Gain musce or burn fat

Hey all,

I'm after some advice I've just started going to the gym and am unsure which direction to go with
I'm 5ft 10 and 144 pounds (10st 4) and my body fat percentage is around 20% so, i'm quit thin with fair bit of belly fat left over from when I used to be bigger, I think i may be whats known as skinny fat

My Goal is a lean body

My question is, should I try to burn the fat with a calorie deficit, weight training and cardio or limited cardio, heavy weight training and a calorie excess, to bulk up and add muscel mass, which might make it easier to shed the fat once i diet

So should burn more fat given i'm already at a relatively low weight or gain weight to add muscel to help burn the fat

any ideas
cheers

Personally, at your weight I'd focus on bulking up a bit first.

If you gain more muscle than fat your bodyfat % will drop anyway.

Welcome to Muscletalk!
 
 
Based on your stats i'd aim to bulk up at this stage.
 
But bear in mind that when you hear the word 'bulking' it does'nt just mean eat eat eat! You can still keep fat gains to a minimum and build muscle.
 
Your 'beginner gains' may even see you dropping a little fat alongside building up a bit. Just get set up on a decent weights routine. Include some moderate cardio. Keep a clean'ish and suitable diet plan.
 
Loads of info to help with the above in the 'Articles' tab at the top of the page.
 
 

Thanks for the advice guys, my only issue is i find it hard to eat, I find it much easier to eat less than more, I think its mainly beacuse as a teen i was really fat

I think I just dread the thought of putting on weight again but i understand its part of the process to a better body so i'm game.

Would you have any thoughts on what kind of weight to aim for before I start to strip the fat or is that something to judge my size and  appearance

Welcome to MT...I started about your weight 2yrs ago and the first few months i put muscle on very quickly, So i'd start with bulking and see how you get on from there.Your first gains are usually your best imo so take advantage! good luck buddy ,,,keep posting!

moza

Thanks for the advice guys, my only issue is i find it hard to eat, I find it much easier to eat less than more, I think its mainly beacuse as a teen i was really fat

This may actually be of help when you set out your diet.
 
If you're quite concerned about fat gains due to your past, then that may help you to stick with good clean foods when trying to bulk. Get some cardio into your routine as well. But just be sure that you do actually intake enough good food to allow yourself the suitable amount of nutrients to feed your body and grow.
 
If you find yourself uncomfortable with any fat gains then up the cardio or slightly lower calories.
 
 
As for a target weight, i'd rather go by how i look in the mirror. Sure you can have a weight in your mind that you'd like, but ultimately let the mirror be your judge.
 
 

yea I'l keep it clean with a cardio session once a week,  I've looked at few ways to calculate my daily cals. i'm looking at around 3640 but since I eat normally less than 2000 a day I think above 3000 may be too high. I was thinking of around 2600 to start with, thats over 600 more than I usally have but will that be enough to support growth.

Forget the numbers for a second. You could eat

2500kcal worth of lean meats, veggies, good fats, wholegrain carbs

or

2500kcal or snickers.

There WILL be a difference in your outcomes.

Get the foods in your diet sorted not the numbers. Have your read some of the articles? There's a guide here aimed at making things simple: http://articles.muscletalk.co.uk/article-beginners-first-stop.aspx (2/3 of the way down)

Thats a big help, Thanks