Skinny fat in bodybuilding: how to progress?

Skinny fat in its literal sense means skinny and fat at the same time. Why has this term gradually appeared in our society and especially in the sports world? It is simply because before, overweight people were categorized as fat or obese and people with a weight below their BMI as skinny.

However, we have understood today that things were not so simple, because in truth the human body in order to be homogeneous must meet certain criteria: the curves and muscles must be harmonious compared to the silhouette in general.

Skinny fat, what does that mean?

With so-called skinny fat people, their metabolic fat storage is often localized in only one place. For men, fat is often stored on the stomach and around the abdominal area, while women store more on the hips and buttocks. In addition, something that differs with so-called "fat" people is that the fat does not store anywhere else, which means that the arms and legs remain lean. It is when one is considered "obese" that fat is stored everywhere.

This trend is affecting more and more young people, they are thin with a normal BMI but composed only of fat.

That is exactly the definition of a skinny fat person. A person who is ectomorphic type and who will have difficulty gaining muscle with a localized excess of fat.

Why do we become skinny fat?

Times have changed, and the tendency to eat "fast and easy" has overtaken traditional cooking, so we rush to fast foods, sandwiches and ready-made meals as soon as we break for lunch.

Add to this a lifestyle in which we no longer get into the habit of taking a walk to digest after meals, and for lack of time and in order to be more operational at work, we prefer industrial food, and all this without doing any sport. It doesn't take long for all the elements to come together to create a skinny fat generation.

Except that we all know that the lack of exercise is terribly detrimental to our bodies, not to mention that we no longer know how to eat properly. Thus, many people take refuge in the fact that they are considered healthy because their BMI is considered normal, whereas in reality their physique shows that this is not the case.

What is the importance of nutrition in bodybuilding?

And that's what you need to combat: if you notice that you're starting to store fat in a particular place, and that you're having trouble putting on muscle, you need to take action at the very first sign to remedy the situation. After all, the skinny fat phase is the first step towards obesity. In other words, just because we're thin doesn't mean we won't be.

Indeed, with age and hormones, without sport and a proper diet, by the time you want to change things, it won't be too late, but you'll need a lot more time than if you paid attention now.

Among other things, we must not neglect the hereditary factor, we often observe that people from the same family tend to store fat in the same place, the genetic factor in addition to our lifestyle plays a huge role in our ability to store fat in a specific place.

How to gain muscle when you are skinny fat?

To understand how mass gain works for so-called skinny fat people, you must first realize that their muscle development is different.

• For those who have stored fat in a specific area, it is imperative that before you start weight training, you begin to change your eating habits and follow a lighter diet in order to lose the excess fat you have stored.
• Just as it is essential that you approach a fat content ideal thanks to physical activity and a suitable diet, you should know that each individual has an ideal fat level for his or her size and build
• Once the diet is done, you should not do a quick muscle gain. When building muscle, you will need to build your own mass.
• As diet is very important, following fitness exercises to start sport does not mean allowing yourself to eat more than your daily calorie intake
• Remember to eat a balanced diet with three well-balanced meals a day plus snacks
• If the diet has not been done before starting the exercises, the increase in muscle volume will be much slower than in people with a normal body shape
• A poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle is in our genes, so the fat cells due to a previous excess of calories will always tend to return and will always seek to multiply, it is important to always remain vigilant by controlling the hunger hormone

If you respect all these points, your muscle gain will be done in a serene and perennial way. From then on, you can think about making a good weight gain.

Which goal should I choose between gaining weight and losing weight?

There are two approaches to consider when choosing a bodybuilding weight gainer for Skinny fat.

First of all, there are two categories of skinny fat to consider.

Those with a significant amount of fat on and around the belly for men, for women around the hips and those with a noticeable but not very prominent amount of fat.

For people with a high fat content

For those whose need to lose fat is urgent and who have a mindset that is ready to endure a diet, it is highly recommended to start by hiring a coach to guide you. Workouts to build muscle mass gently with light weights, long body weight exercises without forgetting cardio sessions, push-ups and stretching.

Only a professional will be able to make a complete program tailored to you.

With this method and diet plan it is certain that there will be a faster change on the body than if you were to manage yourself.

Why should I do this? Quite simply because beginners will easily lose motivation as each session progresses if they start with muscle strengthening that will be slow and weight loss that will not be seen so soon. Not seeing their belly diminish or their hips shrink for women, they will lose courage very quickly. Because building muscle without first losing weight is possible but more tedious.

In addition, the new practitioners will see in this method a means to familiarize themselves more easily with the tools of bodybuilding as well as the exercises, their attention not being focused on a gain of mass, they will only see the positive side of this approach.

For those with a lower fat content

For these beginner athletes, it is advisable to start the bodybuilding program directly with a mass gain without worrying about weight loss, which will be done in a more harmonious way thanks to a good dietary dosage to build muscle. Then, he can think about a dry.

For weight training exercises, you can do pronated bar rowing, dips or abdominal exercises, pull-ups are especially important to harmonize your figure. For women, choose squats, workouts that include lateral leg raises with an elastic band, and bench presses.

The number of repetitions to increase muscle mass and gain strength will depend on whether or not you can train at high intensity. In your basic exercises, focus on the following muscle groups: abdominals, triceps, quadriceps, ischios, glutes, pectorals etc.

What diet should I adopt for a skinny fat?

Eat low-fat foods

Here is a non-exhaustive list of foods to include in their diet to help them lose weight while building muscle mass through proper nutrition.

Do not omit any food group for a good mass gain: proteins (proteins), fats, starchy foods, high fiber foods, etc. all should be part of your diet and help you to have proper muscle development and weight loss.

Avoid products that produce fat

such as fast food, ready-made meals, full of preservatives and products that are not only unhealthy but will add fatty tissue. And above all, do not eat beyond your satiety, even for ectomorphs.

Choose eggs, which are rich in protein, oatmeal and chicken, which is much less fatty than other meats.
As far as vegetables are concerned, all vegetables are good, choose those with a lot of fiber, to help you facilitate the intestinal transit.

Avoid sunflower oil which promotes cholesterol, prefer rapeseed oil and olive oil which are better for your health.
Dairy products are a source of protein but some people are lactose intolerant. Eat carbohydrates in moderation such as basmati rice or yams (without adding butter of course) and finally eat fruit as a snack (the ideal hunger-suppressing fruit is grapefruit, but also apples or bananas).

Conclusion

This article is informative and is especially recommended for overweight sports people who really want to lose weight, get rid of their abdominal fat to finally get a flat stomach but also to lose fat around their hips. I recommend that you do not get discouraged because to build an athletic body, it is important to understand that only time, patience and effort will help you lose your weight and harmonize your curves.

Do not hesitate to contact me, I will be there to help you and thanks to a personalized coaching programTogether we will evaluate your daily energy needs through a tailored diet and exercises adapted to your morphology and genetics, your endurance and also according to your equipment and lifestyle.

---

Other articles to read :

How to calculate your basal metabolic rate?

What is the difference between catabolism and anabolism?

Understanding endorphin secretion during sport

Tips for losing your saddlebags