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
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.
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.
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