Exercise: building muscle while losing weight?

jonipecson
jonipecson Posts: 29 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, I want some info to make sure that this is not a myth. I am a women with PCOS and have a higher testosterone level than the average women. Is it possible that I'm building muscle while I'm losing weight? (PCOS not the factor I'm trying to figure out) I know I've heard that high testosterone levels help build muscles faster. I just want clarification and separate fact from fiction. I appreciate all feedback :)

Replies

  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    Not in any significant amount.

    Generally speaking, you need a calorie surplus and need to be doing progressive overload resistance training to actually build new muscle mass

    It's possible in a few cases (new to lifting being one) that it's possible to gain a relatively small amount of new mass in a deficit, but that's the exception, not the rule.

    It is of course possible to gain strength, which is simply training your existing muscles to work more efficiently
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    It is EXTREMELY difficult, to build muscle in a deficit. You will have "noob gainz" at first, but after that, you're just trying to sustain as much muscle mass as possible. When you get closer to goal, then you look into recomp.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    There are many who, when new to lifting and getting in shape, they will tell you they bulked and lost weight. The effect they are actually seeing is not building (in the sense of large volume increases), but simply activation of muscle fibers that have not been used. The visual effect is 'larger' muscles.
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    Noob gains are common with the right diet and exercise program. It's unlikely that you'll gain muscle at a deficit after that but everyone's different (as you've pointed out with yourself having higher than average testosterone levels for a woman). Why not give a program a shot and let us know if you were able to gain significant muscle at a deficit.

    Good luck!
  • jonipecson
    jonipecson Posts: 29 Member
    My major thing is weight loss and I was just curious as to what type of information MFP members had for me. I just want to get healthy and some muscle definition. Nothing more nothing less. Thanks you guys for all the info:)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    jonipecson wrote: »
    My major thing is weight loss and I was just curious as to what type of information MFP members had for me. I just want to get healthy and some muscle definition. Nothing more nothing less. Thanks you guys for all the info:)

    If by "muscle definition," you mean "being able to see my muscles better" (I clarify because people sometimes have different meanings for that), then fat loss will help you accomplish that even if you aren't building more muscle. As you lose fat, the muscles you have will become more visible. If you're doing resistance training while losing weight, even better -- it will help reduce the amount of muscle you will lose as part of your weight loss.
  • jonipecson
    jonipecson Posts: 29 Member
    That's exactly what I mean janejellyroll. That's what I'm doing as well. Thank you :)

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