Confusion over cutting and building muscle.
Notaphase
Posts: 81 Member
I read the entire thread for females only weightlifting in the general forum and there seems to be conflicting advice. Currently my TDEE is 1950. I'm eating an average of 1600 calories a week. I'm doing 5X5 3 times a week and not counting that calorie burn. My first question: does that count as cutting or is cutting a very specific nutrition/lifting plan? My next question: it seems like the general consensus is that you can't build muscle if you're eating at a deficit. I'm definitely getting stronger (I couldn't lift the bar for my first set of squats and now I'm squatting 70lbs). Does that just mean my current muscle is getting more toned and stronger or am I building muscle as well? Will I not be able to lift past a certain weight if I don't start upping my calories and building muscle? And when people say that muscle weighs more than fat to explain why the weight on the scale isn't going down, is that just b.s because you can't add more muscle if you're actually losing weight? Apologies for all these stupid questions.
On a side note, I freaking love 5X5! I've never had results like these before and I've never enjoyed going to the gym as much as I do now.
On a side note, I freaking love 5X5! I've never had results like these before and I've never enjoyed going to the gym as much as I do now.
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If you are a newbie, there is a possibility to build a little muscle/strength on a deficit. Those are what are called 'newbie gains'. I think you hit the ceiling after a while though.
I don't think it's impossible to build muscle while on a deficit, it's just harder. That is why people go through cut and bulk cycles.
Cutting is no specific nutritional plan - it is just 'cutting' weight.
Muscle does not weigh more than fat. It just takes up less space than fat. So 1 pound of muscle weighs the same as 1 pound of fat - it is just smaller. That is why you see people who stay the same weight but trim down inches wise.
There is also something called recomp where you lift while eating maintenance calories and you can lose fat/build muscle. However, this is a very long process (or so I'm told). I have decided to do that for myself because scale weight wise, I am happy with it but my BF% is not where I want it to be.2 -
Oh and I forgot my last question. As a newbie, the idea of going back and forth between cutting and bulking almost sounds like controlled yo-yo dieting which I had heard is really bad for your metabolism. How is it different?0
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Here is a link to a bodybuilding forum post about it:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=112797471
I have seen it like that as well. However, I think that's if you go buck wild and gain like 10 pounds in one month - which is called a 'fast bulk' I believe and that can lead it to getting out of hand.
Some people who bulk advise only eating 250 calories above TDEE to gain the weight slowly, so it doesn't come in as all fat - while still lifting, of course.1 -
Awesome! Thanks for all the helpful feedback
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Deficit (cutting) can be done through diet alone or exercise or both.
When lifting and cutting its a very good idea to make sure that you get enough protein to avoid muscle loss. Yoyo dieting refers to crash dieting & bingeing. This probably leads to muscle loss and one's metabolism slowing down as a result.
Defin eating to lose and bulking to gain muscle is more controlled and nutrition needs should be met.1 -
Deficit (cutting) can be done through diet alone or exercise or both.
When lifting and cutting its a very good idea to make sure that you get enough protein to avoid muscle loss. Yoyo dieting refers to crash dieting & bingeing. This probably leads to muscle loss and one's metabolism slowing down as a result.
Defin eating to lose and bulking to gain muscle is more controlled and nutrition needs should be met.
I understood cutting in terms of weight lifting should still include weight lifting to help maintain muscle. If your goal is to have larger muscles, it's best to keep at it even in a cut, though you may have difficulty lifting as much. You want to avoid losing what you've worked hard to get after all 0
