"Dieting" and losing LBM...and then bulking

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  • Sarah4fitness
    Sarah4fitness Posts: 437 Member
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    :)
    Been lifting since high school. That was. . . years ago. I did the whole "medium weight high reps" bullcrap for years because I was "scared of getting huge". I've only been lifting heavy and WELL for 3ish years. My first formal "cut" was with a coach beginning around this time last year, ending in May. I'm on a similar plan now, after laxing up a bit with the eating, and gained more muscle over the past year. Excited to see what happens over the next 12+ weeks.

    Gaining size and muscle mass takes time. It also takes a willingness to wear "the fluff" for a while, and to be okay with increased overall size. I've not officially bulked, but it sounds like SO MUCH FUN (hello, lots of protein and calories and heavy lifting with minimal cardio? YES PLEASE) I think the key is not to freak out that yes, bodyfat will also increase with your gains.
  • AshwinA7
    AshwinA7 Posts: 102 Member
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    I just recently learned that it was possible to keep the muscle you have by lifting while dieting to lose fat specifically.

    Since starting my weight loss journey, I've lost about 50 lbs but after I started rock climbing, I realized very quickly that I had lost quite a bit of strength in the process. I don't know what my body fat percentage (and therefore, what LBM is) but I imagine I've lost a lot of muscle in the process.
  • DITT2014
    DITT2014 Posts: 8
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    Great info Sarah4fitness.

    Thanks!
  • Sunitagt
    Sunitagt Posts: 486 Member
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    I always feel like people who have weight to lose would avoid having to intentionally bulk later if they could just keep the muscle. I've read that people eating enough protein and who are active in ways that trigger protein sysnthesis from time-to-time, tend to gain about 30-40% of their weight as LBM when they gat "fat" from overeating chronically. Probably 20-35% of that total LBM is muscle, I would guess. So, the moral of the story is that "getting fat" is really like a bulk phase, just with a lower ratio of muscle gain and a higher ratio of fat gain.

    But then people go and do the exact opposite when they lose, and shed most of what they built up. And their BMR decreases.

    I hope I won't be cut out of here since I'm in the losing weight phase, but I have been thinking about this a lot over the last few days after reading something someone posted. I've still got about 100 lbs to lose, but I would prefer to try and keep as much muscle as I can with that, and it kinda seems like a 'cut' is just the same as losing weight.

    At any rate, do you all have suggestions on the best way to keep going on this? Right now I only have access to weight machines and dumbells at my gym, is that going to be enough? From what I've read, compound exercises are the best for you, but I don't have access to a barbell to do deadlifts and squats (the way I've seen them). I mean, I'm still researching to find out what the next best thing is with the dumbells, but if you guys have any suggestions...
  • joan23_us
    joan23_us Posts: 263 Member
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    ...decrease in BMR as people diet. And they have found that it's due almost entirely to muscle loss. I say it's a shame because they just accept that muscle loss is part of losing weight/dieting (but it doesn't have to be).

    Hello! I'm new here but your post caught my attention, could you please point me in the direction of informing myself how not to lose muscle as a result of losing weight? Tks. W

    these video will give you an idea, i highly recommend if you have the time to watch DR. LAYNE NORTON, Phd videos onb youtube username biolayne, tones of information... YOU want the right direction... here yah go..

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcM8HablpZk&list=PLOWGRN9SI9ZNdXEPYHgoFJRZDPNvEJ1Ms&index=9
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
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    I did this from August/September 2012 to February/March 2013 with great results. All told, I dropped from mid-high 20s percent body fat to just under 20 percent and gained several pounds LBM. I got sick with meningitis in October/November this year and had no choice but to take time away from the gym. I lost lean mass and weight. I started back up right around December 15, and then got the flu. After an extended period spent recovering again because it re-triggered meningitis symptoms, I've restarted a bulk. I'm just now seeing noticeable physical improvements, both in strength and hypertrophy. You can say I've done it twice now.

    I plan to keep the bulk going for several more weeks, around 8 more weeks, and then cutting.
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
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    Here's one of the studies from the past (still cited today) in which people were overfed and did not strength train, though they were active to some degree.

    The takeaway is that in men and women, there was roughly a 40% LBM gain without strength-training. Obviously not all LBM is muscle, but in the discussion, there is evidence that a good amount of it was.

    What this means, I think, is that it reinforces that overweight people should try as much as possible to preserve LBM. It will save them from having to intentionally bulk later (something that many are hesitant to do after losing weight intentionally), at least to some degree.

    Link to full text pdf: http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=/BJN/BJN56_01/S0007114586000818a.pdf&code=3a8abc9b2b0a6a04a69d566e33aeaf5e
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
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    And as far as strategies to prevent muscle loss during weight loss/cutting...

    -Protein!!!

    -Strength training (with progressive overload if possible to handle)

    -Proper sleep/rest

    -Short duration of cut

    -Eating at a slight deficit (~100 calories?) and "recomping" over time

    What else?

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