We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Surplus vs deficit

jparis14
jparis14 Posts: 16 Member
edited November 2024 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hey guys
Just wondering if someone could answer this to give me insight on the whole gaining muscle on a surplus and not gaining muscle on a deficit idea.

So let's see I only eat more and have a caloric surplus on chest, back and arm days but when it comes to leg day, I'm always on a deficit. I'm still doing progressively overload with squats and other leg exercises though. Will I not gain muscle in legs and only gain muscle in my upper body?
Thanks for any response
JP

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    you have to be in a surplus overall...not just day to day, but at the end of the week, month, etc you have to be in a surplus...it's a continuum.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    You can gain muscle in a slight deficit, studies have shown that a .7% per week loss can still gain even in elite level athletes, but I don't think the small daily fluxtuations will matter too much.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    you have to be in a surplus overall...not just day to day, but at the end of the week, month, etc you have to be in a surplus...it's a continuum.
    Wheelhouse15 wrote: »
    You can gain muscle in a slight deficit, studies have shown that a .7% per week loss can still gain even in elite level athletes, but I don't think the small daily fluxtuations will matter too much.

    this...

    OP - stop trying to make this harder then it is.

    You have two options..

    1. run a few bulk/cut cycles
    2. do a recomp...

  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    you have to be in a surplus overall...not just day to day, but at the end of the week, month, etc you have to be in a surplus...it's a continuum.
    Wheelhouse15 wrote: »
    You can gain muscle in a slight deficit, studies have shown that a .7% per week loss can still gain even in elite level athletes, but I don't think the small daily fluxtuations will matter too much.

    this...

    OP - stop trying to make this harder then it is.

    You have two options..

    1. run a few bulk/cut cycles
    2. do a recomp...

    For the OP I would recommend bulk if that's his pic. He is certainly lean enough to take advantage of a killer p ratio.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories