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!

Newbie gains

Wonderob
Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
edited February 23 in Fitness and Exercise
What's the science behind them? I'm led to believe that you can even get newbie gains on a calorie deficit!

The reason I ask is because although I have lifted for quite a while, an injury has prevented me from doing any deadlifts or squats. So essentially I'm new to this aren't I?

So I've been lifting quite heavy for a while on a slight calorie deficit/calorie neutral. - No gains expected and none received!

Now I'm adding a heavy deadlift and squat routine - can I expect some gains even at calorie neutral? How cool would that be!

Replies

  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
    You should see some gains, but as you suspect if you aren't eating at a surplus, you aren't going to get hugely stronger. Muscle needs fuel to grow, and if you are eating at maintenance there is only so much recomposition that can happen.


    If you charted your gains out on a graph I expect you'd see bigger % changes early then tapering to a slow, steady climb. That's absolutely the norm for 95% of people who start on lifting programs I'd guess, though I have no clinical proof of that and don't care enough to look it up.

    I'd say it's time for an experiment. Keep the same program and start adding calories to see if you start seeing strength gains. I think you know what will happen :)
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
    You should see some gains, but as you suspect if you aren't eating at a surplus, you aren't going to get hugely stronger. Muscle needs fuel to grow, and if you are eating at maintenance there is only so much recomposition that can happen.


    If you charted your gains out on a graph I expect you'd see bigger % changes early then tapering to a slow, steady climb. That's absolutely the norm for 95% of people who start on lifting programs I'd guess, though I have no clinical proof of that and don't care enough to look it up.

    I'd say it's time for an experiment. Keep the same program and start adding calories to see if you start seeing strength gains. I think you know what will happen :)

    That's good advice thanks - to be honest though, my prime goal at the moment is to lower my bodyfat. At maybe 15-16% right now and I'd like to get it to nearer 12%

    I'm prepared to lose a bit of strength/muscle in the process so would you say a slight calorie deficit is the way to go, or try to lower my BF by increasing muscle mass on a slight calorie surplus?
This discussion has been closed.

Categories