Lose belly fat without losing muscles

xeonboy

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I lift 5 times a week + pull-ups at night. Current body looks very similar to this:

credit-mega-agency-momoa-1562859381.jpeg


Basically, there's muscle definition on the chest, traps, arms etc, but my belly is bigger than him, by about 20 - 30%. My body belongs to the skinny-fat type.

I've watched a lot of youtube vids about this topic but got overwhelmed by differing opinions.

Should I eat *slightly* lesser (calorie deficit) + continue current lifting workout regime + do some very light cardio?

Note: I just want a flatter stomach, not aiming for 6 packs.
 

AbangSachok

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You will need a calorie deficit to lose weight. If any youtubers say otherwise, stop watching them, they are just spewing nonsense.

You should cut back on your calories and enter a deficit (could be 200 calories instead of 500 that most people preach, because the slower the better), protein should be 1.6-2.2g/kg of body weight. Your fats and carbs will balance itself out if you hit your calorie goals.

Youtubers you can check out for quality information:
Greg Doucette
Jeff Nippard
Mike Israetel
 

xeonboy

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You will need a calorie deficit to lose weight. If any youtubers say otherwise, stop watching them, they are just spewing nonsense.

You should cut back on your calories and enter a deficit (could be 200 calories instead of 500 that most people preach, because the slower the better), protein should be 1.6-2.2g/kg of body weight. Your fats and carbs will balance itself out if you hit your calorie goals.

Youtubers you can check out for quality information:
Greg Doucette
Jeff Nippard
Mike Israetel

Will the calorie deficit result in muscle loss as well?
 

SG SUPERMAN

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muscle will be harder to lose compared to fats. As long as you continue resistance training, you should be able to retain your muscles and lose fats by calorie deficit
 

xeonboy

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muscle will be harder to lose compared to fats. As long as you continue resistance training, you should be able to retain your muscles and lose fats by calorie deficit

Ok thanks a lot. Will doing planking also help? I'm thinking of doing 60 secs x 3 times a day.
 

SG SUPERMAN

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Ok thanks a lot. Will doing planking also help? I'm thinking of doing 60 secs x 3 times a day.
you won't be able to target any body parts to lose fats. Human body doesn't works that way.

Planking only help to built muscles in your abs area so if you able to lose enough body fats, you will see your abs muscles that is hidden underneath the belly fats.

Diet is more important for losing fats than exercise. Just continue to do strength training and calorie deficit, you will be able to retain muscle and lose fats progressively.
 

AbangSachok

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Will the calorie deficit result in muscle loss as well?
If you are in a slight deficit, unlikely. If you crash diet, then definitely, because muscle burns more calories and by crash dieting, your body would wanna preserve energy and therefore burn some lean tissues.

Planking can be part of your programme but its important to workout the entire body to keep your muscles.

Ways to minimize muscle loss:
- Resistance Training (like what SG SUPERMAN mentioned)
- Eat 1.6g-2.2g of Protein per kg of your bodyweight
- Only be in a slight deficit (200 is more than enough)

I have lost 16kg following the above strategy and not only did I not lose muscle, I managed to put on muscle due to muscle memory (used to workout when I was younger).
 

xeonboy

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If you are in a slight deficit, unlikely. If you crash diet, then definitely, because muscle burns more calories and by crash dieting, your body would wanna preserve energy and therefore burn some lean tissues.

Planking can be part of your programme but its important to workout the entire body to keep your muscles.

Ways to minimize muscle loss:
- Resistance Training (like what SG SUPERMAN mentioned)
- Eat 1.6g-2.2g of Protein per kg of your bodyweight
- Only be in a slight deficit (200 is more than enough)

I have lost 16kg following the above strategy and not only did I not lose muscle, I managed to put on muscle due to muscle memory (used to workout when I was younger).

Thanks for the advice. How long did it take for you to lose 16kg?
 

AbangSachok

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Thanks for the advice. How long did it take for you to lose 16kg?
I was quite aggressive with the weight loss. About 10 months.

You should aim to lose bodyweight as slowly as you can (~0.5% of BW per week) to maximize preservation of your muscles.
 

smurfzzz

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I avoid all cardio together and focus on weights. The only "cardio" I do is badminton 40+ mins a week.
Try incorporate bodyweight exercise, it's cardio based that will help to build strength and endurance.

When it comes to training, you need to balance between building endurance (less weight, but more speed and repetition) vs building strength (heavier weight, focus on specific muscle group, less repetition).

Strengthen your core, you can add weights to core exercise (such as russian twist or leg raise) too, on condition that your fundamentals are good, otherwise you will be adding pressure to back pain.

Some workouts for you to challenge, instead of situp, do crunches. Use sliders instead of just planks. Mountain and crossbody climbers are good for abs.
 

xeonboy

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Try incorporate bodyweight exercise, it's cardio based that will help to build strength and endurance.

When it comes to training, you need to balance between building endurance (less weight, but more speed and repetition) vs building strength (heavier weight, focus on specific muscle group, less repetition).

Strengthen your core, you can add weights to core exercise (such as russian twist or leg raise) too, on condition that your fundamentals are good, otherwise you will be adding pressure to back pain.

Some workouts for you to challenge, instead of situp, do crunches. Use sliders instead of just planks. Mountain and crossbody climbers are good for abs.

Thanks for the advice. The only bodyweight exercise I do is pullups, but will start doing planks now.
Not a fan of jogging or HIIT tbh. I feel they impede muscle growth/mass.
 

smurfzzz

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Thanks for the advice. The only bodyweight exercise I do is pullups, but will start doing planks now.
Not a fan of jogging or HIIT tbh. I feel they impede muscle growth/mass.

Eventually, it depends on what kind of body composition you want to achieve. Take a look at typical weight lifter vs cross fitters bodyshape. Weight lifting will not lose belly fat if that is your goal.

If you enjoy pullup or weight related workout, check out calisthenic training
 
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