I`d like to add at least 30lbs to my frame….to put on healthy mass without some fat is not so easy
3 Reasons YOU Want Muscle
By Joel Marion & Vince Del Monte
It doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, 22 or 62, attempting to lose fat or “get buff”, you WANT muscle. In fact, we’ll venture to say that virtually everyone wants muscle (whether they know it or not), and here’s why:
1. Building Muscle = Faster Fat Loss
Even if you’re primary goal is fat loss, you’d be extremely wise to build specific periods of time in to your training schedule in which you primarily concentrate on building muscle.
Why?
Muscle is metabolically expensive.
You see, for every pound of muscle you manage to add to your frame, you’ll burn an additional 40-50 cals per day. So, let’s say you gain 10 lbs; that means your body now REQUIRES 400-500 more calories to simply maintain its weight, posing several benefits:
- You get to eat the same amount and lose fat faster OR
- You get to eat more and lose fat just as quickly
Either way you look at it, that’s a pretty solid deal, only possible through the addition of calorie-burning lean muscle.
2. Building Muscle = Easier Weight Maintenance
Let’s say you lose 30 lbs, which is awesome, but you fail to put on any appreciable amount muscle, or even worse, you lose muscle mass in the process (which is extremely common).
In either case, metabolism will in fact be slower after you’ve lost the 30 lbs than it was when you first started your fat loss journey…NOT what you want if your goal is to actually keep the weight off.
With the addition of lean muscle mass, your metabolism won’t be slower, it will be faster, making maintaining your new body incredibly easy.
Muscle is the difference between losing 30 lbs once and for all, and struggling to losing 30 lbs over and over and over again for the rest of your life.
Wouldn’t you love to just lose the weight once and never have to worry about “gaining it back”…again?
3. Building Muscle = A Hotter, Sexier Body
Being thin is one thing, being hot is another. And the latter is something only lean muscle can provide.
I think we’d all agree that while being thin is certainly better than being fat, what we truly want our bodies to look like goes far beyond simply being skinny.
For example, take a look at the photos below; these are both “size 2” bodies:
The difference: one looks “okay” and the other is smokin’ hot. The REAL difference: Muscle. While the same exact “size”, the physique on the right is comprised mostly of dense, shapely, tone muscle, while the image on the left…isn’t.
And for the guys, when it comes to taking your shirt off or being comfortable on the beach, we’d probably all agree that simply being “thin” or “skinny” isn’t where it’s at. Muscle makes a dramatic difference in the way we look. Just look at the before/after pics from these two clowns:
While the “before” photos were thin, there’s a world of difference in the confidence and general appearance of a physique possessing significantly more muscle.
How would your life change if YOU were to gain 5, 10, or even 20 lbs of lean muscle?
Both Vince and I can tell you that since our transformation, our entire lives have benefited massively because of one thing: muscle. It really can and does affect your entire life.
Comment Time:
How many pounds of lean, sexy muscle would you like to gain? Respond in the comments section below along with any muscle building questions you might have. Vince and I will be checking in throughout the day to answer your questions, and we’ll also select 2 “commentors” at random to receive a free muscle building “gift” ($97 value).
Talk to you in the comments section!
Joel and Vince
P.S. If you have never commented on the blog, today is the day. You might win something cool, and besides, when you take action and comment, it just reinforces your goals and pushes you even more toward achieving them. We’re looking forward to YOUR comment below!
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506 comments - add yours
All good info and advice! It makes sense really…now if only I could summon up the motivation and commitment to finally dedicate myself to stripping away around 15 kilos of extra weight I surely could do without – 2011 could be a life changing year in the trim muscular body I’ve always wanted, laying just beneath the surface or around 3 inches of extra Xmas padding!
I weigh 105kgs and would love to be more like 90kgs….At age 45 the time must surely be now…
Thanks for your insites & the regular inspiration I might just DO IT!
LT – New Zealand.
Hi Joel,
Its very nice reading your articles–keeps me inspiring to achieve better and faster. I really know muscles are sexy for a guy but I am little fat(considering I have hereditary–which can be cured, of course). So I am having problems burning the last layer of fat. Could you please help me by providing a solution? perphaps, your course :D
Anways, thanks for your awesome posts ! Keep it going.
I am sick of the middle age spread – my main problem area. I would love to tone and replace the flab with muscle around my middle. Certainly, I need constant motivation to keep working hard!
Hey Guys, great article. I am really battling to build my chest area. What exercise routine can build this area and if at all, what sort of supplements will help me with this?
I have done a 5×5 program 3 times a week in combination with cardio 2 times a week (both steady state and interval) since last summer, before that i mostly did a lot of cardio. I have seen a big change since focusing on weight training both with the weight and with body composition, so I can definitely agree that putting on lean muscle in combination with watching what you eat is the most important factor for getting a lean body . I want to lose another 7 kg down to 75kg on my 174cm, would also like to add another 5kg of muscle.
thank you people. the hitherto undiscovered importance of muscle for me was an eye opener.
I need to lose about 10 kg of fat, but how do I figure out how much muscle I need to add? Is dancing as a form of exercise effective for fat loss? I’m doing Zumba currently and it feels really great, but how effective is it? Please let me know…
Thanks to you two, I’ve gained about 4kg of muscle and lost a lot of the fat I had but can’t seem to shift the last few bits- lovehandles are a particular prob it seems! However the motivation remains thanks to your blogs and pics and apart from anything, I really enjoy the process of tackling my spare tyre in the gym- it’s soul cleansing stuff watching yourself change from fat to fit through nothing but your own hard work and perseverance. Very glad I discovered you “two clowns” and thanks for the inspiration and guidance.
Great article guys and I enjoy reading your posts.
As I am currently working in a country where the USA has imposed economic sanctions , am unable to take advantage of buying your programmes but by reading the articles you post here have been able to design a fitness regime following your principles, and seeing some good results.
Have given up on trying to reach a goal weight and now focused on creating a “hot” body as my weight is not changing much but the body definition is and the dress sizes are dropping. ( and the compliments about my weight loss are flowing in !)
So I am aiming for a 4 -5 kg muscle increase.
Thanks for your inspiring articles.
Hi guys…love your articles…I’m 1.78cm, 75kg…have lost 5kg in the last 4 months, exercise and following “cheat your way thin” lost 1kg during the festive season instead of gaining, yeah!!. Still want to lose 5kg, but would rather gain lean muscle… I’m not really worried about what the scale says…after all it is what you look like ;)…can’t wait for your articles keep it coming.
Tough question for me at the moment – I’m pregnant and weight loss isn’t my focus (though all I’ve really gained is baby, etc., and very little fat).
However, after the baby’s born in mid-Feb., I want to lose any baby weight, plus 10-15 lbs fat, in addition to gaining 7-10 lbs of muscle. Hopefully I’ll have time for everything!
I don’t know what an extra 1/2/5kg of muscle would look like so I don’t know how much I would want to gain. I’m female, 178cm and 58kg. I mountain bike mostly for fun but do occasional endurance races and get on the podium. I bought the 1000cal chall for the wokouts as, priior to that, I was doing 20 min met con workouts which were (to my surprise) seeing me nicely through 3 hour races at a time when I was unable to spend time on the bike. I thought that my general conditining could be further boosted by the 1000cal ww/outs and it was. Some more (functional) muscle would be good but I’m not sure how to go about it. You and your fraternity send out some good info to my emaiil but although I find it all interesting I’m confused as to what sort of program I should do. Any suggestions?
I don’t think there is anything wrong with the size 2 woman on the left. She is not fat, overweight, chubby etc. She is shapely. If she had a spray tan, a push up bra she would look different. While having muscle is beneficial I just don’t think I would want to have a 6 pack like the woman on the right. My personal opinion. On a guy it is a whole other story!
I am predisposed to bulking up due to years of high doses of steroids I had to take for an illness. Don’t think they’re out of my system. Just trying to work on losing excess weight and look feminine.
Hi guys! I’m a 24 year old female and have to say thanks for the blog! I always love reading about how gaining muscle is key, I’ve spent so many years in the gym believing the opposite!! Silly! Anyhow I want to drop about 2 dress sizes, and have always thought I have a sluggish metabolism, so I would hazard a guess that I would like to gain about 5 pounds of muscle? I’m from Australia so the pounds conversion is a bit blurry to me, and to be honest I’ve never really weight trained before so I’m not sure what would be ideal? Any help would be great thanks guys! Have a great day!
Hi Joel, what a great article. If I can I’d like to gain at least an extra 10 to 15 lbs of muscle. I’m thin right now in all directions except my bulging tummy in the front. I’ve been the fast track program for about a little over a month now and have lost about 5 lbs now @130lbs and down two pant sizes but. I am still awfully weak. I can’t carry anything over 10lbs. Any ideas? I’m hoping to lose a other 25 lbs or so. I’m 28 yes old.
I am currently at 190lbs with 14.9% body Fat. My Long term goal is to be at 225lbs with 10%-12% bodyfat year round. My short term goal is be 195lbs with 12% body fat and hope to get that by Spring break time. You all are the shit!
So I’ve been trying to get that perfect six pack look for a while now and just this weekend I had a ton of girls telling me that they just love my body but the thing is that threw me for a loop. I really don’t think I have “that” body but I will get there. And I have to say that just made my workout like 100 times harder and I love ot soo much and the only thing I have a really hard time with are these huge sugar cravings, I swear that if I could control that I would find myself in a much better state, maybe you guys could teach me some tricks of the trade?
I would like to lose approx 20kg. Since having children, I have not been able to lose the weight and keep it off. Every time I lose weight on diets, the weight goes back on, plus some. It’s extremely disappointing.
I love reading your articles… I have lost over 43kg’s over 7 years and am now left with alot of loose skin. I am really frustrated cause I want to look smoking hot in and out of clothes. Can I still acquire a hot body through muscle gain and excercise or am I prone to have to lose the flab by going under the knife. I don’t want to push my body unnecessarily if there is not going to be a positive result. When I check my bodyfat % I am still faced with being classed as obese. This is truly quite upsetting. I thought I had put in some good hard yards. Thanks… Jenni
Very true, Currently 82kg, which is the same weight I had when I started BUT I have gained 5kg of muscle and lost 3cm on the waist and gained 2cm on the biceps. Have also dropped my Body Fat down from 24% to 19%. This year’s goal is to be 12% BF and be wearing a size 34 and gain another 3-5kg muscle weight.
Hey Joel, thanks to you and Vinnie, I am down to 77 kg from 81, and still going down :) I would like to lose a few more kgs of fat, while gaining several kgs of muscle to improve my physique. Thanks for the help, James :)
Hi guys.Cool article & intersting advice.I hav bein exerxcising my butt off for the last 9 years & its being up & dwn.I never seem to be able to maintain.I wnt to b 43 kgs & have a toned butt bt it doesn’t seem to work. I’m afraid of puttin on muscle because I wil weigh mr on the scale & that’s wat scares me.I am also havin problem in makin my breasts smaller & flatter.
If in any way you can help plz help. Thanks for all the cool articles.
Up until my mid-30’s, I was in relatively good shape. My jobs had been mainly physical in nature and I had no weight issues. At 35, I went back to school for two years. Before I knew it I’d ballooned from a lean, mean 165 to over 200 bloated, fat soaked pounds and it was all in my gut!! I began regular workouts again, dropped the fat and came out the other side at a lean, well muscled 185. I maintained that weight and muscles structure for over 12 years At 48, I was probably in better overall shape than when I was 28! I felt and looked great!
In December 1999 I suffered a mitral Valve prolapse and in May 2000 had open heart surgery to repair it. Doctors had to paddle my heart to restart it. Ten years later and I still haven’t felt right since then.
Can resistance training help drop my gut fat and get my metabolism back up to a pace that will keep me thinner yet muscled instead of resorting to either running or doing other high stress exercises? My joints just won’t take it nowadays!
Currently 5’10 and 162 pounds. It would be awesome to gain 15-20 pounds of muscle and lose 5 pounds of some extra fat. I already lift weights (im small but dont doubt my strength) because I love the pump from it. Proud to say I broke my plateau of 165 bench and am currently at 215 (heck yes!) Going for 300 now!
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Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...