Cut Fat, Build Muscle

Written by E.J. Reeves

To do something right, focus on that one thing!  Drop conflicting activities, or at least limit the conflict.

Now how do you cut fat and build muscle simultaneously?

Cutting your body fat requires you to reduce calories, especially starchy carbs along with fat, below maintenance levels.

Building muscle on the other hand you will need to consume an abundance of protein, complex carbs and body friendly fats above maintenance levels. 

To add to the conflict, fat burning is best done by aerobics while muscle building requires resistance training.

What has worked for me is my 21-day Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde routine.  As the name implies you will be 2 opposite people for 3 weeks.  At the beginning of every week for 3 days you will train and eat for fat burning (lean & mean) Mr. Hyde.  Then for the next 3 days you will train and eat for muscle building (Dr. Jekyl).

The diets:

Lean & Mean – Mr. Hyde --  1st (3 days of week)

- 5 to 6 evenly portioned meals

- Abundance of protein from eggs, skinless chicken & fish

- Abundance of fibrous carbohydrates from raw or steamed vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, spinach, carrots, lettuce

- No starchy carbohydrates - avoid pasta, potatoes, bread, cereal, rice, sweet potatoes, etc.

- No simple carbohydrates - avoid fruit, pop, pastry, candy, etc.

- Drink mainly water/1 gallon per day  

Full & Happy— Dr. Jekyl --  2nd (3 days of week)

- 5 to 6 evenly portioned meals.

- Abundance of protein from eggs, skinless chicken, fish, lean red meat.

- Abundance of complex carbohydrates equally balanced between your fibrous carbohydrates (vegetables) and your starchy carbohydrates (cereal, rice, pasta, etc.)

- You may add simple carbohydrates in the form of fresh fruit if you split your carb intake into 3 equal portions (fruit, vegetables, starches).

- Drink mainly water/1 gallon per day.

What will this diet do?  In very simple terms in the 1st 3 days you will be carbohydrate depleting through diet and aerobics.  This combo kicks your fat burning into high gear!  The 2nd 3 days you will be carb loading your muscles through diet and resistance training.  Your muscles are primed for super compensation of carbohydrates and other nutrients promoting muscle growth.

Day #7 is an off day for rest and a favorite unauthorized food!  Use the full & happy Dr. Jekyl diet and add 1 treat e.g.: pizza, lasagna, etc. but not the whole pan.

The routines:

Lean & Mean – Mr. Hyde -- 1st (3 days of week)

Aerobics as described in the Ab-Mag article entitled the Troika.  To summarize, in the morning on an empty stomach perform some high intensity aerobics followed by some low intensity aerobics, e.g. 2 to 3 minutes warm-up-sprints or skipping. 10 to 15 minutes high intensity aerobics, 100 yard dash, walk back to start then repeat—all out effort or 3 timed rounds of skipping, 1 minute rest followed immediately by a 20 to 30 minute jog/walk.  Drink plenty of water.

Eat an hour after the end of aerobic session.

Full Happy – Dr. Jekyl -- 2nd ( 3 days of week)

Resistance training as described in FF-Mag article entitled Sustainable Growth.  To summarize, divide your workouts into 3 days.  In each day perform 1 heavy basic compound exercise followed immediately by a moderate weight compound exercise followed immediately by a relatively light isolation exercise.  Do not rest between the 3 different exercises.  Only rest at the end of the 3 and that only enough to catch your breath then repeat.  Do this as often as you can in 30 minutes.

Immediately after the workout consume a carb and high protein drink.  Then 20 minutes after that consume your 1st meal.

For decades body builders have divided their efforts into bulking up for muscle and then dieting down to lose excess fat.  This has produced some outstanding bodies but it has done so at the expense of health.  They focused on one element of bodybuilding at a time for months.

A healthier approach is a shorter cycle of 3 weeks.  In each of the 3 weeks you have a micro cycle of fat loss followed by a micro cycle of muscle building.

I have successfully used the above routine before a photo shoot with outstanding results.  Typically look for 5 to 6 lbs. of fat loss and 2 to 3 lbs. of muscle gain.

Look in the mirror to judge your progress and adjust your diet and exercise intensity accordingly.  After 3 weeks on the Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde routine/diet return to your maintenance diet and routine for 60 days.

Feedback

Hi E.J.,

So many thanks for your speedy and helpful response to my nutrition questions. I was just wondering..do you include a portion of carbs with EVERY meal? In other words, do I eat that 1/3rd cup of rice per meal??
-Peter

Hi Peter,

Yes I include carbs with every meal except six weeks before a photo shoot (this is pretty severe carb depletion and I would not recommend it for most people). I do recommend having starchy carbs at only one or two meals, the other meals to include fibrous carbs in the form of vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus spears, brussel sprouts, green or yellow beans).

-E.J.

Hi E.J.,

I saw some information on the net you had posted relative to exercise and fat loss. I was wondering if you would be kind enough to
assist me with my dilemma. I am a 42 year old guy who is basically out of shape and 40 pounds too fat. I am currently participating in a 5 day per week army style "boot camp" work out each morning at 7 am. 45 minutes of calisthenics, running etc..with a drill sergeant who leads these fitness groups. Here is the question..I want to know WHAT AND HOW MUCH TO EAT! I know for sure that I want to eat 6 MINI_MEALS per day... I will tell you I weigh 230 and am 6'ft 1". MY BMI indicates that I am quite at risk in the OBESE category. Would u mind emailing me a days worth of 6 mini meals to total around 1700 or 1800 calories? Thank you in advance Ed peter in Boston MA :)

-Adam

Hi Adam,

For serious fat loss you have limited options. Your five or six mini meals should contain protein, and complex carbs. Your protein sources for each meal should be six oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, six oz. of salmon or trout fillet, egg white omelet with one whole egg and low fat cheese, six oz. of pork loin center cut. Your complex carbs should be 1/3 cup of cooked oatmeal a day, half a baked yam, 4 oz. of brown rice, steamed broccoli, cauliflower, green or yellow beans, brussel sprouts, asparagus spears. For dessert you can have each day a cup of fresh strawberries or blueberries, or raspberries, no toppings. You need to drink lots of water with no pop or alcohol for at least six days a week. If you are not loosing two pounds a week you are cheating on your diet big time. Good luck.

-E.J.

You can e-mail E.J. your questions or comments at info@easyeffort.com

Copyright © 2002 by E.J. Reeves All rights reserved.

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