcd

lylemcd — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:44:43 +0000

Would depend entirely on the deficit being created.

By: CDiorP

CDiorP — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:25:40 +0000

What is the avg of Body fat % loss in a month… if you are working out 6x a wk and eating a healthy diet… eating every 2-3 hrs, little carbs, no sugars, or whites (breads/sugars)???
I am 5’2″ and 105lbs with 25% and my GF is 155lb and 28%… I don’t know what would be a considered a “good” loss after each month…

By: TCO

TCO — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:11:59 +0000

Just as you can lose weight way faster than gaining muscle, ALSO it is a much faster way to better appearance. All these fatsos thinking that they will be stick figures or that they look good because of muscles are like fat women who think guys like their tits. If you have some big serious fat deposits, diet them off! Don’t eff around. It is so fricking easy. Just put down the beer, put down the donut. Pick up the salad.

By: TCO

TCO — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:08:33 +0000

I gained muscle (about 30% strength gain and visible development in the showy muscles) while also losing 3#/week. Did not do anything fancy. Ran a basic diet (NutriSystem, but I think any other would work fine) and lifted at the YMCA. I think the key was just being diligent with both the lifting and the dieting. Too many people worry that their lifts are not “helping” because the gains are not sudden. Sometimes, you get the same issue with dieting as well although here losses are faster. I think the average person can easily maintain muscle and actually get stronger, if they just stick to a program. And it does not need t be something fancy. Just something stuck to!

By: lylemcd

lylemcd — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:10:09 +0000

While potentially true (it will depend on the ratios gained), that wasn’t the question asked. Hence that wasn’t the question addressed.

By: Scott

Scott — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 04:11:54 +0000

So, one thing not addressed here and probably what the person originally asking the question was after is a change in appearance. While certainly losing body fat is going to change appearance, adding 10, 15, or 20 pounds of muscle with even a bit of fat gain is certainly going to alter appearance significantly. Probably in the direction the person wants.

By: lylemcd

lylemcd — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:51:28 +0000

The value of 6 cal/lb at rest for muscle (~13 kcal/kg) comes from a chart in this paper

Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2001 Mar;4(2):143-7.Click here to read Links
Dissecting the energy needs of the body.
McClave SA, Snider HL.

The 50 cal/lb value is decades old and completely incorrect.