Staying lean while building muscle...is this possible?

[FlexMom]

Hi all! I was wondering if anyone out there agrees with me when I say I don't believe in a "bulking" phase. I worked my ass off to get to 10% body fat and would like to stay here (it's a nice place to be after 8 months of ridiculously hard work) while adding some muscle weight to my small frame. (I'm 5'2 109lbs) I lost all the blubber and NEVER want to see it again!!! (I started at 122lbs and 20% body fat 8 months ago). Any advice on diet that will allow me to add lean muscle (about 5lbs) while NOT gaing fat? I teach aerobics which is a HUGE problem - WAY too much cardio I think, although it's only 4 classes per week they are high intensity for 50 minutes. I lift heavy but inconsistantly. Do all the majors (deads, squats, bench press) My workout's (lifting) are brief but pretty intense, especially when it comes to legs (my nemesis!). Probably 3-4 times a week, no rhyme or reason to my lifting schedule. Usually lift for whatever ISN'T sore. Any advice? Right now I'm taking in about 2,000 calories a day, eating every 2.5-3 hours. TONS of protein (about 200 grams per day - probably too much but I still fear carbs and fat to some extent). About 180 grams of carbs per day and about 45 grams of fat per day. My fats are all quality fats, olive oil, salmon, flax, walnuts. My carbs are whole grain, lo-carb bread, mixed veggie salads, fruit (apple, grapefruit). NO high GI carbs at all! My protein comes from everywhere except red meat. (Tuna, whey, chicken, and especially fish) All fat free dairy is allowed too (LOVE FAT FREE COTTAGE CHEESE!) Can't figure out what I'm doing wrong - I can't add muscle for the life of me! PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sassy69]

Well first, congrats on achieving 10% bf, however I just want to let you know that most people don't maintain extremely low bodyfat levels all the time. For ex, I took a stab at competition bodybuilding & get down to 8.5% bf (measured w/ calipers, so probably a little off) for approx 2 weeks. I felt like shit. But the point is that it was to look a certain way at a certain time of day on Competition Day. After that day was complete, I would've chosen to move my "off competition" bodyfat back to around 13-15%. I also wanted to note that 20% bf is NOT "fat". It all depends on what you are comparing it against, and you need to make sure you are comparing against an appropriate goal. (For ex, trying to look like the pro fitness competitors in a magazine shoot, except all the time.) I say all this because I don't know where you are coming from with your expectations and I just want to give you an idea of what the typical person can do.

As far as your diet, it sounds like its all in line (would be good if you could maybe give us a typical day's diet, meal by meal). The primary thing to achieving any fitness goal is consistency. I don't think 3-4 days / week of training is "inconsistent", but since you are already very lean and you are doing hi intensity cardio sessions several times / week, I'm guessing your body doesn't have much to feed off of with all the cardio, so its going to go for the muscle. You might take a look at your calorie intake & calorie burning over the course of the week and determine if you are actually consuming enough to support any sort of growth. To be really honest, it is very hard to build significant muscle without some sort of fat, so I would look first to evaluating your diet for enough to fuel some growth, and adjust accordingly.

 

[FlexMom]

Thanks for the reply Sassy. I hear what your saying (I hear it a lot from people at the gym too) about staying so lean. I never thought of myself as "fat", just disproportionatly "fat" (legs and butt) and gaining weight slowly but surly as i was getting older. Turned 35 and saw things going south, I guess my goals are to look great and feel great. Get a lot of compliments but like I said lately I feel sluggish. People tell me that I should do a show but I don't think in rality I would have the time. When I say my weight training schedule is inconsistant, I ment NO set split. And some days I lift heavy, some I just don't have the energy to really push myself, even if I eat properly before (slow carbs & protein and hour or two before workout.) I'll give you a typical days diet, maybe you'll see something I'm not.

7 AM - oatmeal mixed with low carb flax cereal (totals one cup cooked)
protein powder (Designer Whey - 1/2 scoop)
1/4 cup fiber one cereal mixed in
coffee with skim milk
bottle of water (16 oz)- mulit V, Flax capsule
(ABOUT 250 calories)

8:30 AM LIFT if I can (1/2 hour - 45 minutes)
IF I DON'T LIFT AT THIS TIME I LIFT AT NIGHT *see below*

9:30-10 AM - Protein Shake ("Designer Whey" - one scoop)
OR "Keto (soy) Juice Smoothie" one scoop
1 cup skim milk (if "Designer Whey", no milk if "Keto")
Lo-carb bread - 1 slices w/...
2 tbsp Natural PB
coffee (usually a skim milk latte on my way to work)
* If I'm having a fatty fish for dinner I might skip the PB
and opt for 4 tbsp. Fat free cream cheese with a
packet of splenda and cinnamon instead* Also I skip
the PB if I worked out in the morning and have:
(Between 200 and 250 calories)

PURE PRO SHAKE
2 tbsp raisins
* IMMIDIATE POST WORKOUT MEAL*
(ABOUT 200 calories)


*A 16 oz bottle or two of water in between next meal*

12:00 pm 13-15 oz mixed salad (spinach, romaine, peppers,
carrots, cucumber, broccoli,
mushrooms, celery, tomato,
onion - THE WORKS!)
Balsamic Oil w/ tbsp olive oil
6 oz chicken breast (baked - no skin)or tuna ( 1 can)
16 oz Water - chromium picolinate
(ABOUT 300 - 350 calories)

2:00 ish Sandwich of some sort (turkey - low fat deli selects or
ham low fat deli selects, dijon
mustard, romaine lettuce,
1/2 cup tomato
1/2 grapefruit or 1/2 apple
whole wheat pita
Coffee with skim milk
(ABOUT 200 calories)

3:30-4:00 PM Yogurt (plain fat free 8oz)
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 scoop designer Whey Protein Powder
Wheat Germ (2 tbsp)
*this is my pre-workout meal so it's eaten at
differnet times thoughout the day...but always an
hour or two before workout
(ABOUT 250 calories)

5:00 pm BIG COFFEE w/ skim milk
1 ephedra + 2 Guaranna (caffine)

5:30 PM WORKOUT (usually class - cardio with some
"scuplting" (lol) *WATER*

6:30 PM Pure Pro shake
2 tbsp raisins
(ABOUT 250 CALORIES)

7:30 PM LIFT a little if i can (1/2 hour-45 min.) EITHER NOW
OR I DID ALREADY IN THE MORNING (see above)
16 oz WATER w/ 5 mg. L-glutamine

8:30 ish : this is a tough meal because I'm whiped if I taught
AND lifted so I usually just eat
1 "pouch" of tuna
6-10 low carb/low fat crackers
*to hold me over on the ride home from the gym*
WATER - vit. C & vit. E
(ABOUT 150 CALORIES)

9:30 PM ish 8 0z of fish (halibut, roughy, flounder, tipapia,
sea bass - mostly any fish I love them
all! and usually with garlic, lemon &
herbs - no added oil) Sometimes I
have 6 oz salmon (1 or 2 X's per
week or 6 oz. chicken breast)
OCCASIONALLY venison steak or a
tofu based chili
2 cups steamed veggies with a little soy sauce
possibly sun-dried tomatoes and garlic added
Diet Green Tea or water
(ABOUT 300 - 350 CALORIES)

10:30 - 11:00 pm THIS IS MY WEAKEST MOMENT! (LOL)
I try and eat:

3 egg whites, 1/4 cup egg substitute
2 oz fat free mozzarella cheese
1 oz. deli selects ham
1/2 tomato
2 slices low carb bread
( ABOUT 200 CALORIES)

MORE OFTEN THAN NOT ITS:

1.5 cups fat free cottage cheese
1 cup frozen berries
packet splenda
3 tbsp wheat germ
Water, 5 mg L -glutamine
(ABOUT 300 CALORIES)

MY WEAKEST MOMENTS I HAVE

2 cups ft free frozen yogurt
1 cup fat free cool whip
1 cup frozen fruit
(ABOUT 350 CALORIES)

I'm pretty flexible with my diet and try and switch things up for variety. I "cheat" at least once a month (sometimes two) with apple pie or cheese cake or italian bread with butter! YUM! I like to experiment with low fat/ low carb baking & cooking so I interchange homemade muffins, protein pancakes, turkey, differnet homemade marinades etc. I usually try and keep calories at like 1,900 - 2,200. Can you help me out SASSY? I'm still VERY LEAN! Is it the cardio? My metabolism? I'm just burning up food faster than i can eat it, it seems. And I won't indulge in fatty foods just to "gain". I just can't see the reasoning. I really want to add weight but MUSCLE!!!! I want a big tight BOOTY! LOL Right now mine is tight but TINY! Where as before it was a little big and FLABBY and EWE! I feel like I'm doomed to be either skinny or flabby! HELP!

THANKS SOOOO MUCH!

 

[Daisy_Girl]

You aren't going to add muscle without lifting weights. It appears your cardio can't change, since you teach aerobics, but you MUST be more focused on lifting. Getting on a structured lifting plan will be VERY important.

 

[MS]

You definitely need to lift heavy to gain muscle, and even then it will be VERY hard at such low bodyfat, maybe impossible. Your body will resist any attempt to add muscle as long as leptin levels are low, so at the very least you should have regular (2-3 times per week at 10%bf) high carb refeeds. Addition of leptin mimicking drugs such as bromocriptine may also help, but you really are pushing the limits of what is biologically possible without a lot of androgens.