questions re exercise and diet

by raisingcain on Aug 23, 2009 4:08 PM EDT Comment 5 comments

So I'm trying to start getting in better shape, but I really don't know much of anything about fitness and I've heard some things from people that I was a little confused about.

For instance, I have heard many times to build muscle, you must eat a surplus of protein / calories so your body can build muscle - so I am wondering, does that mean that most people gain some fat along with muscle mass? And what would happen with weight training if you do not eat a caloric surplus?

In which case, does that also mean that to reduce body fat most people also lose some muscle mass? And is it impossible to gain muscle and lose fat from the same workout over the same period of time, sort of a general fitness improvement? (I have read that weight training can lead to less fat in the area, something to do with metabolism, but I don't really know)

Oh, and one more question. I've also heard people say getting protein within, say, 30 minutes after a workout helps build muscle. Does this sound accurate, and would the exercise still be effective without this?

I know these questions are very basic and probably should be obvious, but I would appreciate some help. Thanks.

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I don’t think these questions are obvious, since I’ve been studying fitness (strictly as a hobby) for about a year and still haven’t heard straight answers to any of them.

What I do think is that, in the same way you can’t train your way past a bad diet, you can’t out-fox a bad diet, either. By that I mean, if you’re getting too many of the wrong kinds of calories, it doesn’t matter when you eat them ~~- those precisely mixed pre~~ and post-workout shakes aren’t going to help you put on mass if you’re eating candy the rest of the day, and they won’t help you lose weight if you’re eating Mickey D’s every night.

To answer all the rest of your questions at once: I think it’s possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, and that many people do without trying. Try Joel Marion’s blog; he had a whole series on this topic. My personal take is that we should approach diet the same way we approach training. It’s a complex formula, but the tweaking should come after the basics — eat the right foods in the right amounts over four to six meals every day.

by fleerdon on Aug 24, 2009 2:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Could you link to the blog? I looked it up and found his website for the cheat your way thin plan, is that what you were talking about? It doesn’t seem to fit in with what andrew and many other people say. From the article he quoted a couple weeks ago:

If I told you to consume one gram of protein per pound of body weight, fibrous vegetables, water, green tea, 12 grams of fish oil, and spread those out over the course of six meals each day, you’d be anything but impressed. But if I held you in captivity and forced you to do that every day for a month, you’d be blown away by the results.

VOTE SANDOVAL
Adopted Giant: Henry Sosa

by raisingcain on Aug 24, 2009 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I just found one example — http://bodytransformationinsider.com/access/lose-fat-gain-muscle-4/

Like I said, I’m not pushing this idea. It all seems kind of complicated to me. I figure if I’m eating my veggies and laying off the sauce, I’m ahead of the game. The most common-sense guide to eating right is the nutrition chapter in Nate Green’s “Built for Show,” but if you want something more specific, everybody raves about Precision Nutrition.

by fleerdon on Aug 24, 2009 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’ve tried a lot of things, both diet-wise and workout-wise. After experimenting for 20 years, I find that low-carb diet + bodyweight workouts works for me. I am in the best shape of my life, and I lift no weight more than 10 lbs.

There is an old saying: Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. How does that apply here? Don’t wait for the perfect workout plan to show up, or the perfect diet. Start doing some good things in each area, then make adjustments/improvements a little bit over time to find good stuff you can enjoy eating and find excercise you can enjoy doing for years (or change often to avoid boredom). If you don’t enjoy them both, you won’t stick with either one.

And it does take both sides. One does not cancel out the other.

by bcmintx on Aug 25, 2009 10:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Great answers

Some studies have shown that if you’re getting enough protein you can actually gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, even if you’re in a caloric deficit. The study I’m thinking of had full-grown men eating 800 calories a day, lifting weights, and GAINING muscle while getting leaner. So apparently, it’s possible.

Most people find it difficult, however, and wind up eating more calories than they need, and gaining a little bit of fat. But unless you’re really pigging out, it’s probably not enough to worry about. I’m not a huge advocate of bulking way up and then having to lose 50 pounds to see your abs one day a year.

How to hold onto muscle while losing fat IS the million-dollar question: we like muscle, we hate fat. But the body doesn’t see a huge difference between the two types of tissue when it needs an energy source. So you have to kind of fool the body into burning fat preferentially.

One way is to insist to the body that you need all the muscle you have (and more!) by strength training hard and often while providing the body with extra protein so that you’re sure you’re recovering.

Yes, consuming a post-workout shake is very useful. Exercise is great even without it, but your metabolism is optimally revved and the cells are screaming for amino acids during that window in particular, so why not provide them?