Gain muscle AND lose weight?

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,972 Member
    Why does the body simply not burn the fat surplus to maintain or build the muscle? Why would you need to eat more?
    To build muscle is to add weight. You add weight from a surplus. Since fat doesn't build muscle (only protein does) you have to get an ample amount to build it. In a perfect world ALL of the protein would go to this, but unfortunately that's not the case.
    I mean I've lost weight but am definitely also more muscular than previously. And I've never bulked.
    All that means is that the muscle you've conditioned is now visible. You can also gain strength without bulking up.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
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    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • CheesyPoofs
    CheesyPoofs Posts: 31
    What resistance training program are you using to do this?

    If varies, usually a fairly low volume strength cycle, like 5-8 sets of varying intensity levels.
    You're not training for strength (although that could be achieved with it), you're training for mass. So high volume (lots of sets between 16-24 sets) for each body part with reps between 6-12.
    Personally I do 4 sets per exercise with rep range 12, 10, 8, 6 increasing weight progressively each set. IE for chest I'll do incline bench, dumbell flat bench, dips and either flyes or crossovers. May even add a final set of pushups to really engorge my chest with blood.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    [/quote]

    Why do high volume hypertrophy training if you're gonna be eating a calorie deficit and not able to gain the muscle?

    I was told lower volume strength training is better for a cut, am I right?
  • CheesyPoofs
    CheesyPoofs Posts: 31
    Okay, well I've made pretty good gains in muscle over the past 4 months, but now at 22-24% BF, its definitely time to get that down to a point where I can see my abs or something.

    I probably need to get my BF to 10% to see abs, so that means a lot of cutting.

    Hence, a long cut and a lot of muscle lost, which leads me to being skinny and weak again.

    So what preserves the muscle the most, HEAVY lifting at low volumes, or high volumes, or something else?
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Okay, well I've made pretty good gains in muscle over the past 4 months, but now at 22-24% BF, its definitely time to get that down to a point where I can see my abs or something.

    I probably need to get my BF to 10% to see abs, so that means a lot of cutting.

    Hence, a long cut and a lot of muscle lost, which leads me to being skinny and weak again.

    So what preserves the muscle the most, HEAVY lifting at low volumes, or high volumes, or something else?
    While cutting, the most important thing to do is to maintain weight on the bar. Let's say you normally squat 2plate 5x8. If you want to decrease anything, drop down ti 3x8. DON'T decrease weight.
  • CheesyPoofs
    CheesyPoofs Posts: 31
    Okay, well I've made pretty good gains in muscle over the past 4 months, but now at 22-24% BF, its definitely time to get that down to a point where I can see my abs or something.

    I probably need to get my BF to 10% to see abs, so that means a lot of cutting.

    Hence, a long cut and a lot of muscle lost, which leads me to being skinny and weak again.

    So what preserves the muscle the most, HEAVY lifting at low volumes, or high volumes, or something else?
    While cutting, the most important thing to do is to maintain weight on the bar. Let's say you normally squat 2plate 5x8. If you want to decrease anything, drop down ti 3x8. DON'T decrease weight.

    Good advice, thank you.

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