Hi, I'll just cut right to the point. I'm a 16 year old male, I'm 5 ft and 7 inch. I currently weigh 138 pounds and have been on a long-term diet for several months now, lost roughly 40 pounds. I still have some body fat left on my stomach. I did some calculating (in case it will help you guys out) My BMR is 1667.84 and my daily calorie maintenance is 2363. Now my goal is to gain a 6 pack, good metabolism, and a toned lean body. My only problem is that I want to gain muscle, but not gain body fat back. I'm not sure of how many calories I should be taking in daily, when i work out that day or when it's a rest day? I work out 5 times a week. One day I do upper-body weight lifting, one day I do ab work, one day i do leg, and two days i do cardio. I also run on the treadmill everyday i work out at the end of the workout routine, burning 600 calories on the treadmill. On a cardio day, I burn 800 calories on the treadmill. One major question i have is if i should workout after done eating for the day? Should I try to be burning off all the calories i take in for the day, or should i just use the running as a way to burn off some of the calories I've taken in that day? How many calories should I take in to build muscle, but not take in too much? Any advice will help me out...thank you for your time and assistance.
Advice for diet and workout routine?
- Thread starter Mikex4192
- Start date
I would slow down on the cardio or maybe even stop until you see how the diet works. Adding lean body mass is one of the best ways to increase your metabolism and help you burn fat. So your main goal is to put on some muscle for the next few months. Around a month before summer hits decide whether you even need to diet more for your abs to start popping out.
Split up your muscle groups and train them a little more often.
Try this out:
2-4 exercises per bodypart
2-3 sets of each exercise
10-12 reps
Focus on the form and feel the muscle working.
Day 1 - Chest and triceps
Day 2 - Legs and abs
Day 3 - Off
Day 4 - Back and biceps
Day 5 - Shoulders and traps, abs
When you increase your lean body mass you also increase your BMR. I would recommend a diet of about 2100(off days)-2600(workout days) calories per day, split among 6-7 meals. You just lost a lot of weight, so I think you're already familiar with how to it clean. Your skin might need to tighten up a little bit also. Just make sure you're getting about 160g of protein and 300g of carbs per day. Stay away from fats other than what's already in your meals. I'm new to the board so I'm not sure if there is a nutritional values section here, if not search for nutrition values so you know what you're getting out of what you eat. Split your protein and carbs evenly among all your meals except for the last one or two of the day.
You should eat at least one meal before you workout. Drink about a gallon of water per day as well.
Good luck!
Split up your muscle groups and train them a little more often.
Try this out:
2-4 exercises per bodypart
2-3 sets of each exercise
10-12 reps
Focus on the form and feel the muscle working.
Day 1 - Chest and triceps
Day 2 - Legs and abs
Day 3 - Off
Day 4 - Back and biceps
Day 5 - Shoulders and traps, abs
When you increase your lean body mass you also increase your BMR. I would recommend a diet of about 2100(off days)-2600(workout days) calories per day, split among 6-7 meals. You just lost a lot of weight, so I think you're already familiar with how to it clean. Your skin might need to tighten up a little bit also. Just make sure you're getting about 160g of protein and 300g of carbs per day. Stay away from fats other than what's already in your meals. I'm new to the board so I'm not sure if there is a nutritional values section here, if not search for nutrition values so you know what you're getting out of what you eat. Split your protein and carbs evenly among all your meals except for the last one or two of the day.
You should eat at least one meal before you workout. Drink about a gallon of water per day as well.
Good luck!
I agree with the above except the cuttting of the cardio. If you do the right sort of cardio, it isn't going to stop you from building muscle and will definitely help you lose more bodyfat. Weight training AND cardio is essential. 
Do interval training. Mix it up. Keep your body guessing.
Eating right is extremely important. More important than anything else. Eat clean and break up the calories. How many you should have is hard to say but you can expeiriment and see what your body does by keeping a journal of what you eat. Good luck!
Do interval training. Mix it up. Keep your body guessing. Eating right is extremely important. More important than anything else. Eat clean and break up the calories. How many you should have is hard to say but you can expeiriment and see what your body does by keeping a journal of what you eat. Good luck!
What you want to do is not easily achieved, gain muscle while losing fat or not gaining fat. It involve carbs / nutrient manipulations + weight training. I am currently trying out a routine to achieve that atm, and let me tell you... it's painful / difficult / and no fun BUT hopefully I will not be running in cirlces and actually getting gains.
Reader's Digest version: carb manipulation to lose the fat first 4 days; supercomposition and then carb loading for 1 day; then do HEAVY weights and feed to gain muscle.
The reality is this, when you lost FAT, your body is in a catabolic state and it will lose some muscle along with the fat. What one hope to do is to regain the muslce lost (and hopefully more) during the anabolic stage (building part).
For starters, try what ZMA wrote though. Those are excellent advice. As for cutting out the cardio part; just my personally opinion but if your BF is over 15%, then keep doing cardio but under 10%, then slow it down / take it out; btw 10-15%, you chose, gain muscle faster (and fat) or gain some muslce and littel fat... Oh btw, flipping the switch of weight loss to muscle building feels weird. Feels funny to eat 200-300 calorie over maintaince.
Reader's Digest version: carb manipulation to lose the fat first 4 days; supercomposition and then carb loading for 1 day; then do HEAVY weights and feed to gain muscle.
The reality is this, when you lost FAT, your body is in a catabolic state and it will lose some muscle along with the fat. What one hope to do is to regain the muslce lost (and hopefully more) during the anabolic stage (building part).
For starters, try what ZMA wrote though. Those are excellent advice. As for cutting out the cardio part; just my personally opinion but if your BF is over 15%, then keep doing cardio but under 10%, then slow it down / take it out; btw 10-15%, you chose, gain muscle faster (and fat) or gain some muslce and littel fat... Oh btw, flipping the switch of weight loss to muscle building feels weird. Feels funny to eat 200-300 calorie over maintaince.
Gaining muscle is, in the grander scheme of things, much harder than losing body fat. So make sure you're eating enough calories to support growth and worry about your body fat levels later.
Trying to figure out exactly how many calories you need is a fools game and you'll waste a lot of time.
Trying to figure out exactly how many calories you need is a fools game and you'll waste a lot of time.