If you are STRONGER than you used to be....

ljk0615

does that mean that you have more muscle mass than you did before? Everyone always says you can't gain muscle in a deficit, so what is happening when you are experiencing gains in strength? Does stronger = more muscle? I feel like this might be a stupid question but I am confused, so I'm going to ask anyways.

shadow2soul

No. Strength can be gained without gaining muscle mass. Although I think there is a point where strength will stall out and to get past that point you have to increase muscle mass (I could be very wrong. It's just something I read somewhere).

If we go by my scale (which I know isn't 100% accurate), in the past 30 days:
LM has decreased 0.6 lbs out of the 5.4lbs I lost.

I just increased my squats to 100lbs and my deadlift to 145lbs. My close-grip bench press has increased to 55lbs and my regular bench press has increased to 60 lbs.

DavPul

No. Strength and muscle mass are related but it's not a 1:1 ratio. Early on, most of the increase in strength is attributable to neuromuscular adaptations, not muscle growth.

intangiblemango

You definitely can gain muscle at a deficit, especially if you are starting from no exercise whatsoever. It's just very limiting and you can't go especially far without fueling yourself more.

With that said, most strength gains at a deficit will be neuromuscular adaptations.

ljk0615

Is it safe to assume that if I am weight training 3ish times a week and I am challenging myself and am experiencing increases in strength that while I may not be increasing muscle mass, I am at least maintaining the muscle mass that I already have?

DavPul

ljk0615 wrote: »

Is it safe to assume that if I am weight training 3ish times a week and I am challenging myself and am experiencing increases in strength that while I may not be increasing muscle mass, I am at least maintaining the muscle mass that I already have?

Mebbe. Kinda depends on how much or how little you're eating.

richln

ljk0615 wrote: »

Is it safe to assume that if I am weight training 3ish times a week and I am challenging myself and am experiencing increases in strength that while I may not be increasing muscle mass, I am at least maintaining the muscle mass that I already have?

Probably yes. If you are seeing strength gains while in deficit, you are doing pretty good. The best tactics to preserve muscle mass while in deficit are lifting heavy, getting adequate protein, and keeping your weight loss at appropriate pace (1 lb per week, less if your body fat is very low, higher is ok if you are obese). You may still end up losing a little muscle mass during your weight loss, especially if you are in deficit for a long time, but these tactics will be your best bet to minimize any losses.

ljk0615

For the last few weeks I've kinda been giving myself a break and eating at maintenance or hovering right above it or right below it. I have been hitting the weights pretty hard in the meantime. My weight has been floating in the same 3ish pounds but I have not hit a new low in a few weeks. I have seen increases in strength and so my next question is how much of a surplus do I have to be in to gain muscle? I am really interested in increasing my muscle mass but I am so close to my weight loss goal that part of me just wants to make the final push and then worry about things like that. ....what to do, what to do....

DesertGunR

ljk0615 wrote: »

Is it safe to assume that if I am weight training 3ish times a week and I am challenging myself and am experiencing increases in strength that while I may not be increasing muscle mass, I am at least maintaining the muscle mass that I already have?

Put simply sort of, if you have adjusted your protein intake to between 0.8g-1g per pound of lean muscle mass you currently have. At some point your strength gains will slow down. At that point you can either eat at maintenance or a small surplus in order to gain a small amount of lean muscle mass as you continue to train. Of course the more of a surplus you eat at the greater your gains will be. Then you can go back into deficit to show off the lean muscle you have built up. Also, at some point in your training the scale will no longer be your friend since muscle is denser than fat. Think, pound of steak versus a pound of feathers. They both weigh the same, one just takes up less space than the other. When that happens using a tape measure will be more helpful to see the gains you have made.

Remember to rest, don't lift, on your rest days. Rest days are where your body actually repairs/builds the muscles you are working on. Cardio on a couple of those days is usually not a problem.

Good Luck!

richln

ljk0615 wrote: »

For the last few weeks I've kinda been giving myself a break and eating at maintenance or hovering right above it or right below it. I have been hitting the weights pretty hard in the meantime. My weight has been floating in the same 3ish pounds but I have not hit a new low in a few weeks. I have seen increases in strength and so my next question is how much of a surplus do I have to be in to gain muscle? I am really interested in increasing my muscle mass but I am so close to my weight loss goal that part of me just wants to make the final push and then worry about things like that. ....what to do, what to do....

You should read up in the gaining forum and ask for some recommendations there.