: Weight training without putting on fat History The first time I started a strength program I found I could slowly lose a bit of fat during training. Training partner stopped, so did I and I lost a lot of fat (and bit of

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Everybody loves anecdotes so I'll start with one. I got to pick the brain of this great bodybuilder named Bernie Cooper once on Christmas Eve in a bar in Edinburgh. The man obviously did have some "assistance", but he told me the only thing he ever changed when "cutting" was that he added some cardio to his routine.

Anyway, the fact is this: You'll only be able to be so strong (myofibrillar), so sizable (sarcoplasmic), and so lean (body fat). The only limit is your genes, because they dictate how your endocrine system responds to the physical stresses you throw at it. The limiting factor in physique (aesthetics, strength, whatever) is how well you -- every system in your body -- responds to stress. The better you respond to stress, the better the results.

If you find you are not responding to stress in a way that is satisfactory, there are ways to eliminate stress. These may aid in giving you the discipline you need to achieve your goal. People choose various methods (steroids, meditation, alcohol, various cocktails of these things, etc), and the choice impacts the outcome. Some obviously have different consequences than others. You may not choose any of these things. Find what works for you to achieve stress-elimination if this is a problem.

Now, to be absolutely scientific about a solution, you'll either need to have a scientist do the work for you, or be your own scientist. All of these variables (strength, size, body fat, caloric intake, macronutrients, workout duration, even caloric expenditure), are measurable. You can take all of these things and plot them on a chart on a week-to-week basis and make minor adjustments until you approach perfection. That's what star athletes do (or someone does for them).

Another option is to choose a role model who has the strength/size/body fat/whatever you want and do exactly what he does. It is unlikely that what works for others who are in the top of their sport will get you on the podium next to them, however.

This is the answer nobody wants to hear (though we know it to be true) because it means we have to work for it. Good luck!

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Food plus lifting equals get bigger

It seems like you're saying that when you walk a lot, eat moderately, and do nothing else that you lose a little bit of weight--likely fat, but perhaps also muscle. It also seems like you're saying that when you add heavy lifting and a lot of eating that you gain weight. Nothing about that is surprising:

(Lots of low-grade activity) + (Moderate food)= lose fat, probably lose a bit of muscle
(Lots of low-grade activity) + (Strength training) + (LOTS OF FOOD) = gain weight, mostly muscle but also some fat

It sounds like you want to lose weight while getting stronger. So, try the third or fourth option:

(Lots of low-grade activity) + (Strength training) + (Moderate food, mostly protein) = retain muscle, lose fat
(Lots of low-grade activity) + (Strength training) + (Moderate food, mostly protein) + (Short, high-intensity cardio) = retain muscle, lose fat

If you choose to do cardio, I'd put it at the end of your lifting workouts as a short finisher. Say, fifty burpees, or kettlebell swings and farmer's walks and burpees. Five to ten minutes of intense work.

Without more detail on your diet, there's not much more to say than generalities: eat right, eat less, strength train and do cardio. It's kind of to be expected that when you strength train and eat a lot that you're going to gain at least a little of both muscle and fat. That's how it works. But if you don't eat a lot, then strength training merely makes you stronger, not bigger. Your scale weight might go up, since muscle is heavier than fat, but you'll be engaging in body recomposition. (You'll look and feel better but weigh as much or more.)