Perspective:

"The man who chases two rabbits, catches neither." — Confucius

The Metabolic Minute: Should you lose weight first, or build muscle first?

This is one of the most common questions I get, and the answer depends on where you're starting from.

If you're 20%+ body fat (men) or 25%+ (women):

Fat loss should be your main focus. Excess body fat can make it harder to build muscle efficiently, and prioritizing fat loss first will reveal the muscle you already have. Also psychologically, it's gonna be hard to eat the right way & train the right way without seeing your body fat go away.

How?

Eat in a small calorie deficit (not extreme dieting). And you can track calories, use portion sizes, IF, whatever you prefer.
Strength train 3-5x per week to retain muscle.
Prioritize high protein (0.7-1g per pound of GOAL body weight) to fuel recovery.
Walk daily & get quality sleep to optimize fat loss.

If you're leaner but feel "skinny fat":

Building muscle should be your priority. If you try to lose more fat, you’ll just get smaller without improving your shape.

How?

Eat at maintenance or a slight calorie surplus.
Strength train 4-5x per week with progressive overload.
Protein, sleep, & recovery matter just as much as training.

The Biggest Mistake?

Trying to aggressively cut and bulk at the same time. Pick one focus, commit for 3-6 months, and reassess. Your journey is gonna be split into seasons of different goals. Embrace where you are NOW, hit that target, then move on to the next goal.

Where are you at right now? Are you above or below that (20% for men, 25% for women) body fat mark? Shoot me a response & let me know!

Have a good week,
Coach Montel
Head Coach
Hardin Athletix

PS: We've got 6 of 50 spots remaining for 1:1 coaching. As I anticipated at the top of the year, doors will probably be closing by the end of this quarter & we'll move to a waitlist. If you want in before spots are capped, take our Transformation Quiz here & we'll get you in great shape.

Hardinx

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The Metabolic Minute: Should you lose weight first, or build muscle first?