… Guys: How to address that “Skinny-Fat” feeling.
August 23rd, 2010 | Categories: Fat Loss, Fitness Tips, Men | 3 Comments »Ever look at yourself in the mirror, or catch your reflection in a window, and think “Why do I look and feel both skinny AND fat?”. Here’s a classic “skinny-fat” case:
- male; 5 feet 10 inches
- 165 pounds; 15% body fat
- Goal: “lose fat -gain muscle”
When guys start back to the gym, many think that they need to focus on a fat loss program first, which is usually when I hear “I’m just going to concentrate on my cardio for a couple of months to lose this jiggle“.
Most often though, that is the worst thing they could do, because their bodies do not have enough muscle mass to sustain a fat loss program without losing even more muscle. So the guy starts burning a lot of calories, dieting too much, and then ends up a smaller version of his skinny-fat body.
What should the “skinny-fat” guy be doing?
He needs to be focussed on gaining more muscle and eating a little extra carbs and proteins before and after working out.
Doug at MyTrainerSays dot com
Tip: If your focus is on building more muscle, lift weights 3-4 days per week for 45 minutes. If you need to burn fat too, do 3 full body workouts with some timed interval training using short-burst treadmill sprints. Long, slow, mind-numbing cardio doesn’t cut it.
The problem in my case is that every time I go this route, I end up with this excessive amount of fat and although I look “puffy”( it does gives me an appearance that I’m actually big), but in reality, I’m just fatter. I have attempted to get big 4 times already in the past 3 years!!!! and I do gain a lot of strength and I do end up lifting heavier progressively, but I still have a hard time building that muscle mass look : ( What could I be doing wrong?
I don’t want to go on for another 3 wasted years! I’m already 30 years old too. I need help.
A lot of the online workout routines/advise are very contradictory and I’m confused. I’ve tried 4 different online “e-books”, have followed them through for at least 6 – 8 months and do not notice any major muscle gain, but I do gain a tons of pounds of fat!! : ( And I do eat very healthy. No fast food crap etc.
Please help!
Frustrated Ecto Skinny Fat Dude
Dear FESF Dude – You haven’t mentioned what you are doing for your cardio regime. That’s the most important part of your equation.
When consuming extra calories for growth, that means any excess not required to sustain your metabolic rate (albeit, it is higher as you gain more muscle) will accumulate in ways that you have described. That’s why bodybuilders have a very definite “building phase” when they are gaining muscle mass, and a very definite “cutting phase” when they are preparing for a competition. They stop lifting about a week before, then bump up their cardio and shed the fat – all very carefully timed.
To gain LEAN muscle mass takes more time, since you don’t want that puffy look. It means keeping your daily caloric intake just marginally above your daily metabolic needs, while factoring in calories needed for sustained muscle growth.
I suggest Interval Training for your cardio component… fast-paced sprints (run like hell) paired with fast-paced walking (yes, walking). Try 30 seconds sprint /90 seconds walk to start – and progress that up to 30 /60, then 45 /45. The important part is to spike your heart rate during the sprint phase (that’s why you don’t sprint for long), then let it tumble during the walk phase.
Benefits – 1) you won’t lose muscle mass, and 2) you will shed fat. Do 20 minutes of these Intervals after most lifting sessions and you’ll definitely notice a difference.
Doug
Wow, I actually had no idea that this happened, it would explain why I haven’t really shown any gains over the past few months. Thanks very much for the info, going to change my routine now.