bf % Question

[leebo73]

I am 37 , 6 ft , 180 my bf i am guessing to be about 16% , I hit it hard in the gym and believe I have gotten my diet pretty tuned in. I am obviously working to get bigger and put on solid muscle mass , but my bf% is still too high and at the same time trying to get that down. So now for the question should my weight be going up or down ?

[FireGuy]

Your body can burn fat faster than it can add muscle in most cases. If you are recomping from 16% your bodyweight should have a downward trend.

[leebo73]

Even though I am about 600 calories over tdee ? I work construction so am usually pretty active , and have stepped up the cardio, its just a little confusing most guys want to see the scale go up but this bf% is bugging me !! If I was 180 with 10% that would be a whole other story.

[FireGuy]

Why are you 600 calories over TDEE if you are trying to cut bodyfat?

[leebo73]

I guess I am trying to build mass while cutting body fat. Is that like an oxymoron, do I have to pick one or is it possible to put on mass while cutting body fat? My fat intake is to a minimum , just enough to fuel and at the right times , I have stepped my cardio up, I know I could be eating more but figured since I was concerned about the body fat that 5-6 hundred over would give me enough for growth. What should I be doing fire?

[gbrice75]

I guess I am trying to build mass while cutting body fat. Is that like an oxymoron, do I have to pick one or is it possible to put on mass while cutting body fat? My fat intake is to a minimum , just enough to fuel and at the right times , I have stepped my cardio up, I know I could be eating more but figured since I was concerned about the body fat that 5-6 hundred over would give me enough for growth. What should I be doing fire?

I firmly believe one can slowly add lean mass while maintaining or even reducing bodyfat. However, at 600 calories over your TDEE, I don't know how you'd ever expect to lose fat. Remember, your TDEE already factors in ALL of your activity, so saying you work construction should already have been accounted for to arrive at your TDEE. Same thing with cardio and your weight training sessions. Everything you do other then exist = your TDEE.

IMO, you would fare much better if as a starting point you ate AT your TDEE. Monitor closely and see how your body responds for a few weeks. You will undoubtedly need to make minor adjustments until you're really dialed in. Rely mainly on cardio to burn the fat. Eating at TDEE will ensure you're body is getting sufficient fuel to at least maintain LBM while the fat is melted away. You can always increase or decrease cardio in small increments (vs. constantly playing with calories).

My .02 - FG may have another take on this.

[Damienm05]

You should be eating a clean high protein, moderate carb, moderately-low fat diet with calories slightly above TDEE and doing cardio every day.

[Damienm05]

I should also add that the end result depends largely on where you are currently at in your bodybuilding career. For example, at 6 feet tall, 180 lbs, and 16% bf - you don't need many excess calories to grow if any. Just getting plenty of protein and fuel for intense workouts will see your LBM increase. Now at 200 lbs, you may need a surplus of calories to continue gaining but for now - just around TDEE with cardio should achieve your goal of muscle gain and fat loss unless you're the victim of poor genetics.

[MACHINE5150]

my last cycle i lost 10-12lbs of fat and gained 10-12lbs of muscle.. but that's because testosterone kicks ass.. doing it naturally is tough

[leebo73]

If you look at me I am seem like a skinny dude i am pretty damn lean everywhere except my gut ..maybe its age I dont know . I have finally gotten to where people that havent seen me in a while are impressed with my gains. I guess I am just afraid to lose weight I just want to lose that gut !!

[FireGuy]

Maybe it's your age? 37 is way too young to start blaming things on your age. Dont think of it as "losing weight" think of it as "losing fat".

[gbrice75]

If you look at me I am seem like a skinny dude i am pretty damn lean everywhere except my gut ..maybe its age I dont know . I have finally gotten to where people that havent seen me in a while are impressed with my gains. I guess I am just afraid to lose weight I just want to lose that gut !!

I've been there man, trust me. If done properly (slow and steady), you can lose the gut eventually, without little or no LBM loss.