Gain Muscle & Lose Fat
(I know, I know, tough job but somebody has to do it.)
There are lots of lean, sexy, confident physiques in and around the pool. There are also a lot of guys and gals who aren’t as lean and as confident, and all weekend long they have been asking me how they can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.
It’s the million dollar question.
Of course, according to scientists, you can’t gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. Phooey, I say.
And ironically, I turn to science – and bring you 3 studies – to prove to you that you can do both…
Study #1 shows men gained muscle & lose body fat after an 8 week training program
In fact, in this study, the subjects used a 6-day per week weight training program (designed by yours truly) while taking either a creatine + sugar supplement or a protein + sugar supplement.
Both groups gained muscle – in fact, the creatine group gained 9 pounds of lean mass in 8 weeks – and I’ve yet to find another study that beats this. So I’m proud to say my workout has resulted in the largest research-recorded gains in lean mass.
And both groups decreased their body fat percentage.
Now you might say, “that doesn’t prove you can gain muscle and lose fat mass at the same time”, and I’ll agree with you. But if you gain muscle and decrease your body fat percentage, you’ll still look great and have more confidence at the beach.
Reference:
Creatine-dextrose and protein-dextrose induce similar strength gains during training. Tarnopolsky MA, Parise G, Yardley NJ, Ballantyne CS, Olatinji S, Phillips SM. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001 33(12):2044-52.
Study #2 shows men and women over the age of 60 can do it too!
You might also be saying, “Yeah, but those were young men. I’m almost/over 40. So this won’t work for me.”
And if you are, you’ll be shocked – and delighted – by the results of this study:
Men and women with an average age of 62 performed a simple strength training circuit 3 days per week for 12 weeks, gaining 4 pounds of lean mass while losing 4 pounds of fat mass.
No changes in diet. No addition of interval training. Powerful stuff!
No excuses.
Reference:
Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Apr;85(4):1005-13. Resistance training and dietary protein: effects on glucose tolerance and contents of skeletal muscle insulin signaling proteins in older persons. Iglay HB, Thyfault JP, Apolzan JW, Campbell WW.
Study #3 shows women can gain muscle and lose fat to look sexier.
I’m not going to lie…I prefer an athletic female body over a skinny female body. Figure skaters and girls who play soccer and basketball top my list.
Girls with some muscle are super hot – every guy knows that.
Now back to the research…
In this study, girls did 5 days per week of strength training (and NO cardio) while drinking a liter of milk after each workout (I know, that’s a lot of milk!) and they were able to gain 4.2 pounds of lean mass while losing 3.5 pounds of fat!
So study #3 that proves you can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. If I find more research on this, I promise I’ll send it over.
Reference:
Med Sci Sports Exerc. Body Composition and Strength Changes in Women with Milk and Resistance Exercise. Josse AR, Tang JE, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM.
Bottom line:
YES, you can gain muscle & lose fat at the same time.
Transformation Contest Alert:
Monday, May 31st is the last day to enter the 12-week contest. I urge you to take your photo today and get started on your TT program no later than tomorrow.
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
PS – Today’s kick-butt mindset tip:
“To live an extraordinary life, you must resist an ordinary approach.”
Frank McKinney
Take action today and go beyond your comfort zone!