Is It Possible To Build Muscle And Burn Fat At The Same Time?

There are many diet programs and exercises that claim you can build muscle and burn fat at the same time but is this really true? For the average person trying to build muscle and burn fat, they'll find that while they start to get results, it diminishes over time. The results are really short term and constantly trying to achieve both is near impossible.

Many programs promise muscle gain and fat loss but logically it doesn't work out. If you want to gain muscle, you have to eat more calories to build mass. But if you're trying to burn fat, eating more will prove to be counterproductive. So the whole idea of building muscles while losing fat really contradicts each other.

Many people who start an exercise program actually do build muscle and burn fat at the same time.

However, this is known as the newbie effect and their body is only responding to exercise for the time being. They start to burn calories while exercise and strength training will give them a better definition. However, the progress starts to diminish and following the same regime will not get them the results they're looking for.

Beginners who haven't engaged in any exercise will respond quickly because their body is not used to it. They think that it may be the best regime but it's only because their body is responding to the shock. Studies point that men who underwent a strength training and cardio regime lost around 8-10% body fat while increasing their muscles by 1-4%. Woman also experienced similar figures in fat loss and muscle gain.

Depending on what your goals are, you will either eat more calories or limit them. If your goal is to gain as much mass and muscle as possible, then you should focus on getting enough calories and protein to support your growth from strength training. On the other hand, if you are overweight and want to lose fat, you will want to limit your calories and focus more on cardio to burn as much fat as possible.

After you burn off all the excess fat, you can change your diet around to support muscle growth while limiting fat. Focus on eating more protein and limiting fats from your diet. If you don't want a lot of mass and prefer a muscular toned body, you will want to consume fewer calories than the first example where your goal is to gain as much mass and muscle a possible.

In conclusion, it is not possible to build muscle and burn fat in the long run. Many people experience this phenomenon and think that it is sustainable. The bottom line is that you will have to make changes to your diet and exercise program depending on the results you're looking for.