I was inspired to create this article by amazing people who love brag about your "fat mass", passing it off as a solid result in bodybuilding. I think I'm not the only one who has such acquaintances whose lifestyle is an endless stream simple carbohydrates, diluted with periodic training. And they call it bodybuilding. I perfectly understand why this alignment of events attracts many: there is no need to limit yourself in the quantity and quality of food, body weight is constantly growing, strength indicators also do not stand still. There are many pluses, and there is essentially only one minus, but in my understanding it covers all the shortcomings. As you may have guessed, the minus is body fat, directly proportional to the crazyness of your diet.

But bodybuilding is not a competition to determine the maximum body weight. bodybuilding is muscles, aesthetics and proportions, respectively, healthy bodybuilding is small percentage subcutaneous fat . Of course, a slight increase in the thickness of the fat layer during the period of direct work to increase muscle mass is acceptable, but this does not mean that you can grow your belly with a satisfied face, hiding behind the hackneyed phrase "I'm on the mass." You can stay on the mass even with the visible outlines of the abdominal press cubes and at the same time continue to gain good meat, remaining natural bodybuilder.

Have you ever thought about the question "Which is heavier, muscle or fat?". We are used to the fact that fat (no tolerance) people are quite heavy, for many of them it is not difficult to gain a hundred or more kilograms on the scales. But at the same time, professional bodybuilders in the competitive period also weigh over a hundred with a minimum percentage of fat. Does this mean a significant difference between the weight of fat and meat?

In fact, muscles are, of course, heavier than fat, but not significantly. The relative severity of a particular substance is affected by essentially one single parameter - this is density. So, the density of meat is slightly higher than the density of fat, which means that with the same volume, a piece of muscle will weigh more than a piece of fat, but this difference is not so significant.

It turns out that the volume of the body of a professional healthy bodybuilder is slightly less than the same indicator for a classic puff of the same weight. But at the same time, the puff is visually much less pleasing to our eyes. Why? At least because fat in his body is unevenly distributed. In men, the scheme for depositing extra pounds is quite simple - do you have extra energy? put off in the belly! Yes, this is our male share - ate too much, get belly growth(in women, the distribution of fat is more even). The puffball repels us first of all with its huge belly, and not with greasy arms or legs. And if we could distribute all his excess fat evenly throughout the body, then the person would look more attractive in appearance, in clothes he would look like a healthy muscled kid.

Think about why a real jock even in clothes seems to be a jock? The answer is simple - the bodybuilder's muscles grow simultaneously throughout the body, some muscle groups, of course, always lag behind, but the general trend is clear - in a bodybuilder compared to an ordinary person wider shoulders, back, chest, bigger arms, thicker legs. All this muscle mass is evenly distributed, unlike the puffball, which is why bodybuilders are much more pleasing to our eyes than ssbbws, no matter what anyone says.

Therefore, guys, always remain pitching! This requires strictly monitor the percentage of subcutaneous fat deposits. Even though your meat is not yet so large in volume, small dry muscles are many times more aesthetically pleasing than a fat kid, looking at which you want to ask the question: "Are you pumping or just fat?" And to control the thickness of the fat layer is elementary - need to control carbohydrate intake. Yes, it is carbohydrates in the first place, and then fats. experimental select the maximum daily amount of carbohydrates at which you will maintain a clear outline of muscle groups and distinguishable abs. This will be sufficient for further MUSCLE mass growth(and dry) and for the impossibility of starting catabolic processes in relation to the muscles. And if you have already gained too much, then boldly and gradually cut carbohydrates to the level of triggering catabolism in relation to fat (in Russian - fat burning).

Summarize. The word "mass" in the world of bodybuilding has become a kind of cult. Mass, I want mass, gain mass, more mass - such thoughts have settled in many heads. The worship of increasing body weight, instead of increasing muscle mass, has become quite noticeable. It’s understandable, it’s much easier to increase body weight than muscles, it’s enough just to go to excess calories in nutrition. But friends this is not bodybuilding, this is fat building! Fat does not give you beauty, aesthetics, or strength! It's simple energy airbag of our body, which we absolutely do not need now in the age of food abundance. Want to get better, increase the size of the meat! Meat carcasses are always in fashion :)

Finally, I will ask you a philosophical riddle: What is heavier - a kilogram of fat or a kilogram of muscle?

Body size largely depends on the percentage of fat in it.

The higher it is, the greater the threat to health with excess weight.

When you measure your body fat at a club or at the doctor's, the meter will show you the percentage of fat, water, and muscle. Together they make up 100%.

While the water content in the body remains virtually unchanged, the variables are the content of fat and muscle.

The more your muscle mass the less fat you have (and vice versa).

Which is heavier fat or muscle?

Specific gravity muscle tissue three times the specific gravity fatty.

The ideal body fat percentage is

Why does the body need fat?

If the percentage of fat is lower, it is not always good for health. Fat is necessary for the body, it protects internal organs, such as kidneys, and keeps you warm in cold weather.

Turn fat into muscle?

You can't turn fat into muscle. Because you can burn fat and build muscle. It is foolish to believe that one goes into another!

If you decide to reduce your weight and do strength exercises, the percentage of body fat decreases, and muscle mass increases. This is good because:

Increases physical strength

Energy is added

Increases metabolism

Improves muscle configuration

Cellulite is reduced

The figure becomes better (in men, the muscles become more distinct; in women, the outlines become smoother)

Weight increases

Reduced risk of diseases associated with being overweight or obese

A large percentage of body fat is harmful. It leads to the following:

Increased risk of diabetes or other diseases associated with being overweight or obese

Decreased energy

Metabolism slows down, obesity

The body becomes lethargic

For determining desired size can not be used as an indicator of the percentage of fat content.

Eg, Katya's body fat percentage was 19%. She wore clothes size 46. But the waist of this woman was too wide, and the muscles were so large that the clothes did not fit well. The jeans didn't fit on her. She had an ideal body fat percentage, but she wanted to wear a smaller size. She was advised to change her diet.

Body fat percentage can be used as a guide, but not the only one.

When we talk about a lot of weight, we increasingly condemn the presence of extra pounds and fat stores. Yes, the size depends on the percentage of body fat in many ways, but still, there are no exact indicators of normal weight, since muscles also affect size and weight. They also have weight.

Usually, experts for determining excess weight do not take into account the actual weight, but the percentage of fat in the human body. The higher this percentage, the greater the risk of health complications.. This percentage can only be determined using a special device or well-thought-out scales, which are usually found in nutritionists' offices. You can find such scales in fitness clubs. They show the percentage of fat, muscle and water that are contained in the body and all three indicators will add up to 100%. Since the percentage of water in the human body usually does not change (at least it should), changes in the percentage of muscle and fat can occur. Needless to say, the greater the advantage in the direction of the muscles, the better for human health.

What's harder?

It is noted that in muscle tissue, the specific gravity is three times higher than the weight of adipose tissue. It has long been noted indicators of the ideal percentage of fat and muscle mass for women and men. Values change depending on age.

So, for women under the age of 20 years, 14-21% is considered a normal indicator of the amount of fat, but already from 20 to 50 years old, it is permissible for women to have a fat mass of 17 to 27%. After thirty, the percentage of 20-3o is considered the norm.

As for men, the norms are somewhat lower for them. At the age of 20 years, fat mass can be 9-15%, and at the age of 20 to 50 years, 14-21% is considered the norm. After 50 years, as for women, the norms increase, and the value of fat can reach 19-23%.

By the way, if the percentage of fat is higher, this, of course, indicates obesity, but even lower values ​​are far from always good for human health. For a person, fat is necessary, because it helps protect internal organs. And in cold weather, fat still performs the function of heating.

So it’s better for women not to go too far in getting rid of fat in order to prevent an indicator of less than 12%. At lower values, a variety of problems are noted, including frequent stopping menstrual cycle. Men need at least 5% for normal well-being and health.

How to turn fat into muscle?

Fat cannot be turned into muscle, because in order to reduce its amount, body fat must be burned. Muscle mass, on the contrary, increases. So the two processes are completely incompatible. But if you train, do strength exercises, then the fat gradually disappears, and at the same time muscle mass increases. This happens due to the fact that physical strength increases, energy is added, muscle configuration noticeably improves and metabolism increases. An excellent result of active training is an improvement in figure and weight, a reduction in the appearance of cellulite and a reduction in the risk of diseases that are associated with obesity or overweight.

But a high percentage of fat is very harmful to the human body. It can lead to a decrease in energy flow and slow metabolism, the body becomes noticeably more lethargic and increases the risk of developing diabetes and some other unpleasant diseases.

But, in any case, using the percentage of body fat to determine the size of a person is unreasonable. There are women with a low percentage of body fat, but with wide hips by nature and an insufficiently pronounced waist. Of course, the clothing size in this case cannot be too small, even if the weight seems small. Or, with a percentage of fat above the norm, people look quite good for themselves - they cannot boast of a model appearance, but it is also difficult to put obesity on them. So the percentage of body fat can be an indicator, but it is far from the only guideline.

There is a generally accepted opinion that any exercise is good for the body and contributes to weight loss. To some extent, this is true. But if your goal is a beautiful figure without fat folds and saggy skin, then you must choose the appropriate type of exercise that is most effective for achieving this goal. Just as important as the exercise itself is proper nutrition. Lessons along with proper nutrition capable of producing stunning results with relatively little effort.

It is important to take into account some of the nuances, so as not to waste time and effort.

Results won't be instant

Any training aimed at losing weight, and especially cardiovascular and strength exercises, takes time to see results. And this is often discouraging for beginners.

On the one hand, many women, having decided, begin to train intensively and train with enthusiasm for about one to two weeks. And then, seeing that their size has not decreased from the 50th to the 44th, they are disappointed and stop playing sports. They put in so much effort in the first days of training and stop just when they are on the verge of losing weight.

On the other hand, many women avoid intense training, especially strength training, in order to "not build muscle like men." Usually these are women with a good metabolism: their fats melt quickly, so it seems to them that their muscle mass will grow just as quickly. In reality, women simply do not have enough androgens to have muscles like men. Yes, and the men themselves, in order to look muscular, are forced to take steroid drugs. What is there to say about women!

Exercise is needed in order to change not only the body, but, first of all, the way of life. They slowly, but for a long time, rebuild the work of the whole organism. Since they are "trading fat for muscle" and muscles are heavier than fat, you may feel like you are not losing weight. In fact, you will notice results in the form of a decrease in volume and an increase in tone after the second or third workout. And after 2-3 weeks, the weight will begin to decrease.

Diets don't work

The body needs proteins for muscle mass, carbohydrates for energy, vitamins and minerals for metabolism. Beauty is synonymous with health, and an emaciated body simply cannot be beautiful. Take, for example, those who skip meals to lose weight faster. When the body is put on a starvation ration, it begins, in the literal sense of the word, to "devour" itself! And not only accumulated fats, but also muscles!

Those who go on a diet and start exercising for the sake of losing weight usually begin to frenziedly weigh themselves several times a day. This in itself is not terrible, but only in increasing the weight after the first workouts there is nothing wrong. Muscles weigh more, and the body needs more muscle mass in order to burn fat. Therefore, it is important not to reduce weight, but to remake the body - the exchange of fat mass for muscle mass.

Have you ever noticed that women weighing, say, 70 kg sometimes look more slender than women weighing 65 kg? This may be because they have a lower percentage of fat mass and a higher percentage of lean mass. Therefore, in most cases it is easier to change the ratio of fat and muscle mass than to simply try to "reduce weight", which is genetically predetermined.

How to achieve a toned figure

Often, weight loss brings new problems to those who have lost weight. This is because not all fat is burned at the same time and quickly. Some subcutaneous fat stores are more resistant to attack, and it takes more time and perseverance to get rid of them. Meanwhile, these unburned reserves lie in mounds, look ugly and form skin folds. Not only does it look unaesthetic, it's also unhygienic, as these folds rub against other parts of the body and dirt and bacteria accumulate underneath.

You can get rid of stubborn fat and tighten sagging skin by changing the so-called BMI - body mass index. What does it mean? This means building muscle while losing fat. When wrong or too rapid weight loss muscle mass is often burned along with fat. Therefore, stretched skin sags - it simply has nothing more to fit. Building muscle mass will not only allow you to burn more fat, but also create the necessary framework for the skin.

However, a distinction must be made between sagging and excess skin. Excess skin appears in people who have lost a lot of weight. This is stretched thin skin, as if “empty” from the inside. It has practically no fat reserves left, and it is very difficult to pull it up. Sagging skin, on the contrary, is something like "pockets" filled with fat. Such sagging skin can just be tightened with a change.

And although each loser has his own ultimate goals, depending on his own height and physique, in general it is desirable that body mass index was less than 30 and in some cases even lower. Changing this index is not easy, especially if you are already a little overweight, but with some perseverance it is quite possible. In order to build muscle mass instead of fat:

1. Continue to eat a healthy diet with plenty of protein - at least 75-100 grams daily.

2. Engage in aerobic exercise or other vigorous and vigorous sports at least 3-4 times a week.

3. Do strength training at least 3-4 times a week.

4. Reduce the amount of sweets, starches and processed foods in your diet.

The bigger, the better?

How do you train to build muscle instead of fat?

Ideally, it is desirable to combine aerobic training with strength training. Thanks to intensive motor exercises of aerobics, excess fats are effectively and quickly burned. The goal of strength training is to develop the muscular system. And here, unlike aerobics, it is not the number of repetitions and not the duration of the workout that matters, but the weight of the load. By training with a heavy weight (2-4 kg) and repeating each exercise for only 10-12 times, you attach, burn fat and build muscle instead. With less weight, regardless of the duration of the workout, the result will be negligible: the muscles simply are not involved, which means that muscle mass does not increase.

The optimal duration of strength training is 15-20 minutes. It is useless and even harmful to health to "swing" for hours - the muscles must be given rest after each power load. Only with a combination of load and rest, muscle mass replaces fat most effectively.