Building muscle mass in order to lose fat?

[jwz]

I've begun eating much more reasonable in the last couple of months.
I was thinking about boosting my fatloss by starting bodybuilding (mildly).
Theres a couple of parts of my body which could use a bit more muscle mass.
If I concentrate entirely of bodyfat % instead of my weight, building more muscle mass would help me loose fat, right?

-Jan

[ChefSalad]

Yes, and no. While more muscle will cause you to burn more calories and weight lifting is great exercise, you can't lose weight and gain muscle at the same time (unless you are extremely overweight or have very low muscle mass.). This means that while you gain muscle, your fat (by absolute mass) should stay the same (or go up slightly, depending on your eating habits), but your weight will go up and your percentage bodyfat will go down or stay the same (unless you were at a low bodyfat percentage, in which case you'll probably gain some fat as well. Such is life.). When you lose weight, be sure to continue lifting and eating protein so your body doesn't eat your muscle gains.

[jwz]

I don't mind NOT losing weight, as long as I lose bodyfat and gain musclemass.
So, you're telling me that in theory, more musclemass will 'automatically' burn more fat besides the fat I burn doing cardio excersises?

[Addict]

you can't lose weight and gain muscle at the same time (unless you are extremely overweight or have very low muscle mass.)

do you mean to say you can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time? That's quite a bold statement.

Or did you just mean lose weight, which isn't what jwz was asking about?

[jwz]

Thanks for the correction, Addict. Exactly what I meant to ask about.

The reason for me wanting to gain muscle is primarily that I don't always have time to do cardio (my work can be a bit physically tough sometimes, and I'm often out of town). So IF increased muscle mass really burns extra calories, it would help me maintain a healthy bodyfat % even those weeks I don't workout. (and a bit of extra muscles doesn't exactly look bad, does it?).

-Jan

[Shamou]

One pound of muscle burns over 100 calories everyday... even if it is not working...

One pound of body fat burns 2 calories a day...

If you do some bodybuilding, you will become more muscular... therefore burn more calories...
.