"You can't build muscle on a calorie deficit"

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  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
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    you CAN increase lean mass while on a deficit-by losing fat. Building (what you consider "bulking" not possible) the reason why your muscles are more noticeable is that the fat is gone-therefor the muscle is more defined.

    hopefully that makes sense to u
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    From nps.gov:

    The urea produced from fat metabolism (fatal at high levels) is broken down and the resulting nitrogen is used by the bear to build protein, which allows them to maintain muscle mass and organ tissues (Rogers 1981). Bears lose fat and may actually increase lean-body mass while hibernating due to this nitrogen recycling (Wickelgren 1988). Bears may loose 15-30 % of their body weight during hibernation (Rogers 1981).

    Dont tell me you gonna dispute NPS.
    rawr ima bear
  • NormInv
    NormInv Posts: 3,302 Member
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    From nps.gov:

    The urea produced from fat metabolism (fatal at high levels) is broken down and the resulting nitrogen is used by the bear to build protein, which allows them to maintain muscle mass and organ tissues (Rogers 1981). Bears lose fat and may actually increase lean-body mass while hibernating due to this nitrogen recycling (Wickelgren 1988). Bears may loose 15-30 % of their body weight during hibernation (Rogers 1981).

    Dont tell me you gonna dispute NPS.
    rawr ima bear

    right!?! just look at nature for examples. bears hibernate, then go out and eat a face. nature is telling us something.
  • crista_b
    crista_b Posts: 1,192 Member
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    you CAN increase lean mass while on a deficit-by losing fat. Building (what you consider "bulking" not possible) the reason why your muscles are more noticeable is that the fat is gone-therefor the muscle is more defined.

    hopefully that makes sense to u
    Yep. Most people confuse LBM increases with muscle gains.

    Also, this thread is now repeating itself because this debate has been beaten to death in here already.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    From nps.gov:

    The urea produced from fat metabolism (fatal at high levels) is broken down and the resulting nitrogen is used by the bear to build protein, which allows them to maintain muscle mass and organ tissues (Rogers 1981). Bears lose fat and may actually increase lean-body mass while hibernating due to this nitrogen recycling (Wickelgren 1988). Bears may loose 15-30 % of their body weight during hibernation (Rogers 1981).

    Dont tell me you gonna dispute NPS.
    rawr ima bear

    right!?! just look at nature for examples. bears hibernate, then go out and eat a face. nature is telling us something.
    And gorillas get swole as fuuuark without doing anything at all!
  • EricMurano
    EricMurano Posts: 825 Member
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    Anecdotal: I've been on a calorie deficit and I've put on muscle.

    But I'm probably an alien.
  • crista_b
    crista_b Posts: 1,192 Member
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    From nps.gov:

    The urea produced from fat metabolism (fatal at high levels) is broken down and the resulting nitrogen is used by the bear to build protein, which allows them to maintain muscle mass and organ tissues (Rogers 1981). Bears lose fat and may actually increase lean-body mass while hibernating due to this nitrogen recycling (Wickelgren 1988). Bears may loose 15-30 % of their body weight during hibernation (Rogers 1981).

    Dont tell me you gonna dispute NPS.
    rawr ima bear

    right!?! just look at nature for examples. bears hibernate, then go out and eat a face. nature is telling us something.
    And gorillas get swole as fuuuark without doing anything at all!
    And they're herbivores... where do they get their protein?!
  • NormInv
    NormInv Posts: 3,302 Member
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    Im really curious about the definitions of deficit and surplus too. I think your body adapts to the new reality eventually and what was once a deficit is now normal. I think.

    Anyway, how do you explain a bigger bicep when on a deficit.

    True measure is to do a BF% and then weigh yourself and see if you have lower BF% then time 0, but weigh more. Then you gained.

    But short of that, if you take a tape measure and your bicep is bigger than before while you been eating at a deficit, does that mean aliens exist?
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
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    If u want a diet re-start, go back down to 1200 abut after a plateau when u start again adding calories slowly. I did this and am slowly going up 100 per week until u hit 2000 calories, then go back down to 1200. That is my diet re-start program and I am 5'5 and 150 pounds.
  • Cp731
    Cp731 Posts: 3,195 Member
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    .
    rawr ima bear

    right!?! just look at nature for examples. bears hibernate, then go out and eat a face. nature is telling us something.

    haha. This is whats wrong w/me?
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
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    I'm 145, sorry.....
  • NormInv
    NormInv Posts: 3,302 Member
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    .
    rawr ima bear

    right!?! just look at nature for examples. bears hibernate, then go out and eat a face. nature is telling us something.

    haha. This is whats wrong w/me?

    No hon, that is not whats wrong with you.
  • Cp731
    Cp731 Posts: 3,195 Member
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    .
    rawr ima bear

    right!?! just look at nature for examples. bears hibernate, then go out and eat a face. nature is telling us something.

    haha. This is whats wrong w/me?

    No hon, that is not whats wrong with you.

    snuglebear.gif
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
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    Here are my questions pertaining to this.....

    1. How long is the window where "newb gains" applies?

    2. What are the parameters around an "obese" individual? Are we talking about a person at 30+% BF, 40+% BF, etc.

    If point 1 and and point 2 are in alignment, generally what would a person see in terms of results?
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    Here are my questions pertaining to this.....

    1. How long is the window where "newb gains" applies?

    2. What are the parameters around an "obese" individual? Are we talking about a person at 30+% BF, 40+% BF, etc.

    If point 1 and and point 2 are in alignment, generally what would a person see in terms of results?
    Well, in my experience, as I was an obese newbie, and probably at ~35% when I started, I gained a little size in my biceps and traps, but that was it. Probably saw the change over a period of 3-4 months. Since then I've only gained a little muscle here and there when I've been intentionally eating just above maintenance.
  • crista_b
    crista_b Posts: 1,192 Member
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    Here are my questions pertaining to this.....

    1. How long is the window where "newb gains" applies?

    2. What are the parameters around an "obese" individual? Are we talking about a person at 30+% BF, 40+% BF, etc.

    If point 1 and and point 2 are in alignment, generally what would a person see in terms of results?
    I'm no expert and won't claim to be, but...

    1. It can depend on the individual, but the general consensus is about 5-8 months. (That's usually at a small deficit though. Larger deficits will lead to shorter lengths of newbie gain time.)

    2. Obese would be 32%+ bf for a woman and 25%+ for a man.


    Not sure how to answer the question if they're aligned. I'm pretty sure that will depend greatly on the individual.
  • NormInv
    NormInv Posts: 3,302 Member
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    .
    rawr ima bear

    right!?! just look at nature for examples. bears hibernate, then go out and eat a face. nature is telling us something.

    haha. This is whats wrong w/me?

    No hon, that is not whats wrong with you.

    snuglebear.gif

    tumblr_m8561muU981r4gei2o6_400.gif
  • cavia
    cavia Posts: 457 Member
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    From nps.gov:

    The urea produced from fat metabolism (fatal at high levels) is broken down and the resulting nitrogen is used by the bear to build protein, which allows them to maintain muscle mass and organ tissues (Rogers 1981). Bears lose fat and may actually increase lean-body mass while hibernating due to this nitrogen recycling (Wickelgren 1988). Bears may loose 15-30 % of their body weight during hibernation (Rogers 1981).

    Dont tell me you gonna dispute NPS.
    rawr ima bear

    right!?! just look at nature for examples. bears hibernate, then go out and eat a face. nature is telling us something.

    Bears are really just hangry?
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
    Options
    Here are my questions pertaining to this.....

    1. How long is the window where "newb gains" applies?

    2. What are the parameters around an "obese" individual? Are we talking about a person at 30+% BF, 40+% BF, etc.

    If point 1 and and point 2 are in alignment, generally what would a person see in terms of results?
    I'm no expert and won't claim to be, but...

    1. It can depend on the individual, but the general consensus is about 5-8 months. (That's usually at a small deficit though. Larger deficits will lead to shorter lengths of newbie gain time.)

    2. Obese would be 32%+ bf for a woman and 25%+ for a man.


    Not sure how to answer the question if they're aligned. I'm pretty sure that will depend greatly on the individual.

    Thanks! by alignment I basically meant if an individual falls into both categories.....I just used a word that really didn't make sense :laugh: my bad!!!


    Well, in my experience, as I was an obese newbie, and probably at ~35% when I started, I gained a little size in my biceps and traps, but that was it. Probably saw the change over a period of 3-4 months. Since then I've only gained a little muscle here and there when I've been intentionally eating just above maintenance.

    Thank you for sharing this :smile:
  • crista_b
    crista_b Posts: 1,192 Member
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    Here are my questions pertaining to this.....

    1. How long is the window where "newb gains" applies?

    2. What are the parameters around an "obese" individual? Are we talking about a person at 30+% BF, 40+% BF, etc.

    If point 1 and and point 2 are in alignment, generally what would a person see in terms of results?
    I'm no expert and won't claim to be, but...

    1. It can depend on the individual, but the general consensus is about 5-8 months. (That's usually at a small deficit though. Larger deficits will lead to shorter lengths of newbie gain time.)

    2. Obese would be 32%+ bf for a woman and 25%+ for a man.


    Not sure how to answer the question if they're aligned. I'm pretty sure that will depend greatly on the individual.

    Thanks! by alignment I basically meant if an individual falls into both categories.....I just used a word that really didn't make sense :laugh: my bad!!!
    That's what I figured. I think it would depend on how hard the person pushes, their protein intake, the amount of caloric deficit, and what their bf% is. Hard to estimate.