How To Decrease Body Fat Percentage Without Losing Weight

Losing muscle while dieting isn't a real risk as long as you don't get below a real 9 percent body fat or so. I say real because most people who think they're 9-10 percent are more like 13 percent or higher. Look at this photo of me:

Try 9.2 percent! The point is, if you keep training hard and consume enough protein, there's no reason for you to worry about muscle loss until you get THAT lean or close to it.

Now, you may have the impression that you're losing muscle because you'll feel and look smaller. You tend to lose water, fat, intramuscular triglycerides, glycogen, etc. when dieting. And unfortunately, until you're really lean you won't look that much better. So you'll feel smaller in your clothes and you won't look that much more muscular.

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And because of the loss of water, your strength can actually decrease too, especially on big compound movements (mostly pressing exercises). So it's easy to interpret that as muscle loss. But in most cases, it isn't.

The only reason you may lose muscle while training hard is the overproduction of cortisol. Cortisol is known as a stress hormone because it's released during periods of stress. Training is a stress. So is being underfed.

Chronic and excessive cortisol elevation is the main reason for losing muscle because it directly causes a breakdown of muscle tissue. It also slows down muscle repair/rebuilding by inhibiting the immune system (which is the driver of muscle growth) and limits how much muscle you can carry by increasing myostatin, a protein that acts as the governor for how much muscle your body allows you to carry (more myostatin means less muscle).

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Cortisol's function during the training session is to mobilize energy so that the muscles have enough fuel. So the more volume you do in your workout, the more cortisol you produce. That's why if you're a natural lifter, increasing training volume while trying to get lean (and reducing calories) is one of the things that can lead to muscle loss.

Well, yeah, if you're on anabolics, it'll work because steroids will protect you against the muscle-wasting effect of cortisol. But if you're natural, trying to use the workout to burn more calories is one of the best ways to lose muscle!

Now, I'm not against higher rep ranges for losing fat. Sets that last 40-70 seconds can be effective at preserving muscle mass while dieting. These lighter sets won't cause as much muscle damage and are easier to recover from.

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That's also the set duration where you have the greatest release of lactic acid, which is, in itself, anabolic – it can help preserve muscle mass. So the inclusion of some lactic work along with some heavier work is the best combination to maintain muscle because both provide different growth stimuli which will make it easier to maintain or even gain muscle.

I recommend The Best Damn Workout Plan for Natural Lifters because it's designed to prevent the potential cortisol backlash and will allow the natural lifter to easily maintain or even increase muscle mass while dieting down.

Are hard gainers stuck with skinny calves and forearms? Is lower always better on squats? Answers to these questions and more in the latest installment of our series.

How To Lose 5% Body Fat 10 Days By Personal Trainer Nicholas Polo

In the second part of the introduction to Testosterone's new Physique Clinic, Coach Thibaudeau talks about genetic limitations, diet, motivation, supplementation, and Size Kings. Find out if you've got a chance in hell of transforming that lump you call a body.

The legendary strength athlete tells us why muscle growth is vital for max lifts, and why it's not the same for powerlifters as it is for bodybuilders.This article was co-authored by Pouya Shafipour, MD, MS. Dr. Pouya Shafipour is a Family Medicine Specialist, Primary Care Physician, and a Weight Loss Specialist based in Santa Monica, California. Dr. Shafipour specializes in dietary, nutritional, behavioral, and exercise counseling to manage obesity and medical conditions related to excessive weight gain or loss. Dr. Shafipour received a BS in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, an MS in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University, and an MD from the Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He completed his internship in general surgery at UC Irvine and a residency in family medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and became board certified in family medicine in 2008.

When you're trying to lose weight and excess fat, it's natural to lose a little muscle mass. To prevent losing too much, there are certain diet plans and types of exercise that can help you lose weight, burn fat, and maintain your muscle mass. Check out this list of tips and tricks to get you started on your journey to a leaner, more muscular body.

How Do I Lower My Body Fat Percentage?

This article was co-authored by Pouya Shafipour, MD, MS. Dr. Pouya Shafipour is a Family Medicine Specialist, Primary Care Physician, and a Weight Loss Specialist based in Santa Monica, California. Dr. Shafipour specializes in dietary, nutritional, behavioral, and exercise counseling to manage obesity and medical conditions related to excessive weight gain or loss. Dr. Shafipour received a BS in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, an MS in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University, and an MD from the Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He completed his internship in general surgery at UC Irvine and a residency in family medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and became board certified in family medicine in 2008. This article has been viewed 470, 448 times.

The best way to burn fat without losing muscle is to eat at least 46 grams of protein daily if you’re a woman and 56 grams if you're a man. In addition to protein, make sure you're eating at lease 3 servings of fruit and 6 servings of vegetables per day, and limit your daily carbohydrate intake to between 60 and 200 grams. Finally, do cardio exercises, such as biking and swimming, 3-5 times a week and do weight training 2-3 times a week. For more advice from our Medical reviewer about protein supplements and rest days, read on!

That's also the set duration where you have the greatest release of lactic acid, which is, in itself, anabolic – it can help preserve muscle mass. So the inclusion of some lactic work along with some heavier work is the best combination to maintain muscle because both provide different growth stimuli which will make it easier to maintain or even gain muscle.

I recommend The Best Damn Workout Plan for Natural Lifters because it's designed to prevent the potential cortisol backlash and will allow the natural lifter to easily maintain or even increase muscle mass while dieting down.

Are hard gainers stuck with skinny calves and forearms? Is lower always better on squats? Answers to these questions and more in the latest installment of our series.

How To Lose 5% Body Fat 10 Days By Personal Trainer Nicholas Polo

In the second part of the introduction to Testosterone's new Physique Clinic, Coach Thibaudeau talks about genetic limitations, diet, motivation, supplementation, and Size Kings. Find out if you've got a chance in hell of transforming that lump you call a body.

The legendary strength athlete tells us why muscle growth is vital for max lifts, and why it's not the same for powerlifters as it is for bodybuilders.This article was co-authored by Pouya Shafipour, MD, MS. Dr. Pouya Shafipour is a Family Medicine Specialist, Primary Care Physician, and a Weight Loss Specialist based in Santa Monica, California. Dr. Shafipour specializes in dietary, nutritional, behavioral, and exercise counseling to manage obesity and medical conditions related to excessive weight gain or loss. Dr. Shafipour received a BS in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, an MS in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University, and an MD from the Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He completed his internship in general surgery at UC Irvine and a residency in family medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and became board certified in family medicine in 2008.

When you're trying to lose weight and excess fat, it's natural to lose a little muscle mass. To prevent losing too much, there are certain diet plans and types of exercise that can help you lose weight, burn fat, and maintain your muscle mass. Check out this list of tips and tricks to get you started on your journey to a leaner, more muscular body.

How Do I Lower My Body Fat Percentage?

This article was co-authored by Pouya Shafipour, MD, MS. Dr. Pouya Shafipour is a Family Medicine Specialist, Primary Care Physician, and a Weight Loss Specialist based in Santa Monica, California. Dr. Shafipour specializes in dietary, nutritional, behavioral, and exercise counseling to manage obesity and medical conditions related to excessive weight gain or loss. Dr. Shafipour received a BS in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, an MS in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University, and an MD from the Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He completed his internship in general surgery at UC Irvine and a residency in family medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and became board certified in family medicine in 2008. This article has been viewed 470, 448 times.

The best way to burn fat without losing muscle is to eat at least 46 grams of protein daily if you’re a woman and 56 grams if you're a man. In addition to protein, make sure you're eating at lease 3 servings of fruit and 6 servings of vegetables per day, and limit your daily carbohydrate intake to between 60 and 200 grams. Finally, do cardio exercises, such as biking and swimming, 3-5 times a week and do weight training 2-3 times a week. For more advice from our Medical reviewer about protein supplements and rest days, read on!