There is a huge myth going around that gaining muscle is the best way to burn body fat and stay lean in the long run. This is a really trendy thing to say right now. Go into almost any gym and you will hear a personal trainer tell their client "You have to work on building more muscle, because then your body will burn more calories each day...leading to fat loss".

Adding More Muscle to Your Frame is a VERY Roundabout Way to Lose Fat

For each pound of lean muscle that you gain, you will burn an extra 12 calories per day. If you gained 10 pounds of lean muscle mass, you would burn an extra 120 calories throughout the day (note: I'm talking 10 pounds of 'lean' muscle...most people would have to gain 15 pounds to build 10 pounds of fat free muscle).

Diet and Cardio, Done Properly, Can Help You Lose Fat Quickly

You could reduce your caloric intake by 600 calories per day and burn another 600 calories with proper cardio. That would create a deficit of 1,200 calories. This will help you reach your fat burning goals much quicker than by just burning 120 calories.

Gaining Too Much Muscle Creates an Unattractive Body

When women or polled they always say that too much muscle is not attractive. They are attracted to guys with regular physiques, but with exceptional muscle tone. Women with too much muscle look manly...and that is not a look to shoot for. The ideal look for a woman would be similar to a model in Shape Magazine. Guys are better off with physiques similar to Hollywood sex symbols, not Bodybuilders.

So if you want to lose body fat quickly, gaining muscle is the long and slow route to accomplishing this. Stick with cardio and eat a lower calorie diet and you will reach your fat burning goals quickly.