Gaining muscle on deficit

yuliyax

Since you can't gain muscle on a deficit, how would you explain people weighing the same amount but losing inches (eating on deficit ofc)?

keengkong

You can gain muscle on a deficit provided the deficit is not too large.

MoreBean13

Bump to watch unfold.

tross0924

While I don't know for sure my guess at the answer is fat loss weight is balanced by increased glycogen and water storage which is a muscles first reaction to weight training before growth. This storage, and several other neuro-muscular processes, allows you to increase strength and muscle recruitment without actually growing new muscle fibers.

chickentunashake

If you are losing inches but weigh the same,that means u are building muscle but losing fat. Muscle is heavier and smaller size then fat. It depends how big is the deficit and what kind of food you are eating. For example, if you have enough protein to support the muscle mass and less carbs, that way your body is using fat for energy instead of the carbs.

bacitracin

I've built muscle on a ketogenic diet for 9 months, which a lot of "brofessionals" say is impossible. Just take something heavy, lift it, repeat.

Yes, I'm also usually in under my TDEE as well.

mes1119

muscles retain water when they are sore, i.e. causing someone to get smaller but weigh heavy still.

people don't realize how much water weight messes with the "number on the scale"

people seem to think that a four pound gain or something crazy like that is muscle or fat. it is almost always water with maybe 1 pound of it being either fat or muscle.

MoreBean13

when a muscle is holding water for repair, how long does that last? 24 hrs? a couple days? a week? Does it happen pretty much continually if you weight train regularly?