Can you gain muscle and lose fat at the same time?

fitnhealthy21

I'm looking to lose about 10 more lbs. I started ChaLean Extreme yesterday. I've heard that you can't build muscle while eating at a deficit. I've seen impressive transformations with programs like CE and P90X. How are these people changing their bodies so much if you can't build muscle while eating at a deficit? I'm honestly not trying to sound rude. I'm still a noob in the fitness world on some things and would like for someone to explain this to me.

Pedal_Pusher

i bet you can

xxvogue

Most people who lose weight gain muscle along the way. I think it's 100% possible. Just make sure you're getting enough food.

shabaity

yep so long as your eating and exercising right

jdholland5508

If you are a begginer to strength training it is very possible if you keep your protien level high, around 1g per lean body weight in lbs. However if you are already into strenght training it is nearly impossible to gain muscle and lose fat.

AsellusReborn

You can make minor gains but for the most part your body just doesn't biologically work that way - it isn't going to break into its reserves and build new tissues in a deficit, why would it? The awesome transformations you see are the muscles that are already there becoming nice and defined because the layer of fat on top of them goes away.

Edit: Reading responses, it's worth noting that making strength gains doesn't necessarily mean muscle gains.

wayned22

You obviously cannot do an even trade (muscle gained/fat lost) but with the proper macros it can be done slowly. Proper diet and the proper lfiting/sets/weight for your body will yield the results you are looking for. As far as P90X goes and the "before and afters", remember quite a few of those "befores" have a good amount of muscle already built and are simply "cutting" with P90X. The average guy will not look like the models after doing it, even though the results can be impressive. Every "miracle program" out there recruits "bulked up" fitness models and bodybuilders that are simply cutting to reveal their already built muscle underneath.

Zangpakto

You can't build at a deficit....

However you can maintain and losing the extra fat and adding some volume to the muscle will definitely help...

Again, check out the forums for body building and ask them about losing weight whilst building and how effective that is... See the replies you will get. This place is the wrong place to ask as everyone says you sure can build muscle because they lost and have muscle still... Well what about the fact they had muscle before, and maintaining or slightly adding definition actually helped and they didn't in fact build that much... Lets be honest here...

Even while eating at an increased calorie intake it is HARD HARD HARD to even put on 5-10 pounds of muscle... So at a deficit which your body will also need to function and can't jump your body full of protein, amino acids hormones etc which are present in excess in excessive calorie intakes, do you honestly think your going to build that much if at all?... Be honest here...

IrishDaveRed

Bump

askinnybanana13

yes! muscle building burns fat where as cardio exercises burn calories. The two work hand and hand.

SassyCalyGirl

yep I did!

FireBrand80

It generally can't be done, but it can happen in overweight beginners, because of a combination of insulin resistance and the relatively rapid muscle building and improved nutrient partitioning that comes with being new to strength training.

wayned22

YES, you can gain muscle and lose fat and here’s how:





1.Constant influx of protein. 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight per day taken 5-6 equal portions spaced evenly through out the day – otherwise your nuclear power plant will have to turn on between meals and burn muscle, you don’t want that.
2.Consume enough calories to keep your body from thinking its starving but not so many calories that you gain fat, 10% under your TDEE is a good value to use. My calorie calculator will tell you exactly what that is for your type metabolism. Make sure to set your goal in step 6 to “10% calorie reduction”
3.Proper nutrition, make every calorie count!1.eat unprocessed or minimally processed foods
2.eat lots of fresh vegetables
3.eat less than 30% of your calories from fat and eat only good fats like olives, nuts, and avocados
4.eat whole grains and low G.I. carbs – no simple carbs like sugar, alcohol, or white flour
5.eat omega-IIIs daily, flax or salmon are great sources

4.Hardcore, consistent weight workouts. You can use my custom workout plan generator to design a workout plan appropriate for you.
5.Daily cardio, 30-40min. Cardio will not burn muscle, it will help you gain muscle while losing fat at the same time.

Anthonydaman

It absolutely can be done

wayned22

Sory, found this on "Scooby's workshop" been living by it for three months, have lost almost 30 pounds, bicep, quad, shoulder measurements are all increased and all compound exercise movements (squat, etc) are all way up.

BinaryPulsar

Three resources that talk about this are: Scooby's Workshop, Tom Venuto, and Stronglifts. There may be more. These are the three I have seen. A lot of other programs utilize similar methods, they just don't explain it quite as well. Being a weight lifting novice is also a plus, so enjoy and take advantage of that (I sure am).

I'm not eating at a deficit, though. I am eating at what is either maintenance or a small surplus. Also it can be confusing because people don't always explain the concept of eating at a surplus very well or what that even means (since it is different per person). Also when people say you gain fat along with muscle that can mean a barely perceptible amount of fat. I also found some good info from Mark Lauren. I'm still learning.

CWSpiegel

Yep.

Following 5-6 day/week Crossfit programming, I have lost 15 lbs, 8% BF, and all of my lifts (Clean, Squat, Shoulder Press, Clean and Jerk, Snatch, Deadlift) have all increased by at least 40 lbs each, 120 lbs for the deadlift.

Chris

Montanarush

If you are doing resistance training, you will gain muscle, and muscle burns fat faster. So, yes!! One thing though, take measurements because you will lose size but your actual weight loss may slow down. I'm going through that very thing right now!!

samntha14

Well, I don't necessarily eat at a deficit, maybe a 100-200 a day. Some days I'm below maintenance, some days I'm over, but I've lost 12 inches, 8% body fat, five pounds of actual weight, and I've doubled my weights when lifting over the last 7 months. I know being a newbie helps

Silverkittycat

Some can.. good on you for asking.

AnvilHead

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html

mustgetmuscles1

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html

Thank you for that. What this article describes has been my experience exactly. When I first started I felt pretty strongly I was gaining muscle. Then those gains stopped while I dropped the majority of my weight. Now that I am trying to lose the last bit of my weight and have basically switched to an IF eating schedule and a very small deficit. I "think" I have seen some small gains in mass in a few different body parts. With that being said any mass gains or fat loss have been extremely slow for the last 3 months. Like I have been gaining and losing the same 3-4 lbs for months. I have decided to just drop the last few pounds with a bigger deficit and then start a lean traditional bulk next month.

If it is possible beyond the beginner stage, it is extremely slow and inefficient. But if you are not in a hurry and and dont want to put on much mass I guess it is an option.

ninerbuff

You can't build at a deficit....

However you can maintain and losing the extra fat and adding some volume to the muscle will definitely help...

Again, check out the forums for body building and ask them about losing weight whilst building and how effective that is... See the replies you will get. This place is the wrong place to ask as everyone says you sure can build muscle because they lost and have muscle still... Well what about the fact they had muscle before, and maintaining or slightly adding definition actually helped and they didn't in fact build that much... Lets be honest here...

Even while eating at an increased calorie intake it is HARD HARD HARD to even put on 5-10 pounds of muscle... So at a deficit which your body will also need to function and can't jump your body full of protein, amino acids hormones etc which are present in excess in excessive calorie intakes, do you honestly think your going to build that much if at all?... Be honest here...

Pretty much this. While some people (athletes returning from a long layoff, newbies to lifting, and very overweight/obese) may build a little muscle initially, to build muscle means to build new tissue. To build new tissue, you add weight which means higher energy intake.
For those that believe that increased strength directly relates to muscle gain, one on calorie deficit can definitely build strength due to neuromuscular adaptation.

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

joejccva71

YES, you can gain muscle and lose fat and here’s how:





1.Constant influx of protein. 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight per day taken 5-6 equal portions spaced evenly through out the day – otherwise your nuclear power plant will have to turn on between meals and burn muscle, you don’t want that.
2.Consume enough calories to keep your body from thinking its starving but not so many calories that you gain fat, 10% under your TDEE is a good value to use. My calorie calculator will tell you exactly what that is for your type metabolism. Make sure to set your goal in step 6 to “10% calorie reduction”
3.Proper nutrition, make every calorie count!1.eat unprocessed or minimally processed foods
2.eat lots of fresh vegetables
3.eat less than 30% of your calories from fat and eat only good fats like olives, nuts, and avocados
4.eat whole grains and low G.I. carbs – no simple carbs like sugar, alcohol, or white flour
5.eat omega-IIIs daily, flax or salmon are great sources

4.Hardcore, consistent weight workouts. You can use my custom workout plan generator to design a workout plan appropriate for you.
5.Daily cardio, 30-40min. Cardio will not burn muscle, it will help you gain muscle while losing fat at the same time.

Please go read some research and books regarding weight training and nutrition before posting this again. You are making my head hurt.

TheRealParisLove

You can through calorie cycling.

thistimeismytime

Well, honestly OP, reading this thread has done nothing but confuse me more. Not sure if I've gained muscle while losing fat, but I feel like I look a lot more muscular. Perhaps I have just shaped/conditioned my muscles while making them more visible with body fat reduction? Hell if I know, but my profile pic shows my progress from 7 months of heavy lifting, cardio, and healthier eating. Best wishes to you

joejccva71

You can through calorie cycling.

If you end up in a deficit at the end of the week, it's still a deficit regardless if you cal cycled.

Lift_hard_eat_big

Recomp is rather difficult for the average person, unless if you juice. However, there are some genetic freaks out there that can successfully pull off a recomp while being all natural.

DanaDark

The sheer amount of misinformation in this thread is sad.

Only a few groups of people can make initial mass gains while in a caloric deficit. ALL those people will eventually see their gains stall while in deficit as well. Extremely overweight, lifting beginners, and people that have trained before qualify here.

Now, in general...

You get stronger because your brain develops better connections to the muscle fibers due to recognizing they are finally being used.

You get bigger because of two things. First being less body fat makes things look more defined. Secondly, the fact that you are suddenly using more muscle fibers means the body recognizes the need to store adequate energy and nutrients in them. To do so, this requires water. More water in the muscles will cause them to increase in size. This is NOT the same as adding muscle mass.

So, many people start lifting, lose fat, get stronger, and look bigger. This is not the same as adding muscle mass. Some people can add a small amount of mass when beginning, but as I mentioned, stall.

If anyone here thinks body builders get the way they are by eating small salads with no dressing during gym days, you're wrong.

BinaryPulsar

I weigh 102 pounds and have a low bodyfat %, so there is no weight for me to lose. I put my calorie goals as being the most active (such as a construction worker), then I increased that by at least another 60 calories. And when I exercise I increase it even more (and anytime I am hungry I allow myself to go over on my calories). That puts me at least 300 calories and more above what Mfp would set as my maintenance calories. And I am seeing a slow and steady increase in my muscle size. Not dramatic, but it's certainly noticeable. My husband is a physicist and a mathematician, so we researched all the different calorie calculating formulas and what they were based on and calculated my calorie needs in multiple different ways, plus I tested it out over a period of time to see how it influenced my hunger, energy levels, and weight changes. I am a long time professional contemporary dancer and have had visible muscle definition for a long time (in my abs most dramatically). I have dabbled in lifting weights, but have only become serious about it recently. It is helpful as I am getting older and I have had 2 children. As long as I am making progress I'm fine with that. If I need to make a change I will when that becomes necessary. But, I don't think I am doing anything wrong. Just still learning and also dealing with an old injury. Also I am doing the NRoL4W program at this time.

As far as food goes. I eat nuts. I will eat a very large salad with chicken and dressing that has oil in it. I am eating high protein with the 40/30/30 macros.

tajmel

I had been wondering about this issue, so thanks OP. I knew it should be impossible to gain muscle on a deficit, and that initial strength gains are mostly due to better neural connections, but in the 4-5 weeks I've been lifting I've noticeably gained muscle size and definition. I am both a novice and very overweight, so that explains it.