Gaining muscle but not losing fat? Don’t get frustrated! You probably just need to make some small changes that will totally transform your result.
Sometimes, working out and feeling like your nutrition is in track is not enough. You’re working hard to grow some muscle, but your physique has not become the image you have in your head — the muscle tone just isn’t showing as planned.
You’re definitely not alone! I’ve been there, and so have thousands of other men & women who have come through our Over 40s transformation program.
The issue is that gaining muscle requires MORE food, and losing fat requires LESS food.
It sounds counter-intuitive that you could do both at the same time. If you find yourself gaining muscle but not losing fat, you may need to hack the system and go against nature. The good news is that it is possible!
What we will talk about in this article.
- The science behind muscle gain.
- Understanding the fat loss process.
- Changing your routine to boost your fat burning.
- Foods help you burn fat and gain muscle.
- Some key mistakes you might have experienced that will halt your progress.
The Science Behind Muscle Gain
Training
To grow more muscle, you need to push them to their limits, then you will cause tiny microscopic tears in the fibers of your muscles. (This is a good thing). Your body will heal these tears, making the muscle stronger and bigger in the recovery/rest phase which is known as Hypertrophy.
This is why it’s essential to incorporate strength training into your workout regime. Building muscles requires progressive overload on your muscle. But that doesn’t mean you have to spend hours in the gym. The most efficient workouts are completed in the space of 20-40minutes.
Nutrition
It is crucial to make sure that your body has enough protein to complete protein synthesis. When you’re working out/lifting weights, it’s recommended that you consume between 1.2 and 2 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight. You should be able to do this through the food you eat, but it is possible to take a protein supplement to ensure you reach your target on a daily basis.
Recovery Time
You should also be aware that muscles should be rested for between 24 and 48 hours between workouts whilst giving your body the required nutrients to help recover and grow. This gives them the opportunity to repair and grow stronger, allowing your exercise routine to be successful.
Understanding the Fat Loss Process
The other side of the coin involves dropping body fat, and the most basic way of burning fat is simply to consume fewer calories than your body needs to survive. A slight calorie deficit will help your body to convert the energy stored in fat cells into glucose and used for energy. In the process, your fat cells will be depleted, reducing the fat levels in your body.
BUT… a calorie deficit plan can also burn muscle as fuel.
That’s why you need to eat enough calories to provide your muscles with the energy they need without overeating. It can seem like a difficult balance, but let’s make it more simplistic. If your current regime has you gaining muscle but not dropping that unwanted body fat, you’re probably almost there. You may just need to change things up slightly.
Changing up Your Routine to Boost Fat Burning
You now know, you need to eat more than your maintenance calories in order to encourage muscle growth. You also are aware that you need to consume fewer calories than your body’s energy requirements in order to burn fat. While it may seem one is contradicting the other, these two goals can be achieved by incorporating the right workout regime.
Training
You should be doing some sort of strength training at least three times per week creating a good amount of time under tension whilst you are lifting your weights(45-60 seconds is a good rule of thumb)
Add in some moderate to short burst high intensity cardio three 2-3 per week, for between 20-30 minutes . Choose something you enjoy, whether it’s cycling, running, sprinting, gym HIIT session or anything else that gets your heart pumping.
Food
- Make sure you’re getting enough protein in your diet. Aim for between 1.2 and 2 grams per kilogram of body weight.
- Avoid processed food.
- Consume some protein and carbs after your workout. Crucial for your growth and recovery
- Fill up on fibre away from training times to keep you feeling fuller for longer.
- Change your eating habits: Calculate the number of calories you need to consume each day here and then eat between 200 and 300 less than that amount. Eat more than your maintenance calories but less than the amount your body really needs for that day. (Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is different to your BMR)
- Get enough sleep. Your body needs time to rest, balance its hormones, and repair your body. You should aim for between 6 and 8 hours every night.
To help adjust your eating habits, it is beneficial to understand that this is a lifestyle change that is a positive for your health, not a restricting diet.
Foods to Help you Gain Muscle and Burn Fat
It’s important to note that building muscle will help with your fat-burning efforts, even if you do not see the scales move down. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does. Your body will increase your calorific burn and help you to burn fat faster.
Eating the right foods that compliment your fat burning efforts is important to keep you progressing .
Add these items to your grocery list:
- Eggs – They’re full of protein, healthy fats, and vitamin Bs.
- Salmon – Rich in omega-3 fatty acids and more vitamin Bs.
- Chicken Breast
- Greek Yogurt – As well as protein, Greek yogurts have fast-digesting whey protein and slower-digesting casein protein.
- Grass Fed Beef – Packed full of Protein, B vitamins, iron, minerals, and creatine are all present in lean beef. Quality is important if you’re choosing beef.
- Deep sea fish
- Soybeans – A good choice if you’re not a meat eater.
- Cottage Cheese – A great way to boost your protein intake without significantly increasing carbs and calories.
If You’re Gaining Muscle But Not Losing Fat, you are most likely making some of these mistakes
Here are some common mistakes that you need to avoid if you want to increase your muscle growth and burn fat.
Mistake 1: Not Eating Enough/Macronutrients Not Balanced
To feed your muscles the fuel they need to grow, you need to eat more than your maintenance calories. Of course, everything you eat should be healthy wholesome food. You need a balance of proteins, carbohydrates and fats to give your body the fuel it needs to get through your workouts and repair your muscle.
Mistake 2: Not Getting Enough Sleep
The importance of sleep is crucial to your recovery and performance. If you’re not sleeping, it’s time to do something to change it.
Here are a few tips to get more sleep:
- Make sure your room is very dark (no lights on, or outside light let in)
- Avoid blue light before bedtime (cellphones, laptops, TVs, etc.)
- Lower the temperature of the room
- Use background noise (sleep sounds, air purifier, apps with waterfalls running or gentle relaxed sounds helping you relax)
- Go to bed earlier
Mistake 3: Eating Too Much
Eating more than your maintenance amount doesn’t mean you should eat everything in sight! It is important to know your maintenance calories and how much you need to build the muscle you’re looking to gain. Eating more than your maintenance amount while working out regularly will help you gain muscle which is a PLUS but also store more fat.
Mistake 4: Eating At The Wrong Times
Nutrient timing is key to spur on results. Before and after exercise are crucial times to get the right amount of nutrients in. If you don’t have enough carbohydrates during this period, then your body could break down your muscles with the hormone cortisol, which creates glucose for energy. You need to consume enough carbohydrates to provide your body with fuel without overdoing it.
A food diary is a good option to keep track of what you are eating.
Recording your meals and snacks each day will help you to see when and where you are overeating or under eating (if you are). After a couple weeks, you’ll be able to tweak your eating schedule with what is needed.
Mistake 5: Eating Processed Foods
All macronutrients are important. Portioning out your plate with a good balance of whole foods is the simplest way to make sure you’re getting enough carbs, protein, and fat.
An example of how to balance your plate:
- Half of each plate should be vegetables, particularly lower-calorie non-starchy ones.
- One-fourth of each plate should be nutritious, protein-rich foods.
- One-fourth of each plate should be fibre-rich carbohydrates and/or heart-healthy fats.
The important thing to remember is that not all carbs are created equal. Processed carbs lack fibre, nutrients and cause blood sugar levels to spike, which encourages fat storage. Unrefined carbs will release energy slowly and keep you feeling fuller for longer plus more nutrient rich.
When you’re looking to build muscle and burn fat, you need to be fully aware and know exactly what you are putting into your body. This isn’t possible if you consume processed foods with all the hidden ingredients in them.
Mistake 6: Consuming Too Much Fat
Eating healthy fats is essential for the health of your body, even when you’re trying to lose weight. The problem is that fat is more calorie-dense than protein and carbohydrates.
At 9 calories per gram, fat has more than double the amount of energy than carbs or protein.
The trick is to keep your fat consumption to between 20-30% of your overall consumption.
Mistake 7: Not Getting Enough Protein
Protein = Foret Importance.
Protein is the building block of muscle and cell membranes. It is an essential in repairing your muscles and helping them grow. Tiny tears in your muscles are caused when you work out. The repair process is what makes them stronger and bigger.
You don’t need to overeat protein, but you do need to consume enough protein to provide your body with the nutrients it needs.
Mistake 8: Not Training Hard Enough
If you’re serious about gaining muscle and losing fat, you need to weight train at least three times a week, with intensity. You have to train your muscles with progressive load, causing the micro-tears mentioned above, and allow them to grow. It is important that you push your limits while weight training. Your body adapts very quickly so if you stick with the same weight time and time again, your body will adapt and not have a reason to grow.
A good rule of thumb is to aim for 6-15 reps but keep in mind, time under tension is also important, so as an example time your heavy sets and adjust the tempo to stick with your lower reps in the timeframe of around 45 seconds. You will be pushing past your limits when performed correctly.
The last 2-3 reps should be almost impossible to complete. If you can easily do all three sets, then ora time to increase the weight.
Mistake 9: Doing Low-Intensity Cardio
Cardio training is essential for burning fat, provided it is at the right intensity.
You should aim to do cardio for between 20-30 minutes two to three times a week.
Anything longer than 50 minutes will encourage your body to break down muscle to be used as energy.
Final Thoughts
It’s worth remembering that we don’t always get things right and life does get in the way. Just focus on keeping a good balance and remaining consistent. Overall you will see a great result that you will be proud of.
Changing things up will prevent your body from becoming accustomed to the workout, every 4-6 weeks is a good time frame to change your program ensuring your body does not adapt and continuing to progress.