Gaining muscle

slawren5
slawren5 Posts: 6 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
How do you know if you’re gaining muscle or fat? The past week my weight went up two pounds but my clothes are getting big on me and I went down a pants size, I strength train 5x a week with cardio to start every session ( I’ve been running on the treadmill) but I can definitely see my quads getting bigger and rock hard if that makes sense 😂😂 plus I haven’t been hitting my macros for the day I’m always under, is that bad or good? Thanks!

Replies

  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,224 Member
    My scale can jump up two pounds over a couple of weeks for a lot of reasons - approaching my menstrual cycle, I ate a larger meal or something with more sodium recently so I'm retaining water... if I stick with my calorie counting and don't let it hurt my feelings (ha!) it usually goes back to the original number (or below) within the next few weeks. Try not to over think the number. You're seeing results.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
    If you have gone down a pant size, then it is likely you are losing fat. Depending on whether you are new to strength training, how long your current routine has been going & how you are progressing with adding weight, & how much excess weight you carry, you might have gained a little muscle. To keep it in perspective, if you are training hard and eating in a surplus, you might gain up to 1.5 # of muscle in a month. A fluctuation of 2 pounds is not indicative of either fat or muscle gain as suggested above. As for "hitting macros" the important ones are fat and protein - hopefully you are hitting the minimums there over a week's time, and if you aren't, it's time for a little tweaking.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    If you want the most reliable estimation for whether or not you are gaining/losing muscle/lean body mass is getting either a DEXA scan or Hydrostatic.

    Out of curiosity, what does your lifting program look like?
  • slawren5
    slawren5 Posts: 6 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    If you want the most reliable estimation for whether or not you are gaining/losing muscle/lean body mass is getting either a DEXA scan or Hydrostatic.

    Out of curiosity, what does your lifting program look like?

    I lift 5x a week and I focus on different muscle group each day and I do 20-30 mins of cardio and abs
  • slawren5
    slawren5 Posts: 6 Member
    Maxxitt wrote: »
    If you have gone down a pant size, then it is likely you are losing fat. Depending on whether you are new to strength training, how long your current routine has been going & how you are progressing with adding weight, & how much excess weight you carry, you might have gained a little muscle. To keep it in perspective, if you are training hard and eating in a surplus, you might gain up to 1.5 # of muscle in a month. A fluctuation of 2 pounds is not indicative of either fat or muscle gain as suggested above. As for "hitting macros" the important ones are fat and protein - hopefully you are hitting the minimums there over a week's time, and if you aren't, it's time for a little tweaking.

    That’s what I was confused about because many people said you can’t gain muscle on a caloric deficit, but I go over my protein like everyday and I just about hit my fats
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    slawren5 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    If you want the most reliable estimation for whether or not you are gaining/losing muscle/lean body mass is getting either a DEXA scan or Hydrostatic.

    Out of curiosity, what does your lifting program look like?

    I lift 5x a week and I focus on different muscle group each day and I do 20-30 mins of cardio and abs

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    I would get on a structured routine. While a bro-split is ok, its not as optimal as a program where you hit each muscle group 2-3x a week.
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