Build muscle first or lose fat first? Which order is optimal to make the dream body project real?
Another article was about the question of whether you can build muscle and lose fat at the same time. Answer: It is not a good idea to hunt two hares at once.
Now let’s go one step further.
Lose fat or build muscle: Why you can decide
Most men I know would not mind building 2-5 kilos of muscle.
Maybe you are training according to a muscle building training plan. Or you toy with the idea of having one tailored by your fitness coach.
Stop.
Before you go into action with full vigor, stock up on your protein supplies and have the heavy weights ready, you should critically review your priorities.
It would be a shame if you – full speed ahead! – chasing the wrong rabbit …
If you want to build muscle and do not yet have a lean, defined body, I strongly recommend that you first of all lower your body fat percentage and thereby conserve muscle mass as much as possible. 1
Muscle definition and body fat percentage: Where are you lying?
In my experience, most people underestimate their body fat percentage by at least 5%!
As a guide: The guy in the photo above is estimated to have between 8-10% body fat.
The photos below give you an overview of where you are roughly with your body fat percentage and where your goal is.
Let’s get to the top 3 reasons why you should lower your body fat percentage before building muscle.
3 reasons why you should lose weight before you build muscles
1. If you want to build muscle mass, you can accept that you will also gain some fat
Gaining muscle while losing fat at the same time is a damn tough number – even if you meticulously count calories and eat according to a plan.
If you don’t keep a detailed food diary, this action is next to impossible in my opinion.
So that your body can build muscles, you want to bring it into an anabolic state.
That assumes two things:
- You set a suitable training stimulus.
- You eat more calories than you need.
The type of calories also plays a role: You You can eat enough protein, carbohydrates and the right fats and also take in vitamins and minerals – more on this in the linked articles.
If you want to build muscle, you should be prepared to put on some fat in the process.
By the way, this is completely normal and accepted for bodybuilders and men’s health (or women’s health) fitness models.
In the so-called “offseason” you focus on building muscle, putting on some fat, and then swapping priorities: fat reduction while maintaining muscle mass.
Let’s clarify this with an example.
Case study: Why most people should lose fat first
Let’s assume you are 180 cm tall, weigh 85 kg, have 15% body fat and want to build muscle.
Now you really get started, according to all the rules of the art.
Let’s say you gain a total of 5 kg, half of which is muscle and the other half is fat.
This is not a bad performance, but unfortunately you are moving away from your dream body more and more: In the end you end up with 17% body fat.
So you approached the 20% limit, which you – at least as a man – do not want to reach if you are already below it.
Men who want to present their bodies carved in stone on the beach should write the 10% mark in their specifications (for women it would be 15%, according to my taste it can be more).
To go from 17% to 10%, you would have to lose 7 kilos of pure body fat WITHOUT losing muscle mass.
This is theoretically possible, but quite a challenge!
Personally, I am skeptical of “bulk phases”. They may have their place in bodybuilding. But …
Most people who do proper strength training regularly (2-4 times a week) for 1-2 years and pay attention to a healthy diet already have enough muscle mass to to cut a fine figure on the beach.
Appropriate body fat percentage, of course.
So if you only focus on fat loss at first, you will reach your goal of looking damn good naked faster.
If your body fat percentage is 15% and more (women: 25% and more), focus on losing fat first.
2. Whoever breaks down fat looks more muscular (even if that’s not true)
If you have a high body fat percentage, the subcutaneous fat hides your hard-earned muscle mass and the shape and structure of your muscles would be lost.
Let’s take the deltoid muscle on your shoulder.
Your deltoid muscle has a beautiful round, teardrop-like shape. He is involved in all pushing and pulling movements.
From a certain body fat percentage, however, your shoulder muscle loses its round shape and appears flat and one-dimensional.
The rounder and more defined your shoulders, the more impressive their appearance.
The clearer the muscle structure can be seen, the stronger it appears – that is an illusion that works.
The more the individual muscle structures stand out under your skin, the more muscular, massive and harder you look …
… in complete contrast to a soft, undefined body structure with the same or even more muscle mass.
If you train regularly, you most likely already have the muscle mass that can be seen with the appropriate definition.
If you lose fat first, you will be effective the existing muscle mass becomes muscular much faster than if you take the “detour” via muscle building with subsequent fat reduction.
3. If you lose fat first, you can estimate much better how much muscle you “need”
Suppose you want to build 4-7 kilos of lean muscle.
Do you really know how much muscle volume 4-7 kilos mean?
Do you really know how you will look like with 4-7 kilos more muscle mass?
For me, the sheer number of pounds when building muscles is completely irrelevant (unless you are an American football quarterback and your sport requires this mass).
In my opinion, it is better and more accurate if you measure your body size at different points and thus individually determine whether you are building muscles or not.
You will only know for sure whether you are really building a wider chest, a V-neck or a stronger triceps if you measure and establish a feedback system for your success.
Looking in the mirror is okay, but it’s also imprecise.
If the light comes from a different direction, you immediately appear more muscular or one-dimensional – depending on.
If you start to measure, you will for example quickly find that you can increase your thigh or calf circumference by one centimeter.
In terms of weight, that might make it 500 grams to 1 kilo, it is difficult to determine this change on the scales, as our weight can fluctuate by 1-2 kilos from day to day.
I also believe that in reality you are less kilos need additional muscle mass to create the body of your dreams than you might think today.
This method of measuring your body size makes sense when you have reached a certain definition.
If you are already a drain, I’ll probably run into open barn doors with my statement. Because then you have already worked intensively on your goal in 10-day email coaching and learned that a measurable, concrete goal is an essential prerequisite for your success.
When you have achieved the necessary definition, it will be even easier for you to realistically assess your goal and, if necessary, carry out fine-tuning.
Conclusion: first burn fat, then build muscle
I hope that you now have a clear picture of when it makes sense for you to first lose fat and then decide whether and where you want to build muscle.
If you want to build muscle, it is easier, more motivating and more accurate to track your progress with the measuring tape than to step on the scales.