Expert: MIGHTY JOE - 12/12/2004

Question
Hi,

I'm a 27 years old guy who stands 5'8".  Unfortunately I only weigh 145 lbs with around 12% body fat.  I have been woking out religiously for a about 6 months now and have also been watching my diet.  My problem is I want to reveal my abs, but I can't due to the layer of fat surrounding it.  I have tried dieting to the point that I went down to about 135 lbs but still no abs.  My observation was that I only lost weight but not bodyfat.  I recently went back to trying to gain weight and have since been back to 145.  What should I do?  Is it possible to gain mass and lose fat at the same time?  I don't mind taking a longer time.  Thanks.

Answer
James,
Thanks for your questions!  I'll try to take them one at a time.

Why is 145lbs "unfortunate"?  12% bodyfat is a much more revealing figure and suggests to me that you're way ahead of the fitness game that 66% of American adults are having trouble with.  When you went down to 135, what was your body comp?  Have you heard of the "set point" theory?  Every body has it's own "sense" of minimum body fat (this goes back to our evolutionary roots and survival).  While it is certainly possible to break past the set point, it requires "reprogramming" your body.

Since I don't know your specific training program and nutritional plan, in response to "what should I do", I can only give some general suggestions:

* Small, frequent meals.  
Do a search for "harris-benedict equation" to get an estimate of your caloric needs. or use this one at http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/  Be sure to factor in your typical activity level too.  Once you have this number, subtract 200-600 (to lose bodyfat, you need a small caloric deficit.  The range is because it sounds like you're stuck at your set point. By varying it a little bit each day, you keep your body "guessing".  Now take this number and divide it by the number of meals/snacks you're going eat each day - between 4-8 - never more than 4 waking hours without a "feeding". (tip: PLAN your meals at least a day in advance so there's less chance of overeating).  Now try to get QUALITY and VARIETY at each meal and stay close to your target calorie intake.

* High intensity interval training.  
If you're spending a lot of time doing cardio, you may be doing too much.  Read my article at http://www.absolutefitnessusa.com/spotred.htm for some guidelines on getting the most out of a short, intense cardio session.

* Understand your goals.
WHY do you want to have defined abs?  Is it realistic?  WHEN do you want to achieve this look?  How lean is "good enough" (I'd definitley measure this by checking body comp and trusting your mirror)

FYI: The bodybuilders you see in the magazines that are 3-5% bodyfat in contest form do NOT stay at that level year round.  It's just not healthy and the body is smart enough to fight back and make a person store some extra body fat, "just in case".

Regarding "Is it possible to gain mass and lose fat at the same time"...  Here's the way I look at it: To lose mass, we need a caloric deficit.  To gain mass, we need a caloric surplus. Right?  So mathmetically, I'd say no.  I'm sure there are exceptions to this rule, but in the "real world", it's better to cycle your training to emphasize different aspects of "fitness" and let fat loss become a welcomed "side effect".  

Finally, back to your "what should I do" question; periodize (cycle) your training efforts, and do the same with your calorie intake; don't stop learning, and have fun with training...there are countless reasons to exercise, fat loss is just one.


Good luck getting your body comp into the single digits!  Remember to train smart and stay healthy!
-joe

Joe Stankowski ACE, NASM cpt
Co-Author - "The Power of Champions"
www.AbsoluteFitnessUSA.com
P.O. Box 7194
Wilmington, DE 19803