Hey guys I'm pretty new to this whole dieting and working out thing.

I'm 16 and my goal is to basically lower my body fat percentage and become thinner. My body fat percentage is 22%...I guess that makes me over weight.

So the last 3 months I've been doing the morning cardio, and lifting weights right after. I've been cutting down carbs 3 hours before bed time and eating more protein. I've lost some pounds but a few more wouldn't hurt :p.

Ok so heres the deal. Two weeks ago I finally got my hands on some whey protein and have been drinking a shake right after my workout (and some other protein from food). Thing is I think I made a mistake with my weight lifting...I've been doing less repeats with a lot of weight (4 x 8). And lately I have noticed that I've gained some muscle mass, especially on my back, shoulders and pecs.

While bulking up is what most of you would want and consider a good thing...well I don't feel comfortable with my body in such a state. I'd prefer the lean cut body..maybe I'll bulk up when I'm older.

So my question now is...how do I lose the mass I've already gained and how do I avoid gaining any further? Just lose fat is my goal. I've been thinking about doing more repeats with lighter weight...and also stop drinking that whey stuff...but I'll ask for your advice first. :)

Thanks.

Well, if I were you, I'd keep the muscle and use it as your new fat burner. Decide later after you have lost some body fat whether you want to lose the lean mass. You may feel a bit bloated or bigger than you're used to when you still have the fat over your new found muscle. That's normal, I've felt the same way in my bulking cycle and I'm 31 now.

It'd be beneficial to keep that muscle mass because its the major fat burner and it will keep it off for the long run and you'll be more fit and active. Keep up the lifting and adjust food intake if the fat doesn't start to melt away.

I suggest doing cardio every other day and as far from your lifting workouts as possible. Doing them so close together is counterproductive because of how the body works. Read all you can and you'll learn a lot of that kind of info from this site!

I'd prefer the lean cut body..
You need some muscle to get the lean cut body you want, you can't get definition from bones ;)

I agree with what Denzalo said, once you cut all the fat off you probably don't have nearly as much muscle as you think you do. I promise you aren't going to finish cutting and look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Keep doing what your doing, use your muscle to burn fat for you, then when your at the body fat% you want to be at then re-evaluate your muscle mass.... I bet there will be allot less then you think.

I'd suggest that you keep trying to lose the fat, continue weight-training progressively, and not pay much attention to the muscle. If you're honestly on a calorie deficit and losing fat, even as a beginner, you are not going to put on significant muscle. You will be lucky to put on just a couple pounds of lean mass. So, since it takes dozens and dozens of pounds of lean mass to cause a significant change in how your physique looks, there's nothing to worry about.

In a lot of cases, when people are first starting out, they overreact to unplanned changes to their body. Small changes that no one else would notice become huge ordeals in their own minds. This is part of the psychology of going from being "unfit" to "fit" -- whether that ultimate goal carries significant muscle or not. The truth is that it takes quite a while as well as hard work to cause significant change to the body. If gaining muscle was easy, we'd all be huge bodybuilders and that's obviously not the case.

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As an aside, a protein shake isn't the fast ticket to building or preserving muscle mass. They're simply calories. So, you need to account for them in your daily planning and exercise. If you drink too many protein shakes, you'll gain weight, just as if you ate too much food. Likewise, if you're participating in a strenuous resistance program and those protein shakes push your total calories out of deficit, some of that weight is likely to be muscle. So, certainly drink those protein shakes to get the nutrients you need in for muscle repair and bodily functions, but watch that your overall amount of calories remains at a deficit.

This question scares me. Do you really want to lose muscle mass? You could always quit exercising and sit around on the couch. This question, to me, is akin to asking, "I've got a million bucks. How can I make sure I don't have any money by the end of the week?" :spank:

So my question now is...how do I lose the mass I've already gained and how do I avoid gaining any further?

I think it's really hard. There is a guy here who had that as a goal so he would look good after transgender surgery, and I think he's having a tough time losing muscle.

This question scares me. Do you really want to lose muscle mass? You could always quit exercising and sit around on the couch. This question, to me, is akin to asking, "I've got a million bucks. How can I make sure I don't have any money by the end of the week?" :spank:

I don't think he really wants to lose muscle mass -- In all likelihood, once he loses the fat, he will discover that he doesn't have as much muscle as he thought he did. At 22% bodyfat, much of the bulk is fat.

Judging new muscle mass at 22% BF would be kind of difficult. If you're noticing visible signs of increased muscularity, it's more likely that what you're seeing is the result of reducing the amount of fat you have covering your existing muscle base. This would be a positive sign you're headed in the right direction. I'd take a closer look at what is really going on before switching up your program too much and possibly compromising your progress.

Do you have before and after pictures from the last 3 months? Or possibly body measurements to compare?

Your age and the natural development stage you're going through is another factor. Combine that with a resistance training program of any sort, and your body is likely to take on a more muscular look. I wouldn't try and purposely get in the way of this.

As much as the manufacture of your whey protein supplement would love to tell you that their product is responsible for the results you're seeing, it probably has little to do with it. Your overall diet, training, and course of natural development are going to be the main factors.

Well I've taken a break 4 days from the gym, got back today and felt great. I thought about this through reading your responses and I'm sure you guys are spot on. It IS indeed the fat that makes me look more muscular, the muscle I have gained is very little - but when muscle mixes with fat it isn't a pretty sight, and I'm sure you can tell why I wasn't very pleased when I noticed the small change.

chicanerous, I don't over stuff my body with those protein shakes, I'm aware that too much of that protein stuff will make you gain weight, sometimes in the around-the-belly area and that is something I definitely wouldn't want, since most of the fat is located around that spot. I only drink one shake a day...I think that should do it.

So my program will remain the same. Goal is to lose the fat and keep the muscle...I don't think I will look as bulky when the fat is gone :D. Unfortunately I don't have any pics but I'm working on it. Thanks for the opinions and for keeping me on the right track.

So if I understood, your advice is NOT to change my weight lifting and keep doing less repeats with a lot of weight. On the other hand, I was told doing more repeats with less weight will burn the fat quicker. What what you guys suggest on this one? You would seem to know better. ;)

Well I've taken a break 4 days from the gym, got back today and felt great. I thought about this through reading your responses and I'm sure you guys are spot on. It IS indeed the fat that makes me look more muscular, the muscle I have gained is very little - but when muscle mixes with fat it isn't a pretty sight, and I'm sure you can tell why I wasn't very pleased when I noticed the small change.

chicanerous, I don't over stuff my body with those protein shakes, I'm aware that too much of that protein stuff will make you gain weight, sometimes in the around-the-belly area and that is something I definitely wouldn't want, since most of the fat is located around that spot. I only drink one shake a day...I think that should do it.

So my program will remain the same. Goal is to lose the fat and keep the muscle...I don't think I will look as bulky when the fat is gone :D. Unfortunately I don't have any pics but I'm working on it. Thanks for the opinions and for keeping me on the right track.

So if I understood, your advice is NOT to change my weight lifting and keep doing less repeats with a lot of weight. On the other hand, I was told doing more repeats with less weight will burn the fat quicker. What what you guys suggest on this one? You would seem to know better. ;)


Well, for someone just starting out, I would work towards 8-12 reps per set (try to hit 10). Once you get a chance to learn the correct form for all the exercises and your body gets used to weight lifting, you can lower reps it to change it up, but don't worry about that now. You'll be upping the weights in no time. Don't slack about on the effort, go as hard as you can but listen to your body! If something hurts, stop. The goal is stressing your body in a way that it isn't used to. So yes, the weights have to be challenging.

Focus on the contraction during your rep, its not moving weights that build muscle, its the contraction force that tears up muscle fibers. To do that we need sufficient load (weight). Squeeze them muscles at the top of the rep for a second, then release. Controlled fashion.