Gaining muscles makes it hard to gain weight?

Tanie98

I reached my goal weight and happy where I am. I want to start lifting heavy and gain muscles.However, someone told me that I would be able to maintain easily if I lift even if I eat at calorie surplus because the muscles burn allot of calories.Is it true?

TavistockToad

Nope... If you're in a calorie surplus you'll gain weight...

harryalmighty

no not necessarily, holding more muscle can increase your BMR, which in turn will obviously mean you can consume more calories without gaining weight. however if you eat in a SURPLUS you WILL gain weight no matter how much or little muscle you hold your body will always have a set point in terms BMR and TDEE.

hope that makes sense

Tanie98

harryalmighty wrote: »

no not necessarily, holding more muscle can increase your BMR, which in turn will obviously mean you can consume more calories without gaining weight. however if you eat in a SURPLUS you WILL gain weight no matter how much or little muscle you hold your body will always have a set point in terms BMR and TDEE.

hope that makes sense

yes it does thanx:)

in_the_stars

The extra muscle "burns" very few calories... very.

CarlydogsMom

Well, after reading hundreds of threads here, and listening to my personal trainer, here's what I THINK I've picked up on the subject. First, a bit about what I want to do with my body because it sort of sounds like your situation.

I lost about 75 pounds a few years ago, got down to a weight I was happy with (5' 10" at 145). I'm now 52 and am probably more active and healthy than I ever have been; picked up mountain biking, walk alot, etc etc.

But...I have some flabby areas here and there, and I wanted to BUILD MUSCLE (note "build") so I could be both a stronger mountain biker AND to be in a condition where I just look a bit better, more toned...plus weightlifting is good for building bone density, etc etc.

So this winter I joined the local gym and hired a personal trainer to get me going on a free-weight lifting program. Explained what I wanted, foolishly expecting that if I continued to eat at maintenance, my muscles would take the small to moderate amount of leftover flab here and there to grow, and I would magically grow muscles and lose flab SIMULTANEOUSLY. Magic.

Uh, no. Here was his first explanation of what I needed to do, and should expect:

If I wanted to build, and have stronger, muscles, I should plan on eating more than maintenance calories. I should expect to gain weight over the winter if I want to build muscle. Some of this weight will be fat; some will be muscle. Expect it, and don't freak out (as I'm sitting there freaking out).

We will work on building muscle by lifting progressively heavier loads. I will also put on more fat. That's the primary way to build muscle--your muscles need excess calories to put into growth. Muscles will not necessarily turn to your existing fat stores to grow (flabby upper arms, a bit on the belly, fat stores on my thighs) since I am at a normal weight.

But to provide that energy for muscles, one must provide excess calories. Muscle will also not appear overnight; it takes time. Fat will also increase--not like I'm going to all of a sudden become obese, but I will put on a few pounds of it.

However, when spring comes, and I pull out the bike and get more active, cardio-wise, I will be stronger, with more muscle mass. Adding cardio, and now working carefully both on cutting calories and ensuring I maintain (not grow, necessarily) my muscle mass (keep lifting to maintain), I will lose much of that fat.

What will result after this winter of heavy lifting (very little cardio other than morning walks/hikes of 3-5 miles/day) and eating over maintenance, and then a summer of biking and maintaining muscle mass, I will likely have met my goal of building muscle, decreasing body fat, becoming stronger, and be in a better place, health-wise.

Sorry this is so long, but I mostly wanted to give you this perspective to think about, and let you know that this sort of thing--changing your body condition--takes TIME and PATIENCE, and you might have to re-think what you think you know. It took me by surprise that I couldn't just simply lift heavy weights, eat at maintenance, and grow muscles AND lose fat all at the same time. It's a journey, and one, after working it out in my mind, I'm willing to take.

It blows me away that I'm now drinking chocolate milk, whole milk, whole-fat yogurt, etc. and lifting heavier weights than I ever have. I put my trust in my trainer, and so far I'm really fascinated by the whole thing.

As he said to me early on: I know how to lose fat. Don't worry about gaining a few extra pounds of it. The benefits of weight lifting are so, so worth it.

jacksonpt

Tanie98 wrote: »

I reached my goal weight and happy where I am. I want to start lifting heavy and gain muscles.However, someone told me that I would be able to maintain easily if I lift even if I eat at calorie surplus because the muscles burn allot of calories.Is it true?

No, that's total garbage. Lift, eat and be happy.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

A surplus by definition means weight gain. If you don't gain weight, you are NOT eating at a surplus. If you are lifting and not gaining you are eating at maintenance (this is your real maintenance, not an estimate given by a website) and need to increase what you eat.