Lose Fat AND Gain Muscle at the Same Time?…No Way

Sounds too good to be true right?  Sounds more like a tag line to a cheesy infomercial.  Well, believe it or not, it IS possible.  However its not easy, as you may well have guessed.  What is the formula?  I knew you’d ask that question and I have the answer for you.

The fact is it is possible and is not a gimmick.  With the right training protocols and plan, losing fat and gaining muscle is very possible.  We have to first understand though that losing fat doesn’t necessarily mean we are losing weight.  Weight is a generic number that includes, muscle, fat, organs, water, blood, bones, skin, and everything else the body is made up of.  It’s a collective number.  Losing fat, is losing fat and nothing else.  So while you are getting leaner, you may not see the scale drop as dramatically as you might think.

There are two things that must be incorporated into your fat loss-muscle gain program.  As you may have guessed, the first component is strength training.  Lifting weights with the intention of getting stronger.  Typically these exercises are done at the beginning of your workout and you may do one or two lifts that require multiple muscle groups. 

The second component is metabolic circuits.  Metabolic circuits combine cardiovascular stress with explosive strength movements and are put together into circuits that involve short bursts of work with equal or shorter rest periods.  With these circuits cardio movements (like burpees, running in place, jump squats, etc) work great.  Combine these exercises with weighted movements or just go bodyweight and explosive, and you’re on the right track with creating a fat burning metabolic circuit.

Injecting weight training into a fast pace cardio type circuit is a good start into getting stronger and leaner at the same time.  So is it possible?  Of course, but its hard.  These workouts are very demanding and are very challenging for a wide range of individuals.  A metabolic circuit and weight training program really has its limitations at the level of experience and knowledge of performing exercises.  And even they can be taught.  If you are beginning an exercise program, you can perform workouts that have the principles behind losing fat and gaining muscle, but your best bet is to work on adapting to the stress of exercise first.  Go at your pace and stretch your comfort zones more as you become more and more comfortable.  You will experience tremendous gains without metabolic circuits and weight training as your body will be undergoing changes to adapt to the new stress you are applying through exercise.