Skinny fat refers to having a low overall bodyweight but still having a relatively high body-fat percentage. It is common to be skinny fat and can have a significant impact on one’s health. A vegan diet, which is predominantly based on plant-based foods like grains, legumes, root vegetables, fruits, nuts, and mushrooms, can lead to weight gain if not properly managed.
Vegetable diets tend to be lower in calories, saturated fat, and fiber, which can lower the risk of diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Studies have found that vegetarian diets tend to be lower in calories, fat, and protein than omnivore diets. Foods higher in fat and protein help individuals feel full and satisfied after eating.
While research has shown that on average vegans have a lower percentage of body fat compared to others, the truth is that replacing animal protein and fats with large amounts of plant-based foods can lead to a lower body mass index (BMI) and a lower risk of certain diseases.
To avoid becoming skinny-fat, it is essential to exercise regularly, cut off junk food habits, decrease carbs, and increase protein intake. Avoiding these five mistakes can help you avoid a skinny-fat physique.
Despite being labeled as “healthier”, being vegetarian can provide significant physical, mental, and spiritual benefits. However, there is debate about whether vegetarians are too skinny or if their food choices contribute to their leanness. Some studies have found that vegan and vegetarian diets reduce body weight at least as much as calorie-restricted diets.
In conclusion, while vegan and vegetarian diets can lead to weight gain, it is crucial to be cautious and avoid these common misconceptions.
📹 How To Fix “Skinny Fat” (3 Ways)
Should I bulk or cut?” is one of the most common questions that I get asked especially for those with a skinny fat body type. And to …
Do vegetarians need to worry about fat intake?
Unsaturated oils and spreads are healthier than saturated fats like butter, lard, and ghee. However, all types of fat are high in energy and should be consumed sparingly. Limit foods high in fat, salt, and sugar, such as cream, chocolate, crisps, biscuits, pastries, ice cream, cakes, and puddings, to less frequent and small amounts. These foods primarily provide energy through fats and sugars, with minimal other nutrients.
What is the life expectancy of a vegetarian?
Researchers at Loma Linda University have found that vegetarian men live an average of 10 years longer than non-vegetarian men, with 83 years compared to 73 years. For women, being vegetarian adds an extra 6 years, bringing their life expectancy to 85 years. This research is part of the Adventist Health Study-1, a comprehensive, long-term study that tracked diets, lifestyle, and diseases among 34, 000 Seventh-day Adventists for 14 years. Adventists are ideal participants for large population studies, as they don’t smoke or drink, making it easier to understand how their lifestyle choices impact their health and longevity.
What deficiency do vegetarians most likely have?
Vegetarians have a diverse range of dietary practices, often focusing on what is omitted from their diet. When properly planned and incorporating fortified foods, a vegetarian diet can be nutritionally adequate for adults and children, promoting health and reducing the risk of major chronic diseases. Vegetarians consume a high intake of dietary fiber and health-promoting phytochemicals, including vitamin B, vitamin D, ω-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron, and zinc.
However, supplements and fortified foods can help protect against deficiency. Vegetarians typically have lower body mass index, serum total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, blood pressure, reduced rates of death from ischemic heart disease, and decreased incidence of hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers compared to nonvegetarians.
Is it harder for vegetarians to lose weight?
The practice of vegetarianism, which is associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease and the potential for weight loss, has gained considerable popularity in recent times. However, it can prove difficult to achieve weight loss if an individual’s diet includes an excess of refined carbohydrates or processed foods. Some adhere to this dietary regimen for religious or ethical reasons, while others are motivated by its purported health benefits.
What is the hardest part of being a vegetarian?
Vegetarians can still obtain most of their nutrients, including protein and fiber, but they may struggle to obtain certain nutrients like iron, omega-3s, vitamin D, calcium, and vitamin B12. While plant-based sources offer these nutrients, they are not as abundant as meat or fish. Calcium can be challenging for vegans due to dairy foods like milk and cheese, which are high in calcium. Most vegans will need to supplement with vitamin B12.
When making significant changes to a diet, such as forgoing meat, fish, dairy, and eggs, consult a healthcare practitioner or dietitian to discuss the need for supplements. They can ask more questions about your diet and conduct tests to determine if you are deficient in certain nutrients. With strategic planning, you can still get the necessary nutrients and be satisfied with a plant-based diet.
Can you be a skinny vegetarian?
Vegetarian diets, although heart-healthy, can be challenging to lose weight due to their high carbohydrate content. Despite this, a vegetarian diet can be beneficial for various reasons, such as health, environmental conservation, or animal love. It is lower in calories, saturated fat, and fiber, which can lower the risk of diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. However, weight loss can be difficult if there are some dietary missteps.
Is it harder to Build muscle If you are vegetarian?
The age of veganism is over, and Arnold Schwarzenegger is now advising people to “just chill it with the meat”, acknowledging that a plant-based diet should not pose any barriers to getting big and strong. Building muscle and strength is simple from a physiological point of view: work out consistently and eat lots of food. For novice lifters, eating “lots of food” means consuming 20-40 more calories than required for daily maintenance, and for more advanced lifters, 10-20 more. This applies to everyone, regardless of whether they eat meat or not.
Does being vegetarian speed up your metabolism?
Research indicates that a vegetarian diet can significantly improve metabolic health, including improved insulin sensitivity, which helps regulate blood sugar levels and promotes a healthy metabolism. This is particularly beneficial for weight loss. In a world where high sugar consumption and fast food are common, many individuals struggle with weight gain and poor metabolic health. Many Americans fail to consume the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables, highlighting the importance of a vegetarian diet in achieving metabolic health.
Is it harder to gain weight as a vegetarian?
Plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, have a lower caloric density than animal-based foods, making them suitable for weight gain. They are also high in fiber, which is beneficial for digestive health but may limit calorie intake if consumed due to satiety or hunger. Plant-based protein is less protein per serving compared to animal products, making it necessary to consume larger portions for weight gain.
Additionally, vegan diets lack animal fats, which are calorie-dense and can contribute to healthy weight gain. To successfully gain weight on a vegan diet, it is crucial to focus on calorie-dense foods, include protein-rich options, and make thoughtful food choices.
Is being skinny fat bad genetics?
Skinny fat, a disproportionately high amount of body fat, can increase the risk of conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Genetic variants, lifestyle factors like lack of exercise, unhealthy diet, smoking, and alcohol consumption can also contribute to this risk. To reduce or prevent skinny fat, individuals can improve eating habits, engage in regular exercise, and follow treatment instructions for underlying health conditions.
Is it bad to be skinny fat?
Skinny fat refers to individuals with a normal BMI, high body fat percentage, and poor metabolic health, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol. To reduce this, exercise, eat a healthy diet, and engage in strength training. A personalized feed allows access to favorite topics while on the go. By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
📹 The COMPLETE Skinny Fat Solution (Diet and Training Plan)
If you have a skinny fat body, I will share my Skinny Fat Solution. This skinny fat solution will help you achieve your skinny fat …
I was skinny fat, the answer is really simple. Don’t cut and don’t bulk. All you have to do is train hard and eat good and you will gain muscle and lose fat. In my case I did a small bulk, I gained a lot of muscle but also fat ( 20% bodyfat) the biggest mistake to do imo is to cut because you have no muscle at all, you will lose time going from skinny fat to skinny.
7:00 Summary of the article If you are below 15% bodyfat – Bulk first (250-400 surplus) If you’re above 20% bodyfat – Cut first (150-350 deficit) If you’re between 15-20% bodyfat, you can do either or go for body recomp where you eat at a very little deficit (100-150 calories) and you lost fat and gain muscle at the same time and stay around your current bodyweight. It’s hard to track progress though and thorough knowledge is needed to do it perfectly.
I’m a beginner that chose recomposition about 6 weeks ago. It seems to be working, and progress is slow, but I can see a difference in the mirror. The scale reads roughly the same, so it’s hard to measure. Still can’t see muscles relaxed, but when I flex I can see how they’ve grown. It’s pretty cool, I also recommend it if you’re a beginner who also wants to lose fat
When I started my cut I was 5’9 238 with about 35% body fat percentage. Very unhealthy. I put myself in a calorie deficit diet while exercising, along with eating more greens and fruits. I’m now 212 with 22% body fat with noticeable muscle gains and slimmed down body. Still more work to be done, but it’s amazing to see the progress I’ve made so far. Also considering I’m not in my 20’s anymore.
The only solution is train hard and eat propely. But diet should always be in the first place. It is a crucial thing, without it exercise won’t help at all. Many beginners struggle to find a proper diet because they want fast results and they end up with no results at all, less money in their pockets and health problems. I encourage you to do a research and find a diet that will work for you. If you still don’t know where to start, consider Dietarize as your starting point (first one comes with workout plan which I find convenient as it doesn’t require going to the gym at all). This way results are guaranteed. 💪💪💪. You can’t outtrain bad diet, and I can’t emphasize this enough!!!
Pretty sure I’ve unintentionally be doing Body Recomposition. Untrained, and inexperienced. Only gym I ever did prior was in the Army. Found your articles awhile back and reference them for my exercises. I was around 163lbs with virtually no muscle, dieted at a deficit but maintain the 1g/1lb protein, and gym. Clearly can see increased definition in my arms, chest, and back – my stubborn abdomen fat has been slowly shredding off, and my weight has maintained at 160-163 for the past two months.
I have been doing “Body Recomp” for 9 month. Started at 203 lbs (92kg) and now at 176 lbs (80kg). I bench pressed 132 lbs (60kg) and now i bench press max 220 lbs (100kg). I manage to do 2 Strict Pull Ups and now i just did 10 Strict Pull Ups. I have not been measuring exact calories. I just stopped eating any desserts. Trying to avoid wheat produkst and eat 5 times a day without eating too much at the time. I also eat a lot of fruits instead of sweets. I have been going to gym 4-6 times a week every week. Since now the Gyms are closed, I built my own Gym at home. No Excuses!
Even though I have been training for around a year, I’m 6’0 with 171lb (78kg). I am bigger, but I’m not THAT lean. I think I’m eligible for body recomposition because I wanna get more muscle and just a little less fat, while maintaining (more or less) the same body weight. Given that my weight has been the same for the last 3/4 months, I think introducing a light cardio session in my workouts would put me in a slight calorie deficit, which should be ok by the time I get closer to summer. Gonna try it in the next 6 months and see if I can get any results.
At age 67, I had not worked out for a year due to my gym closing because of COVID. In April 2021, when the gym reopened I found Built With Science and began a lean cut using the Beginner Shred program. My primary goal has been to do everything I can to increase my health and quality of life. I like to say that my goal is to live another 60-70 years or die trying. Three months earlier, I had weighed 206 (6′ tall). In April, I measured my body fat which was 27% and I weighed 197 . I arbitrarily set goals of 175 pounds and 15% bf. I achieved my weight goal of 175 in October, but it took until mid-December for me to reach 15% bf. By that time I weighed 165. I have since begun to bulk and would like to gain about 10 pounds with a bf still around 15-17%. I am extremely pleased with my results to date and I am commenting here because I want people to know that you can achieve results regardless of your age. Thanks to Jeremy and his staff at BWS!
Jeremy I need your help!! I started to bulk but I quickly made mistakes that gaves me a little bit too much fat (from 10-11% to 13%)… Should I cut and start over again or do I continue to bulk no matter what? I would really appreciate your help. Take care and keep creating this kind of content this is so helpful. 🙏
Doing a body recomp right now. I got this fancy expensive body weight scale that messures bodyfat, muscle, water, bone etc. Probably not very % accurate BUT i can see bodyfat going down and muscle going up over time on the graphs. It does help my motivation for sure especially since my total body weight stays the same most of the time. I will still do a hardcore cut before summer hit’s.
I did a body recomp I think. I just cut out all the junk food, increased my overall calorie intake with mostly clean foods and just started doing exercises. Bought some dumbbells then. I look athletic now after only 4 weeks. I’m smallish, sort of Bruce Lee or Conor McGregor body shape, and I feel amazing.
I am half way and this is already spot on. I am a 44 yo. That stoped bodybuilding about 20 years ago, always stayed very sport active though, but the last 2 or 3 years i stopped doing any exercise at all and my diet became poor. So I found myself “skinny fat”, probable at about 20%. I started a cut 7 weeks ago, and man it works! I am hoping to finish at around 10% by the end of week 12 and then I will do a maintenance phase for the same amount of time before going into a bulking phase if desired at that point, but my goal is sustainability before anything else. But the psychological and physical effects, d’urine a cutting phase, described here, are right on point. Great work, thank you!
MY cutting stopped after 2 months, its simply not going down anymore even tho i upped the training and downed the calories. Ive been on the same weight for 2 months no matter what i do. I got 29.6 % body fat, i tried intermittent fasting for 3 weeks, 19-5 and i did lose 0.5 kg only, but its going up and down every week so today i quit that too. Im so lost in all this.
I started training two months ago (72 kilograms, 180 centimeters, 15% body fat) and my aim is body recomposition. In my opinion beginners have the advantage that building muscles and losing fat at the same time is actually pretty easy. Small caloric deficit, continuous training, enough rest and increased protein intake is sufficient for body recomposition as a beginner. I may go into a slight bulking phase in winter for a cut in spring though.
Great article! I always enjoy you science approached advice. I am a detrained woman trying to decide which course to take, but one question: how does the bodyfat percentage ranges you mention translate to women? I assumed the 15% you mention is referencing for men, since that would be quite low for women I’d think, not sure though. Please let me know 🙂
Body recomp is my overall approach and yes it can be very slow and difficult to measure. Key ways to measure are performance gains in the gym (e.g. strength) and measure BF regularly as well. My main goal is to stay lean maybe slightly a tad leaner. BF is about 16%. Also, my strength gains in the gym are measurable each week which means I am likely below my attainable strength levels for my wt. Gives me the idea that muscle growth due to strength training is still very attainable without bulking.
In my opinion, the best thing you can do is to stay at your maintenance caloric intake (or a slight bulk) while upping your protein ratio. However for this method to work, you need to strength train (big lifts was my go to) AND Zone 2 fat-burning cardio. Eventually you can transition to a slight cut while maintaining the training and protein intake. This method has done wonders for me. I’m slowly shifting my body composition from skinny fat to muscular.
Hey Jeremy i know this article is kinda old and people may not see my comment but i was wondering if anyone could help me decide what to do. I am 16 years old and weigh about 125 however i cannot see my abs and am not very lean even thought i don’t weigh much. I have been going to the gym on off for about 4 months. I want to start going regularly and was wondering if I should bulk or cut first because I honestly have no idea what to do. If anyone could help me that would be much appreciated.
Ok, I have a question. Right now I’m slim/skinny lean like I can see some muscle definition but they ain’t that big just regular size, but I also have a stubborn fat above my abdomen. I want to look lean and muscular, should bulk up and increase my calories or should cut down the stubborn fat. Which option should I take?
I have a slim fat body, age 42. I tried the body recomp method “I think” as I ate a little more the basic calorie requirement. I could not go on because I was feeling tired and my weight didn’t increase over 4 months and the belly fat didn’t change. Now I added one more meal which I think increased my calorie income, not substantially though .. I feel better while lifting and gained 1 kg more or less within 3 weeks. Maybe better with bulking for now.
I’ve basically been cutting my entire gym life. Now, I’ve finally reached a point (~13%?)where I’m ready to try a bulk to gain some more muscle. However, the issue right now is that the gyms are still closed for the most part, so the number of times I can go to the gym is heavily reduced (around 1-2 times a week for 1 hour). Would it still be worth to try a bulk now, or would the muscle gain be too low to be worth putting on the excess fat?
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for showing Andrew and Anthony – both are men who I can relate to and I can see how their progress looks. This is why I bought Jeremy’s program. Just honest good information that is very helpful. I might not ever get to where I want to go, but I want to support this website
I always laugh at them pictures of viewers when they send pics from the beginning how “bad” they were and their progress while they look healthier, more muscly and good looking more than 95% of global population even before they started the cut. These examples are like smack in the face to people who are really struggling and looking for advice here…
Ever since I incorporated a 20 minute recovery incline walk on the treadmill 3 weeks ago, it “helped” my cut process from 17.2% bf to 16.4% bf. I did this in par after my normal weight training routines and calorie deficit. My main goal is to be between 14% bf -15%bf in order to continue my clean bulk.
I had a higher BF% than 15. I think I was just on 20 %. I went for a recomp-style approach over nine months (with the help of your articles) and got down to 12 %. Clean, slow bulk now for at least the first half of this year if my slow progress is anything to go by. Thanks as always for these brilliant article, Jeremy.
I need help. I started like 6 mouths ago at 155lbs but i was not very lean and had no muscle. I am now 175 have had and have gained some muscle. I have never really been lean and now i’m at 18% body fat. But i don’t know if i built up enough muscle for this cut. Should i keep eating in a surplus to gain more muscle or start a cut? And if i need to cut what is a good body fat percentage to cut to?
Recomp is the way to go for me. It may be slower and harder to measure but it had the upside that it makes working out into a habit and fitness into a way of life. You get into a grove where this is what you do and you trust the process and eventually you see results that are organic and long lasting. The bulk and cut methods seen gimmicky to me and I suspect that you can easily lose your gains after you reach your goal.
So… there is a physio concept that this guy and sadly most of the physio community don’t understand about how muscle builds and its why so many people have such lopsided and impermanent gains. The optimal method for gaining the greatest strength and most stable muscular gains is through the bulk method, in fact one should never attempt to “gain” muscle through a cut phase, EVER. I’ll explain why. Your skeletal muscles are made up of two primary fiber types, fast twitch and slow twitch. Fast twitch are used for energetic bursts of power, for example sprinters have far more fast twitch then slow twitch fibers in their muscles. Slow twitch, as the name implies, provides more controlled, slower movements and are the source of your overall strength. Now why is this relevant to training in a cut phase? it’s simple. The body of basically all mammals is designed to give priority to fast twitch muscle development and preservation in a starvation mode. Which makes sense. If a cheetah hasn’t eaten in a long time, the body is gonna want to be able to catch that fast moving prey over maintaining sheer physical strength, as such it produces more fast twitch fibers. Same applies to human morphology. So your asking why does this matter? Well it matters because when you build muscle in a cut phase the majority of those new fibers will be fast twitch, which while volume wise are the same size as slow twitch fibers and you’ll see mass and size gains in the same outward appearance, their abilities and long term effects are DRASTICALLY different.
So difficult to feel you are on the right track when you see no results, i’ve done some really tough training/eating for 4-6 month periods and it feels like a waste of time, i have to find something sustainable, so i’m just eating clean and doing push/pull/legs 3x a week with some LISS for cardio, i’ll do this for a couple of months to get me detoxed and used to lifting (very light) again and then try to slowly push up the calories and then maybe see if i’m ready to get someone to help me out. Skinny Fat seems impossible to fix especially when you add in being over 6ft 4 and over 40. I cannot live trying to get in at least 3,800 cals a day, it becomes uncomfortable, time consuming and not sustainable, if that is the only way, then i’ll just stick to ‘healthy living’ and forget trying to look better 🙁
I calculated my maintenance calories and approximated about how many I eat most days, and it’s actually lower than my maintenance. I go to the gym most days and do a PPL split. I used to be skinny fat, and I wouldn’t consider myself skinny anymore but I still have a bit of unwanted fat around my waist area. I am just confused because I work out and eat in a deficit but still am not losing fat. The only thing is that I don’t eat enough protein; I try but it’s hard to get at least 100 grams per day (I weigh 131 lbs). If I increase my protein intake, will that make me leaner? Would really appreciate some help
So basically: Bulk: you gain a lot of muscle fast but also fat Body recomposition: you gain a good amount of muscle and lose fat Cut: you gain minimal muscle but lose fat To me this just sounds like the middle option is the best.. why would it be just for beginners and not for everyone else? I mean considering you won’t have to cut after a bulk or bulk after a cut, this option seems not only more efficient but also faster than the other 2.
0:47 I did 3k daily for about three months and put on 25lbs or so unfortunately I didn’t know much back then in April and I achieved that by eating excess sugar and fat, so I now am more skinny fat, however I’m fitting better in clothing and look fuller overall so it was beneficial for sure, I just am aiming now to cut down on the belly fat, though I still need to gain weight. I went from around 130 to 155 and I’m around 150 now
Thank you for this content. I’m 40 in my last days of skinny fat with some muscle memory from jogging and team sports. It’s been three weeks since I started my resistance bands based training focused on improving my overall health. I’m not restricting any food but I started paying attention to quantities, plate compositions, and meal orders. I’m taking creatine hcl as a supplement and adopted a regime in which I have a day off (or not bc I like to walk) every five days. So far it sounds like discipline, right? Well, I was frustrated because my weight has only fluctuated back and forth with less than a pound difference. Then I got confused because, in the last couple of days, I noticed considerable strength and hypertrophy gains. I was thinking ohh wonderful creatine! Now I feel way better about my overall progress, knowing that I’m taking care of my body and mind by stretching some random latex I bought online.
This is hands down the best article in the entire fitness genre. I’m a beginner and I I had to research before starting, there is information available on the internet but it is all unorganised and scattered. This article puts everything together and answers all the questions I ever needed. This is the only article one needs to understand how bodybuilding actually works. Thanks man, you are doing god’s work.
I have this body type. The workout that gave the best results (adding muscle and loosing fat) with the least time and effort was beachbody’s P90x30. I just did the work out and increased my protein a little. I didn’t change my diet much.. its not an easy workout and it is a commitment but it does work and it says 30 minutes but reality is its about an hour if you do the warm up and abs.
Do you have any suggestions on how to build muscle mass, for someone who can’t do heavy weightlifting? I have a congenital heart valve defect and my cardiologists, since I was very young, have forbid me from doing heavy benchpressing. Though they say free weights and bodyweight exercises are fine. Is there any way to get to the next level without lifting heavy?
Hi Jeremy I currently live in New York and since the lockdown I haven’t been able to train but now that the gyms are open again I’m planning to start however over the time I haven’t trained I’ve gained some fat and also lost a lot of muscle. I work as a plumbers apprentice and some days the job can get pretty physical leaving me drained is it possible I can train 4 days a week and get good results and what split should I use? I’m also thinking cutting first may be my best option I have over 15% body fat.
I bulked unintentially. Since I have a huge eating problem i would always eat at maintenance or a little above it while trying to lose weight. I focused a lot on muscle gain (used creatine) and little on cardio even tho i wanted to lose weight. 3 weeks ago i made the decision to finally cut and have lost 6-8 lbs. Im hoping to drop it off all by the 12th week and get back to powerlifting.
A couple of years ago I weighed 310 and over the course of two years I got down to 195 but now I weigh 215 pounds haven’t been to gym in almost a year so I lost all my gain and gained about 10-20 pounds back. The real problem is the calories I intake I stopped counting macros when lockdown started but I know I eat about 1100 calories on days I don’t snack and about 2500- on days I do snack and it’s been this way for a while. If I start a cut how would I calculate the amount of calories I need to deficit? Anyone’s help would be appreciated
I chose the body recomposition route, even though my bf is a bit on the higher end (maybe 25% or so) because my main goal is to build muscle and because I know that if I gained enough muscle I could actually be pretty lean at my current weight. It’s also a lot easier to not have to change my diet even more drastically than I already need to. I don’t wanna shock my body with too many extreme changes at once. Also, I’m a beginner at building muscle, and it’s building muscle that I’m excited about. I kinda hate dieting and obsessing about how much fat there is on my body, and abs are like the least important muscles to me. I’ve been working out consistently for about 3 months now and kept my weight the same. Still no change in my visual appearance, but I track my progress by how much stronger I get.
Ok, so I’ve decided cutting first is my right approach because my main goal right now is weight loss. Do the exercises I want to do change between bulking and cutting? I’m assuming the answer to this is no, because this is just a matter of calorie deficit and knowing I won’t gain a lot of muscle because I’m focusing on losing fat?
I’ve never seen a article I’ve needed more. Bulking up is exactly what I need, I’m skinny on the muscles but have weight in the stomach. I don’t care about cuts or being lean, I just want that mass and strength. I’m willing to commit because I enjoyed going to the gym, but I have no clue what diets to be on and what equipment to use
It’s much similar. You do both. People do it all the time. One or the other is old school way of thinking. The truth is the bulk phase was for those body builders who program switched where they could eat what they wanted. Though we see for example teens in High School Sport and those in Military Boot Camp commonly get much bigger while also getting much leaner. Both, at the same time. Heck. Even if you keep the same pound of body fat while increasing muscle mass, will automatically lower your lean muscle to fat % to a leaner body.
Hi, thank you for all the articles. I guess there are a lot of people here who are way overweight, try to lose weight and put it back on. I’m 28 m, 30 BMI and around 29 BF (almost obese!!!), always lose weight with strict dieting around 20 pounds in 3 months and gain more afterwards. Now I train push, pull, legs, upper, lower for 3 weeks, didn’t lose weight, but look way better. For the health benefits, is it optimal to continue body recomposition? I feel like the results will be more sustainable then doing yo-yo effect every time. I know every pound increases the pressure on heart, but it’s so hard to lose weight and maintain it! So, is it possible to maintain the current weight and become fit and completely healthy in the long run?
Great vids Jeremy, really appreciate your information you are providing. Looking at the programs on your site I’m wondering if beginner or intermediate is better. I was “experienced” until COVID and am now detrained (but playing tennis 3-4x a week) have access to a gym/kettlebells/bands – question though for a body recomp – do I go beginner or intermediate shred on your site. Thanks! (Ps fellow Vancouverite)
Someone on YouTube said that men are skinny FAT if they are over 18-20 BMI. Wow! I guess 21-23 BMI is skinny FAT to them and makes most men feel like they are just fat. This is not the case! Most men need to bulk a small amount where they are NOT 18-20 BMI! I first heard about someone thinking this was true only to research it and find out that men need to bulk at least a small amount where we are NOT UNDERWEIGHT before getting gains!! We can’t be anorexic to gain muscle. If someone calls you skinny FAT because you aren’t 18-20 BMI has no idea that it takes bulk to add muscle mass! I am not talking about being “overweight or obese” with your BMI but do NOT listen to tiny skinny guys who are 20 BMI or lower telling you that you are just skinny FAT when you may be 21-23 BMI and have that Bulk to gain muscle fast.
Any advice for someone that wants to reactivate his muscles? I used to do judo and worked hard wich gained me decent muscles that I kinda lost over time. Have still like a six-pack with fat around but still visible and a good friend of mine that trains a lot is very jealous because of my genetics as he says. This may be very specific and sound weird but since there’s still a good base and seemingly good genetics for building muscles are there any tips to get back in form?
For the “Skinny Fat / Novice” individuals – My opinion would be the cutting phase approach ! It makes more sense when you really think about it and it’s a faster process in general. It’s also easy to track and you will win a bit of muscle mass which is a win win situation in my eyes. Lean Bulking is a good approach but it isn’t optimal in terms of esthetic and the pain of cutting down the fat afterwards makes it not worth it in my opinion. Body Composition is technically a slower cutting phase which you will win a bit more muscle in the process but you do sacrifice time for it. In my opinion, a quick cut and then a lean bulk makes more sense esthetic wise. Again – That’s my opinion in the end and you all have yours ! Cheers everyone !
If you eat at a caloric deficit, consume an adequate amount of protein, and engage in weight training, several things can happen: Fat loss: Eating at a caloric deficit means you consume fewer calories than your body needs for maintenance. This can lead to weight loss, primarily from fat stores. When combined with weight training, your body is more likely to preserve muscle mass while targeting fat loss. Muscle preservation: Adequate protein intake is essential for muscle maintenance and growth. By consuming a sufficient amount of protein, you provide your body with the necessary building blocks to repair and rebuild muscle tissue. This helps preserve your existing muscle mass while you’re in a caloric deficit. Strength gains: Weight training stimulates your muscles and promotes strength gains. Even in a caloric deficit, consistent weight training can help you increase strength and improve your body composition. While significant muscle growth might be more challenging to achieve in a caloric deficit, you can still make progress and enhance your overall strength. Metabolic adaptations: When you eat at a caloric deficit for an extended period, your body adapts to the reduced energy intake. Metabolic adaptations can occur, such as a decrease in metabolic rate, to conserve energy. However, weight training can help mitigate these adaptations to some extent, as resistance exercise has been shown to preserve metabolic rate during weight loss. Recovery considerations: When eating at a caloric deficit, it’s important to pay attention to recovery.
Wtf man, I’m like 36% body fat… you talk about 15% in a way that makes me feel like an alien…!! anyway my new PT wants me to bulk, but according to this I should focus on cutting first. BUT I do want to build size/muscle, strength, do more at the gym, so maybe I should just accept the hit and later on cut. well I do want to body comp but idk if it’ll be easy for me
I really need to do a body recomp. 37 6’2″ 160lbs, I feel like I’m “skinny fat” because my belly has that hideous lower pouch. I’ve been working out since April and the muscle gains and strength gains are noticeable but I’m still unable to shake off my belly fat. I’m not sure what to do about it. I definitely need some advice. I eat mostly healthy, no fast food, mostly chicken, potatoes, greens, rice, pasta, vegetables and fruits, supplement protein shakes, one coffee one sprite and 2-4 large bottles of water per day. I have just started creatine loading phase 6 days ago.
i thought about bulking and then being muscular. but since I changed and my style changed I gave up on bulking and started to cut. i was 99KG first and now I’m 72/3KG. i have completely lost belly fat. i only have to do russian twists and other workouts to get six packs and get off my man boobs which isn’t that bad like it was before. just a little fat in there
My body fat percentage is 19%. I’m 173 cm tall, and my weight is 72 kg. Even though my body fat percentage is high, I appear to be extremely skinny. That’s why bulking seems more reasonable to me. I want to increase my muscle mass and strength quickly, and I don’t care if I gain some fat. Am I thinking correctly?
Sir i want to ask one thing i join the gym for the first time and my weight is around 87 kg with more than 25% body fat and now after 7 months my weight is 63 and body fat is around 14% -15 % and now my upper abs are visible but there is still some fat on lower abs and lower back .Should i continue my cutting till i reach 12% body fat or should i start my first bulk
I have muscle but i know i will look to thin. I need to loose 30kg and dont want to loose muscle, with 18 i was 6ft by 64kg after training i was 90kg with 33 on 15% bf and now 110kg and 30+bf with 41 not just the age but i eated the same after stoping workout during corona and stop smoking than. I start training again and bulk until the muscle are back than i will go for a cut
How should I direct my skinny fat issue? I want to gain muscle (cause I have none) and reach 16% body fat. Age: 25 years Height: 5’10” Weight: 146.6 lbs RMR: ~1,500 calories Body Fat Percentage: 23.1% Lean weight: 106.9 lbs Fat weight: 33.9 lbs Bone Mineral Conent: 5.7 Activity level: very sedentary These numbers were gathered through a DEXa scan 3 weeks ago.
Now I’m even more confused. I’m skinny af and I’ve never workout a day in my life, my arms and legs are like twig very weak, the only fat in my body are on my belly. I started working out at home 10 days ago like a mad man and my goal is to achieve a slightly bigger arms and legs and a bit of abs and chest thats it no crazy bulking. I don’t have money for gym or any supplements. So if anyone of y’all kind enough to suggest or recommend of something I can do, please do I really need it. Thankyou
As a guy who was always really lean, I found eating in a slight surplus and consuming more protein to be the most helpful. Being 10-11% bodyfat makes it difficult to put on muscle. I noticed more muscle growth hovering around 15-16%. I’d say that between 15-20% is easy to maintain and seems easier to put on muscle cause you’re not starving yourself in a calorie deficit.
I’m 14 weight 166 and I’m 5’9 I’m trying to cut all the weight that’s holding me back from enjoying my self in my own body. I just recently starting going to the gym 1-2 weeks I regularly play basketball most days. I drink only water im currently avoiding chips, fast food, candy, and gas drinks. Any tips??
I go for bulk myself since I’m under 120 pounds and 5’7.8. Haven’t weight myself for a little while, but last time I did I was under weight but sometimes I would pass that cut off point. So losing weight probably would just be a bad idea all around for me lmao. Wanna get to 130 pounds. Really just making sure I eat enough protein and trying to eat a bit more than I normally would (which is actually quite hard since I eat a fair bit for someone who sits on their ass all day)
So I’m 100kg and 6ft 1 but I don’t look like a 100kg person ..I have a high body fat % which is above 25% I’m skinny fat ..And how much of a cut / calorie deficit should I apply for best results my BMI is 29 .. what should I be focusing on as in diet and training .. I’m looking to achieve a muscular/toned defined body
I need help guys, I’m just explaining my problem and whoever can guide me aur suggest something i would really appreciate that . So i was a super skinny guy around 2 years ago, then at the time of covid I started eating a lot of carbs and managed to put a lot of weight. I gained around 10kg and now i lost a log of weight and im skinny fat . I go to the gym regularly and i just cant reduce my chest and belly fat, i have puffy nipples and i dont know whether i should reduce body fat to cure them or i should do a healthy bulk and do a proper workout. I’ve had doubts i dont think i have gyno but my nipples are puffy all the time except when i take shower or when i workout. Pls help me if anybody understands my problem and know the solution . I am 75 kg 6 feet
Having years of experience: never bulk. Never. You just become fat. You might think you are also becoming big. But 98% of the stuff you´re building is fat. Most people who bulk think of themselves as “swole af” and think they “only have to lose those 5 kilos of fat” in order to look decent again but nope. Those 5 kilos? 10-20. Swole? No, fat. Been there. Waste of time, scientifically outdated.
Well shit lol I wanna get lean at the moment I am 5’10 237 and have been struggling with belly fat I haven’t been able to even she that even on keto and at this point I just stopped trying I am 41 an still despite to get back to 180-195 but that won’t happen at least on my own self confidence is in the pooper
Jeremy I am 2 percent neanderthal 90 percent more than 23andme customers. My DNA traits are different I am much wider and have more muscle than most. 5’9 190 it says Im 25 percent fat but I have a 6 pack. My BMI is off the charts and wont give me accurate readings and feeling helpless trying to shred more
Skinny fat people dont have any issues eating a ton of food, so id recommended doing a full body every 3 days and eating whenever ur hungry (which is often) and just making sure ur protein is high, stay relatively clean, just cheat on a weekend but dont go overboard, being skinny fat is a blessing in disguise because it means u dont have to be as rigid with ur discipline, u can just eat like a horse and workout and ur body will recomp itself, once u plateo u can decide to either go on a cut to get rid of excess fat or if u dont mind being ugly for a little longer u can increase and bulk but be warned u may enter obese levels and could be damaging to ur health
Your gut was not huge at all. To me, you just looked skinny. You didn’t even have a muffin top. You only lacked muscle mass. At most, you probably had some excess visceral fat, which is what gave you that slightly round belly. And visceral fat is the first to go when you start training. So just lifting weights was the best choice for you.
I’m confused because i always thought i was skinny fat and relate to skinny fat people. I look skinny through a shirt and everyone sees me as skinny but at home everyone knows and calls me fat. Ive gained a lot of weight over the last year and I’m now 5’11 and almost 160. I’m cutting slowly right now despite the internet telling me to lean bulk. I’m just way too fat to bulk. I dont even think I’m skinny fat at this point but i dont know
I 100% agree with Coach Mario. I was in the skinny-fat phase and then I cut (well, not really a cut, just cutting calories and doing cardio), and lo and behold, after this diet I didn’t have abs, my rib cage was extremely visible, and my arms and legs were so tiny 😭😭 Anyways, I looked like a walking bone after that, so I started to workout and ate on maintenance. I gained some muscle but then I plateaued in weight and size. I’m about to bulk, which I should have done long ago, and now I feel kind of angry cuz I’m gonna be bulking all summer (NO SUMMER ABS 😢) Anyways, If your skinny-fat PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE BULK!!! It is the best option for you!
Brother I wished you existed a few years ago. Used to be skinny fat, used to eat a lot of shitty food, play a lot of article games and didn’t lift weights. About a year ago I started going to the gym and did the same mistake, I cut. Now I’m in a bulk, have a good amount of muscle and I build a lot of discipline. In my opinion you are one of the best fitness influencer and hope that more people will find your website
im skinny fat as well but with high body fat percentage (i looked skinny with a shirt) i have been lifting weights for 4 months (my only cardio was literally football (soccer) once a week.) and ive been losing fat as well no cardio needed and its been giving me good results i still dont have a good body yet but i definitely look good with a shirt now
For me i’m 6’1 i started fat lost the weight by starving myself but never worked out before or after now I’m skinny fat partly because I starve myself still and then over compensate by pigging out and still not working out protein intake is way to low imma turn this around because it suuuucks looking at myself in the mirror I’m happy I lost weight, but now it’s time to stop being scared and gain it but with muscle
See for me I was fat at 200+ pounds and lost weight all the way down to 139 in middle school and set a record for a doctor who had been there 30 years, but I also got taller and didn’t even know what lifting weights was at the time so I looked terriblely skiny, rn I’m around 157 pounds and skinny fat but I’ve been maintaining 160 pounds to 155 pounds for a while and I’m almost a month into lifting and I’m starting look better
i have a question, i’m kinda skinny fat, i’m 175 cm and 76 kg at 18 years old . I go to boxing gym for 1 and a half hour ever Tuesday and Thursday and it’s very very intense if i may say so, shadow box boxing on heavy bag running boxing stuff pull ups situps you name it . And on Monday i run 5.6 km and on Wednesday i box on my heavy bag at home for 1-2 hours and on Friday i run 5.6 km and on i Saturday i box on heavy bag for 1-2 hours, Sunday i rest, then just repeat . Every day i eat for breakfast crunchy and drink milk with a banana . And when i go to school i eat school food and when i go home i eat what my moms makes . And before i go too bed i eat Cereal and drink milk with a apple . I also drink water throughout the day, Is this a good way to get out of skinny fat ?
I’m a active runner, there is no choice for me to stop running. Right now I’m in keto diet, eating protein more than ever. I’m doing good progress in the gym, better than ever before. My biggest goal is be like a footballer, not like a body builder. I’m 24 days in the diet, I see improvement in the waist, but not that huge. What do you think I should do? Does the running make my journey slower?
Love your content ! Your fitness content is top-notch and I always look forward to your articles. The new thumbnail for this one is especially eye-catching! I was wondering if you could share your thoughts on training with only the 7 basic compound movements (rows, ohp, bench press, squat, pull ups, rdl and hip thrust) twice a week for building mass? Would that be sufficient or do you recommend incorporating other exercises as well? I train wrestling and I also want to build mass but the problem is, wrestling is really tasking on your body . What do you recommend? Thanks for all your valuable insights!
I started my skinny fat journey by doing dirty bulk (from 2400 to 3300) and after 10 months I started cutting for 5 months (from 3300 to 1850). At end of the cut journey I gained 3kg of muscle but the belly fat has remained (less than I started to go to the gym). I lift 5 days per week and I dedicate 1 day to run 30 minutes. My question is if I need to maintain my calories around 2400 or start a little surplus of 100-200 calories? (btw nice article❤)
This article is clickbait.. he literally gave the solution to someone whose skinny trying to keep a long term bulk without gaining any fat rather than someone whose skinny fat. If you are skinny fat and scared of adding so much fat just cut until your skinny while lifting + eating enough protein (you will be able to build a bit if muscle since you’re most likely a newbie) then have a long term bulk or do whatever pleases you. If you want to be big u can lean bulk yeah but make sure you have enough muscles before cutting and make sure you don’t have a lot of fat already.
I’ve been obese for most of my life (I was ~310 lbs at the age of 14, currently I’m 17). I decided to start a “cut” late last year, and now I’m 190 lbs. I still have a gut, but I inherited a wide rib cage from my mother so I look scrawny. My upper and lower body have a pretty decent amount of muscle, but I still look fat. I realize that I need to build muscle and cut fat, but the idea of trying to gain weight to build muscle after having lost everything I did absolutely terrifies me. I want to get down to 180. It also doesn’t help that my mother demands that I eat like 3000 calories because I’m “too skinny,” so she tries to feed me copious amounts of bread, pasta, sweets, etc. I pretend to eat it to appease her, but really I throw it away when she’s not looking. I know it’s a dicky move but I am tired of being the fat guy everyone turns to when there’s some extra food to be eaten. It also doesn’t help that I only go to the gym like 3 times a month. Once I get my license I am going to live in the gym.
Coach_MarioRios But what if you can’t control what you eat? In my household my relatives usually manage dinner while i usually just eat whatever’s in the fridge for Breakfast and sometimes it’s not always healthy and im only 14 so im not sure what i can do to change that? I really need some help here.
Having only watched his BS youtube shorts when he beefs with everyone, i expected nothing from this article. But damn, was i suprised! The info given was very good and nowhere near these fakke nattie nonsense. Seems to me Mario would be a more likeable person if he would just stop the beefs and drop more quality articles!
Im facing a problem of patience. Im skinny fat, i want to cut my face fat as soon as possible. So I cant for a bulk. Also im afraid of cutting it will not improve muscle growth. So confused what to do… i want have a perfect jawline shape face and along with that i want build muscle.. idk how its possible simultaneously 😭
Hi, im a 15 year old boy whos 5’2 feet and all my life have not ate any protein ive been a really picky eater since a baby. im just asking for some advice ive hit puberty last year and are wondering how do i overcome my picky eating and get taller and stronger as i have severe skinny fat my arms are skinny and my belly is fat. Thank you
As a skinny person is callisthenics very effective but it very hard for me because I have a stick arm so it so hard in begin to do push-up. But 1 month later I can finally hit 10 reps. Then the process is explode from 10 reps to 50 reps of push-up. Can do a one hand push-up and I start to learn how to hand stand push-up.
I used to have this problem too bro. Some of the dudes on my high school football team were strong AF but still had some fat on them, even tho they had healthy lifestyles. The last couple pounds of fat are usually the hardest to lose, but you give for it is excellent man. Our coach recommended P90X to us which a lot of us did. Thanks for this very vital and important article my brother. You give the best fitness advice 👊 keep grinding dude! 🏋️♂️
i just went on a BUNCH of body fat % calculator websites and it says i’m sitting at around 28% bf, so i don’t think a lean bulk would be right for me :/ and while you may think that just means im just fat and not skinny fat, i still look not fat w clothes on and fat when i take them off. i’ve been working out consistently for the past couple of months now and have seen some increase in muscle but i still don’t have a lot overall by any means and the fat i have is driving me crazy. the more i learn about nutrition the more confused i’m getting, rn i’m trying to eat a good amount of protein w out going over in calories. any tips on what i should do? i’m stuck :/
Slightly above 6ft, at 140lbs right now. Skinny arms and legs with a big belly. Idk what to do. I started recently to train 5 times a week and started taking whey protein, creatine all that stuff but should I be on a caloric surplus or a deficit. I feel like my weight is way too low for my height but I have a big belly.