I've got a very strong politically incorrect opinion for all those guys emailing me and saying that they are 5'8" and weigh 145 pounds and want to lose fat before they start building muscle...
...and that is, "WRONG CHOICE!"
Brother, you need muscle.
In my infamous "abs photos" online (including the one recently STOLEN by GQ magazine - April 2010, page 66), I weigh 180 pounds at 5'9". And I still look small!
So listen, the #1 rule for men is this:
When in doubt, a guy should focus on BUILDING muscle, not losing fat.
Unless you are over 15% body fat, you should not even think about losing fat or dieting if you aren't at the right weight for your height. Once you hit your height-weight level, then you can work on fat loss.
Here's my infamous height-weight scale.
5 feet, 6 inches = 150 pounds
5 feet, 7 inches = 155 pounds
5 feet, 8 inches = 160 pounds
5 feet, 10 inches = 170 pounds
6 feet = 180 inches
(For every inch gained in height, add 5 pounds.)
NOTE: If you are below the assigned weight for your height, you MUST - and there is NO debate - focus your workouts on BUILDING muscle.
That's the #1 rule for you.
And there are two guys who can help you...with two very different approaches and attitudes:
1) Jason Ferruggia - The Renegade - He's raw and rough around the edges...but also one of my best friends. Check out his interview and free report here:
=> Jason Ferruggia Muscle Building Interview
2) Vince Del Monte - The Passionate One - A lot of mindset and motivation from my good friend Vince. You can tell he is the son of a pastor...
=> Vince Del Monte Muscle Interview
Get strong, stay strong, be strong,
Craig
6 comments:
Hi Craig,
I just found your blog and have to say, well done! All of your tips and posts are interesting and informative. I especially like your recent post (#1 tip for men)... It's right on point; too many guys think they need to shed fat.
Muscle building should be the focus at all times.
Thanks for your advice and tips!
P.S. I also write a fitness and nutrition blog, check it out and follow me back; fitnewyou.blogspot.com
thanks!
Andrew
Craig
I'm 5'11" and 190 lbs (ding!)...I'm a beast!!
Jay
Craig,
Thanks for the great post. I have followed your non-PC advice to good effect.
I track my mass and measurements in metric now so I converted your chart to metric and I rounded all figures to the nearest whole digit.
I have discovered a trick for determining the 'Ballantyne recommended body mass' in kg. Take the height in cm and subtract 100 to get the mass in kg.
So a man at 168 cm (66 inches) should be 68 kg (150) and a man at 180 cm (5'11") should be 80 kg (175 lbs). This works pretty good up to 180 cm and then some distortions come into play (a kg or 2) but still gives a quick calculation.
nice work!
Craig,
I love using Turbulence training. I do it 3 times a week and i supplement with a bootcamp on my off days 2x week. Based on your scale, im 5"10 weigh 220. I am starting to see the muscle all over my body but should I be doing something different? I have been on TT for about 3 months now. Thanks for your help. When I started TT i weight 245lbs.
Hi Doe,
Sounds like you still need to lose body fat, but you are doing well. Keep it up!
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