To gain muscle or to lose weight? That is the question.

dcresider

About a year ago I started SL 5x5 but was not consistent with my workouts as I was training for a half marathon. I restarted again a few months and have done pretty well. Unfortunately, I have not lost any weight or inches and I track what I eat (yes, I weigh my food, etc.).

My current MFP calories are 1260 with 40%carb/30%fat/30+%protein. If I use the TDEE method I should be eating about 1500 calories a day to count for a 5 day workout with a 15% loss. Maintenance is about 1800.

However, I hear it's hard to gain muscle if I'm cutting back on calories. Should I eat at maintenance?

kshama2001

Well, if your goal is to lose weight, you have to cut calories. But do lift in order to preserve muscle.

SezxyStef

Yes it is hard to gain muscle while in a deficit.

You probably won't because you don't fall into the categories of those that do.

IE new to lifting, young man, obese...

if you want to lose inches you could recomp

but if you are more concerned with weight do a deficit and lift to maintain muscle.

vespiquenn

Yes, it is difficult to gain muscle while in a deficit. However, you do not list what your current weight so it's hard to say what you should do.

If you are close to your goal weight, you could look into recomposition, where you eat at maintenance (or a very very small deficit) and lift. It's a slow process, but many have success going that route.

LPflaum

Weighting your calories so you're eating enough protein to gain (.74g * bodyweight) should help you gain some muscle while still eating in deficit.

SezxyStef

LPflaum wrote: »

Weighting your calories so you're eating enough protein to gain (.74g * bodyweight) should help you gain some muscle while still eating in deficit.

you need more than protein to gain muscle you need a progressive load lifting program at the very least.

If the OP isn't new to lifting and/or obese or a young man gaining muscle in a deficit is hard and slow...and almost impossible.

Timshel_

dcresider wrote: »

However, I hear it's hard to gain muscle if I'm cutting back on calories. Should I eat at maintenance?

My recommendation is to try it and see how your body reacts over time. For me, I've built while on what was considered maintenance and toned/mildly increased in deficit while still being able to perform without feeling drained. I have also skipped heavier lifting and went to cardio/HIIT to lower body weight and see how that effected me. Really it is best to experiment and find what works. The key is consistency in whatever you do.

Your numbers are fine and unless you are wanting to do competitive body building you don't need to increase protein or change your intake.

ndj1979

LPflaum wrote: »

Weighting your calories so you're eating enough protein to gain (.74g * bodyweight) should help you gain some muscle while still eating in deficit.

no, that is not correct.

strength training + protein will help prserve mass in a deficit, but it will now allow you to build more muscle unless you are an obese beginner, young male, etc...

ndj1979

you have three options...

1. run a few bulk/cut cycles
2. recomp over a period of six to eight months to lose some fat and gain some muscle
3. continue cutting until you get to your goal weight and then go with option 1 or 2

CasperNaegle

Yes if you are in a deficit it is very hard to even maintain muscle let alone grow it. When you are in a deficit your body wants to eat fat and muscle. You need high protein some studies show as much as 1.2 grams per pound and a muscle overload (hypertrophy) lifting program. It is amazing my wife and I have been on this type of program over a year and lost weight and even added some muscle.

Rlha2017

You can't bulk and cut at the same time. You have to choose one or the other

ndj1979

Rlha2017 wrote: »

You can't bulk and cut at the same time. You have to choose one or the other

you can, it is called recomp; however, it takes some time.

GauchoMark

What are your goals? Are you trying to lose weight?

I'm a little confused by the title of the thread, but it seems as if you really want to lose weight/inches.

If you are making progress in 5x5 (ie increasing weight regularly) then you are building muscle. This is a slow process and is difficult and slow on a deficit (but not impossible).

Reading between the lines, I would say you want to lose fat, have heard you should lift heavy, and heard 5x5 is a good way to start. If I'm on point, your goal should be to lose fat and exercise enough to preserve the muscle you have.

In my opinion, 5x5 is an ok beginner routine and can help you get stronger. I still do it on occasion. However, it really doesn't give you enough volume in my opinion - especially if you don't warm up properly like most people - for a good weight loss routine.

If my hunch is correct, I would suggest that you get your diet nailed down. Know your BMR and TDEE, set a deficit, then set your protein/fat/carbs macro distribution. Get this part right and stick with it.

Then, pick an exercise routine. 5X5 is OK if you like it, but I would make sure to try to up the volume on the light warmup reps. Also, I would add in some cardio 1-2x a week just to give you more calories to play with.

dcresider

GauchoMark wrote: »

What are your goals? Are you trying to lose weight?

I'm a little confused by the title of the thread, but it seems as if you really want to lose weight/inches.

If you are making progress in 5x5 (ie increasing weight regularly) then you are building muscle. This is a slow process and is difficult and slow on a deficit (but not impossible).

Reading between the lines, I would say you want to lose fat, have heard you should lift heavy, and heard 5x5 is a good way to start. If I'm on point, your goal should be to lose fat and exercise enough to preserve the muscle you have.

In my opinion, 5x5 is an ok beginner routine and can help you get stronger. I still do it on occasion. However, it really doesn't give you enough volume in my opinion - especially if you don't warm up properly like most people - for a good weight loss routine.

If my hunch is correct, I would suggest that you get your diet nailed down. Know your BMR and TDEE, set a deficit, then set your protein/fat/carbs macro distribution. Get this part right and stick with it.

Then, pick an exercise routine. 5X5 is OK if you like it, but I would make sure to try to up the volume on the light warmup reps. Also, I would add in some cardio 1-2x a week just to give you more calories to play with.

@GouchoMark - Thanks so much for this. You are right about my wanting to lose fat and using strength training to help with my weight/fat loss. I've been on the beginner SL program for about a year but more consistent for about 3 months. I've progressed although stalled due to a rotator cuff injury which is hindering my results. I don't want to give up on my lifts but don't seem to see any changes on my body so I'm concentrating on my macros and calories. I do run 4x a week, commute to work 5x a week, and lift 3x a week (SL) and of course am trying to lose my 15lbs.

GauchoMark

OK, well first off, I would not pay much attention to the scale. I weigh every day, but I don't really care what the number says. What I care about is my fat percentage over a long term (averages only matter), how I look and feel, and how my clothes fit. Your weight is irrelevant especially if you are exercising a lot.

Your diet and macros are most important to meet your goals.

As for the SL 5x5, you need to be careful. If you are having rotator cuff issues, that might not be the best program.

Hornsby

I would continue to cut for a little bit if I were you. You aren't gaining muscle but you can maintain what you have.

dcresider

@GauchoMark and @Hornsby- Thanks all. I will definitely try to cut some calories.

Am I safe to assume that if I didn't increase strength that I would at least lose inches? And by cutting, do we mean cutting calories?

GauchoMark

dcresider wrote: »

@GauchoMark and @Hornsby- Thanks all. I will definitely try to cut some calories.

Am I safe to assume that if I didn't increase strength that I would at least lose inches? And by cutting, do we mean cutting calories?

you want to at least try to maintain your strength. Losing fat is going to make you lose the inches. You definitely want to try to avoid losing the muscle - you do that by eating enough protein and exercising. You lose the fat by eating in a caloric deficit.