Building muscle on a calorie deficit.

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  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
    You need to be on a calorie SURPLUS to build muscle. Plain and simple. You may look more fit and tone on a deficit, but your body needs the excess calories to build muscle.

    Why is this?

    I know this is anecdotal but I've seen many people on calorie deficit who have sometimes lost inches but not weight (which I assume is because of muscle being built).

    I'll take my own, uneducated, stab at this. From what I understand, in general it takes 3 things to build muscle.

    1. Work/tension.
    2. Building blocks (protein)
    3. Energy.
    and I guess we could add a 4th thing.
    4. Rest.

    If you're obese, your body is more willing to draw on those fat stores as a source of energy. It doesn't convert the fat to muscle directly, though. Of course, you still need to work at it and need to have the building blocks, I presume. Additionally, if the body isn't used to the work, it can initially respond by gaining some muscle in order to perform the tasks that you're doing, but those gains tend not to be significant.

    People with unusual genetic advantages or people who use steroids can be exceptions to the "no muscle mass building on a deficit" rule.

    Making things more complex, it sounds like determining your muscle mass is actually fairly difficult to do with a ton of accuracy.

    Take it all with a grain of salt, though. I'll be curious to see how others respond.

    I think focus here is that if you're losing inches but not weight, then be happy that you're almost certainly losing fat. :)

    The first 2 responses are so wrong. The dude above(EvanKeel) put it pretty well though ....

    You can build muscle on a calorie deflect just make sure you are getting allot of protein to help the muscles rebuild. Your body already has a "surplus" of energy to help the muscles rebuild. What happens when you tear muscle is your body looks for the closest source of energy to help rebuild it ... which is the fat surrounding the muscles...

    You may need a surplus of calories if say you are already small and want to build muscle ( skinny guy problem )...

    How does the body use fat to rebuild torn muscle?
  • brandon17013
    brandon17013 Posts: 40 Member
    I started to write a long post to explain the biochemistry behind what you are asking, but after about 300 words I realized that I would just be complicating your mind, and prob starting a debate w/ppl who want to argue w/mainstream studies. So, Instead I wil just give you some bullet point that you can choose to follow, research and follow, research and ignore or ignore completely :-)


    1) The most efficient way to lose fat, or build muscle is w/slight (250-500cals/day) deficet, or surplus respectively
    2) Lift moderate to heavy weight to maintain most muscle possible while in a deficet. I like a 3-4day split
    3) Do light to moderate cardio to burn calories (some of which will come from stored fat)
    4) Eat a 500cal a day deficet diet w/some healthy fat, 0.5-1.5g/lb of body weight protein (depending on what you like) and fill the rest in w/healthy carbs (fruits, veggies, whole grains)
    5) Incorporate the above things into your life in a way that you enjoy and can do for a long time! Track your progress in the mirror, on the scale, and w/bodyfat measuring devices. If you are newer to weight training you will put on some muscle, but don't get so hung up over the small details.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,973 Member
    The first 2 responses are so wrong. The dude above(EvanKeel) put it pretty well though ....

    You can build muscle on a calorie deflect just make sure you are getting allot of protein to help the muscles rebuild. Your body already has a "surplus" of energy to help the muscles rebuild. What happens when you tear muscle is your body looks for the closest source of energy to help rebuild it ... which is the fat surrounding the muscles...

    You may need a surplus of calories if say you are already small and want to build muscle ( skinny guy problem )...
    If you're obese/overweight then yes you can build SOME muscle, but it's not in the mounds that you seem to make it sound. And you CAN'T build muscle from FAT ENERGY. Muscle needs PROTEIN to rebuild.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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