I'm trying to loose fat and build muscle.. I'm new..any suggestions?

[laraking]

im trying to loose the fat i regained this fall... im going to be starting a new career as an EMR (first responder) and I really need to muscle up.... any suggestions?

[lazy]

run. im a lazy son of a gun in a hospital. i can clock up 20-23k steps a day 😞

[Jabrat]

Get up early - and keep on steppin combined with weights

[258trainer]

Body weight exercises...squats, lunges, push-ups, triceps dips, pull-ups.  You can do those anywhere!  Running is great CARDIO, but you're not going to build muscle that way.  If you incorporate these into a TABATA form (20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest)  you'll burn fat at the same time.  Of course, if you have access to a gym, you can do lots of muscle work there, but no need for fancy machines when your body can work itself wonderfully!

[gerrymcd]

The only way to build muscle is to overload your muscles with some kind of strength workout, and rest. Muscles are not 'built' in the gym, they 'grow' while you are resting/sleeping.   If you focus on strength wokouts you will build muscles, and burn fat at the same time.  A lot of cardio, on the other hand, won't build muscle.  I'd suggest hitting the gym 3 times a week - different body part each time.  That way you are giving your muscles time to recover. Plus some walking, jogging, stretching, yoga,.....

[laraking]

Thank you for that tid bit
Sent from my iPhone

[Cognosticator]

About 4 weeks ago I joined a Cross fit training class and go 3 days a week.  Cross fit will let you know just how bad your fitness is.  In those 4 weeks I have lost 11 pounds, dropped my body fat to 18.5% and increased my muscle mass. I bought a scale that will give you all the information you need to keep track of progress. I am 64 years old, got 20+ pounds over my preferred weight, cholestrol was over 200 and my thyroid was shutting down according to my doctor. Blood test yesterday showed cholesterol at 150, thyroid working normal and my BP at 122/82.  If you have the desire and time, get in a cross fit class, it will whip you in shape and you can workout at your own pace.

[Naomi94]

Running does not build muscle. 

[Dominique]

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@Naomi94 wrote:

Running does not build muscle. 

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This doesn't mean it's useless. @laraking said she wants to gain muscle and lose fat. Running (and any other cardio activity) is excellent for burning calories and losing extra fat everywhere. Burning more calories also makes you eat more and stimulates your metabolism.

[Dominique]

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@gerrymcd wrote:

If you focus on strength wokouts you will build muscles, and burn fat at the same time.  A lot of cardio, on the other hand, won't build muscle.

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 I'm not sure why strength training and cardio training are viewed as mutually exclusive in this thread. If @laraking wants to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, a balanced mix of cardio and strength training is great. Besides, cardio has other benefits than merely burning fat, the kind that can come handy in her job as a first responder. Mister Universe would likely make a poor and inefficient first responder.

[Cognosticator]

Cross Fit training would be very beneficial to th OP in what you want to accomplish.  Here is an explanation from WebMD and I think you will see, it will build strength and stamina.

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/crossfit-review

[JenniLacey]

I agree that cardio has its place as well as strength training. 3 sessions, 3x a week of 30 mins HIIT (high intensity interval training) is often reccomended.

Nutrition is equally important if your goal is to burn fat while building muscle. Your calorie intake will be very important. The general rule is that to build muscle you need to create a calorie surplus (and gain weight) and to lose fat you have to create a calorie deficit (lose weight). However, beginners to strength training can often override this rule *if* they get an adequate amount of calories to both feed the muscle and burn fat. This means the process will be slow, both in building muscle and losing fat. You're not going to want to lose more than 1/2 lb week.

Get adquate (not excessive) protein and try to eat clean (limit added sugars, preservatives, processed foods, nutrient devoid foods) and choose nutrient dense foods, ie; make every calorie count.

Hit all major muscle groups 3x week on non-consecutive days to allow recovery for muscle to grow. I'd recommend doing 3 full body workouts 3x a week. Try to stick to compound exercises or exercises that work multiple muscles at the same time (squats, lunges, deadlifts, bridges, pull ups, push ups, bench press, overhead press, rows, planks, etc.) over isolation exercises or exercises that isolate a single muscle (bicep curls, calf raises, etc.) You should be using a weight or resistance challenging enough that you reach muscle fatigue in 8-12 reps.

[Mary]

Focus on losing fat and getting stronger.  You're not going to gain much muscle mass while deficit eating, or ever if you're a woman, but you don't need mass to have strength.  

[archaichoney]

To build muscle, you need a calorie surplus. To loose fat, you'll need a calorie deficit. So, calorie wise, you want to likely shoot a little below your TDEE. Assuming you haven't done weight training before, you'll get what is referred to as "noob gains" some muscle growth in the early stages of lifting.

I recommend a solid 5x5 program (google it, I like Blaha 5x5) that focuses of the big compound lifts. This is great for a beginner and will help you loose fat, combine that with a little bit of cardio, 30 mins about three days a week and you're set.

And no, if you're new to lifting I would not check out Crossfit.

[supa-sal]

I agree with everyone about cardio to lose fat and strength training to build muscle. But if you want some supplement help, my doctor recommended that I take BCAAs, L-Leucine, and Tonalin CLA. I take the recommended dose before I go to bed. A lot of them say to take them after workouts, or with every meal but that can be expensive. My doctor told me to take them before bed because that's when your body does it's repair work and builds the muscles you've been working out.

[Dominique]

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@JenniLacey wrote:

I agree that cardio has its place as well as strength training. 3 sessions, 3x a week of 30 mins HIIT (high intensity interval training) is often recommended.

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30 minutes of HIIT is very long: you either need to be extremely fit in order to sustain it for that long, or it won't be intense enough to qualify as HIIT.

I often read 15 minutes of HIIT has the same benefits as 1 hour of steady state cardio, so it should be a no brainer. Problem is, many people who could easily do 1 hour of steady state cardio won't be able to sustain even 10 minutes of HIIT (if done at the required intensity level). HIIT is supposed to be an "all out" effort, with minimal recovery periods in between.

I therefore believe steady state cardio still has its place, if only to get you to the fitness level required to sustain HIIT later on.

[weimerj]

Dominique,

Great points.  I think HIT is a tough one because it's relative to the individual working out; what's HIT to you may not be HIT for me, and vice versa.  I would like to do more HIT (I find myself doing an hour of steady cardio 3-4 times a week) to see how it differs from my normal workouts.  

[Kodiakranger]

Thanks for sharing your experiences.  I have an opportunity to start cross fit (for free,) but most of the kids are 20 or 30 years younger.  Where you able to set your on pace?

[Dominique]

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@Kodiakranger wrote:

Thanks for sharing your experiences.  I have an opportunity to start class fit (for free,) but most of the kids are 20 or 30 years younger.  Where you able to set your on pace?

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@Kodiakranger: what is "class fit", if I may ask? or do you mean "CrossFit"? If so, I'm sure @PaleoCrossfit and other people into crossfit will chime in.

[Kodiakranger]

Thank you