Under-muscled Skinny Fat Male Nutrition Question

[ARC]

Hello Robert, I want to thank you for all the helpful information you are providing via the forum and your videos on YouTube. I have recently started SS and I like the simplicity of the program. However, due to my body composition, I am in a bit of a dilemma regarding my nutrition and programming. I was wondering if you could give me some guidance.

I am a 25 year old 5' 9" male weighing 175 lbs. My body fat percentage is 36% (DEXA).

My lifts are at:

Squat: 142.5 lbs
Bench: 76.5 lbs
Press: 67.5 lbs
Deadlift: 170 lbs

As you can see, I am severely under-muscled and weak and would like to become stronger. However, I am also worried about my 36% body fat and would like to get that under control as well. In your opinion, how should I target my nutrition and programming? Your help is much appreciated.

[Robert Santana]

You have 112 lb of fat free mass, are squatting and deadlifting under bodyweight, and bench pressing and pressing under 100 lb. Does it surprise you that you are lifting that much with that amount of fat free mass? What do you think is going to happen if you keep moving those lifts up and keeping yourself hypercaloric?

[ARC]

Certainly, my lifts and therefore my lean body mass will go up. Depending on how hypercaloric I keep myself, the body fat percentage could reduce due to most weight gain being muscle.

What caloric range would you recommend to facilitate this strength gain while allowing my body to recompose itself?

[Robert Santana]

I have no idea. You have not mentioned how much you are currently eating and how you are responding to the program on that intake.

[Erich Weidner]

I am a 25 year old 5' 9" male weighing 175 lbs. My body fat percentage is 36% (DEXA).

I'm only comparing against myself, but I'm 5'8", at the time of my one and only DEXA fat scan I was 270ish lbs, and 33% body fat according to the scan. I know it's been mentioned these scans aren't perfectly accurate for BF vs. bone density, but your numbers vs. mine seem too far off. At the time I was benching sets of five at 225, DL 410, Squat 330. Age 46. (This was a year and change after I started lifting.)

Obviously everyone is different, but are you sure it was 36% BF? I'd think you'd be heavier than 175lbs at 5'9" for that percentage. (But what do I know, I'm just comparing to me).

FWIW, I started out at 285lbs as a total couch potato at age 45. Did SS NLP for 9 months active (not counting injury rehab) and ended NLP at like 265lbs, but was down from a 57" waist, to 50". (Measured at the navel). For the first half of my NLP I didn't change my shitty diet at all, and went down to 265lbs on the scale just from NLP. My weight went back to the 270ish range, but waist didn't grow past 51".

YMMV, but if you are worried that you are going to get more fat, I wouldn't worry. If you keep your calories roughly the same if you are at 36% BF, I suspect you will see fat loss and muscle gain. At least if my experience is any guide.

[Robert Santana]

I'm only comparing against myself, but I'm 5'8", at the time of my one and only DEXA fat scan I was 270ish lbs, and 33% body fat according to the scan. I know it's been mentioned these scans aren't perfectly accurate for BF vs. bone density, but your numbers vs. mine seem too far off. At the time I was benching sets of five at 225, DL 410, Squat 330. Age 46. (This was a year and change after I started lifting.)

Obviously everyone is different, but are you sure it was 36% BF? I'd think you'd be heavier than 175lbs at 5'9" for that percentage. (But what do I know, I'm just comparing to me).

FWIW, I started out at 285lbs as a total couch potato at age 45. Did SS NLP for 9 months active (not counting injury rehab) and ended NLP at like 265lbs, but was down from a 57" waist, to 50". (Measured at the navel). For the first half of my NLP I didn't change my shitty diet at all, and went down to 265lbs on the scale just from NLP. My weight went back to the 270ish range, but waist didn't grow past 51".

YMMV, but if you are worried that you are going to get more fat, I wouldn't worry. If you keep your calories roughly the same if you are at 36% BF, I suspect you will see fat loss and muscle gain. At least if my experience is any guide.

Your body had to carry 100 lb than his. He needs to offset that by training and gaining weight.