If you’re like most guys, you wouldn’t mind packing on an extra 5 to 10 pounds of muscle to your body.
Maybe you’re starting a muscle-building program.
Before you start pounding more protein shakes and pushing yourself with heavy weights, this article will help you seriously reevaluate your fitness goals.
If you’re attempting to build muscle and you do not have a lean body (See these Body Fat Percentage Photos if you’re unsure), I strongly recommend you focus on losing fat without losing muscle before attempting to add some bulk to your body.
On average, most guys underestimate their body fat percentage by AT LEAST 5%.
Here are 3 compelling reasons to lose fat before building muscle.
Reason #1: Gaining Any More Fat Is A Slippery Slope
Gaining muscle without gaining fat is very difficult, even if you count every calorie you eat meticulously. If you don’t count calories, then it’s highly improbable.
To gain muscle, our bodies need to be in an anabolic state fed by an ample amount of protein, carbs, and calories. If you are attempting to build muscle, expect to add some fat. This is keenly understood by fitness models and bodybuilders who “bulk up” with muscle and some fat during the off-season when attempting to build muscle.
Now, let’s say you are 5’10” and 185lb with 15% body fat. You end up putting on 12 pounds of weight, with 6 pounds being muscle and 6 pounds fat.
Your new body fat is 18%, close to the 20% level you don’t want. If you get up to 20% body fat, you will need to lose around 20 pounds of pure fat without losing muscle to get down to a lean 10% body fat, which is when you’ll have the killer beach body.
I must disclose that I have a bias against muscle building – I think most guys have more than enough natural muscle once they reach maturity and after putting in a few good years of quality lifting and eating.
Following this line of thinking, most guys can have a seriously impressive physique if they lose enough fat without losing muscle to get lean. Easier said than done, of course, but it’s a lot easier than building muscle and a much faster way to get a beach body.
If you are above 15% body fat, I highly recommend focusing on losing fat first.
Reason #2: You Look Bigger When You Are Lean
If you are not lean, then you have body fat that is hiding your hard-earned muscle mass. Even more importantly, the fat is hiding the shape of your muscles.
For example, your shoulder muscle is a round, teardrop shaped muscle that is involved in all pulling and pushing movements. If you have body fat over your shoulders, they will appear flat with slight roundness.
The more round your shoulders and the leaner they are, the more striking the shape will be. When you can see the actual muscle and its shape, it creates an illusion that they are bigger than they actually are. A chiseled physique generally will look bigger, fuller, and more impressive than a soft physique of a similar size.
In the photo of me to your right taken a few years ago, I have 155 pounds of lean body mass and weigh around 167 pounds. When I went to the gym, people thought I was 190 to 200 pounds. Interestingly, I have the same amount of muscle as a guy who is 200 pounds with 22% body fat.
Why is this important if you are trying to build muscle? Well you may find when you lean out that you already have the muscle mass you want, you just couldn’t see it before.
Reason #3: You Will Know How Much Bigger You Want To Get
Let’s say you want to add 10 to 15 pounds of muscle to your frame, do you know how much volume 10 to 15 pounds of muscle has? Do you really have any idea of what those 10 to 15 will look like on you, assuming you answered “yes” to the previous question?
I’m not a big fan of using weight when it comes to building a certain amount of muscle. It’s useless unless you are an athlete and your sport such as football demands it.
The better way is to measure your body parts to see if there are any significant areas of improvement. You may find for example that most of your body parts are at a solid level for your height, the only issue is that your chest measurement is a measly 38 inches. Now you know for sure that you can seriously improve your chest and back thickness. Trying to trust the mirror, or even photos is notoriously tricky.
After taking some body measurements, you may learn that you can definitely get your thighs and calves an inch bigger. That change in muscle may only translate into a few pounds max. You may not need to put on nearly as much muscle weight as you think you do.
I hope that after reading this article, the choice is clear as to whether you should lose fat first or build muscle. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.
