Should I Lose Weight Before Building Muscle?

[MuscleMecca Crew]

This is quite a complicated question for some as there are nuances that help decide whether you should first lose weight before deciding on building muscles or the other vice versa. If you are a novice regarding fitness, you must seek advice from a fitness professional like a trainer. A trainer will help you understand which is convenient depending on your weight and build. That said, there is a generally expected way of doing things in such a case as, mostly, it is likely for one to have to lose weight before going ahead and building muscle. This suggestion applies to people with high percentages of fat in their bodies.
In another scenario, one might have high body fat and, through muscle building, manage to eliminate fat from their body. The fat one would want to eliminate from their body plays a huge role in energizing you for the strenuous workouts which aim at helping you build muscle. Deciding to lose weight or build muscle first has its advantages, and you must weigh them and decide. Either way, you are the champion. There must be a better explanation, so let's consider why one should lose weight before making muscle.

Reasons to Lose Weight before You Make Muscle​

There are reasons associated with losing weight first before going further and building muscle. These reasons are;

1. Avoid more fat gain

The bulking phase is not one to take lightly as there is a high chance of one gaining fat while building muscles. With bulking comes the need for frequent feeding, which requires you to have enough energy to cope with the obscure workouts awaiting you. Because of this, one should lose weight before making muscle. This means that you will have a good percentage of fat as your body will have already shed some weight before the start of the muscle building. You are going to steer away from unhealthy weight levels by doing this.

1. Reduces joints stress

Significant stress is expected on the joints during workouts when your weight is high. This means inadequate workouts due to your joints' strain during your training. Because of this, the joints will render you weak for training, especially muscle building. You become more agile when you eliminate those extra pounds, as this way, your joints will not suffer due to holding too much weight during training. When you lose weight, you can improve your efforts and build muscle easily.

1. More consistency

Before the start of any fitness plan, every person always has a plan they want to adhere to until they achieve their goals. Consistency is key on such a journey, as it is the only way you will see the desired results. Motivation can come from numerous things, one of which is weighing yourself on a scale and seeing the numbers reduce every week. When this happens, one only feels the need to push further, which makes them confident. This means that even when you begin your muscle-building journey, due to the motivation one has after shedding some pounds, you will stay consistent in your workouts and thus get noticeable results.

1. Fast results

By losing weight, you discover your muscles, which were initially hidden under the layers of fat. With these muscles, you can refine them through specific workouts. You must have the prowess to push forward and sculpt your muscles as you, please. It will be easier to achieve quick results because you are less heavy.

Reasons Not To Lose Weight Before You Make Muscle​

Nothing is as frustrating as doing things a certain way and later learning other, more effective ways. This applies to the association between losing weight before making muscle and not losing weight at all. Although losing weight before building muscle is advisable, there are reasons why you should wait to lose weight before making muscle. Here are some of the reasons.

1. Increased metabolism

In building muscle, you will learn that you need great strength to achieve this. Your body burns calories during training and even when doing the simplest things; resting. So, there is no point in losing weight before making muscle as, in the end, you will lose weight and enjoy a great body composition.

1. Your appearance is not as important as your training goals

The calories in your body are vital in energizing you to achieve your muscle-building goals. If your appeal concerns you less, you can decide not to lose weight to gain muscles fast. This is because heavy lifting requires you to have high calories that you can use for this. That said, you must learn how to balance the fat in your body, as too much percentage of fat is unhealthy. Those not prone to this idea due to caring about their body image should give themselves time to boost their confidence before going down this road. Refrain from tampering with your mental health because you want to build muscles. Take time to figure things out and decide later.

1. You are skinny

As a skinny person, you can maintain weight to attain building muscles. Given that skinny fat people only have lean muscle, it is only fitting that you work on the muscles before concentrating on weight loss. This is because if you lose weight, you will affect the lean muscles you possess. Because of this, one should start by building muscles without losing weight. There is a high chance of a skinny fat person gaining muscles quickly compared to someone overweight or obese.

Losing Weight vs. Losing Fat​

People confuse weight loss and fat loss as they think it is the same thing when it is not. Most concur that they measure their weight using a weighing scale but not their fat percentage. Weight loss refers to the overall reduction of poundage for the body, which means that muscle, fat, and water are all included. Fat loss is a reduction of fat in the body, and funnily, weight loss can lead to fat loss. Regarding which is healthier, it is fat loss as weight loss cannot necessarily mean that you have reduced the amount of fat in your body as it might be the muscles. When you lose fat, you are steering away from the chances of getting health conditions like heart disease, blood pressure, and diabetes.
To track your body weight, you can use a scale, whereas to know your body's fat percentage, one can utilize a fat scale. Some have mastered using a skinfold caliper to know the percentage of fat their bodies have but note that accuracy is highly required. If you decide to lose fat and still maintain your muscles, there are ways to go about it. You can rely heavily on feeding on a lot of protein which is paramount in supporting your muscle growth. This is because proteins contribute to your immune system, digestion, and energy production. Whether you are aiming for fat or weight loss, you must seek advice from a doctor. This is imperative as they assist you in making the right decisions regarding your diet and exercise. Such significant changes require the insight of a doctor for your sake.

Can You Lose Fat and Gain Muscle at the Same Time?​

You are defining body recomposition if you plan to interrupt your current physique by losing fat and gaining muscles simultaneously. It is possible to achieve this as long as you articulate it. As contradictory as it sounds, you only need to feed on calories and ensure that they are more than the ones you burn. Training and changing your diet is a foolproof way of doing this and getting your desired results. Because of wanting to achieve these two simultaneously, you are in for a long hard time as it will take longer than when you are working on each separately.
It is a slow effective process, and you will see the results in the long haul. You can change your body's composition through more protein intake, reducing calorie consumption, and doing cardio exercises and resistance training. Ensure that your diet incorporates healthy choices that will contribute to you achieving these two at the same time. So, go ahead and try this out and get the physique you have always wanted.

Conclusion​

As far as one should lose weight before building muscles, there is no correct answer for this, as it works out differently for everyone. As described above, perks are associated with losing weight before muscle building and vice versa. It is upon you to decide whether or not you would like to lose weight first or go ahead to build muscles. Add high-quality proteins like lentils, chicken, tofu, and seafood to your diet, which is good for muscle growth. The process of building muscle and losing weight is almost synonymous as they both require one to have a well-put plan to achieve them, eat right, and enjoy enough sleep. You can work with a trainer to achieve this as they have the skills and know what you are required to do.