Hi Nation,

As I'm downing my pre-workout drink, I was thinking. My primary goal is to lose fat but when I try to just stick to cardio only I get nostalgic for weights so I started back lifting. Now I'm caught in my old problem, how do I build muscle and lose fat? I know many of you who have always been fit and made it part of your life speak of having bulking and shredding phases. Are the principles the same for muscle/strength gain and fat loss? When one is bulking and building muscle, one has to take in more calories correct? and the opposite for shredding/fat loss? IF this istrue then is it a good idea for me focus on one first then the other? And if I should focus on fat loss first, should I worry about drinking protein shakes or just focus on a low cal diet and exercise? Btw, can one do light weights and be on a low cal diet? Any help would be appreciated. FYI, I'm doing full body workouts at the moment.

Patrick,

No sense making this complicated. If you remember from one of your previous posts, you were feeling frustrated and overwhelmed due to your job goals and fitness goals. It is really quite simple. The most effective way to lose weight is aerobics AND weight lifting together - not individually. This combined with a solid diet will give you fat loss and muscle gain. Don't get too obsessed with calories. You do need to calculate what your body needs based on your activity levels but the key is by keeping active (aerobics and weightlifting) you don't need to worry about calorie surplus/deficit stuff.

At this point, you need to get your physique where you want it thru consistent weightlifting, aerobics, and diet. Once this is done, you can "fine tune" it thru macro manipulations. Don't try to do too much too fast and don't overthink this basic formula. With consistency and patience, you will achieve what you want :-)

John