Building Muscle??
Bexx005
Posts: 31 Member
So far on weight loss journey I have lost 20lbs. I started out at 185 and have gotten down to 165. Mind you I have a small frame and I'm only 5'2". I've signed up for a 5k and a 15k in the fall so I am mainly focusing on long distance running and endurance with 2 days of strength training each week on a 1500 calorie intake. My question is at what point should I start to train to build muscle? I'm no where near my goal weight which is 110lbs but at some point I do want to transition into building muscle. Any advice?
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Replies
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I'm no expert by any means. However, I've heard of people who had been weight lifting for a while saying they wished they had started doing so on day 1.0
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You should start lifting now, it is highly unlikely you are going to build muscle though.
Generally speaking, muscle building requires a caloric surplus. There are factors which can let it happen in a deficit;- Whether you've lifted before
- Body fat
- Age
- Gender
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Immediately.0
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You won't build muscle unless you're in a calorie surplus, but you can work to preserve the muscle you have now through lifting0
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IsaackGMOON wrote: »You should start lifting now, it is highly unlikely you are going to build muscle though.
Generally speaking, muscle building requires a caloric surplus. There are factors which can let it happen in a deficit;- Whether you've lifted before
- Body fat
- Age
- Gender
^^This.
When we eat at a deficit we lose fat, water, and muscle. By lifting heavy in that deficit we work to maintain as much muscle as possible so that we lose mainly water an fat. By doing so we strip away the fat from the muscle we're maintaining for better muscle definition.When you're at your goal weight and satisfied with it, move onto a caloric surplus.
But not This
By waiting, you'll continue going down the path of losing water, fat, and muscle and than need to go through all the work and all the calories it takes to rebuild what you could have just maintained by starting now.
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I already lift a couple of times a week for that exact reason. I really don't want to lose whatever muscle I have already. That would really suck. I just wasn't sure when would be a good time to slowly incorporate a surplus in my calories. I want the muscle but I also don't want to eat too many calories and gain back the weight.0
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I already lift a couple of times a week for that exact reason. I really don't want to lose whatever muscle I have already. That would really suck. I just wasn't sure when would be a good time to slowly incorporate a surplus in my calories. I want the muscle but I also don't want to eat too many calories and gain back the weight.
You only need to eat about 250-500 cals over your TDEE a day. If you keep working out, you will not notice any fat gains and look amazing. Your Welcome.
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By waiting, you'll continue going down the path of losing water, fat, and muscle and than need to go through all the work and all the calories it takes to rebuild what you could have just maintained by starting now.
So how many days should I weight train and for how long? Would 1500 calories even be enough to fuel my body then? I pay attention to my macros more than my calories and make sure I don't go over my ratios with carbs, fats and proteins.
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He's not saying don't lift now. He's saying lift, but don't eat at a surplus, yet.IsaackGMOON wrote: »You should start lifting now, it is highly unlikely you are going to build muscle though.
Generally speaking, muscle building requires a caloric surplus. There are factors which can let it happen in a deficit;- Whether you've lifted before
- Body fat
- Age
- Gender
^^This.
When we eat at a deficit we lose fat, water, and muscle. By lifting heavy in that deficit we work to maintain as much muscle as possible so that we lose mainly water an fat. By doing so we strip away the fat from the muscle we're maintaining for better muscle definition.When you're at your goal weight and satisfied with it, move onto a caloric surplus.
But not This
By waiting, you'll continue going down the path of losing water, fat, and muscle and than need to go through all the work and all the calories it takes to rebuild what you could have just maintained by starting now.
0 -
By waiting, you'll continue going down the path of losing water, fat, and muscle and than need to go through all the work and all the calories it takes to rebuild what you could have just maintained by starting now.
So how many days should I weight train and for how long? Would 1500 calories even be enough to fuel my body then? I pay attention to my macros more than my calories and make sure I don't go over my ratios with carbs, fats and proteins.
That depends on what kind of weight training you want to do. A number of popular beginner progressive lifting programs (i.e. you keep adding weight) are based on three workouts per week, and entail a few basic lifts with a low number of reps with weights as heavy as you can lift. I follow Starting Strength, for instance. Other programs are Stronglifts 5x5 or Strong Curves. The New Rules of Lifting for Women is a good book on weight training, but people tend to prefer the workouts from the other programs.
Edited to add: Just to be clear, as others have said, you won’t build muscle in a caloric deficit, aside from so-called noob gains (i.e. a bit of muscle you might gain as you start off). To build muscle, you can either eat at maintenance as you keep lifting (recomposition) or do bulk/cut cycles (eat at a surplus to gain muscle and some fat, then eat in deficit to lose the fat). However, weight lifting will benefit you while you’re losing weight because it helps maintain your muscle mass.0 -
Okay I'll have to give those a shot then! I always wanted to try crossfit or something like that but to be honest it looks very intimidating.0
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Eh, I don’t know about Crossfit. It’s not my thing, at least. Do a bit of reading about these. You might find the bodybuilding exercise database useful, it has videos and descriptions of various exercises. The most important thing to keep an eye on is proper form, so take it slow and safe.0
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Will do! Thanks for the resources 0
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DeguelloTex wrote: »
He's not saying don't lift now. He's saying lift, but don't eat at a surplus, yet.IsaackGMOON wrote: »You should start lifting now, it is highly unlikely you are going to build muscle though.
Generally speaking, muscle building requires a caloric surplus. There are factors which can let it happen in a deficit;- Whether you've lifted before
- Body fat
- Age
- Gender
^^This.
When we eat at a deficit we lose fat, water, and muscle. By lifting heavy in that deficit we work to maintain as much muscle as possible so that we lose mainly water an fat. By doing so we strip away the fat from the muscle we're maintaining for better muscle definition.When you're at your goal weight and satisfied with it, move onto a caloric surplus.
But not This
By waiting, you'll continue going down the path of losing water, fat, and muscle and than need to go through all the work and all the calories it takes to rebuild what you could have just maintained by starting now.
Yes, and he also indicated once you get to your goal weight...than bulk.
OP may very easily reach their goal body composition well before a "goal weight" if weight training is taken up now.
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slideaway1 wrote: »I already lift a couple of times a week for that exact reason. I really don't want to lose whatever muscle I have already. That would really suck. I just wasn't sure when would be a good time to slowly incorporate a surplus in my calories. I want the muscle but I also don't want to eat too many calories and gain back the weight.
You only need to eat about 250-500 cals over your TDEE a day. If you keep working out, you will not notice any fat gains and look amazing. Your Welcome.
So if I want to lift weights to gain muscle and lose ( fat )weight at the same time....can I do that?
I mean, I need to be in a calorie deficit to lose fat weight so if I eat in a calorie surplus I would gain weight. I'm pretty confused .0 -
By waiting, you'll continue going down the path of losing water, fat, and muscle and than need to go through all the work and all the calories it takes to rebuild what you could have just maintained by starting now.
So how many days should I weight train and for how long? Would 1500 calories even be enough to fuel my body then? I pay attention to my macros more than my calories and make sure I don't go over my ratios with carbs, fats and proteins.
Looking into a structured program, 5x5, strong lifts, etc. Without knowing your full stats, 1500 is "probably" on the low side with exercise. Hard to say exactly. I guessed on your age and got a sedentary TDEE of 1800 cals.0 -
Here is a nice example, Staci Ardison, who fits near your height (5'4"), of going from 170 to 117-131-142...and adding muscle and strength to do it.
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
Slightly more recent is her at 150
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/09/26/an-update-with-staci-our-powerlifting-superhero-plus-academy-scholarships/0 -
Wow 1800? well I'm 22yo if that helps. I didn't realize I was on the low side. I used to eat only 1200 but figured out really quick that amount of calories was way too low so I upped it to 1500. But if I need to go up more to keep my body working properly with exercise I will definitely do that. I don't want to damage my metabolism or anything.
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Start training by lifting more now. When you cut down to where you want to be then you can do a slow bulk to build muscle. You can't cut and build muscle at the same time (except for newbie gains). Check out Thinner Leaner Stronger, Jamie Eason's Livefit, 5x5, Strong Lifts, etc. All great lifting plans to get you where you want to be.0
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And your response started with, "By waiting..." which has nothing to do with the issue you now have with what he said.DeguelloTex wrote: »
He's not saying don't lift now. He's saying lift, but don't eat at a surplus, yet.IsaackGMOON wrote: »You should start lifting now, it is highly unlikely you are going to build muscle though.
Generally speaking, muscle building requires a caloric surplus. There are factors which can let it happen in a deficit;- Whether you've lifted before
- Body fat
- Age
- Gender
^^This.
When we eat at a deficit we lose fat, water, and muscle. By lifting heavy in that deficit we work to maintain as much muscle as possible so that we lose mainly water an fat. By doing so we strip away the fat from the muscle we're maintaining for better muscle definition.When you're at your goal weight and satisfied with it, move onto a caloric surplus.
But not This
By waiting, you'll continue going down the path of losing water, fat, and muscle and than need to go through all the work and all the calories it takes to rebuild what you could have just maintained by starting now.
Yes, and he also indicated once you get to your goal weight...than bulk.
OP may very easily reach their goal body composition well before a "goal weight" if weight training is taken up now.
If OP re-evaluates goal weight in light of body composition, that's perfectly fine. Perhaps it wasn't phrased so as to cover all possibilities but, to me, it just says don't move into a caloric surplus if you feel you're overweight (overfat).0 -
LolaKarwowski wrote: »I'm no expert by any means. However, I've heard of people who had been weight lifting for a while saying they wished they had started doing so on day 1.
me me me.
If i could go back to the very beginning and switch to lifting weights and having a SMALLER deficit, i would! I went the rapid 1,200 calorie cardio route and i was incredibly unhappy when i reached my "goal weight".0 -
Wow 1800? well I'm 22yo if that helps. I didn't realize I was on the low side. I used to eat only 1200 but figured out really quick that amount of calories was way too low so I upped it to 1500. But if I need to go up more to keep my body working properly with exercise I will definitely do that. I don't want to damage my metabolism or anything.
And 22 is the age I guessed. Your TDEE if you throw in 3-6hrs of exercise per week is in the 2200 range, so 1800 would be about right.
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Got ya. Good to know then!0
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rainbowbow wrote: »
me me me.
If i could go back to the very beginning and switch to lifting weights and having a SMALLER deficit, i would! I went the rapid 1,200 calorie cardio route and i was incredibly unhappy when i reached my "goal weight".
That's what I'm afraid of! I don't want to just lose weight, I want to be fit and healthy!
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DeguelloTex wrote: »
And your response started with, "By waiting..." which has nothing to do with the issue you now have with what he said.DeguelloTex wrote: »
He's not saying don't lift now. He's saying lift, but don't eat at a surplus, yet.IsaackGMOON wrote: »You should start lifting now, it is highly unlikely you are going to build muscle though.
Generally speaking, muscle building requires a caloric surplus. There are factors which can let it happen in a deficit;- Whether you've lifted before
- Body fat
- Age
- Gender
^^This.
When we eat at a deficit we lose fat, water, and muscle. By lifting heavy in that deficit we work to maintain as much muscle as possible so that we lose mainly water an fat. By doing so we strip away the fat from the muscle we're maintaining for better muscle definition.When you're at your goal weight and satisfied with it, move onto a caloric surplus.
But not This
By waiting, you'll continue going down the path of losing water, fat, and muscle and than need to go through all the work and all the calories it takes to rebuild what you could have just maintained by starting now.
Yes, and he also indicated once you get to your goal weight...than bulk.
OP may very easily reach their goal body composition well before a "goal weight" if weight training is taken up now.
If OP re-evaluates goal weight in light of body composition, that's perfectly fine. Perhaps it wasn't phrased so as to cover all possibilities but, to me, it just says don't move into a caloric surplus if you feel you're overweight (overfat).
OK, I was clearing up the misconception of waiting until goal weight to try to build muscle. Which is how that last sentence could be construed by anyone new to exercise as it reads just like the misconception.
If lifting, goal weight doesn't make sense next to goal composition. My opinion though.0 -
rainbowbow wrote: »
me me me.
If i could go back to the very beginning and switch to lifting weights and having a SMALLER deficit, i would! I went the rapid 1,200 calorie cardio route and i was incredibly unhappy when i reached my "goal weight".
That's what I'm afraid of! I don't want to just lose weight, I want to be fit and healthy!
In my opinion, the best way to do that is:
1.) Lift weights, consistently.
2.) Eat at a deficit if you still have weight to lose, HOWEVER, don't have such an incredibly high deficit. A slight deficit and slow loss works best.
3.) Eat enough protein in your diet to RETAIN the muscle you DO have.
In order to gain NEW muscle, a calorie surplus is required. However, i'm willing to bet if you retain a good amount of muscle mass, start lifting now, start losing slowly, you will be much much happier once you get into the optimal body fat% range.0 -
rainbowbow wrote: »rainbowbow wrote: »
me me me.
If i could go back to the very beginning and switch to lifting weights and having a SMALLER deficit, i would! I went the rapid 1,200 calorie cardio route and i was incredibly unhappy when i reached my "goal weight".
That's what I'm afraid of! I don't want to just lose weight, I want to be fit and healthy!
In my opinion, the best way to do that is:
1.) Lift weights, consistently.
2.) Eat at a deficit if you still have weight to lose, HOWEVER, don't have such an incredibly high deficit. A slight deficit and slow loss works best.
3.) Eat enough protein in your diet to RETAIN the muscle you DO have.
In order to gain NEW muscle, a calorie surplus is required. However, i'm willing to bet if you retain a good amount of muscle mass, start lifting now, start losing slowly, you will be much much happier once you get into the optimal body fat% range.
Yeah I would go with this. The bit I have bolded is the important part. All the numbers/calculations don't really mean anything unless you train like a champion. 0 -
Agreed, that would be crazy talk.DeguelloTex wrote: »
And your response started with, "By waiting..." which has nothing to do with the issue you now have with what he said.DeguelloTex wrote: »
He's not saying don't lift now. He's saying lift, but don't eat at a surplus, yet.IsaackGMOON wrote: »You should start lifting now, it is highly unlikely you are going to build muscle though.
Generally speaking, muscle building requires a caloric surplus. There are factors which can let it happen in a deficit;- Whether you've lifted before
- Body fat
- Age
- Gender
^^This.
When we eat at a deficit we lose fat, water, and muscle. By lifting heavy in that deficit we work to maintain as much muscle as possible so that we lose mainly water an fat. By doing so we strip away the fat from the muscle we're maintaining for better muscle definition.When you're at your goal weight and satisfied with it, move onto a caloric surplus.
But not This
By waiting, you'll continue going down the path of losing water, fat, and muscle and than need to go through all the work and all the calories it takes to rebuild what you could have just maintained by starting now.
Yes, and he also indicated once you get to your goal weight...than bulk.
OP may very easily reach their goal body composition well before a "goal weight" if weight training is taken up now.
If OP re-evaluates goal weight in light of body composition, that's perfectly fine. Perhaps it wasn't phrased so as to cover all possibilities but, to me, it just says don't move into a caloric surplus if you feel you're overweight (overfat).
OK, I was clearing up the misconception of waiting until goal weight to try to build muscle.
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slideaway1 wrote: »rainbowbow wrote: »rainbowbow wrote: »
me me me.
If i could go back to the very beginning and switch to lifting weights and having a SMALLER deficit, i would! I went the rapid 1,200 calorie cardio route and i was incredibly unhappy when i reached my "goal weight".
That's what I'm afraid of! I don't want to just lose weight, I want to be fit and healthy!
In my opinion, the best way to do that is:
1.) Lift weights, consistently.
2.) Eat at a deficit if you still have weight to lose, HOWEVER, don't have such an incredibly high deficit. A slight deficit and slow loss works best.
3.) Eat enough protein in your diet to RETAIN the muscle you DO have.
In order to gain NEW muscle, a calorie surplus is required. However, i'm willing to bet if you retain a good amount of muscle mass, start lifting now, start losing slowly, you will be much much happier once you get into the optimal body fat% range.
Yeah I would go with this. The bit I have bolded is the important part. All the numbers/calculations don't really mean anything unless you train like a champion.
I will definitely keep up with this then!
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Definitely start immediately. Now, are you wanting to build muscle or are you wanting to build strength?0
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