Newbie: building mass vs. cutting???

[GO 4LO]

Hi, guys,
I'm new to this forum and to bodybuilding in general. I was told that I shouldn't try to put on muscle mass and lose fat at the same time - is that correct? I'm 20 years old. I'm 6'1 or 6'2 and weigh about 235 lbs, much of which is fat. I'm trying to put on about 20 lbs of muscle and lose about 30 lbs of fat by the end of the year. I have been using whey protein and creatine during the last month for building mass and am having decent results. Do you recommend alternating months of mass building and cutting, or do I stick with one for like three months at a time or something? Sorry for all the questions, but I couldn't find the answers to them in the archives. Thanks.
Chris

 

[Justin2000]

I think you should first concentrate on losing fat 10-15 % BF. in the mean time you should gain some muscles. Doing both at once is hard.

Good luck

 

[GenetiKing]

Gaining muscle and losing bodyfat simultaneously is nearly impossible for a trained individual, especially in the absence of anabolic steroids. The good news is that you're a newbie and as such, by training hard and eating right you will be able to lose bodyfat and gain some muscle in the process. Eventually however, if you continue to train, you will need to either bulk or cut but for the meantime you can achieve both goals. (Ahhh...to be a newbie again...)

Look for a diet high in protein, with moderate fats, and watch the carbs. Do a search on the diet board for better info. You will need to incorporate some cardio training into you're routine as it burns extra calories and improves cardiovascular efficiency, both of which will aid you in shedding the unwanted bodyfat. For sample training routines, search this board.

Good luck.