How To Build Muscle and Lose Fat Simultaneously
March 30, 2009 | Posted by billspaced 
After-Before?
I also call it, “Diet and Exercise are your one-two punch against the paunch!”
It is, of course, possible, but it’s very difficult to lose bodyfat while adding muscle. Competition bodybuilders often do this, so it’s a fact that it CAN be done.
However, it’s very demanding, both physically and mentally.
I will mention an alternative approach that is actually easier and better. That is to say, start a growth phase for 3-6 weeks followed by a “ripping up” phase for 2-3 weeks.
But if you want to build muscle and lose fat simultaneously, follow these steps.
Your diet is the most important aspect of your bodybuilding regimen. In fact, it may be 80 percent nutrition and 20 percent training.
Your nutritional program will consist of very high protein from sources like nonfat milk, eggs, beef, chicken, and fish. For the first two weeks, refrain from eating bread or potatoes and other starchy or complex carbs, other than from vegetables.
You will drop a considerable amount of bodyfat the first two weeks, then your losses will taper off. In week 3, add in small amounts of bread and potatoes as well as fruit.
Stay away from juice. While it may be highly nutritious, it is too concentrated and you can kill your caloric intake with just a few cups.
Also refrain from weight gain shakes. Instead, pick up a meal replacement powder like MetRx. Mix up some in the morning with water and carry with you throughout the day, sipping every 15 to 20 minutes. Use these for your pre- and post-workout meals, too.
For your weight training, you will have to concentrate on building as much mass as you can. Do complex movements like Squats, Bench Presses, and Deadlifts. The idea here is to stimulate as much muscle growth in as very little time as possible.
Do a 3-way split routine, training the legs on Monday, the back on Wednesday, and chest on Friday. Fit in shoulders, arms, and calves wherever they fit best.
On non-weight days, do some form of cardio. It doesn’t really matter whether it’s running, cycling, walking, or some other form of aerobic activity. I suggest you mix intervals in with a more traditional approach.
If you follow these simple guidelines, you can build muscle and lose bodyfat simultaneously. It’s certainly difficult, but not impossible. And it’s more mental than physical.
If you want to learn more about building mass, check out my Hardgainer Manifesto, a system devised to help hardgainers build more muscle mass.
About the Author
Bill is the creator of Hard Gainer’s Manifesto, a bodybuilding system designed specifically to address the particular needs of hardgainers.
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Categories: Exercise, FAQ, Nutrition, bodybuilding, fat loss | 
Tags: Build Muscle, drop fat, lose body fat, Lose Weight, paunch | 
12 Comments »
Of course, the pro bodybuilders burn fat while building muscle by pumping themselves full of steroids >(
I get the advice on staying away from starchy/complex carbs, but eating vegetables, but how much vegetables are you recommending? It’s just that a certain amount of carbs are required to build muscle in addition to heaps of protein and it would be hard to get enough just from vegies.
Hi Mike, that recommendation was just for the first two weeks to jumpstart the fat-loss process. After that, you add in breads, rice, grains, potatoes, etc.
And so-called “natural” bodybuilders can drop fat and build muscle simultaneously. But it is a difficult tightrope on which to walk!
Thanks for the info. I am not looking to become a beefcake, but I’d like to build a bit of upper body muscle and the tips above should point me in the right direction. Problem is I have had a bad knee for months and am largely homebound
I didn’t know bread was something that can build fat. Is this the same with wholemeal?
@David – It’s not that bread builds fat in and of itself. It’s because it causes the blood sugar to rise and fall rapidly, causing an outpouring of insulin and hunger. Get over that roller coaster ride by removing it from your diet for 2 weeks. Then reintroduce slowly.
I’ve had my share of knee problems, so I know what you’re talking about! Interestingly, for me, the more weight training I do, the better my knees feel (to a point, of course). Point is, I feel better lifting than not.
Hi. Thanks for your reply. I have not ate any of what I would consider garbage for many years: crisps, chocolate, sweets, ice cream etc. I am also a vegetarian and don’t eat any dairy. I do eat eggs though. I’ve replaced meat mainly with nuts – lots of them. What is your take on vegetarianism from a muscle building POV?
Russell Crowe has really spilled out in that image. I’m lucky that too much food and lack of exercise doesn’t seem to make much difference
@David Bravo for you! Garbage is the quickest way to ruin. As they say in your industry – “garbage in, garbage out!” Vegetarianism is fine. It’s not the easiest way, but it’s entirely possible to build a great body the vegan way. Take a look at Muscle Gaining Secrets, written by Jason Ferruggia. He’s all plant. And he’s pretty awesome. His Renegade Gym in New Jersey looks pretty awesome, too.
Old time bodybuilder Bill Pearl was a vegetarian, too, though he built his bulk prior to “converting.” It’s certainly a lifestyle that lends itself to health! However, as you state, “too much food and lack of exercise…” is what most of us have in common! Decrease the food (unless you have a hard time putting on weight, in which case you’ll want to read Hardgainer Manifesto) and increase the exercise – a winning combination, or, as I like to say,
“The one-two punch against the paunch!”
I am not interested in being a beefcake, so I guess vegetarianism is OK then.
Thanks for your “plug” on your other blog. I wrote that page for my old school who wanted to know how to get relevant traffic from Google and just tweaked it a bit for web.
I have added this site to the feedreader; although I don’t often have time to read anything
I can testify that this regimen works. Eating all of that lean protein and refraining from carbs will make your body fat drop. Continuing your workout regimen during this time will keep your body from cannibalizing your muscles for nutrition and will even let you better define your muscles. I have been following this course for about 4 months now. I’m preparing for some scenario paintball and I can’t be lugging around a lot of extra body weight.
Man, I have been hearing SO MUCH about dropping breads/complex starches/ wheat etc… from ones diet for the purpose of rapid weight loss. Even neuvo-diets with conflicting ideologies are all getting behind this. I just don’t know if I can give up PIZZA!!!
.-= Josh @iDTech´s last blog ..Tilt-Shift Photography, or How to Make Everything Look Tiny =-.
@Josh, Yes, those first two weeks are brutal. It was, and always is, extremely difficult to cut out the breads and basically all complex and simple carbs…but after about 2 weeks, I didn’t miss them. At all. And you’re talking to a guy who LIVED on pizza while in college (and most of my 20s).
I still love pizza. The beauty of this program is that your diet is restricted the most only in the first 2 weeks. Then it gets way easier. But you’ll drop a lot of weight in a very short time on this regimen.
Man I need to drop a few pounds: Thanks for the read!