Weight training= no weight loss? Confused

Building muscle requires an energy (calorie) surplus. It takes a lot of energy (calories) just to maintain LBM...it takes even more to actively build that tissue. To "bulk" means to eat at a surplus of calories in order to actively build muscle...after a bulk cycle, boby builders "cut"...or "diet" to cut the inevitable fat that comes with bulking muscle.

You can't build substantial muscle at a calorie deficit (some noobie gains maybe...possibly), but you can maintain what you have, thus maintaining your basal metabolic capacity. You can build muscle very, very, very, very....very slowly at maintenance and also very, very, very, very...very slowly cut fat...but it's very slow.

Most people see a hault and/or slowing of loss on the scale because lifting weights tears your muscles to shreds...they have to repair themselves...to do so requires a lot of water...so you retain a lot of water for muscle repair when you lift.

Also, what program are you doing...if you're strength training, you'll want to follow an acutal program to get the most benefit from your lifts. Just willy nilly lifting random weights and working random body parts...and in particular, doing a lot of isolation and assistance work is going to be far less effective than following an actual program that puts emphasis on full body compound lifts...where you do assistance work to actually assist those lifts. Most noobs who go in without a plan ignore the all important compound lifts and just do assistance work...not that they're not getting any benefit, but really a very inefficient way to go about it and you could be infinitely more productive.

You're saying I can't become toned and build muscle at a calorie deficit right? If that is what you're saying than how can I lose my extra weight while building muscle mass?

but there is more to it, see if you lose fat while exercising, that lost fat will uncover the muscle you have, weights/ resistance helps maintain the muscle you have while you lose the fat, so you end up looking more muscular when the fat is gone- make sense? you currently have muscle, so to not lose it you need resistance training, but right now the muscle is covered up by fat layers, when you lose extra weight (and fat) you will then see the muscle but if you don't do any resistance training you lose both muscle and fat (not just fat)

You're saying I can't become toned and build muscle at a calorie deficit right? If that is what you're saying than how can I lose my extra weight while building muscle mass?

You become "toned" by weight training in a caloric deficit so you maintain your muscle mass while you lose the fat that covers it.

You won't gain any measurable muscle mass while on a deficit. You can see significant strength gains though.

Lifting while on a deficit is recommended because it helps retain muscle while losing fat. Ultimately, fat loss is what 99% of people really not, not just simple scale weight loss.

The initial weight gain people talk about is from water weight. Your body will balance it out in time.


On a side note... you shouldn't be lifting to lose weight. You should be eating correctly. Use your diet to control your weight, exercise to improve overall health, get faster/stronger, and change how you look.

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You're saying I can't become toned and build muscle at a calorie deficit right? If that is what you're saying than how can I lose my extra weight while building muscle mass?

Just basically going to reiterrate what others have stated here. You're not going to build muscle mass at a calorie deficit. You're going to maintain what muscle mass you have. As you lose fat due to your calorie deficiency (from your diet...i.e. "cut") that muscle you already have will start to show...thus leaving you with a "toned" look. In the absence of resistance training while dieting, your body will utilize muscle for fuel as well as your fat...so you will see the scale drop, but your body composition will not be what most people are looking for because they are losing a lot of muscle and remaint at a higher BF% despite dropping scale weight.

Okay. I decided to begin strength training this week and have done two rounds so far. Abs and upper body day 1 and day 2 was legs and abs again. I also do cardio nearly every single day.

I am confused though because I have seen a few threads that say you can't build muscle and loss weight at the same time. I understand that muscle weighs more than fat so there are sometimes gains at the beginning but that your body's shape becomes slimmer. However, these posts seemed to imply that you can only build muscle while "bulking" (shaky on the meaning of this term) and you can only lose weight while 'cutting".

Can someone help me out with understanding what these terms mean and how it might effect my weight loss/muscle building efforts?

If you are just starting, they will mean absolutely nothing and they will have no effect. The best thing would be to forget you ever heard these terms and just work on your lifting.

In short, not losing weight, but definitely looking better and better and smaller and smaller. Try not to focus on that weight number, but how you look and feel.

I hate this... this is what happens every time I do circuit training or mix in weight lifting with cardio.. I know I look better but when you have 50+ pounds to lose (in my case 100+) its hard to be happy with the scale not moving even if you are looking smaller.

Okay. I decided to begin strength training this week and have done two rounds so far. Abs and upper body day 1 and day 2 was legs and abs again. I also do cardio nearly every single day.

I am confused though because I have seen a few threads that say you can't build muscle and loss weight at the same time. I understand that muscle weighs more than fat so there are sometimes gains at the beginning but that your body's shape becomes slimmer. However, these posts seemed to imply that you can only build muscle while "bulking" (shaky on the meaning of this term) and you can only lose weight while 'cutting".

Can someone help me out with understanding what these terms mean and how it might effect my weight loss/muscle building efforts?

If you are just starting, they will mean absolutely nothing and they will have no effect. The best thing would be to forget you ever heard these terms and just work on your lifting.

+1

Can I be the first to point out that muscle does not weigh more than fat. A pound is a pound.
It is more dense, yes - which means more packed into smaller space.

I'm afraid you can't be the first.

Can I be the first to point out that rocks don't weigh more than water. A pound is a pound. They are more dense, yes...

I had to.

Bumping so I can read this when I have more time. Great question OP. I have been wondering the same thing.