Strength Training on a Deficit? Yes, no, or maybe?

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UndoneTwo
UndoneTwo Posts: 41
in Fitness and Exercise
Okay, first, bear with me. I know I've seen this topic before, but I'm still confused.

If you are eating at a calorie deficit, are their still benefits to weight training/resistance training? If so, what are they? I've heard you can't build muscle while eating at a deficit, but you that can't burn fat if you aren't eating at a deficit. Does that mean one thing at a time? First lose body fat, then build muscle? Or are there strength training benefits beyond building muscle? Can anyone shed some light on this for me? Am I wasting my time on the weight machines if I am eating to lose pounds?
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  • professormudd1
    professormudd1 Posts: 59
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    Strength training on a deficit (provided you are consuming ample protein) helps trigger your body to use calories to repair muscle, preventing excess muscle loss.

    To a small degree, you can gain SOME muscle on a deficit, but not much.
  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
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    Lifting while in a deficit will not likely build any NEW muscle mass, but will greatly assist in retaining EXISTING muscle mass. Therefore, by extension, the weight you lose by being in a deficit will be more fat, and less muscle. If you dont train the muscles you have while losing weight via calorie deficit, you will lose muscle along with fat.
  • coachpryor
    coachpryor Posts: 43
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    probably a hot button topic but you will not get stronger eating less then you burn. it would be impossible. your body cant recover if you are pushing to the max on weights and compound movements.
    however, weight training in a specific style such as high reps would help your body burn cals and fat.
    protein maintains muscle so ensure you are getting enough protein and you wont lose muscle. I just have a hard time thinking you are going to gain any because your body will be in a very un anabolic state in a constant deficit. and most people training on a defict will agree that they are very careful because they don't want to lose the muscle they just built
  • GetSoda
    GetSoda Posts: 1,267 Member
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    You'll get stronger at first. Then hit the limits of your adaptation. Then start to get a little weaker. At some point the body needs to build muscle to get stronger - and it needs food for that.
  • _Resolve_
    _Resolve_ Posts: 735 Member
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    It will help you maintain the muscle you have while you lose fat, it will always increase your endurance. Lifting heavy arguably burns more calories over time then just doing cardio and I still believe you can build muscle while on a deficit, I know I have by body composition tests I have done periodically. People say that 90% of weight loss is diet and going to lift weights or going to the gym is for fitness... getting fit is never a waste of time in my opinion.

    Hope this helps..
  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
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    probably a hot button topic but you will not get stronger eating less then you burn. it would be impossible. your body cant recover if you are pushing to the max on weights and compound movements.
    however, weight training in a specific style such as high reps would help your body burn cals and fat.
    protein maintains muscle so ensure you are getting enough protein and you wont lose muscle. I just have a hard time thinking you are going to gain any because your body will be in a very un anabolic state in a constant deficit. and most people training on a defict will agree that they are very careful because they don't want to lose the muscle they just built

    Not really a hot button topic as much as a misconception/misunderstanding of terms. Eat less than you burn, and you will not gain muscle mass. You can, however, gain significantly in strength while in a deficit. Strength gains does not always equal more muscle. There are many fine individuals around here that are strong evidence of the ability to gain much in the strength department while training in a deficit.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
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    There is a difference between strength and muscle mass.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    - You don't need to gain muscle mass to gain strength...you can make good strength gains while in a deficit of energy.

    - You will preserve more muscle mass that would otherwise be lost...so in the end, you look better as you've shed fat and not a whole bunch of muscle. In the absence of resistance training and proper protein intake, muscle loss can be as much as 50% of your weight loss. You can substantially minimize those losses with resistance work and protein intake.

    - doing full body resistance work and focusing on compound movements works the biggest muscles of the body and tears them to shreds...this in turn requires the body to repair said muscles...this in turn burns more calories at rest as repair requires energy.

    - you will do far more to change your body composition than just diet and cardio alone. diet and cardio alone will make you "skinny"...it will not give you a rockin' fitness body.

    - increased bone density

    just to name a few.
  • coachpryor
    coachpryor Posts: 43
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    other problem a lot of people run into is just lack of energy. you start to get run down. I know when I was trying to shred weight and on deficit I was dead. didn't want to throw a lot of weight around anyway. but worth a try everyone responds differently to, so what works for some may not work for others
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Okay, first, bear with me. I know I've seen this topic before, but I'm still confused.

    If you are eating at a calorie deficit, are their still benefits to weight training/resistance training? yes

    If so, what are they? getting stronger, improving bone density, retaining lean muscle mass

    I've heard you can't build muscle while eating at a deficit, but you that can't burn fat if you aren't eating at a deficit. Does that mean one thing at a time? no

    First lose body fat, then build muscle? still no. stop overthinking this and go work out

    Or are there strength training benefits beyond building muscle? yes. see above

    Can anyone shed some light on this for me? been there, done that

    Am I wasting my time on the weight machines if I am eating to lose pounds?hmmm...that's a more layered question, but i'll stick with "no" in the absence of more information.
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
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    I am doing that now. Strength training while on a calorie deficit. I also run a lot (training for a 10K and half marathon) which is a big no no for building muscle mass. I still do it, for now, until April. But as everyone already said, there are benefits. I suggest keeping up the strength training. When you get to a satisfactory fat loss, you can increase to maintenance to slightly above maintenance to start putting on major muscle. Make sure you try to get 1 g of protein for every pound of your current lean body mass (or approx .6 - .75 of your current weight in lb's). You need essitial fatty acids and some carbs to make up the difference in your calorie deficit.
  • mekobaby
    mekobaby Posts: 11
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    I know you are here to get opinions from regular people but they are just opinions. I really recommend reading anything by Mike Dolce (Dolce Diet). He helps fighters cut weight for MMA in a healthy way (a crazy idea, right?) and he knows a lot about nutrition! You can read a lot of his stuff without even shelling out $ for his books, just google. Best of luck
  • Waynes_World
    Waynes_World Posts: 333
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    High intensity weight training is better then cardio, You keep your hard rate up and build lean muscle. Lean muscle burns calories while resting. You will lose inches.Weight may come off slower but you are gaining muscle. Eat high protein with a calorie deficit and eat healthy carbs for energy. That's what works for me anyway. Wish you the best
  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
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    I know you are here to get opinions from regular people but they are just opinions. I really recommend reading anything by Mike Dolce (Dolce Diet). He helps fighters cut weight for MMA in a healthy way (a crazy idea, right?) and he knows a lot about nutrition! You can read a lot of his stuff without even shelling out $ for his books, just google. Best of luck

    Not sure how your post pertains to the question posed by the original poster as to what the benefits are of strength training on a deficit.
  • snowbear1005
    snowbear1005 Posts: 79 Member
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    Years ago, I was trying to lose 25 lbs and was getting frustrated with my lack of progress with calorie counting and power walking. It took 3 months to lose all of 5 pounds. A co-worker talked me into trying weight training and I eventually agreed to join a gym. OMG....I lost ALL the weight in 3 months, toned up in the process, and ate more.

    IMO, it's the best way to lose weight effectively.
  • susieoj
    susieoj Posts: 181
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    Weight training while eating at a deficit has huge benefits for what you will look like naked after you lose the weight. I don't need science to prove that, just the bathroom mirror when I hop out of the shower lol
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    i strength train on a deficit. i'm still getting stronger.
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
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    I know you are here to get opinions from regular people but they are just opinions. I really recommend reading anything by Mike Dolce (Dolce Diet). He helps fighters cut weight for MMA in a healthy way (a crazy idea, right?) and he knows a lot about nutrition! You can read a lot of his stuff without even shelling out $ for his books, just google. Best of luck

    Ummmm, a lot of these "opinions" are actually facts, so take this post back to left field.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
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    Now. You're retain more LBM and be happy with the way you look once you reach your goal. (as opposed to people who say they're going to wait till they get there and THEN start...might as well do it at the same time)
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member
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    This is the perfect answer.
    Okay, first, bear with me. I know I've seen this topic before, but I'm still confused.

    If you are eating at a calorie deficit, are their still benefits to weight training/resistance training? yes

    If so, what are they? getting stronger, improving bone density, retaining lean muscle mass

    I've heard you can't build muscle while eating at a deficit, but you that can't burn fat if you aren't eating at a deficit. Does that mean one thing at a time? no

    First lose body fat, then build muscle? still no. stop overthinking this and go work out

    Or are there strength training benefits beyond building muscle? yes. see above

    Can anyone shed some light on this for me? been there, done that

    Am I wasting my time on the weight machines if I am eating to lose pounds?hmmm...that's a more layered question, but i'll stick with "no" in the absence of more information.

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