Gaining MUSCLE - stupid question
seobstar
Posts: 169
Math, science...never been my strong suit so excuse me if this is like a really dumb question. Ok, so clearly before starting EMTWL I was very concerned about a number on the scale. I always had this idea in my mind that if I could get to 135 (I'm a 5'6 female, 33yr old) that I'd be at my ultimate goal weight and be "happy". I've since changed that mindset and realize that it has nothing to do with a number on the scale. I just finished my 8wk reset and currently weigh 157 (weighed about 151/152ish before starting the reset) and I'm on day 4 of my Cut. My question is about muscle gain. During my 8 wk reset I lifted heavy and cut out lots of the cardio that I had been doing prior to EMTWL. I know that I've gained some muscle and I feel much stronger and much more defined, more toned, etc. I am now a major addict of weight lifting! love it!!! If I ate AT (and sometimes a little above) my TDEE for 8 full wks and lifted heavy how much actual muscle weight could I have gained? If my goal now is to shed the last few pounds of fat and tone up even more I know the scale won't move much..... But, could I have actually gained 6 pounds of muscle in 8wks? I feel like my body is feeling/looking almost like it did prior to reset when I weighed 147-152 (I always went up and down the same 5 pounds). Could the 157 I see on the scale now literally be all new muscle? Is this like the dumbest question ever? haha...thanks! 
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Not a dumb question, you do build muscle mass if you eat above tdee and lift heavy.. The real question comes into how much you actually gained.. unfortunately there is no calculator or online website (that I know of) that you can enter in your workout, what you lift and it will tell you what you built up.. but if you really want to know, you can get your lean body mass, then after a period of time bulking up, take it again, and if it goes up.. you gained muscle.. there are calculators out there to get your lean body mass, which includes your bf% and weight, I dont have one I can recommend or suggest though.0
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there are calculators out there to get your lean body mass, which includes your bf% and weight, I dont have one I can recommend or suggest though.
The most accurate way to measure body fat percentage is with calipers. However, if that's not feasible, this calculator is one of the better ones:
http://www.gymgoal.com/dtool_fat.html0 -
But, could I have actually gained 6 pounds of muscle in 8wks? I feel like my body is feeling/looking almost like it did prior to reset when I weighed 147-152 (I always went up and down the same 5 pounds). Could the 157 I see on the scale now literally be all new muscle?
It's unlikely to be all muscle--my understanding is that the most muscle you can gain is about .25/lb per week, so if you hit that rate (and that's hard to hit), you might have gained 2 pounds of muscle (sorry). HOWEVER, when you train, you also retain glycogen in the muscles, which is sort of equivalent to water weight, so that likely accounts for some gain as well (maybe even the remaining 4 pounds).
A better way to gauge overall success, of course, is with the measuring tape (and bf %).0 -
What you did is what we call recomposition. When eating at maintenance you can gain a bit of muscles and lose a bit of fat. Not the most effective way to do it and not the fastest also. How mush muscle.......probably very little but anything is great. I would suggest you buy yourself body fat calipers. I love mine and they are the only way I really know what is happening since the scale and even the tape is not telling me the whole story.0
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thanks everyone! This is pretty much what I figured and is totally okay with me! It just confirms what I know...that I have about 10-15 pounds of fat that still needs to shed from this body! I feel like if it would just go AWAY there would be a very nice lean toned body revealed underneath! Thanks for your input!!! 0
