weight lifting in calorie deficit

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  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
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    Poodles56 wrote: »
    Make sure your diet includes protein, that is really important in maintaining your muscle mass. I work with weights and do a lot of resistance exercise to tone muscles, dropped a couple of sizes but my weight is basically unchanged - although I am more energetic, and I feel "lighter". Muscles are more dense/heavier than body fat.
    I think it is really how you feel and how you want your body to look that at the end matters the most. Still a lot of fat to burn, but I am making darn sure not to lose the toned muscles (arms, legs) that I got by exercising!

    Yep - gotta be honest. I *love* my muscles. I love the whole experience in the weight room, too. But the purpose behind (ironic ... wait for it) all this full-body lifting is to avoid injury while running longer distances. I have found that as I get older, my back is not interested in carrying me much further than about ten miles without complaining. So ... I am trying to change my routine, strengthen my glutes, yada yada yada. I'm excited about it. And ... really ... I appreciate your input. I'm not a newbie to exercise, but I am to lifting. I'm also much more responsible this time around about making sure I have the right balance of nutrients - enough protein, etc.
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
    edited February 2015
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    ana3067 wrote: »
    ...
    So use about half the weight you've been using just to practice your form, then slowly work the weight up until you find a weight that allows you to maintain your form. ...

    I love this! If you saw my silly, little bar with 15 pounds on each side among all those big guys' lifts today ... no one pointed and laughed, though. :) But absolutely - I hear you. You are right. I will be careful about my form and not get too excited to add weight. :)
  • karlsantiago
    karlsantiago Posts: 90 Member
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    lgutches wrote: »
    But - and I'm just trying to understand - if I am truly in a deficit, I shouldn't be able to gain muscle. Right? So weird to me.

    technically true, it is very very hard to gain muscle with a deficit from your maintenance, BUT it is possible, and that's a whole different story, genetics, etc.
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
    edited February 2015
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    ana ... this is me.
  • IamUndrCnstruction
    IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
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    Just only want to say that this thread clarified more for me in one reading than soooo many other threads on similar subjects combined. Thank you thank you!
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
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    IamUndrCnstruction wrote: »
    Just only want to say that this thread clarified more for me in one reading than soooo many other threads on similar subjects combined. Thank you thank you!

    Great news! I agree - very helpful!
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    lgutches wrote: »
    ana3067 wrote: »
    ...
    So use about half the weight you've been using just to practice your form, then slowly work the weight up until you find a weight that allows you to maintain your form. ...

    I love this! If you saw my silly, little bar with 15 pounds on each side among all those big guys' lifts today ... no one pointed and laughed, though. :) But absolutely - I hear you. You are right. I will be careful about my form and not get too excited to add weight. :)
    Well I mean, men and women are not the same haha. I will say that when I see a woman using a suuper light bar that she can clearly lift without any problem, I do get a "wtf" look on my face. Like what's the point of lifting so light?? I do feel a bit sad for myself though on upper body days since I don't have very heavy lifts (partly to do with developing tennis elbow, being a woman and naturally having less muscle mass up top, and not yet having lifted in a surplus to build proper muscle and better strength) but at the end of the day, I am not competing with anyone else but myself!

    I will say that I sometimes practice form at home in the bathroom if I've been struggling a bit, just to make sure that my form is still fine. Usually I get off days due to how I've been sleeping, warming up, and eating before my workout.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    lgutches wrote: »
    ana ... this is me.
    LOL aw, we all have to start somewhere! I remember before I got onto a proper program and before I joined MFP, I thought I was super cool deadlifting like 60lbs. Now I lift well over 3x that!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    You lift while dieting to maintain as much muscle as possible while you lose weight.

    This
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
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    ana3067 wrote: »
    lgutches wrote: »
    ana ... this is me.
    LOL aw, we all have to start somewhere! I remember before I got onto a proper program and before I joined MFP, I thought I was super cool deadlifting like 60lbs. Now I lift well over 3x that!

    I wish there was a "like" button on MFP.
  • stif9
    stif9 Posts: 33 Member
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    ana3067 wrote: »
    lgutches wrote: »
    ana3067 wrote: »
    ...
    So use about half the weight you've been using just to practice your form, then slowly work the weight up until you find a weight that allows you to maintain your form. ...

    I love this! If you saw my silly, little bar with 15 pounds on each side among all those big guys' lifts today ... no one pointed and laughed, though. :) But absolutely - I hear you. You are right. I will be careful about my form and not get too excited to add weight. :)
    Well I mean, men and women are not the same haha. I will say that when I see a woman using a suuper light bar that she can clearly lift without any problem, I do get a "wtf" look on my face. Like what's the point of lifting so light?? I do feel a bit sad for myself though on upper body days since I don't have very heavy lifts (partly to do with developing tennis elbow, being a woman and naturally having less muscle mass up top, and not yet having lifted in a surplus to build proper muscle and better strength) but at the end of the day, I am not competing with anyone else but myself!

    I will say that I sometimes practice form at home in the bathroom if I've been struggling a bit, just to make sure that my form is still fine. Usually I get off days due to how I've been sleeping, warming up, and eating before my workout.
    The fitness world definetely needs more women like you.
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
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    Holy Moses ... update. I overdid it. My low bad is a mess this morning. LOL ... at least it feels like sore muscles and not pulled muscles - but wow, that sneaks up on you! Wish me luck running today!
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    lgutches wrote: »
    You guys have helped me to understand that I don't build muscle while in a calorie deficit. As I was doing my squats, deadlifts and bench presses (yes - I did them all today!!!), it occurred to me ... WHY am I doing this? LOL ... I know this sounds like a crazy question with an obvious answer, but I'm working really hard to build muscle (or tighten the ones I have or something) - but I'm trying to lose about ten pounds right now. I'm a runner (about 5x/week). So ... should I wait to do the full-body lifts until I am at my maintenance weight? TIA, MFP friends. I appreciate your insight.
    You're fixing the muscle loss the caloric deficit and running will cause.

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