Can you gain muscle and lose fat at the same time?

Yes this actually happened to me this semester in Weight Training class. I lost 21 pounds of fat and gained 7lbs of muscle.

You can make minor gains but for the most part your body just doesn't biologically work that way - it isn't going to break into its reserves and build new tissues in a deficit, why would it? The awesome transformations you see are the muscles that are already there becoming nice and defined because the layer of fat on top of them goes away.

Edit: Reading responses, it's worth noting that making strength gains doesn't necessarily mean muscle gains.

This.

You can not ADD anything whilst eating at a DEFICIT. Mathematically impossible. Muscles become more visually apparent because the fat covering them burns away. What others speak of when they say "noobie gains" is not actually "adding muscle tissue", its something else. Message me if you would like more info!

I was practically bed ridden for almost 3 years. I lost almost all the muscle I had. So yes, I have been gaining muscle.

YES, you can gain muscle and lose fat and here’s how:





1.Constant influx of protein. 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight per day taken 5-6 equal portions spaced evenly through out the day – otherwise your nuclear power plant will have to turn on between meals and burn muscle, you don’t want that.
2.Consume enough calories to keep your body from thinking its starving but not so many calories that you gain fat, 10% under your TDEE is a good value to use. My calorie calculator will tell you exactly what that is for your type metabolism. Make sure to set your goal in step 6 to “10% calorie reduction”
3.Proper nutrition, make every calorie count!1.eat unprocessed or minimally processed foods
2.eat lots of fresh vegetables
3.eat less than 30% of your calories from fat and eat only good fats like olives, nuts, and avocados
4.eat whole grains and low G.I. carbs – no simple carbs like sugar, alcohol, or white flour
5.eat omega-IIIs daily, flax or salmon are great sources

4.Hardcore, consistent weight workouts. You can use my custom workout plan generator to design a workout plan appropriate for you.
5.Daily cardio, 30-40min. Cardio will not burn muscle, it will help you gain muscle while losing fat at the same time.

Oh good GOD...

Sory, found this on "Scooby's workshop" been living by it for three months, have lost almost 30 pounds, bicep, quad, shoulder measurements are all increased and all compound exercise movements (squat, etc) are all way up.

Strength gains do not equal muscle gains, not unless you are eating at a surplus.

I am seeing a lot of misinformation

Lets put aside newbie gains/body recomp etc for a minute and try and focus on sonething simple and reliable that can be applied to everyone.

Look out everyone cause Mutant is about to drop some poorly crafted metaphors up in here.

You are a builder. Your body is a big dirt block. Calories are your building materials, bricks, mortar and sand.

You can do one of four things.

1. You can add bricks, but do it lazily, and just throw them in a big *kitten* pile on your block of land.
This is you eating a surplus if calories and not lifting. You're adding the calories but you aren't making an effort to make sure they are put to a good purpose, thus only gaining fat.

2. You can add bricks and do it with effort, and you can build a nice well structured house
This is you lifting at a surplus. You're adding material (calories) in a constructive way, and building muscle

3. You can go at it with a jackhammer and rip everything up, removing all the underlying foundation and leaving a mass of shapeless dirt
This is you eating a deficit (removing materials) without any structure or exercise. This is how people get skinny-fat

4. You can carefully dig out the dirt and debris and reveal a nice tight foundation.
This is you eating at a defecit with a sensible exercise and lifting regime. You are stripping away the mess (your body fat) and revealing the pre existing muscle.

And that concludes my metaphor *microphone drop* PEACE!

qft

Yes.

Ok...please don't "dismiss" newbie gains and talk so much about lean muscle gain in a bodybuilder setting. There is a reason they have to bulk then cut. Without going into anabolic and catatonic states and all the science that surrounds it, it is wrong to tell someone they won't see "any" gains whatsoever if they start lifing where they weren't before.

In the general sense, you cannot build any muscle on a calorie-deficit. Most people that "start" a lifting routine while also being on a "calorie-deficit" are not people that have been lifting or conditioning their muscles in that fashion.

In this instance, there will be gains. The body has no choice but to respond to the new activity. These gains are very short lived, and they aren't going to add pounds and pounds of muscle, but there will be a small increase in lean muscle mass. There will also be a much higher stream of nutrients and water to the current muscles you have, the body will ensure this to make sure all the twitch fibers in your muscles stay "ready" to perform the activities you are now doing, and to repair some of trauma you are putting on those muscles. So your current muscles will swell (cell volumization will occur)...this isn't an exact science, there are many many variables that will determine the degree of perceived "gain" vs. actual mass gain.

Once your body has acclimated to the new activity, your small gains will stop, as the body is very efficient at recognizing when it has "enough" to handle the stress on it. You can still get stronger however, but that added strength after the "introductory" period so to speak is more about the body creating a better supporting structure for the muscles and a much heightened and efficient operation of those muscles.

The great benefit you get from lifting while on a calorie-deficit is the body will instinctively NOT consume something it is trying to sustain or repair, thus if you are targetting the major muscle groups of your body, they will be "taken off the table" so to speak for your body to use to fuel your activity. Your muscle to fat burning ratio will go way down, meaning you will burn much more fat per ounce of muscle than you would without putting those stresses on those muscle groups.

-->>This is the reason I keep switching up my training so that I don't get comfortable. I hope it helps! I think that's the theory behind P90X and other new DVD systems. I'm not using that, but I am using the idea.

Sory, found this on "Scooby's workshop" been living by it for three months, have lost almost 30 pounds, bicep, quad, shoulder measurements are all increased and all compound exercise movements (squat, etc) are all way up.

Strength gains do not equal muscle gains, not unless you are eating at a surplus.

-->This last quote doesn't line up with the TDEE on HayBales (excel sheet popular on MFP from "IPOARM"where he calculates calories needed for weight training and cardio and finds your TDEE based on that activity level. He lowers the deficit depending on the weight you still need to lose, but you are lifting on a deficit. I just try to eat more cals on the days I lift and not eat those on days I don't, which he suggested, and makes sense to me. Cyclical calories I guess you call it. Thanks to the one for sharing.

-->>Thanks on the building visual. Makes sense. So, essentially, you can choose to bulk and cut, or do recomposition. But, recomposition doesn't usually help mass body builders, so they laugh at the rest of us newbies trying to do it...is that pretty much the story line here? It's like walking in a land mine as to what sets these people off. :ohwell:

If you are a woman who has done some level of recomposition, or is attempting it, and is interested in friending, let me know. We'll figure it out.

I guess we are all pretty much on our own...we keep doing it, figure it out, and learn from our mistakes. Here I go!

-->>This is the reason I keep switching up my training so that I don't get comfortable. I hope it helps! I think that's the theory behind P90X and other new DVD systems. I'm not using that, but I am using the idea.

If you've been doing it for a while, then you probably won't see anymore real muscle gains, but your current muscles will continue to get better, develop better nutrient/water storage capabilities (which may give them a "little" more volumization), and your supporting structure will get much better (think the ligaments/tendons and connective tissues your muscles rely on)

There is a ton of research on anabolic/catatonic states and calorie cycling to try "force" these states within daily intakes and routines, but it is usually extremely hard for a common person to manage. Takes some real dedication, factoring in macro levels, usually some significant supplement management, etc...

Do what works for you! That's always the best suggestion, if you like it, and you feel like you are getting something out of it, then be all means keep at it.

I wish you great success in your efforts!

I so appreciate your well worded and helpful comments on this thread. When a person is dieting, you see direct impact: I ate less, I was good, I lost weight this month. Last month seemed my slowest month in terms of progress after shifting to macros/diet/weight focus. My pants are getting loose again, but weight hasn't changed significantly, nor measurements or caliper tests.

A month ago, due to a running injury and being close to weight goal, starting to increase my weight load progressively to the point that I am hungry more often and pretty sore the day after workout days (able to run less since I'm sore on off days.) Better eating on macros, more cals, and more lifting. I have re-lost two of the three pounds I quickly put back on (matter of days, probably water loss rather than real loss) after hitting my goal weight. I'd like to peg my goal weight, even if lifting demands that I don't stay here for long. A matter of pride of goal.

I am updating HayBaler Excel Sheet each significant change in workout or weight loss to make sure I'm eating enough--adjusted my TDEE again this morning which means I can eat 80 more calories than I did last week. : )

Not into the supplement thing. I don't want to be a body builder--just want to look fit.

I am trying to get macros on protein up, often surprised to be lowest on carbs. Giving myself a little license on white bread after not eating much at all for four months. Hopefully, not shooting myself in the foot with the occasional piece of garlic bread.

I guess my main question is still: HayBaler excel sheet (as well as other websites on BF and weight) indicates I may need to lose another 5 pounds to see abs. On the other hand, I need to eat more to build arms. Cutting and building seems crazy and I don't hear of many non-body builder, fit-athletic women doing it. He recommended cyclical calories. I am doing that--set MFP to 200 lower than his goal. If I work out, I get to eat those workout calories back. If not, I just average eating less over that day. Most often, I will get that workout in because I want those extra calories. The TDEE method (eating the same whether I workout or not seems like too close to maintenance for me if I did that very often).

According to measurements and photos of women my size, it looks like I need to shave another 3" off narrowest point of waist, which will come with losses in other areas. Now, figuring out how to make that happen.