Your partially correct. Sprinting, jogging, lifting will all lead to fat loss if your not eating enough, and the same is true if your eating too much your not losing anything. I think its easier to burn fat because all you really have to do is stay in a caloric deficit, which to me is pretty damn easy. I find it much harder to continually force feed to stay in a caloric surplus in order to build muscle. This is why I like lifting heavy in a caloric deficit, you can gain *some* strength while burning fat. its almost like a recomp effect. If you just run without lifting, you will lose both fat and muscle. The heavy lifting gives your body a reason to hold on to and build a little more muscle.

I don't believe that calories are the end all be all. I can plow through a ton of calories while keeping my carbs low and still loose body fat.

And I personally find it much easier to drop fat than to add muscle. I've read and experienced to a certain degree that adding 1 to 2 pounds of muscle per month is doing pretty good. During my slim down last year I averaged 5 pounds of fat loss over a 10 month period (much easier).

I have also read a lot about steady state cardio (jogging) leading to long term muscle loss. If you're going to run it sounds like internals are the way to go (fast/slow/fast/slow). Something about the thyroid dropping because your body thinks that it's in survival mode. Here's a recent blog post on the cardio question that goes way more in-depth http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-e...#axzz2Yg7WPekJ

Steady state cardio is fine. Bodybuilders have been doing it for decades with no problems.

The devil is always in the dosage. I mainly do "intervals" because of soccer, and it definitely affects how much muscle mass I can gain/maintain.

I had been hovering around 140-145 for the longest time. I've always wanted to get bigger but don't eat enough and likely just don't go hard enough in the gym. Also, I run the 1 1/2 miles to and from the gym so that's pretty counterproductive to my goals.

Anyway, I recently took to drinking a quart of chocolate milk a day on top of eating anything I get my hands on and my regular whey protein shake. I figure its an easy way to cram in close to 1000 calories without even thinking about it (its hard to stuff myself with solid food all damn day). I've been doing it for about 3-4 weeks and just passed 150 on the scale the other day, which is the most I've ever weighed.

Plus, the most I've ever put up on the bench was 235. The other day I repped it twice and had more in the tank (should have kept going but just wasn't feeling it).

...... So I guess you could say things are getting pretty serious.

No offense but that absolutely makes no sense. My joints feel fine, and if they do start to bother me I can increase the rep ranges instead of my 5/3/1 rep ranges. I see no relation to muscle mass and the feeling in your joints, that can happen to ligaments/tendons when muscles grow too fast from juicing and they can't keep up. But I haven't been juicing and this muscle has taken time to add, so my joints have experienced a steady progress of muscle mass gains.

Metabolically hard? How so? I do sprints, hike and ride my bike. I am not out of shape. And metabolically my muscle mass helps me burn more calories through the day, especially as I get older.

Are you saying as you aged you deposited more body fat, so what used to be bulging muscles were now covered with a layer of fat?

I swear my traps aren't that small! Maybe a weird angle but damn, it does look like they are no where to be found.

I've always wondered what it's like to have traps.

This thread should really be renamed, "Do you even lift, bro".

http://img.pandawhale.com/34414-mari...even-fMI6.jpeg

. . . Well . . . do you?

BRO?

Just broke that 30 hour fast like a beast: did a mutated huevos rancheros. Tortilla, roman style braised kale as base, poached egg and rosemary garlic baked chicken breast next. Cover with a little sharp cheddar and toss in oven to melt. Top with scallions. Holy shit. I'm sure the fast helped, but that was amazing.

No, they aren't the end all be all, but ingesting more energy than your expend is not going to tap your fuel cells at all. Macronutrient ratio plays a role in aiding or speeding up the process. However I'm willing to bet that when you say 'plow through a ton of calroies' and still lose fat, your probably still eating under your maintenance level or at it and creating a deficit through work.

Yep

I should hope your joints ate good. You are only 27. Human joints aren't designed to carry loads in excess if ideal body weight. They also aren't designed to torque against the heavy loads weight lifting applies.

As far as aging, yes, muscle WILL turn to fat as you age no matter what you do. You will also develop fat deposit ratios in different body areas than when you are young. Again, nothing you can do about it. Then there's gravity. It'll play a roll also. You can cite all the studies you can find, but if you are huge when you are 27, you will struggle to not look flabby and have manboobs at 50. It's a combination if things. I didn't say it can't be done, but in all likelihood, you won't have the joint health, metabolism, or time, to workout intensely enough to maintain size without becoming flabby.

Traps are easy. You just have to put the effort in on them.