machine-less

Hey guys, I'm 5'7 and I weigh 150 pounds. I'm skinny fat with a belly. I'm not sure what my body fat percentage is but I'll guess and say 18%. It's been said that I should consume 1,800 calories a day and I don't eat close to that which would put me in a calorie deficit by default. I'll say I consume probably about 500 calories a day on average. My diet is mostly plant-based which consists mostly of leafy greens, salads, quinoa, sweet potatoes, steel-cut oatmeal, and fruits/nuts. I've done an inordinate amount of research on the benefits of cardio and muscle-building on various fitness websites. I have a few questions that need serious answering: (1) Since I'm skinny fat, should I work on cutting the belly fat first and then work on bulking at a later time? Some experts say you should target either fat loss or muscle-building individually, but not simultaneously. (2) Many experts say that if you want to gain and build muscle, limit or stop the cardio completely. Currently, I do steady-state cardio 3 times a week which is pretty ideal so that I'll be losing the belly fat but not stifling any muscle growth. I run for about 2.0 miles and burn 300 calories on each session totaling the loss of 900 calories a week. Is this okay for burning the calories throughout the week or is this simply pointless? Because I'm consuming more than 900 calories a week. I'm consuming 3,500 calories within a week to be exact (500 calories a day). Should I switch over to a calorie surplus instead? (3) Should I do weight-lifting and then cardio within the same day, literally right after each other or on different days entirely? (4) As far as my workout schedule goes, would it be better to engage in split-workouts (targeting specific muscle areas on different days) or go full body instead? My current workout plan: Mon- Chest & Cardio Tues- Back Wed- Legs/Abs & Cardio Thurs- Shoulders Fri- Arms & Cardio Sat - Rest Sun- Rest (5) Does counting calories even matter or should I just eat according to portion size? (eating roughly the size of my fist)

@quantum Great stuff man. I may have to give this routine a try! Questions: (1) You mentioned that you do this 3 times a week. On which days? Do you space them apart for rest days (recovery)? What exercises do you perform on your rest days? (2) Where does the cardio fall into this routine? And are you more in favor of steady-state cardio or HIIT cardio?

@ChimpBrain (1) I wouldn't say I'm in the best shape as of yet, but I'm making significant progress. My endurance level is pretty high but my strength is somewhat lacking. (2) Awesome, I've heard a lot about HIIT cardio. Everyone talks about it. How often should I do it a week? Because I was thinking of just swapping the steady-state sessions out for the HIIT cardio sessions (Mon, Wed, & Fri) which would give me a day of rest between them. (3) Could you give me some examples of a full body routine? And what exactly is a push/pull/legs type routine? (4) Excellent point with the portions... but just how many calories should I be eating a day, with my desire to both lose belly fat and gain muscle? Would it be best to go with a calorie deficit or surplus? I also looked up some food scales on Amazon so I'll be ordering one soon. Thanks for the info, man!

I'm really serious about working out, I want to build muscle mass in particular. I'm a vegetarian, not a strict one. I currently weigh 150 lbs and I'm 5'7. The weight I hope to achieve is 165 lbs. So I want to gain at least 15 pounds of solid muscle. In order to make this happen, how much protein should I consume per day? Also how many calories? I'm not big on supplements as I've heard there's a lot of BS in them. I'm more in favor of the natural way in hitting the targeted weight through eating fruits and raw vegetables or by combining them into my own protein shakes. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Thank you for the awesome answers, guys. I'll keep these suggestions in mind

Has anyone read "The Consolations of Philosophy" by Alain de Botton? I found out about it unintentionally, after binge-watching 'The School of Life' Youtube videos. I hear it's a great starting point for philosophy newbies.

@Study Thanks for posting this, but unfortunately I'm still having issues with finding out how to do this. I don't see a "follow this" button at all.