Tips on weight loss and muscle gain?
meliaazzam
Posts: 4 Member
Can anyone give me any tips on losing weight and gaining muscle at the same time. I almost sounds like a negative thing because the muscle will make the scale go up. But I understand that.
If anyone has done this tell me what you did. Thanks!
If anyone has done this tell me what you did. Thanks!
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Replies
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Not probable due to the fact that gaining muscle means gaining weight. While recomp is possible, weight doesn't change much at all while doing it. And it take time to do.Can anyone give me any tips on losing weight and gaining muscle at the same time. I almost sounds like a negative thing because the muscle will make the scale go up. But I understand that.
If anyone has done this tell me what you did. Thanks!
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I mix cardio in with strength training when I workout. You can gain muscle but you need the cardio to burn off the fat that will be over top of it0
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Gaining weight from weight training and gaining muscle takes a while... so you should definitely see a difference on the scale (in terms of it going down for fat loss before you start to see it go back up again in terms of muscle building.
What I think you might mean is lose weight as in body fat and gain muscle.
Weight/strength training is going to help in relation to lowering body fat % and in making your clothing sizes smaller but give you more strength and definition. Start here. Get a trainer to show you some compound training exercises at the correct weight. Lots of women are thought to lift too light, making it take even longer to see results. You want a weight that is going to challenge you. Also throw in some High Intensity Interval Training for cardio training too. It's good to have a mix.
Secondly control your diet, eat plenty of protein to help muscles repair and don't eat confined carbohydrates (white pasta, white bread, etc.), eat wholesome foods - abs are made in the kitchen!
I am currently in your situation and have been for a little while.
Good luck x
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You can't gain muscle on a deficit.
But what you can do is maintain your lean body mass while losing fat. Eat adequate protein (generally 1g per lb of lean body mass) and lift heavy weights. Also eat at a moderate calorie deficit.0 -
While "newbies" gains can happen in a person that's NEVER worked out in their life, muscle gain on a calorie deficit isn't probable unless you're really very overweight/obese, or an athlete returning after a long layoff.I mix cardio in with strength training when I workout. You can gain muscle but you need the cardio to burn off the fat that will be over top of it
People that "see" muscle when fat is reduced are mistakenly assuming they gained muscle when that's not the case.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
You really can't gain muscle when you are eating at a deficit. The best you can hope for is to strengthen and hang onto as much of the muscle that you currently have.
Eating at a modest deficit, heavy lifting, and consuming at least 1gm protein per lb of LBM are three ways you can do that.0 -
While "newbies" gains can happen in a person that's NEVER worked out in their life, muscle gain on a calorie deficit isn't probable unless you're really very overweight/obese, or an athlete returning after a long layoff.I mix cardio in with strength training when I workout. You can gain muscle but you need the cardio to burn off the fat that will be over top of it
People that "see" muscle when fat is reduced are mistakenly assuming they gained muscle when that's not the case.
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
Huh that's weird since I've lost almost 40 lbs, never plateaued, eat the calories mfp says to eat, and have muscle that I didn't have before. Super JM fan here and she says strength and cardio circuit training burns fat while building muscle and that's what I've done believe it or not0 -
The muscle you say wasn't there before in reality actually was. That's your lean muscle mass. It was previously covered with a layer of fat so it wasn't visible.
While "newbies" gains can happen in a person that's NEVER worked out in their life, muscle gain on a calorie deficit isn't probable unless you're really very overweight/obese, or an athlete returning after a long layoff.I mix cardio in with strength training when I workout. You can gain muscle but you need the cardio to burn off the fat that will be over top of it
People that "see" muscle when fat is reduced are mistakenly assuming they gained muscle when that's not the case.
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
Huh that's weird since I've lost almost 40 lbs, never plateaued, eat the calories mfp says to eat, and have muscle that I didn't have before. Super JM fan here and she says strength and cardio circuit training burns fat while building muscle and that's what I've done believe it or not0 -
While "newbies" gains can happen in a person that's NEVER worked out in their life, muscle gain on a calorie deficit isn't probable unless you're really very overweight/obese, or an athlete returning after a long layoff.I mix cardio in with strength training when I workout. You can gain muscle but you need the cardio to burn off the fat that will be over top of it
People that "see" muscle when fat is reduced are mistakenly assuming they gained muscle when that's not the case.
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
Huh that's weird since I've lost almost 40 lbs, never plateaued, eat the calories mfp says to eat, and have muscle that I didn't have before. Super JM fan here and she says strength and cardio circuit training burns fat while building muscle and that's what I've done believe it or not
If your eating at around 1200 cals a day it's highly doubtful you will of gained any significant muscle. You will of lowered your body fat though, making the muscle you did have much more evident.0 -
The net gain in lean body mass newbies legitimately notice is also only witnessed if the deficit period is short. After a certain length of time, the body will no longer direct adequate nutrients to retain the accrued muscle and will decrease it as it is deemed too metabolically expensive to keep.0
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While "newbies" gains can happen in a person that's NEVER worked out in their life, muscle gain on a calorie deficit isn't probable unless you're really very overweight/obese, or an athlete returning after a long layoff.I mix cardio in with strength training when I workout. You can gain muscle but you need the cardio to burn off the fat that will be over top of it
People that "see" muscle when fat is reduced are mistakenly assuming they gained muscle when that's not the case.
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
Huh that's weird since I've lost almost 40 lbs, never plateaued, eat the calories mfp says to eat, and have muscle that I didn't have before. Super JM fan here and she says strength and cardio circuit training burns fat while building muscle and that's what I've done believe it or not
I thought the same thing when I first started out, but I have since learned that the muscle I didn't think was there before was actually just covered with fat. I didn't gain muscle, but it sure looked like I did because my body looked different.
Scientifically speaking, the human body can either gain: weight AND fat or lose: weight and fat. There is a very small timeframe where both can theoretically happen, but the conditions have to be ideal.0 -
OP: what are you trying to achieve? What are your goals? Do you currently do any strength training?0
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While "newbies" gains can happen in a person that's NEVER worked out in their life, muscle gain on a calorie deficit isn't probable unless you're really very overweight/obese, or an athlete returning after a long layoff.I mix cardio in with strength training when I workout. You can gain muscle but you need the cardio to burn off the fat that will be over top of it
People that "see" muscle when fat is reduced are mistakenly assuming they gained muscle when that's not the case.
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
Huh that's weird since I've lost almost 40 lbs, never plateaued, eat the calories mfp says to eat, and have muscle that I didn't have before. Super JM fan here and she says strength and cardio circuit training burns fat while building muscle and that's what I've done believe it or not
If your eating at around 1200 cals a day it's highly doubtful you will of gained any significant muscle. You will of lowered your body fat though, making the muscle you did have much more evident.
Not going to argue that this isn't the case. I'm still always learning new things. But one thing I have learned is too eat more than 1200 cals a day and that I certainly do!0 -
While "newbies" gains can happen in a person that's NEVER worked out in their life, muscle gain on a calorie deficit isn't probable unless you're really very overweight/obese, or an athlete returning after a long layoff.I mix cardio in with strength training when I workout. You can gain muscle but you need the cardio to burn off the fat that will be over top of it
People that "see" muscle when fat is reduced are mistakenly assuming they gained muscle when that's not the case.
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
Huh that's weird since I've lost almost 40 lbs, never plateaued, eat the calories mfp says to eat, and have muscle that I didn't have before. Super JM fan here and she says strength and cardio circuit training burns fat while building muscle and that's what I've done believe it or not
If your eating at around 1200 cals a day it's highly doubtful you will of gained any significant muscle. You will of lowered your body fat though, making the muscle you did have much more evident.
Not going to argue that this isn't the case. I'm still always learning new things. But one thing I have learned is too eat more than 1200 cals a day and that I certainly do!
lol thank god for that!! Well whatever you are doing is obviously working for you and that's all that matters really. Well done!0 -
While losing fat and muscle is certainly possible, it takes a long time and not everyone can do it. I would suggest you focus on cutting or building muscle. Doing both at the same time will lead to extreme frustration. Understand that most people that claim to lose fat and "gain" muscle are JUST losing fat and getting their muscles stronger. That gives the ILLUSION that you are doing both.
I say eat at a small deficit and take it from there. Fat will melt and your muscles will show.0 -
Ok......here is my question/scenario....
My husband is 6'4" and needs to lose atleast 30 pounds. Right now he is totally focusing on weight lifting. He is eating better only because I am cooking better for him. He is not keeping an eye on calories. I believe he is just attempting to build muscle. Will this in turn help him shed some pounds???0 -
While "newbies" gains can happen in a person that's NEVER worked out in their life, muscle gain on a calorie deficit isn't probable unless you're really very overweight/obese, or an athlete returning after a long layoff.I mix cardio in with strength training when I workout. You can gain muscle but you need the cardio to burn off the fat that will be over top of it
People that "see" muscle when fat is reduced are mistakenly assuming they gained muscle when that's not the case.
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
Huh that's weird since I've lost almost 40 lbs, never plateaued, eat the calories mfp says to eat, and have muscle that I didn't have before. Super JM fan here and she says strength and cardio circuit training burns fat while building muscle and that's what I've done believe it or not
If your eating at around 1200 cals a day it's highly doubtful you will of gained any significant muscle. You will of lowered your body fat though, making the muscle you did have much more evident.
Not going to argue that this isn't the case. I'm still always learning new things. But one thing I have learned is too eat more than 1200 cals a day and that I certainly do!
lol thank god for that!! Well whatever you are doing is obviously working for you and that's all that matters really. Well done!
I have to disagree with some of these statements, while having a caloric deficit, it makes it difficult to build muscle, it is possible, muscle is built by resistance training and then using protein to help muscle regrowth. even with a caloric deficit you should be having the correct amount of low GI carbs mixed with protein before a training session to give you ample glycogen levels to train hard through the session, and then replacing the stores with high GI carbs and protein after a session, to help muscle repair and growth.
so it is possible.0 -
Ok......here is my question/scenario....
My husband is 6'4" and needs to lose atleast 30 pounds. Right now he is totally focusing on weight lifting. He is eating better only because I am cooking better for him. He is not keeping an eye on calories. I believe he is just attempting to build muscle. Will this in turn help him shed some pounds???
That's up to him. Some people like to be big even if their BF% is 15% and up and some people choose to get ripped and then gain. I am one of those who think it's better to lose fat first and then bulk. But that's just a personal opinion/choice.0 -
I need to rephrase my question. I want to gain muscle and have a flat stomach, tones arms and legs. I don't care what the scale says as long as my body is changing. If I gain muscle the scale is going to say I weigh more.0
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To gain muscle you need to eat at a surplus, outside a couple of pounds of 'newbie gains' that new lifters get. You will gain fat and muscle (assuming an appropriate lifting routine and enough protein).
Are you really sure you want to gain muscle or do you just want to look more defined?0 -
Everyone has muscle. Unless you measured your actually muscle fiber in a particular area, you can't know if you gained muscle. It may "appear" you have because you've never seen it (40lbs is a good amount lost) under fat, but that doesn't mean you gained muscle. Not to mention that every weight loss (with the exception of a couple of "types" of individuals) will include lean muscle loss. Even with "enhanced" people.
While "newbies" gains can happen in a person that's NEVER worked out in their life, muscle gain on a calorie deficit isn't probable unless you're really very overweight/obese, or an athlete returning after a long layoff.I mix cardio in with strength training when I workout. You can gain muscle but you need the cardio to burn off the fat that will be over top of it
People that "see" muscle when fat is reduced are mistakenly assuming they gained muscle when that's not the case.
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
Huh that's weird since I've lost almost 40 lbs, never plateaued, eat the calories mfp says to eat, and have muscle that I didn't have before. Super JM fan here and she says strength and cardio circuit training burns fat while building muscle and that's what I've done believe it or not
Circuit training DOESN'T build muscle. It builds muscle endurance. To build muscle you need progressive overload, calorie surplus, and a rep range of about 8-12 reps. Jillian should know this, but I'm betting like all marketing ploys it's just a reference to sell more programs.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Calorie deficit is needed to lose weight. If he's in deficit, he'll lose some weight.Ok......here is my question/scenario....
My husband is 6'4" and needs to lose atleast 30 pounds. Right now he is totally focusing on weight lifting. He is eating better only because I am cooking better for him. He is not keeping an eye on calories. I believe he is just attempting to build muscle. Will this in turn help him shed some pounds???
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Possible yes, probable in most cases no. The few that can do it (very overweight/obese, returning athlete after long layoff, newbie who has never exercised before) gain very modest amounts. To gain muscle IS to gain mass. That means gaining weight. You can recomp, but losing weight then isn't likely to happen.I have to disagree with some of these statements, while having a caloric deficit, it makes it difficult to build muscle, it is possible, muscle is built by resistance training and then using protein to help muscle regrowth. even with a caloric deficit you should be having the correct amount of low GI carbs mixed with protein before a training session to give you ample glycogen levels to train hard through the session, and then replacing the stores with high GI carbs and protein after a session, to help muscle repair and growth.
so it is possible.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
I will add to this that the training regimen will involve progressive weights in training. Sara, Sidesteel, and others know this too.To gain muscle you need to eat at a surplus, outside a couple of pounds of 'newbie gains' that new lifters get. You will gain fat and muscle (assuming an appropriate lifting routine and enough protein).
Are you really sure you want to gain muscle or do you just want to look more defined?
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Thanls for the thread topic! I got a lot from it too!
~Jessica0 -
To the person who said you can't build muscle on a deficit above, that's not exactly true.
If you have a BF greater than about 20%, your body can convert fat to muscle for energy. You have to lose the fat to ever see the muscle, which means some cardio and some muscle building are in order. Why I love circuit training. You get some lifting along with some cardio, and some ab work...this alone is what has made Jillian millions. Unless you want to do heavy lifting, then you have another equation on your hands. It's just not practical for me. I am lifting, but body weight, bands, and light weights for now.0 -
To the person who said you can't build muscle on a deficit above, that's not exactly true.
If you have a BF greater than about 20%, your body can convert fat to muscle for energy. You have to lose the fat to ever see the muscle, which means some cardio and some muscle building are in order. Why I love circuit training. You get some lifting along with some cardio, and some ab work...this alone is what has made Jillian millions. Unless you want to do heavy lifting, then you have another equation on your hands. It's just not practical for me. I am lifting, but body weight, bands, and light weights for now.
For women, that BF% would be much higher than 20%. In fact, in studies on women of 40% BF, they actually only maintained, but they were on very low calories. I have never seen any studies to indicate that women will build muscle at less than a significantly overweight/obese BF% - and 20% is far from overweight. The OP is not obese or significantly overweight based on the amount her ticker says she has to lose.0
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