Lose Weight Before Building Muscle?

What's in it for you?

In general, it's simple to decide whether you should lose weight before adding muscle.

It is preferable for you to initially try to reduce fat before trying to gain muscle if you have a high body fat percentage or if you have already been in a bulking phase for a long time.

However, you'll benefit from gaining muscle before attempting a fat loss phase if you're skinny fat, new to strength training, dealing with body image issues, or more concerned with your performance in the gym than your appearance.

 

Let's dive deep into this sea of ongoing debate.

One of the most frequently asked questions in the fitness industry is whether or not you should lose weight before building muscle.

People frequently overcomplicate or oversimplify situations. Although choosing the best option for you can be a simple question to answer, there are a number of nuances to take into account.

So, before gaining muscle, should you lose weight? Prior to adding muscle, those with high body fat percentages or those who have been bulking for 12 to 16 weeks should concentrate on losing fat.

Consider bulking before losing weight if you're skinny fat, new to strength training, or you want to put your performance in the gym above your appearance.

 

Losing Weight vs. Losing Fat

Understanding what we actually mean when we say we want to lose weight is important before we discuss whether or not you should lose weight before building muscle.

People usually mean to lower their weight on the scale when they say they want to lose weight.

For example, a 250-pound person might claim they want to lose weight if they want to tip the scales at 200 pounds.

Then, if their progress stalls or they don't achieve their goal within a given time frame, they will become fixated on that number and frustrated.

This is a problem for a number of reasons. You might not care where that weight loss comes from if you're only concerned with what the scale says. It may result from a combination of muscle loss, fat loss, and water weight loss.

But frequently, people who wish to lose weight also want to maintain any existing muscle and enhance their body composition.

You need to do it by maintaining your lean muscle mass and concentrating on fat loss rather than simply aiming for a certain number on the scale.

A decrease in your existing level of body fat is referred to as fat loss.

Although it doesn't always happen, you can notice a corresponding decline in your weight on the scale when your body fat % likewise drops.

Even if a person's body fat drops from 30% to 25%, they may only lose a couple of pounds physically.

This is also what people mean when they say they are losing inches but not weight; even though the scale may not show it, their body measurements are shrinking as a result of a decline in body fat.

You now know the distinction between losing fat and losing weight. What does that mean, though, in terms of deciding whether or not you ought to go on a diet before putting on muscle?

And what if you want to prioritise either losing fat or building muscle at the expense of the other?

 

How to Decide Whether to Lose Fat Before Building Muscle?

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with trying to gain muscle whenever you want, but there are times when you'd want to lose fat before gaining muscle, which is commonly known as bulking.

 

#1: If your current body fat percentage is higher than 22% for females and 16-18% for males.

You should lose extra body fat if your body fat percentage is already high to prepare for bulking.

This is because some fat gain is unavoidable during a bulking phase, and having a body fat percentage that is too high has a number of negative health effects.

Additionally, since you'll have a lot more weight to lose, it will be more challenging to stick with a fat loss program in the future.

It is crucial to note that this does not imply that individuals with higher body fat percentages should refrain from lifting weights.

Key benefits of resistance training include increased metabolism, lowered blood pressure and cholesterol, and a decreased risk of disease.

Despite the fact that you should concentrate on shedding fat before you bulk, anyone who is overweight should keep up their strength training.

#2: You’re coming off an extended bulk.

The more time you spend bulking up, the more likely it is that you'll gain more fat than muscle. If you've been bulking for more than 12 to 16 weeks, you should shift your attention to fat loss to stop the excess fat gain.

Before beginning a fat loss phase, you should, however, spend some time in a maintenance phase to allow your body to adjust to its new weight.

 

2 Reasons to Lose Weight Before Building Muscle

1. It can drive you to maintain consistency.

One should not place excessive emphasis on the weight scale reading as seen earlier in this article. However, this does not imply that you should completely disregard your scale weight.

In fact, seeing the weight drop on the scale can give you more confidence and urge you to remain with your plan if you are seriously overweight, are just beginning your fat loss journey, or struggle to stay motivated.

2. You won't put on more weight.

Bulking phases cause people to gain fat in addition to muscle. Your body fat percentage can be kept under control by losing fat before adding muscle.

It may also give you a lower body fat percentage to start from if you want to bulk up in the future, reducing your concern that it will reach unhealthy levels.

 

3 Reasons Not To Lose Weight Before You Build Muscle

1. You struggle with body image issues.

Accept this with a grain of salt. Even if you're able to separate your self-worth from the number on the scale, weight gain that results from gaining muscle might be challenging to deal with.

If you struggle with body image, we advise focusing on your confidence before beginning a fat loss program.

Your mental health and self-esteem can be greatly improved by prioritising eating healthy meals, exercising frequently, and avoiding the urge to weigh yourself all the time.

2. Your learning goals are more crucial than how you look.

Sometimes, trying to be stronger and putting on additional Kgs to your lifts takes precedence over how you appear.

While it is feasible to continue strengthening while in a cutting phase, it is more common than not necessary to maintain greater daily caloric intake in order to provide your body with the energy it needs to lift big weights.

However, as I already indicated, a high body fat percentage might have a detrimental effect on your health.

Even if you aren't worried with becoming extremely thin, you should always check your body fat % to make sure it is healthy.

3. You’re skinny fat.

The phrase "skinny fat" describes someone with a small frame but little lean muscle mass.

People who are slim fat should give muscle building priority because losing the little lean muscle they already have could happen if they jump right into a fat loss phase.

Furthermore, those who are thin and overweight frequently lack experience with strength training.

You can take advantage of the beginner gains and acquire muscle more quickly than someone with more extensive training experience.

 

Is it possible to lose fat and build muscle at the same time?

Body recomposition is the process of simultaneously growing muscle mass and decreasing body fat.

It is possible to do this, although the procedure is challenging frequently.

This is due to the competing objectives of simultaneously trying to grow larger and smaller.

One demands you to consume in a calorie surplus, whereas the other calls for a calorie deficit.

Body recomposition is a difficult objective for many people to achieve.

They may spend years trying to recover and still only achieve modest gains in lean muscle mass and body fat.

 

Those who frequently get the best outcomes from a Body recompisition include:

1. Those who have high body fat percentages.
2. People who have never engaged in weight training.
3. People who have taken a long break from weightlifting and are now returning.

They either start off with a higher body weight and burn more calories during exercise, or their bodies aren't accustomed to the stress and stimulants of resistance training.

The more consistently you strength train, the more effective your body gets.

As a result, as you get older and leaner through training, it gets harder to modify the way your body looks.

 

You can still strive toward a Body recomposition even if you don't fit into any of the aforementioned categories. Just be aware that it takes a lot more perseverance, consistency, and hard effort.

Your odds of success with a Body recomposition can be increased by:

1. Daily maintenance eating or calorie cycling based on exercise frequency.
2. Getting sufficient rest.
3. Not engaging in excessive cardio.
4. Putting protein first at every meal
5. Committing to a strength training regimen.

By sticking to each of these rules, you'll be able to retain your current level of lean muscle mass, avoid unneeded fat growth, and provide your body with the right quantity of fuel for your activity levels.