Can you build much muscle while still having excess body fat?

So I'm not in perfect condition right now, but I've been working out for a few years, do active stuff like walking, dancing and (sometimes) hiking reasonably often, and have had jobs for the past 5 years that require lots of physical exertion for long periods of time (i.e. carrying trays up and down stairs at a bar).

I am trying to lose weight and body fat and build muscle, but I'm curious to know how possible it is to be able to build muscle underneath fat. I know it sounds like kind of an odd question, but I've noticed that some girls who are way skinnier than me have nowhere near the endurance I have, and that I can often lift heavier weights than other girls who appear to be muscular but skinny.

Has anybody else noticed this sort of thing happening? Anybody know if it's attributed to muscle mass, even in spite of having excess body fat?

Thanks!

You can definitely build muscle while having excess fat - they are separate tissues, and fat does not inhibit muscle growth.

However, if you are at a calorie deficit to lose fat, it can be very difficult to gain muscle at the same time, because muscle gain requires a caloric surplus (although some find that they get some newbie growth when they first start engaging in strength training).

It's very beneficial to do activities that will help you gain, or at least maintain, muscle mass while you lose fat, but don't hold out a lot of hope of being able to put on much muscle - not because of the fat, but because of the calorie deficit.

Absolutely, you can build muscle under fat.  In fact, people who start off heavier tend to start off with more muscle - simply because it takes more muscle to manoeuvre (sp?) a 250 pound body than a 150 pounds body. 

Now, if you're eating fewer calories than you burn, you won't gain muscle (at least, not after the first month) but you can make your existing muscle work more efficiently and convince your body to give up fat rather than muscle.  So, you'll be stronger and healthier and have a higher metabolism than if you'd just dieted and let your body "burn" your muscle.

Sure.  Carrying around extra body fat could be seen as a form of "weightlifting," and you may notice that you lose strength as you lose fat, because you're not "working out" as much, which is why weight training is recommended as part of the thinning-down process.

Yes you have more muscle then them.  You've also built up the muscle strength.  Want to see those muscles?  Diet of more proteins to carbs, low fats will help.  and keep close eye on the calories as well.

Check out natural body building sites and their diets.  While they may be extreme you will find great ideas to change out your diet and find the foods that will feed the muscles versus the fat.

 

If you use a muscle, it becomes stronger. Basic fact. And it's ALWAYS true, even if you have many layers of fat over it. The fat makes it harder te see and measure, though.

Incidentally, but important, activity also increases capilaries and blood flow. This brings more oxygen to muscles, and increases endurance.

And a nice benefit, muscle burns fat more efficiently. So a diet works BETTER when you're also working to build muscle.

Hope that helps.

Original Post by terri_:

If you use a muscle, it becomes stronger. Basic fact.

 Close, if you adequately challenge a muscle it becomes stronger.  I use lots of muscles to tie my shoes, but they aren't getting any stronger by doing that.

Thanks guys! This is really helpful and gives me some hope. I don't have that far to go and I'm just going to focus on building muscle and eating right and looking less at the scale, because I probably already have kind of a weird muscle-to-fat ratio. I guess if I want an accurate reading of how much fat I have I should get it measured with those awkward caliper things, but I'd rather find out after I've gone down another pantsize or two...