"Skinny Fat": What It Is and How to Fix It
Skinny in clothes but soft and shapeless without them? That’s "skinny fat" — not much muscle, a bit too much fat. The fix is clear.
The real problem
Skinny fat isn’t about weight — it’s low muscle + relatively high body fat. Endless cardio and crash diets make it worse (you lose the little muscle you have). What you need is muscle.
The fix
- Lift weights — progressive resistance training is non-negotiable.
- Eat enough protein (~1.6–2.2 g/kg).
- Eat around maintenance to recomp, or a slight surplus to focus on muscle.
- Keep cardio moderate — don’t drown your gains in it.
The skinny-fat trap is more dieting and cardio. The exit is lifting + protein to build the muscle you’re missing.
Quick answers
Should skinny-fat people bulk or cut?
Often a recomp (maintenance calories + lifting + high protein) works best, since you need muscle and less fat at once.
Why does more cardio make skinny fat worse?
Without lifting and protein, it burns muscle along with fat, leaving you smaller but still soft.
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