I am 24 and i have been working out on and off again since i was 16, but i have really never seeked professional help with training, im about 6’1 and 204 lbs but i can honestly say that i dont have a huge amount of muscle mass and i have quite a stomach, not a bulging one just really lose and fatty,
i’d say if i lost my stomach i’d probably be sitting around 185, so my biggest confusion is i dont know if i have enough muscle mass to do a cut, i really would like to gett bigger but lose my stomach at the same time, that is literally the only fatty place on me.
My diet now is great and clean and i do about 45 minutes a day of cardio and workout 5-6 times a week, but there again im confused because if i do to much cardio am i not burning muscle, anyways some help would be appreciated, like is it possible to get bigger but firm up my stomach at the same time( not to get a crazy sixpack, just tighten it) and what should i be taking supplement wise…
Diet is everything. Everything. Clean up the diet and keep busting your ass in the gym. I’m sure you already knew this but sometimes we need to hear it again.
This is in one of the threads below yours. This same info would apply to you I believe.
PeterD IS THE ONE WHO WROTE THIS. Check out his profile if you get a chance. He used to be kind of fat but now he is solid and lean.
"Forget what you’ve read on the net. T-Nation is an amazing resource.
Diet:
Do a search for Nutrition for Newbies 1&2 and the 7 healthy habits of highly effective nutrition(or something like that). It will help you get your diet in order which is going to be a huge part of your weight loss goals. As a beginner it’s possible to build muscle and loose fat depending on how out of shape you are to begin with but if your overall goal is fat loss extra calories aren’t your friend.
Workouts:
I’m assuming you are new to lifting based on your profile(0 years training). It would be a good idea to look up some of the beginner strength programs(again the search feature is your best friend) or one of the fat loss targeted programs. I’ve had good luck with The Complexes for fat loss routine although it’s pretty brutal but its very effective.
I’m no pro but these are pretty much the same questions everyone had(myself included) when they first got here. You might also want to check out the Muscle Sorority for female specific info/advice.
Cardio does not help you lose fat and will cost you money. Lose weight with a proper diet. Follow a general strength training workout (Starting Strength is a good one). Strength training is the key to keeping the fat off. Diet is the key to getting it off in the first place.
Read Berardi (7 habits)and Cosgrove (Hierarchy of Fat Loss).
Once your fat is down close to where you want it, start cycling carbs to build muscle while removing the last fit of fat.
Some will say that you will progress faster going through a bulk/Cut cycle. I don’t believe that it’s as effective or as healthy as carb cycling.