Losing Fat or Gaining Muscle First Is Not A Problem
Gaining muscle and reducing fat is a particular problem in the gym, but gaining strength first or losing fat first is not a problem. Some sports sciences prove that muscle gain and fat loss cannot synchronize every second. However, the anabolism of “long muscle” and “weight loss” catabolism can work together independently for a long time. It seems that muscle gain and fat loss can coexist, and it is no longer a “black or white” relationship. Body fat percentage is an essential component of body composition. It can analyze easily using the latest software technology of 3D body scanner like Visbody.
It is directly reflected in the fact that more skinny fat in China needs to increase muscle mass and reduce fat simultaneously. People that have slender limbs and a higher proportion of abdominal obesity. They may lose more important muscles after a long-term extreme fat loss. The overburning effect of strength training alone is relatively low.
In addition to “practice,” there are also changes in “eating”. However, compared with frequent changes in diet based on muscle gain and fat loss cycles, long-term adherence to low-sugar and high-protein diets is economical and practical for more ordinary bodybuilders. It may become less and less essential to gain muscle first or lose fat. However, long-term benefits and a continuous fitness program are crucial prerequisites.
Lose Fat and Gain Muscle
Bar dumbbells lift the iron to grow muscles, treadmills to run lean fat. However, the two physiological changes are different in the gym. In detail, it is difficult to “get off the fat”. As the catabolism of burning fat often establishes a negative balance of biological energy. For example, to offset a meal of fried chicken, 30-90 minutes of low-intensity endurance training. Along with 60%-70% of the maximum heart rate is to achieve the oxidative energy supply reaction of “continuous consumption” of fat and glycogen.
In other words, continuous consumption and decomposition of energy materials can achieve “slim” physiological adaptation. The body fat percentage and the over body composition scale can be effectively measured through the method of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA).
On the contrary, muscle gain requires more energy surplus to realize the anabolic reaction of “nourishing muscles”. Therefore, drinking a can of energy drink before training, in addition to refreshing, can also replenish glycogen and support the glycolysis of “squat, bench press”. Adding two scoops of protein powder after training also supplements the necessary nutrients for synthetic muscles. It also promotes the growth of muscle groups that are inflamed by training.
To put it simply, “muscle growth” requires one more bite, and “fat consumption” requires one less meal. This is the fundamental reason why muscle gain and fat loss are different and challenging to synchronize every second. Based on the explanation of sports science, more people choose to clearly distinguish between muscle gain and fat loss. It has benefited in maximizing the efficiency of body shaping.
Gain Muscle vs. Fat Loss: No Need to Distinguish
The slogans of gaining muscle in winter and reducing fat in summer have been around for a long time. However, more enthusiasts and coaches consider the 6-month muscle gain period and the 3-month fat loss period as the golden fitness rule. The idea of preparing for the competition from bodybuilding has also influenced more people’s fitness concepts. For example, consume relatively more carbohydrates and protein in non-seasonal seasons to protect muscles as much as possible. In addition, the aerobic training capacity will quickly increase in the preparation stage. As it focuses on high-volume and low-intensity eccentric resistance training to sculpt muscles.
It may not be essential to distinguish between muscle gain and fat loss. At least the training concept of “mixed muscle gain and fat loss” has become a trend in more gyms. In the current global popularity of small groups, the boundaries of exercise for muscle gain and fat loss had blurred. ACSM released the “Global Fitness Trends in 2020” last year, and HIIT ranks second. It covers muscle training and high-intensity interval training for fat reduction and energy consumption. Transformation and mixed training have also become a significant trend in head gyms in China and the United States.
Equinox and Rumble in the United States also launched HIIT training one after another last year. Dumbbells and resistance bands constitute resistance muscle training. Ten steps and 45 minutes of training can also achieve maximum energy consumption. There is also a more direct case-CrossFit, which balances the development of the three energy systems and ten qualities. It emphasizes the constant change of training parameters, which encourages training through quantification. Calculate power and measure intensity by recording training time, load and distance.
Gain Muscle First or Lose Fat First - Does Not Matter
At least in terms of changes in body composition, muscle growth and fat loss can occur simultaneously. From 1985 to 2016, dozens of experiments prove that muscle gain and fat loss can follow through simultaneously. The cross-sectional portraits of subjects include men, women, young people, older adults, obese people, wasting people, sedentary people, and athlete.
For example, in 1985, the Journal of Applied Physiology conducted resistance and aerobic training for 31 women who lacked exercise as early as 1985. After comparing the body composition before and after training, it was found that the amount of fat in the arm area had a 31% reduction, but there was no change in lean body mass, and the lean body mass in the legs increased by 5.5%, but there was no change in fat mass. The body composition scale can be figured out from the body composition analysis techniques.
In terms of relatively strong athletes, the benefits of increasing muscle mass and reducing fat-reduced, but still exists objectively. In 2011, the “International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Sports Metabolism” initiated an experiment in which 24 athletes were randomly divided into two groups: slow regrouping and rapid regrouping. They were controlled with different proportions of macronutrient intake and were instructed to do four fixed resistance training per week. The results showed that the bodyweight of the slow weight loss and the fast weight loss decreased by 5.6% and 5.5%, respectively, but the weight of the lean bodyweight of the slow weight loss and reformation showed a slight increase, and the rapid weight loss and reformation were almost unchanged.
Reason Behind: Catabolism and Anabolism Complement
The reason behind this is that although the two pathways of anabolism that absorb calories to synthesize muscles and catabolism that consumes calories to eliminate fat are completely opposite, they operate all the time independently. Specifically, one of the meanings of the human body’s anabolism is to synthesize complex molecules such as proteins, polysaccharides, and lipids to give the body extra muscle catabolism in the other branch is precisely to break down these molecules. The matter transforms into energy to make running, jumping, and squatting more powerful. This process of decomposing aging biomolecules and synthesizing new molecules always occurs together during eating and sleeping. Catabolism and anabolism complement each other.
Therefore, under the premise of effective control of the nutrient intake ratio and fitness load, “muscle gain and fat reduction in parallel” is also “synthetic decomposition balance”. Even the intake of metabolic steroids and growth hormones for muscle clarity is more to enhance the anabolic ability and combat the catabolic stress of harsh diet and high-intensity training. For example, aerobic exercise helps to reduce visceral fat has become conclusive, but compared with resistance exercise, there is not necessarily a significant difference. In this regard, the “Obesity Review” completed a meta-analysis in 2011. In the review of the data of 2000 participants in this study, there was no clear statistically significant difference.
This gap is gradually decreasing due to the diminishing effects of marginal benefits. For example, “New England Journal of Medicine” once targeted 160 obese subjects who performed resistance exercises and aerobic exercises in groups over six months. Although aerobic exercise optimizes more cardiovascular function than resistance exercise, the difference in health benefits is minor or even less than 1%.
Some Bodybuilders Need to Increase Muscle and Reduce Fat
Distinguishing muscle gain and fat loss may no longer be necessary, but for some bodybuilders, the two actually need to coexist. At least skinny fat may not be suitable for pure aerobic exercise or resistance training. “Fat and thin” usually refers to people with insufficient arm and leg muscles and abdominal obesity. Although it may appear slim at first glance, the fat content is too high, and the skeletal muscle is missing.
In addition, a long-term extreme fat loss may often lose more critical muscles, and the overburning effect of strength training alone is relatively low. This is because the changes in body composition caused by fitness are actually related to the original fatness and thinness. So, for example, more experiments have shown that subjects with relatively normal weight are actually more likely to build muscle than highly obese subjects. But on the other hand, they also face a higher probability of “loss of muscle” during the process of fat loss.
Relatively speaking, including a particular load of muscle strength training and taking into account the energy consumption training represented by HIIT. It may be a synchronized muscle gaining and fat reduction program that more people can benefit from. In the same diet plan, there are also more economical and practical ones, sticking to the low-sugar and high-protein attributes of the daily diet. For example, protein intake of 1.6 times the body weight is the most significant limit. It can maintain muscles to the greatest extent while maintaining body fat consumption. In addition, eating a bite of rice reduces sugar intake, which helps reduce the possibility of fat synthesis.
What Should I Do
You can adjust the specific calories control according to daily consumption. For example, there are two most common daily calorie calculation formulas. The first is based on light, medium, and heavy activity levels. For example, men have daily calorie requirements of 38, 41, and 50 kcal/kg. The second is to estimate the daily energy requirement based on the energy consumption and activity level of the REE. For example, for women aged 18-30, the REE is (14.7×weight) +496. Finally, to get daily energy needs REE multiplied by the activity factor. Regardless of exercise or diet, the coexistence of muscle gain and fat loss also helps maintain fitness habits. Therefore, a long-term benefit and continuous fitness program is actually an essential prerequisite.