Hi everyone. I'm 33 and have hit my highest weight mark, a measly 160 pounds (in high school i was 120 so that's good). However, I can't seem to get "cut" or increase my muscle mass, no matter what I try. I've done body for life, regular exercise, pushups, karate, and I look and feel fit (5'8" frame, 160 pounds, just about right, right?) but i'm not happy with just the plain ol' "normal" looking body. I want to be more cut with larger muscles. When i did body for life, i saw very limited results. I saw weight loss around the waist, but the muscle building wasn't working. Is it just genetic? Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

--B

You can't expect appreciable muscle increase while dieting.

To add to that, I think that you will find if you lose the extra fat, you will find that you have more muscle mass than you actually realize (I mean, I did )

But that's not what body for life is claiming... And I was eating protein like crazy...

I don't really care who was claiming what.

Claims are not reality.

I've worked with a lot of people in my time and while it's true that people can add some muscle even in the face of a caloric deficit.... it's not something that should be expected.

People who will generally be able to lose fat and gain muscle concurrently are those carrying a lot of extra fat and/or those who are brand new to strength training.

But even in those instances, you aren't going to see an enormous gain in muscle while dieting. Adding new muscle is a very intensive process, energetically speaking. Calories are energy. If you are deficient in calories, how can you build a lot of muscle?

So when dieting is there any point to strength training or can you only prevent muscle loss. If so I'm fine with that however I feel like I have been getting stronger.

There is a point. Losing weight isn't the goal. I mean it is.... but I like to think that pretty much everyone is most interesting in looking and feeling good. Just b/c you aren't going to be building a lot of muscle while dieting doesn't mean you shouldn't lift weights. Muscle maintenance gives you a lot of 'mileage' in terms of molding how you look.

I find myself saying this often around here:

Proper nutrition AND exercise (cardio AND resistance training) work in synergy.

Good nutrition = A
Resistance training = B
Cardio = C
Total Health and Good Physique = D

A+B+C=D

Take A, B, or C out of the equation and you are operating sub-optimally and giving up unique benefits associated only with the dropped variable.

Can you lose weight without lifting weights?

Certainly. Losing weight is a function of being in a chronic/consistent energy deficit, meaning, more calories out than in. This deficit can be established however you see fit.... less food, more activity, a combo, etc.

Will you look good only eating less without exercising?

Probably not, unless you are genetically blessed. And if you were, you probably wouldn't be here.

If the number on the scale was all that mattered, this would be a VERY simple process. Unfortunately for some, total health and appearance matter more than the scale and those things require a balanced approach.

Not to mention.... being strong is rewarding.

And you can certainly get a lot stronger than you currently are without adding a lot of muscle.

Thanks Steve! Great advice.

You are welcome.