Gaining muscle

245

Replies

  • NoelleED
    NoelleED Posts: 148
    edited October 2014
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  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    NoelleED wrote: »
    Listen, everyone - I mention my ethnicity for very simple reasons. One, I am already extraordinarily strong and two, I do build muscle very quickly. I know this from having lived inside my body for 35 years. I am aware that being 280 pounds is not healthy and limits my strength, and being 35 means I'm heading into time when maintaining muscle will be more difficult. But my body type is different from a lot of women.

    Being Norwegian doesn't automatically make you a freak of nature. It doesn't mean you automatically build muscle like the hulk. What is generally means is you are probably tall and probably have a broad structure. The only way to determine if you have to ability to gain a ton of muscle is if you get a hydrostatic or dexa scan, but I would probably think your not much different than the rest of us.

  • NoelleED
    NoelleED Posts: 148
    edited October 2014
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  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    You are squatting over 280? Impressive, do you compete in powerlifting?
  • NoelleED
    NoelleED Posts: 148
    edited October 2014
    [
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    NoelleED wrote: »
    Listen, everyone - I mention my ethnicity for very simple reasons. One, I am already extraordinarily strong and two, I do build muscle very quickly. I know this from having lived inside my body for 35 years. I am aware that being 280 pounds is not healthy and limits my strength, and being 35 means I'm heading into time when maintaining muscle will be more difficult. But my body type is different from a lot of women.

    And here we go...

    If you know you're right, then why ask the question? To tell everyone they're wrong?
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  • NoelleED
    NoelleED Posts: 148
    edited October 2014
    [
  • NoelleED
    NoelleED Posts: 148
    edited October 2014
    I
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    NoelleED wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    NoelleED wrote: »
    Listen, everyone - I mention my ethnicity for very simple reasons. One, I am already extraordinarily strong and two, I do build muscle very quickly. I know this from having lived inside my body for 35 years. I am aware that being 280 pounds is not healthy and limits my strength, and being 35 means I'm heading into time when maintaining muscle will be more difficult. But my body type is different from a lot of women.

    Being Norwegian doesn't automatically make you a freak of nature. It doesn't mean you automatically build muscle like the hulk. What is generally means is you are probably tall and probably have a broad structure. The only way to determine if you have to ability to gain a ton of muscle is if you get a hydrostatic or dexa scan, but I would probably think your not much different than the rest of us.

    I think people are different. It's no big deal. There are tons of people who are built like me and tons who aren't. I am just stronger than your average woman. That's just a fact.

    Keep in mind that your body, at 280 has more available resources than someone who is 140 lbs per say. And it would be awesome if you are able to maintain a 300 lb deadlift the entire time during your weight loss journey.

    For me, I am at a point where most of my lifts have plateaued.
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  • NoelleED
    NoelleED Posts: 148
    RGv2 wrote: »
    NoelleED wrote: »
    Listen, everyone - I mention my ethnicity for very simple reasons. One, I am already extraordinarily strong and two, I do build muscle very quickly. I know this from having lived inside my body for 35 years. I am aware that being 280 pounds is not healthy and limits my strength, and being 35 means I'm heading into time when maintaining muscle will be more difficult. But my body type is different from a lot of women.

    And here we go...

    If you know you're right, then why ask the question? To tell everyone they're wrong?

    I hate MFP threads.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    NoelleED wrote: »
    It's just that I am not exactly educated in building muscle. I understand how my own body works, but I really want to know how to lose the fat AND gain muscle. At the same time.

    And science pretty much said you can't.
  • 50sFit
    50sFit Posts: 712 Member
    pander101 wrote: »
    tigersword wrote: »
    1 - TRUE - There is a limit to the amount of muscle your body can build in a given period of time.
    2 - FALSE - You can actually build muscle with a calorie deficit. Your body will continue to burn its reserves (fat - it is easier to burn than muscle), and if you are lifting, it will have to spend its available energy/protein to rebuild those muscles. Your body will build muscle if it thinks it needs to. Too many people seem to believe that just eating excess calories and lots of protein will get them there, but that is just not the case. Saying you can't build muscle while on a calorie deficit is like saying that cuts on your fingers won't heal unless you are eating at maintenance or above.

    This is false. The body doesn't build muscle on a calorie deficit, because a calorie deficit means the body is starving. It will not build new tissue that requires even more calories to support if it isn't currently getting enough calories to support what it already has. In a starvation setting (aka calorie deficit) fat stores are far more important than muscle tissue.

    There's a huge difference between repairing damage and building new tissue. And even your example (cuts on a finger) will disprove your argument, because a cut takes far longer to heal when a person is in a calorie deficit than it would at maintenance or a calorie surplus, because the body doesn't have the resources to dedicate to it.

    ^^^Listen to this. You need a surplus of calories to gain muscle and a deficit to lose fat. It comes down to science, your body obeys the laws of thermodynamics.
    It's like trying to take a drive to Mexico while driving to Canada. With most people this is just not going to happen.
  • NoelleED
    NoelleED Posts: 148
    edited October 2014
    [
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    edited October 2014
    NoelleED wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »

    Keep in mind that your body, at 280 has more available resources than someone who is 140 lbs per say. And it would be awesome if you are able to maintain a 300 lb deadlift the entire time during your weight loss journey.

    For me, I am at a point where most of my lifts have plateaued.

    That bums me out. I really don't want to lose the strength just to lose the fat.


    Ever wonder why the strongest women and many men are overweight/obese?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    NoelleED wrote: »
    It's just that I am not exactly educated in building muscle. I understand how my own body works, but I really want to know how to lose the fat AND gain muscle. At the same time.

    its impossible

    /thread
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    NoelleED wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    NoelleED wrote: »
    Listen, everyone - I mention my ethnicity for very simple reasons. One, I am already extraordinarily strong and two, I do build muscle very quickly. I know this from having lived inside my body for 35 years. I am aware that being 280 pounds is not healthy and limits my strength, and being 35 means I'm heading into time when maintaining muscle will be more difficult. But my body type is different from a lot of women.

    Being Norwegian doesn't automatically make you a freak of nature. It doesn't mean you automatically build muscle like the hulk. What is generally means is you are probably tall and probably have a broad structure. The only way to determine if you have to ability to gain a ton of muscle is if you get a hydrostatic or dexa scan, but I would probably think your not much different than the rest of us.

    I think people are different. It's no big deal. There are tons of people who are built like me and tons who aren't. I am just stronger than your average woman. That's just a fact.

    Strength is relative to body size. So while you may be squatting more than 280, you're still at bodyweight + X pounds. Not saying that's not a good accomplishment that you should be proud of, but saying that you are stronger than the average woman is a bit of an overstatement. A 120 lb woman who is squatting 240 may be squatting less than you, but relative to her size she's squatting 2x her body weight.

  • NoelleED
    NoelleED Posts: 148
    edited October 2014
    M
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    NoelleED wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    You are squatting over 280? Impressive, do you compete in powerlifting?

    No!! LOL. I have thought about competing once I lose all the fat and strengthen the other parts of my body. I was surprised at how strong my legs are, especially given that I broke one leg long ago and it is now about 1/2 inch shorter than the other. I compensate with orthopedic inserts. I have a friend who was a body builder (a woman) who saw how strong I was and immediately suggested I go the "muscle route" rather than just aerobics and eating less. I like the idea.

    What is your squat? Why do you keep avoiding the question?
  • NoelleED
    NoelleED Posts: 148
    edited October 2014
    [
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    OP - think of it this way ....can you fill up your gas tank while emptying it at the same time? the answer is No, you are just going to spin your wheels and keep the same amount in the tank as when you started....same goes for adding muscle and losing fat ...
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    NoelleED wrote: »
    RGv2 wrote: »
    NoelleED wrote: »
    Listen, everyone - I mention my ethnicity for very simple reasons. One, I am already extraordinarily strong and two, I do build muscle very quickly. I know this from having lived inside my body for 35 years. I am aware that being 280 pounds is not healthy and limits my strength, and being 35 means I'm heading into time when maintaining muscle will be more difficult. But my body type is different from a lot of women.

    And here we go...

    If you know you're right, then why ask the question? To tell everyone they're wrong?

    I hate MFP threads.

    I know...right?
  • NoelleED
    NoelleED Posts: 148
    edited October 2014
    [
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    NoelleED wrote: »
    My strength has always been something I love about myself and it has always impressed other people. I don't want to lose it.

    At some point, you may have to determine what is more important. And btw, there are women in the low to mid 100's still squating 2x their weight. I am not saying that your squats will die, but at some point, they will decrease.
  • NoelleED
    NoelleED Posts: 148
    edited October 2014
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  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Then don't.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    personally, I would rather be shredded and strong, than strong and obese, but that is just me...
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    NoelleED wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    NoelleED wrote: »
    My strength has always been something I love about myself and it has always impressed other people. I don't want to lose it.

    At some point, you may have to determine what is more important. And btw, there are women in the low to mid 100's still squating 2x their weight. I am not saying that your squats will die, but at some point, they will decrease.

    Okay. If that's the truth then I don't know whether I want to lose all the weight.

    That's fine... but what is more important to you... health or your squat weight? Because there are a lot of illnesses associated with obesity, but there aren't any issues with only being able to squat 200 v 300
  • NoelleED
    NoelleED Posts: 148
    edited October 2014
    [