build muscle on calorie deficit?
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What makes you think you're gaining muscle? Its very difficult to tell that without sophisticated testing. And why are you eating at a significant deficit if you're underweight?Yes you can. I am eating a significant deficit, am not new to lifting, and am not overweight (actually i am classified as underweight) and I am gaining muscle. I guess its just a personal thing depending on individual cases. I only have to look at a weight and I gain muscle- have always been like it. I am young, so may have youth on my side?0 -
Let me throw a few more things out there too. You need to have realistic goals as far as adding muscle. 12 pounds in a year is significant! That can be done in your first year if you have the time to spend in the gym and you're doing everything you need to do out of the gym. Year after year it becomes increasingly hard to add more muscle.
Don't let the body building hype discourage you from doing what you're doing. You're not adding insane muscle like they advertise on TV or the internet. Bodybuilders are actually considered beginners for at least a year of training, I would say more like 2. So when someone says only beginners can do it, you have a good two year window for that!
Your first few months may be weird. You won't know if you're losing fat or adding muscle because the scale will be playing tricks with you. More than likely you'll be doing both so you may think nothings happening, but it is. Also the increased water intake may add more weight to the scale because most people are generally not optimally hydrated to begin with. Once your nervous system gets acquainted with resistance training you'll hit your stride. You need time for your body to adjust before it can start adding optimal muscle. It needs to strengthen bones, ligaments, veins and other things to make sure it can handle the stress before adding muscle. The body is smart, it will handle everything for you.
Just give it what it needs to do it, i.e. rest, proper nutrition, water, and consistent stress (weights).
I'd also recommend a personal trainer in the beginning. They can offer encouragement and PROPER TECHNIQUE! I stress that because lifting wrong can hurt you and nothing throws a wrench into muscle building quite like an injury. It would be good to get acquainted with why you lift, what you lift and how you lift.
Sorry, my point was, I hate when I see people give up or get discouraged because of a false preconception they've had about how fast and easy it is to get the results some 10-15+ year bodybuilding veteran has, and because he chugs protein shakes out of an oil drum. The only thing that will get you results is progressive consistency.0 -
Let me throw a few more things out there too. You need to have realistic goals as far as adding muscle. 12 pounds in a year is significant! That can be done in your first year if you have the time to spend in the gym and you're doing everything you need to do out of the gym. Year after year it becomes increasingly hard to add more muscle.
Don't let the body building hype discourage you from doing what you're doing. You're not adding insane muscle like they advertise on TV or the internet. Bodybuilders are actually considered beginners for at least a year of training, I would say more like 2. So when someone says only beginners can do it, you have a good two year window for that!
Your first few months may be weird. You won't know if you're losing fat or adding muscle because the scale will be playing tricks with you. More than likely you'll be doing both so you may think nothings happening, but it is. Also the increased water intake may add more weight to the scale because most people are generally not optimally hydrated to begin with. Once your nervous system gets acquainted with resistance training you'll hit your stride. You need time for your body to adjust before it can start adding optimal muscle. It needs to strengthen bones, ligaments, veins and other things to make sure it can handle the stress before adding muscle. The body is smart, it will handle everything for you.
Just give it what it needs to do it, i.e. rest, proper nutrition, water, and consistent stress (weights).
I'd also recommend a personal trainer in the beginning. They can offer encouragement and PROPER TECHNIQUE! I stress that because lifting wrong can hurt you and nothing throws a wrench into muscle building quite like an injury. It would be good to get acquainted with why you lift, what you lift and how you lift.
Sorry, my point was, I hate when I see people give up or get discouraged because of a false preconception they've had about how fast and easy it is to get the results some 10-15+ year bodybuilding veteran has, and because he chugs protein shakes out of an oil drum. The only thing that will get you results is progressive consistency.
Not to mention the fact that many elite body builders/fitness models and movie starts who's bodies we aspire to are usually doing more than "chugging protein" and usually shooting 400mg in their glutes every 7 days0 -
You can absolutely build muscle on a calorie deficit, but not for a long time. If you're just getting into weight training, you'll get some decent results up to 6 months, give or take. It also depends on how restrictive your diet is. You should try not to exceed a deficit of 500 calories if you're getting into weight training. The most important factors for putting on some muscle are:
-consistent training (full body workouts divided into separate days for different muscle groups)
-progressive training (increase weight and effort week to week)
-increase water consumption (depends on your height/weight but at least 64 ounces, more if you need it, less on days off if you can't drink it all)
-plenty of rest/recovery (you can hit the gym 5-7 days a week if you have it in you, but don't hit the same muscles for at least 4 days before returning to them, make sure you get enough sleep too, good for hormones, good for growth and recovery)
You don't need gobs of protein or supplements. Under optimal conditions the human body can't really synthesize more than a pound of muscle per week depending on the persons size of course. And that will only happen in the beginning. Incorporate your entire body in your weight training. That doesn't mean all at once, but throughout the week. This will increase the release of hormones you need to build muscle, and it will also help to keep your from over/under developing muscle or muscle groups which can have a negative effect over long term.
This might all sound like a lot but just getting into the gym and lifting consistently is the thing to do. Find what works for you. Some weeks you won't feel like there's a difference, some weeks you just see a muscle that wasn't there last time. Just give it a good 3 months. It takes time for the body to change. And don't get discouraged, it is a little harder for females to put on the muscle. Less testosterone, which is powerful hormone for growth. And don't worry about getting to big, because its a lot of work and takes a good amount of time.
But anyways, after a while you'll need to get into a calorie surplus, but if you're trying to burn fat also, your body will use that as the extra energy it needs to grow muscle. When you're out of excessive fat reserves you might want to start eating extra calories, but only 250 extra a day to start. Don't play into the bulking hype. If you're just starting out, you have a long time before you need to worry about that. Nothing to it but to do it!
Thanks monte, I needed that too.0 -
Short answer - No
Longer answer - Try it for yourself and tell us what happens0 -
I lost 50 lbs over the past year and made consistent muscle and strength gains over the entire period. Generally speaking, building muscle on a caloric deficit is difficult, especially if you are already relatively lean. However, it can be done in the following scenarios:
1) You are new to weight training;
2) You are returning to weight training after a layoff; or
3) You have a high percentage of body fat.
In my case, I was both returning to weight training after a layoff and I had a high percentage of body fat. If you have a significant amount of weight to lose, I'd recommend training like you want to get bigger, while eating like you want to get smaller. Just make sure to eat plenty of protein and don't try to lose the weight too quickly. Aim to lose one to two pounds per week at the most.0 -
No. A small amount if you are a newbie or really overweight. Or maybe if you are on steroids. But for most people, no. If you are serious about gaining muscle, you should be in a surplus.0
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I lost 50 lbs over the past year and made consistent muscle and strength gains over the entire period. Generally speaking, building muscle on a caloric deficit is difficult, especially if you are already relatively lean. However, it can be done in the following scenarios:
1) You are new to weight training;
2) You are returning to weight training after a layoff; or
3) You have a high percentage of body fat.
In my case, I was both returning to weight training after a layoff and I had a high percentage of body fat. If you have a significant amount of weight to lose, I'd recommend training like you want to get bigger, while eating like you want to get smaller. Just make sure to eat plenty of protein and don't try to lose the weight too quickly. Aim to lose one to two pounds per week at the most.
I really like this phrase......I think I may steal it...hope you don't mind!0 -
Ok.
It is entirely possible to increase muscle mass whilst losing fat. It's not easy by any means, and requires careful monitoring of your diet and training.
If you're happy with slow weight loss (read 0.5lb/week) then you actually can consistently gain lean mass as you are not operating at a heavy deficit, but it requires plenty of training and also your splits when it comes to the calories you take in must be bang on.
A common number that most people quote is 1g/lb bodyweight minimum to see any kinds of gains - which is probably what I would recommend. Any more than that, and there is quite a bit of research that has seemed to point at an upper absorption limit for protein contrary to what most supplement suppliers will say, which also seems to tally with research I have done on a personal level. As for your other splits, it's pretty much up to you how you want to split them. Some people go high protein, high fat, low carb - others do vice versa, and others do a 60/40 split between carbs and fats.
The old saying "Muscles aren't grown in the gym, they're grown in the kitchen" is a very apt phrase. You can train as hard as you like, but if you don't supply your body with the right stuff you will come undone pretty quickly.
What you'll also find is if you run your diet in cycles (so say 4 weeks at a deficit, 1 week at maintenance whilst still doing the same training) you will continue to get muscular gains, and avoid burning out.0 -
It's tough, but doable. Check out the website leangains. It's all about the very idea of gaining muscle while eating on a weekly caloric deficit.
In a nutshell, on your training days you eat over maintenance. Then on your non training days, you eat under maintenance. This adds up to a weekly caloric deficit, although your body is still fueled for muscle growth when it needs it most - post workout.0 -
I have been lifting for 6 months, in a deficit. Have I built new muscle? No. Has the muscle I already had (covered with fat and almost useless) begun to show and look better? Yes. That's the difference...I haven't gained any muscle mass technically, but I look more muscular and am stronger. Isn't that what I was going for in the first place?
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There are exceptions to the rule. If you are obese, if you are new to lifting, are a few cases where you can build muscle but for the majority of the rest, you need to be in a calorie surplus. Now eating enough protein and eating in a calorie deficit will help you maintain lean body mass while losing body fat which will expose the underlying muscle.... Best of Luck.... :-)There are 3 conditions that would allow ong">building ong">muscle on a deficit:
1) Steroids
2) Newbie Gains
3) Very overweightHowever, it can be done in the following scenarios:
1) You are new to weight training;
2) You are returning to weight training after a layoff; or
3) You have a high percentage of body fat.
Okay, HOW obese must you be? I've lost 65-67 pounds (depending on the day and the fickle mood of my scale LOL). I still need to lose another 40 to 60 pounds. It's been a struggle the past few months. The weight loss has slowed considerably. I have started some weight training, though really not lifting what y'all would probably call "heavy" right now. I want to make more progress and faster. I also want to build bone density. I have done a lot of hiking and while my stamina and speed have improved, I still get so winded on the big hils. *sigh*... Anyway... I want to kick it up a notch and get this weight loss moving. The word I read everywhere is that strength training is the way to do it. I have read both views more than once and have had two dieticians tell me exactly the opposite on whether or not you can build muscle while dieting/calorie deficit. I give up trying to solve that riddle.. but maybe it turns on the overweightness factor... so.... HOW overweight do you think you must be to have this as a possibility. Would my extra 50 pounds or so be enough? Advice please.0 -
No.0
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Dawn - somebody earlier in the thread linked to an article at bodyrecomposition.com, where Lyle discusses the mechanism of how it happens for overweight beginners. Read this article (it's part 1 of a 5-part series, which really merits reading in its entirety), in which Lyle specifically defines what he considers overweight/obese for purposes of training, and lays out a lot of other very useful diet/training information:Okay, HOW obese must you be? I've lost 65-67 pounds (depending on the day and the fickle mood of my scale LOL). I still need to lose another 40 to 60 pounds. It's been a struggle the past few months. The weight loss has slowed considerably. I have started some weight training, though really not lifting what y'all would probably call "heavy" right now. I want to make more progress and faster. I also want to build bone density. I have done a lot of hiking and while my stamina and speed have improved, I still get so winded on the big hils. *sigh*... Anyway... I want to kick it up a notch and get this weight loss moving. The word I read everywhere is that strength training is the way to do it. I have read both views more than once and have had two dieticians tell me exactly the opposite on whether or not you can build muscle while dieting/calorie deficit. I give up trying to solve that riddle.. but maybe it turns on the overweightness factor... so.... HOW overweight do you think you must be to have this as a possibility. Would my extra 50 pounds or so be enough? Advice please.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/training-the-obese-beginner.html0 -
You can build muscle in a deficit if you are completely new to resistance training. After a short while the "noob gains" will halt. Beyond that point, there is no other way to build muscle effectively but to eat in a caloric surplus, or to "bulk". Please do not listen to people that tell you that you can "burn fat and build muscle" simultaneously. Those two events are direct opposites and require opposite conditions, and the fact has been set in stone for quite some time now. Of course if you don't mind making miniscule fat losses and miniscule muscle gains over an unnecessarily long period of time, then yes, it is only JUST possible, but not worth the effort and results.0
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Dawn - somebody earlier in the thread linked to an article at bodyrecomposition.com, where Lyle discusses the mechanism of how it happens for overweight beginners. Read this article (it's part 1 of a 5-part series, which really merits reading in its entirety), in which Lyle specifically defines what he considers overweight/obese for purposes of training, and lays out a lot of other very useful diet/training information:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/training-the-obese-beginner.html
You know I love articles like this... Off to go read the details.. wonder how I missed the link earlier.0 -
only beginners or those on drugs can build muscle on caloric defecit... u can build strength on caloric defecit but not skeletal muscle.0
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I built plenty of muscle while eating at a deficit. But if you dont have alot of weight to lose you should do it by bulking and cutting.0
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You can absolutely build muscle on a calorie deficit, but not for a long time. If you're just getting into weight training, you'll get some decent results up to 6 months, give or take. It also depends on how restrictive your diet is. You should try not to exceed a deficit of 500 calories if you're getting into weight training. The most important factors for putting on some muscle are:
-consistent training (full body workouts divided into separate days for different muscle groups)
-progressive training (increase weight and effort week to week)
-increase water consumption (depends on your height/weight but at least 64 ounces, more if you need it, less on days off if you can't drink it all)
-plenty of rest/recovery (you can hit the gym 5-7 days a week if you have it in you, but don't hit the same muscles for at least 4 days before returning to them, make sure you get enough sleep too, good for hormones, good for growth and recovery)
You don't need gobs of protein or supplements. Under optimal conditions the human body can't really synthesize more than a pound of muscle per week depending on the persons size of course. And that will only happen in the beginning. Incorporate your entire body in your weight training. That doesn't mean all at once, but throughout the week. This will increase the release of hormones you need to build muscle, and it will also help to keep your from over/under developing muscle or muscle groups which can have a negative effect over long term.
This might all sound like a lot but just getting into the gym and lifting consistently is the thing to do. Find what works for you. Some weeks you won't feel like there's a difference, some weeks you just see a muscle that wasn't there last time. Just give it a good 3 months. It takes time for the body to change. And don't get discouraged, it is a little harder for females to put on the muscle. Less testosterone, which is powerful hormone for growth. And don't worry about getting to big, because its a lot of work and takes a good amount of time.
But anyways, after a while you'll need to get into a calorie surplus, but if you're trying to burn fat also, your body will use that as the extra energy it needs to grow muscle. When you're out of excessive fat reserves you might want to start eating extra calories, but only 250 extra a day to start. Don't play into the bulking hype. If you're just starting out, you have a long time before you need to worry about that. Nothing to it but to do it!
This is a great post to reflect on when you're questioning what to do and how to do it. Thanks for writing something that everyone is able to understand!0 -
I built plenty of muscle while eating at a deficit. But if you dont have alot of weight to lose you should do it by bulking and cutting.
Were you significantly overweight and/or a beginner?0
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