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Achieving Muscle Gain and Fat Loss: a 35 Year Old's 11Lbs Journey in 36 Months

Read about zigzagdrums' experience gaining 11lbs of muscle and tips for losing fat while maintaining muscle mass.

Article by Madeleine Smith

A photo of a 5'10" man showing a weight bulk from 165 pounds to 176 pounds. A total gain of 11 pounds.
M/35/5’10” [165lbs > 176lbs = 11lbs gained] (36 months) my training was stalled due to lockdowns. After the last lockdown in the latter part of 2021, I was serious again and the aim was to build muscle while being lean and hence the long enduring months it took to gain 8lbs of muscle
Originally posted on /r/progresspics

Introduction

Zigzagdrums, a 35-year-old Reddit user, shared his 36-month journey from 165lbs to 176lbs with an 11lbs weight gain. His goal was to build muscle while maintaining a lean physique. When lockdowns stalled his training, he picked up serious training again and gained 8lbs of muscle. Here are some tips he shared with other Reddit users on losing fat while maintaining or gaining muscle mass.

Tips on Losing Fat While Maintaining or Gaining Muscle

Zigzagdrums recommends training for hypertrophy to stimulate muscle growth. One should aim for a weight range of 12-15 reps and each set lasting around 45 seconds. Keep the time under tension (TUT) and progressively overload to see results. He also recommended going on a slight calorie deficit and increasing water intake so that the body can use stored fat as energy.

Dietary Suggestions

Zigzagdrums stressed the importance of a high-protein diet, including eggs, steak, chicken, and fish while also alternating the choice of meat weekly. He suggests no alcohol and avoiding sugars, but carbohydrates are acceptable in moderation. He suggests keeping the carb intake to the morning to fuel the day and around the training session. Zigzagdrums also urges people to maintain low-intensity cardio in the everyday routine, such as using the treadmill on an incline for 20-30 minutes.

Body Fat

Body fat estimations can be inaccurate based on visual appearance, but Zigzagdrums estimated his body fat to be around 8-10%.

Concluding Thoughts

Zigzagdrums accomplished his goal of gaining muscle mass while maintaining a lean physique by implementing a rigorous workout and a high-protein and low-carb diet. He also suggests other people experiment with alternative diets and workout routines to find what works for them to achieve body goals. However, it's important to consider professional guidance for making sure it's healthy and tailored to individual needs.

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Madeleine Smith

Content Lead at MyProgressPics.com

Madeleine is passionate about empowering individuals with the information and tools they need to transform their bodies and lives.