Gaining muscle while losing weight?

Mech9

Is it a complete pipe dream to build a lot of muscle while in a calorie deficit? What's your experience?

brianpperkins

Science says it won't happen. You can gain strength, you might see what are termed "newbie gains" at first, you won't build appreciable muscle in a deficit.

IamUndrCnstruction

I just read the best thread on this. It basically summed it up as this: You may get some "newbie gains" if you've never lifted at all, but that's not the reason to lift while in a calorie deficit. You lift to maintain the muscle mass you have, so you don't lose lean muscle mass while you are losing fat. And well, to look better nekkid when you do lose the fat. Apparently gaining muscle mass is hard enough as it is, so doing it at a calorie deficit isn't really possible beyond a little at the beginning.

Hope that helps, and I didn't mess anything up!

Liftng4Lis

With the exception of newbie gains, you won't be building in a deficit. You will however be maintaining.