Question about lifting and eating

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eimaj5575
eimaj5575 Posts: 278 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so I have read and read about lifting and gaining muscle. Everyone says you cannot gain muscle unless you are eating at a surplus. Ok sounds reasonable BUT if you don't gain muscle unless you eat at a surplus then how am I getting stronger and going up in weights eating at a deficit? I have never been able to do a pull up. Now since lifting I cannot stop doing them. I eat a deficit so how is it possible I am getting stronger? Hmmm....

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  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    bump (want to hear this as well)
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
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    Because you are strengthening the muscle mass you already have. You can gain strength without building new muscle.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    Building muscle mass is a little different than getting stronger. When you lift weight you are tearing the muscles. Protein repair the muscle stronger.
  • eimaj5575
    eimaj5575 Posts: 278 Member
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    Well I guess I am just content with getting stronger and not gaining muscle mass. Im getting stronger and more fit so not gonna eat at a surplus for no reason.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
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    If you can reach your strength goals that way, it sounds like the way to go.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    Well I guess I am just content with getting stronger and not gaining muscle mass. Im getting stronger and more fit so not gonna eat at a surplus for no reason.

    I think majority of people have goals on how strong they want to be. Who goal is it to want there biceps to be a certain measurement? Although I do want my bigger in mass. Like yes I want to have a V taper upper body. Likely I can get there in a calorie deficit.

    But with a calorie surplus it would take a perfect diet for the surplus to not be with any fat increase.
  • bluetuesday5
    bluetuesday5 Posts: 99 Member
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    In my experience it's the other way, everybody wants to get big, nobody really cares how strong they are (except bench). Anyway you can get stronger without building muscle by improving how your nervous system fires your muscles. Also it's highly debated but I don't think strictly true you can't build muscle in a deficit, at least not for all people all of the time. Also your pull ups will increase just by losing weight alone.
  • andywaterman
    andywaterman Posts: 2 Member
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    There's a neuromuscular component too - through training you're able to stimulate more of the muscle to move a bigger weight.

    Also re chin-ups - you're dieting so you're lighter so your muscles are doing less work
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
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    Yeah, once I'm done losing fat I want to get bigger. Whatever strength comes along for the ride is a bonus.

    I've added 205 pounds to my leg press while in a deficit -- don't want to hear about how much better squats are, I have my reasons -- in not a lot of time. Any hypertrophy so far is minimal.
  • kessler4130
    kessler4130 Posts: 150 Member
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    Well as far as the pull ups example goes, you will generally get stronger when you first start lifting, coupled with weight loss you are now lifting less as you lose weight. The increased ease of doing them is a result of both strength and lower body weight. However you will plateau and no longer get stronger on a deficit, most people will actually lose strength as your body does not have the calories to maintain that mass. The more muscle you have, the higher your caloric intake, if your body cannot support it, it gets rid of it. You certainly can't build an entire house without enough wood, you can work as hard as you want, without the material to make something bigger or more sturdy it cannot be done. Most of us go into weight training with the understanding that we are going to bulk and cut, you will gain fat on a bulk, figuring out the perfect caloric number on a daily basis is impossible, and eating to little basically wastes the opportunity to build muscle. Get fat and strong, then get lean, just don't go full potato. I monitor my weight weekly and adjust my calories based on that, right now I am bulking at 3200 calories roughly, if I don't see a 1.5 lb increase next Tuesday I will adjust it, if I see more than 1.5, I will lower it accordingly.

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