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This applies mainly to men, because unlike women, we require a certain amount muscle mass and low body fat levels, to look good. The main problem with being skinny fat is that you probably have less muscle and more fat than you realize, so whether if you bulk or cut, it will not be successful.
If you bulk, since your body is not prone to leanness and carrying much muscle, chances are you will gain mostly fat, with little muscle gains. If you cut, since your body is not prone to holding on to muscle and getting lean, you will have to considerably reduce calories and this it will wither away the little muscle you have, and the only way you will reach low body fat is by becoming a holocaust survivor.
At 20% body fat, your chest/shoulders/arms might look sort of 'okayish' but then you have homer Simpson's flabby stomach sitting there right in the middle. You might try to cut to 10% bf and you'll look better in the stomach area, but by then your whole upper body shoulders/chest/back/arms/neck as well will look so skinny you'll just look like a complete anorexic dude and probably everyone will call you out on it that your too skinny.
I can imagine you could cut to 10% first before bulking, but probably by the time you reach 10% bf, you will face the consequences of looking just completely anorexic from lacking mass, even if you will try to do a slow proper bulk from 10% you will probably feel unmotivated and depressed as at the thought of you having to look anorexic for that months or years until you start gaining some muscles mass, after all you may even be back to 20% with just slightly more lean mass what u had before u started...
but most likely scenario is you'll cut to low bf thinking you'll do a slow bulk from there, but before you finish your cut, you hate how you look anorexic and start binging again and your back to where you started and the vicious cycle never ends
bottom line, if you cut and slow bulk. the biggest challenge will be mental, will you be able to tolerate looking extremely skinny and the way people will perceive you for a long time until you start putting on lean mass... If you take the bulk route first, would you able to tolerate looking fatter and fatter until you put on a good amount of muscle?
The main problem with being skinny fat is that you probably have less muscle and more fat than you realize, so whether if you bulk or cut, it will not be successful.
WRONG!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dinero
If you bulk, since your body is not prone to leanness and carrying much muscle, chances are you will gain mostly fat, with little muscle gains.
WRONG AGAIN!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dinero
If you cut, since your body is not prone to holding on to muscle and getting lean, you will have to considerably reduce calories and this it will wither away the little muscle you have, and the only way you will reach low body fat is by becoming a holocaust survivor.
WRONG WRONG AGAIN and cant believe you would throw in the holocaust comment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dinero
At 20% body fat, your chest/shoulders/arms might look sort of 'okayish' but then you have homer Simpson's flabby stomach sitting there right in the middle. You might try to cut to 10% bf and you'll look better in the stomach area, but by then your whole upper body shoulders/chest/back/arms/neck as well will look so skinny you'll just look like a complete anorexic dude and probably everyone will call you out on it that your too skinny.
I can imagine you could cut to 10% first before bulking, but probably by the time you reach 10% bf, you will face the consequences of looking just completely anorexic from lacking mass, even if you will try to do a slow proper bulk from 10% you will probably feel unmotivated and depressed as at the thought of you having to look anorexic for that months or years until you start gaining some muscles mass, after all you may even be back to 20% with just slightly more lean mass what u had before u started...
but most likely scenario is you'll cut to low bf thinking you'll do a slow bulk from there, but before you finish your cut, you hate how you look anorexic and start binging again and your back to where you started and the vicious cycle never ends
bottom line, if you cut and slow bulk. the biggest challenge will be mental, will you be able to tolerate looking extremely skinny and the way people will perceive you for a long time until you start putting on lean mass... If you take the bulk route first, would you able to tolerate looking fatter and fatter until you put on a good amount of muscle?
There is not only just a whole lot of things completely wrong with the OP, its completely misleading and shows exactly how little the OP knows.
For dudes who are (as you call it) "skinny fat" - which I assume will mean someone who is not really overweight in terms of what shows on the scale, but someone without any real muscle tone, like an average recent college grad who spent most of his time studying, playing Xbox and eating ramen and pizza and drinking beer. A cut with workout plan works.
Seems like the OP doesnt know that one who is skinny-fat can build muscle while cutting at the same time. How? By doing what I did:
Cut nutrition plan: 1200-1500 calories per day.
Workout plan: HIT - Bench press, military press, squats, deadlifts, pullups, wide grip lat pulldowns. Jump rope, sprint intervals and burpees for cardio. The HIT plan is one set each of slow movement using HEAVY weight that causes failure by rep 8-9.
This is EXACTLY what I did and also the exact plan I use for my clients/students who fit the "skinny fat" label you posted. All (including me) had OUTSTANDING success.
In fact, I'd say that from my own personal and professional experience, that the skinnyfat guy sees results faster than any other type of body type after beginning a workout plan. Your entire original post is just full of know-nothing nonsense.
WRONG WRONG AGAIN and cant believe you would throw in the holocaust comment.
There is not only just a whole lot of things completely wrong with the OP, its completely misleading and shows exactly how little the OP knows.
For dudes who are (as you call it) "skinny fat" - which I assume will mean someone who is not really overweight in terms of what shows on the scale, but someone without any real muscle tone, like an average recent college grad who spent most of his time studying, playing Xbox and eating ramen and pizza and drinking beer. A cut with workout plan works.
Seems like the OP doesnt know that one who is skinny-fat can build muscle while cutting at the same time. How? By doing what I did:
Cut nutrition plan: 1200-1500 calories per day.
Workout plan: HIT - Bench press, military press, squats, deadlifts, pullups, wide grip lat pulldowns. Jump rope, sprint intervals and burpees for cardio. The HIT plan is one set each of slow movement using HEAVY weight that causes failure by rep 8-9.
This is EXACTLY what I did and also the exact plan I use for my clients/students who fit the "skinny fat" label you posted. All (including me) had OUTSTANDING success.
In fact, I'd say that from my own personal and professional experience, that the skinnyfat guy sees results faster than any other type of body type after beginning a workout plan. Your entire original post is just full of know-nothing nonsense.
The law of thermodynamics would like to disagree with you. Muscle cannot be built out of thin air, and it needs extra calories. The reason why many people see a slight increase in muscle mass, like 2 o 3 pounds, despite eating fewer calories, is because:
- You are a noob, so any stimulation your muscles receive is new, they will grow a little, even when only supplying maintenance calories.
- Most people don't keep a strict track of how many calories they are eating every day. Most people don't eat the exact same foods, at the same exact quantities, every single day (which would ensure a more constant caloric intake).
- Most people underestimate and overestimate the number of calories they consume. Some days, they may be in a caloric deficit, while other days, they may be at maintenance or even above it. Most underestimate the number of calories they are eating. This inconstant caloric intake will produce some slight muscle gains while on a resistance training, due to the variable maintenance and even surplus caloric intakes days.
This is compounded by the fact, that calories are nothing more than estimates, so even if you do COUNT calories, you are still estimating, and some days, you will be eating more, and other days less. It is inevitable, and unless you eat the EXACT same food, in the exact same quantities, portions, weight, etc, you will never consume the exact number of calories, and even this approach is not 100% exact, unless you eat only pre-packaged foods, which are more guaranteed to have the same exact number of calories and macronutrients, every single time you consume them.
They either grossly underestimate their caloric intake or miscalculate their metabolic rate and calories expended during exercise. It is only a guessing game for 99% of people and even so-called "experts" such as nutritionists and personal trainers, will still not be able to eat the exact amount of food every single day. They will go through the same guessing game because calories, metabolic rate, and exercise activity expenditure, are nothing but estimates.
You cannot build muscle mass under a caloric deficit, it DEFIES the law of thermodynamics, just as, you cannot lose fat in a caloric surplus, or gain fat in a caloric deficit. People are fooled to believe they have done so, when in reality, they are not exercising as much or as hard as they think they are. They are not eating as little or as much as they think they are. Again, if this is not the case, then they have managed to violate the first law of thermodynamics and you are up for a noble prize.
I believe it is termed catabolic. Your body will consume your muscles rather than touch existing fat reserves. Survival mode apparently as found out by the Donner Party! But I jest on the last one. I believe the curative is to overeat on the protein to maintain muscle levels and reduce other dietary intakes to force fat consumption. But I think this is an issue when reaching very low body fat levels. I believer there is an optimum ratio formula when cutting in terms of P/F/C do not recall.
True about two routes. At least going the fatty route. I did the 150lbs to 185lbs(lifting phase) to 165lbs(carb cutting+ HIIT) and wiggled to current 170lbs(both HIIT, weights and regular eating) route. Never attempted the other route. I was stronger at 185lbs. But faster at 170lbs. Look good either way. More bulk or more definition. Depends on what your desired final is.
You gain the most in the first year in any case. Afterwards it is a declining slope.
Some folks are made to be otter mode and some for bear mode and loads in between. No cookie cutter.
Reminds me of something I saw on the news about 2 years ago. Maybe downtown NYC. A bench press with 135-225lbs. News crew had folks come by to bench. Only two guys could, one heavy set and one who looked so skinny you would think lifting a large drink would take effort. here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUo04iE5DdQ
You know how well your body produces certain hormones is important. I think moreso than what you wrote in the OP. But that is just a guess. Based on the weightlfiting forum I am a regular on, I am surprised at how many young guys have Low-T and they are the ones having issues achieving strength and the matching physique.
The skinnyfat is what hits you when you sit online all day.
The body slopes into a pear shape due to the SITTING
Your butt flattens and your waistband widens while the limbs remain relatively unscathed, thereby giving you the Im Still Skinny false comfort when you lift them in comparison while watching My 600lb Life.
The law of thermodynamics would like to disagree with you. Muscle cannot be built out of thin air, and it needs extra calories. The reason why many people see a slight increase in muscle mass, like 2 o 3 pounds, despite eating fewer calories, is because:
- You are a noob, so any stimulation your muscles receive is new, they will grow a little, even when only supplying maintenance calories.
- Most people don't keep a strict track of how many calories they are eating every day. Most people don't eat the exact same foods, at the same exact quantities, every single day (which would ensure a more constant caloric intake).
- Most people underestimate and overestimate the number of calories they consume. Some days, they may be in a caloric deficit, while other days, they may be at maintenance or even above it. Most underestimate the number of calories they are eating. This inconstant caloric intake will produce some slight muscle gains while on a resistance training, due to the variable maintenance and even surplus caloric intakes days.
This is compounded by the fact, that calories are nothing more than estimates, so even if you do COUNT calories, you are still estimating, and some days, you will be eating more, and other days less. It is inevitable, and unless you eat the EXACT same food, in the exact same quantities, portions, weight, etc, you will never consume the exact number of calories, and even this approach is not 100% exact, unless you eat only pre-packaged foods, which are more guaranteed to have the same exact number of calories and macronutrients, every single time you consume them.
They either grossly underestimate their caloric intake or miscalculate their metabolic rate and calories expended during exercise. It is only a guessing game for 99% of people and even so-called "experts" such as nutritionists and personal trainers, will still not be able to eat the exact amount of food every single day. They will go through the same guessing game because calories, metabolic rate, and exercise activity expenditure, are nothing but estimates.
You cannot build muscle mass under a caloric deficit, it DEFIES the law of thermodynamics, just as, you cannot lose fat in a caloric surplus, or gain fat in a caloric deficit. People are fooled to believe they have done so, when in reality, they are not exercising as much or as hard as they think they are. They are not eating as little or as much as they think they are. Again, if this is not the case, then they have managed to violate the first law of thermodynamics and you are up for a noble prize.
Do you actually lift or just hypothesize about it?
Do you actually lift or just hypothesize about it?
Exercise more and think less!
So, you're basically telling people to go work out blindly, and hope for the best? lol
I didn't know one cannot both exercise and be knowledgeable at the same time. I'm not hypothesizing anything. It is a proven fact. It is written. You cannot burn fat or lose muscle on a caloric surplus. You cannot gain muscle or fat in a caloric deficit. It defies the first law of thermodynamics. If it were possible, you'd have a Nobel prize already.
This applies mainly to men, because unlike women, we require a certain amount muscle mass and low body fat levels, to look good. The main problem with being skinny fat is that you probably have less muscle and more fat than you realize, so whether if you bulk or cut, it will not be successful.
If you bulk, since your body is not prone to leanness and carrying much muscle, chances are you will gain mostly fat, with little muscle gains. If you cut, since your body is not prone to holding on to muscle and getting lean, you will have to considerably reduce calories and this it will wither away the little muscle you have, and the only way you will reach low body fat is by becoming a holocaust survivor.
At 20% body fat, your chest/shoulders/arms might look sort of 'okayish' but then you have homer Simpson's flabby stomach sitting there right in the middle. You might try to cut to 10% bf and you'll look better in the stomach area, but by then your whole upper body shoulders/chest/back/arms/neck as well will look so skinny you'll just look like a complete anorexic dude and probably everyone will call you out on it that your too skinny.
I can imagine you could cut to 10% first before bulking, but probably by the time you reach 10% bf, you will face the consequences of looking just completely anorexic from lacking mass, even if you will try to do a slow proper bulk from 10% you will probably feel unmotivated and depressed as at the thought of you having to look anorexic for that months or years until you start gaining some muscles mass, after all you may even be back to 20% with just slightly more lean mass what u had before u started...
but most likely scenario is you'll cut to low bf thinking you'll do a slow bulk from there, but before you finish your cut, you hate how you look anorexic and start binging again and your back to where you started and the vicious cycle never ends
bottom line, if you cut and slow bulk. the biggest challenge will be mental, will you be able to tolerate looking extremely skinny and the way people will perceive you for a long time until you start putting on lean mass... If you take the bulk route first, would you able to tolerate looking fatter and fatter until you put on a good amount of muscle?
Where did you come up with all of this? You can build muscle and burn fat at the same time. It's challenging to do and takes a lot of discipline, but it can be done and can be done without looking anorexic. You have to train right and eat right. And eat in the right quantities. But you don't have to chose between bulking or burning fat.
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