Fellas! I’m a 49 year old former US Marine. I’m moving back to NY in 4 months and I want to make sure I look my best, both for the ladies as well as the job search. As a Marine, I learned to stay in shape, and I’m still in pretty good shape. However, I have put on a little bit of weight (25 pounds worth) and I want to dump it while building muscle.
Is it possible to do both at the same time? You know how it is in the fitness game…some say you can, some say you can’t.
If so, I would be interested in hearing about how to do that. I am dropping weight by watching my calories and exercising, and I’ve been losing 2-3 pounds a week so I’m on track to easily make my weight goal. But, I want to also add some more mass. I don’t want to get back to NY looking like a marathoner.
can be done if you are smart about your nutrient timing and your training. Also if you currently have
some in the tank, i.e. are the most massive you have ever been.
49 year old guys who can loose weight and build strength are the exception…not the norm. You have a better chance of failing by mirroring the exception vs the norm.
I would recommend you serve one master well and drop the weight slowly over time while MAINTAINING your current strength levels.
If you figure out a foolproof way to do this, please let me know. ;^)
However, if you really want to try, your best bet–the only bet, absent ‘supp’ use–would be to employ carb cycling: Higher carbs (and calories) on days when you lift, lower carbs and calories on non-lifting days. You can adjust your calories so that your average intake is still in your (already known) weight loss range (ie, if you’re losing weight on 2000 cal/d, you can take in 1500-1600 on low-carb days and 2400-2500 on high-carb days, thereby averaging 2000/d).
It takes a lot of attention to detail to pull this off, but that shouldn’t be a problem if you’re really motivated. There are several good carb-cycling articles here on TN. Good luck and keep us abreast of your progress.
Hello to all
I have been lurking for quite some time, decided to join today. I decided to join because of this post as it relates to me also. I hope this thread isn’t too old and has lost interest. Anyway, I am 58 years old and I have been involved in the steel game for 37 years. I agree fully with the replies to the OP’s question/quest. It is a tough situation to keep mass let alone gain mass while trying to loose fat.
I am presently in a situation where I am wanting to loose some fat and at least maintain my muscle mass while doing it. I think it to be a desire for all that are wanting to sculpt their bodies. I am not a power lifter nor a competitor (where I live there isn’t a format for those sports). I have worked with weights only for my own satisfaction I enjoy looking healthy and muscular. Two weeks ago I had my annual physical with blood work to make sure I am well on the insides. I weighed in at 198 pounds. Presently I am consuming over 3,000 calories and I workout every other day. My cardio exists only in doing several sets of different exercises without stopping or putting the weights down at least once a week.
I don’t count calories except for this reply, I don’t measure portions except by eye, and I eat 6 to 7 meals a day. Two of these meals are my post workout whey protein and muscle mass shake in the morning for breakfast and at another time during the day sometimes as a last meal. I drink these shakes even on my off days. It is important to note that my testosterone levels are on the high end of the scale naturally. Let me also say if the testosterone levels were down I would be supplementing that, I am fortunate. As far as supplements go besides the shakes I take probiotics, omega-3s, vitamin C, and vitamin E. I have been on my program since March 4 and I have lost 5.2 pounds via the scale and the look in the mirror shows less fat in areas with creases in the skin. The mirror also shows muscle definition and the appearance of maintaining size. I took measurements prior to the program, I will retake them in 30 days to 6 weeks. I am in no rush as I am on my own time schedule. I am not hungry as in starving, I have energy during my workouts (maximum 45 minutes) every other day. The proof will be in the final results but at this time my body seems to be at least maintaining its muscle mass as It appears (in the mirror) and loosing fat.
I believe this to be a controversial topic in the bodybuilding world as most think building muscle and losing fat can’t be done in combination. Common sense tells us that is sound thinking, but there are exceptions in all that we do.
