PCOS and muscle building

me0231
me0231 Posts: 218 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I've been wondering about it. I have PCOS but I'm on birth control and spironolactone to help regulate hormones. However, I still have some of the symptoms typically associated with higher testosterone such as hirutism and acne.

I'm curious if I would be able to build muscle at a faster rate than the average woman? I posted a long post on my stall for more info (http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10587298/help-me-figure-this-out). I started a progressive lifting program just over 6 weeks ago.

Today I noticed that it's not just my biceps that are becoming more visible, but also my calves and thigh muscles. I've read that it's not actually possible to build muscle while in a deficit and that it's just neuro-something adaption that increases strength. Would these adoptions make muscles look fuller? Is there a chance that PCOS is actually good for something and can get me some actual early muscle gains?

Replies

  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    me0231 wrote: »
    I'm curious if I would be able to build muscle at a faster rate than the average woman?

    Probably a little, BUT.. muscle can appear bigger after the fat covering it shrinks. Also it can swell a bit from use. Those 2 things combined with lifting tends to give most women the "gains" they want. If you truly want to bulk up though, you'll need more calories. :+1:
  • me0231
    me0231 Posts: 218 Member
    Cherimoose wrote: »

    Probably a little, BUT.. muscle can appear bigger after the fat covering it shrinks. Also it can swell a bit from use. Those 2 things combined with lifting tends to give most women the "gains" they want. If you truly want to bulk up though, you'll need more calories. :+1:

    I've lost maybe a pound since starting weight training and clothes fit the same, so I don't think that much fat has shrunk down to reveal muscles. Maybe swelling though, I get sore quite regularly. I'm not looking to bulk just trying to figure out why I stopped losing. I know that muscle gains are super slow for anyone and even more so for women, but they definitely *look* bigger.

  • ijsantos2005
    ijsantos2005 Posts: 306 Member
    For a woman, on the proper eating and lifting program, it's possible to gain 0.5-1.0 lbs of muscle in the first several months. After that it tends to drop off pretty substantially.

    As far as building muscle in a caloric deficit, you can if you fall under a couple different circumstances. New to lifting? Lots of fat to lose? Degree of caloric deficit? These will determine the rate of muscle you can gain in a deficit.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    PCOS does give a slight advantage to muscle building. You can build some muscle while eating in a deficit but it is going to be slower than at maintenance or above. You are likely seeing the normal changes that come as a newbie lifter. Good work so far!
  • me0231
    me0231 Posts: 218 Member
    Thanks guys! I'm brand new to lifting heavy, and was at about 1.2 pound weekly loss before I started. Don't know about my body fat, but definitely a far cry from lean.

    In any case, I love seeing the changes and more importantly I really enjoy lifting.
  • ijsantos2005
    ijsantos2005 Posts: 306 Member
    ijsantos2005 wrote: »
    For a woman, on the proper eating and lifting program, it's possible to gain 0.5-1.0 lbs of muscle in the first several months. After that it tends to drop off pretty substantially.

    As far as building muscle in a caloric deficit, you can if you fall under a couple different circumstances. New to lifting? Lots of fat to lose? Degree of caloric deficit? These will determine the rate of muscle you can gain in a deficit.

    Oops. To clarify, it's 0.5-1.0 lbs per month for the first several months.
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