If i lost muscle mass...

derek1237654
derek1237654 Posts: 234 Member
edited December 1 in Fitness and Exercise
If i lost muscle mass by losing 60 lbs over 4 months how is it that i can now do 6 perfect situps and before i could do zero. And today is the first time ive even tried to do situps at all...its not like ive been training to do them. Most people have said the weight loss would of ate muscles

Replies

  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Do you do any kind of exercise?
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Physical limitations of carrying extra mass. Plus, strength and muscle are not necessarily the same. You can get stronger without gaining muscle or while losing it.
  • raindawg
    raindawg Posts: 348 Member
    ................................how is it that i can now do 6 perfect situps and before i could do zero. And today is the first time ive even tried to do situps at all...

    ??????? If you've never tried sit ups how do you know you could do zero before?

  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    If i lost muscle mass by losing 60 lbs over 4 months how is it that i can now do 6 perfect situps and before i could do zero. And today is the first time ive even tried to do situps at all...its not like ive been training to do them. Most people have said the weight loss would of ate muscles

    Because you now weigh 60 pounds less and so the sit-up is a lot easier; you are moving a lighter mass. Your absolute strength can go down, but your strength-to-weight ratio can go up because your weight dropped by a larger percentage. All body-weight exercises become much, much easier as you lose weight.

    It's also not just a matter of how many pounds per month you lose, but how much fat you currently have. 15 pounds in a month is fine if you're over 300 lb or so. 1% body weight per week plus strength training will help you keep muscle loss to a minimum.
  • mamasmaltz3
    mamasmaltz3 Posts: 1,111 Member
    It's not like all of your muscle would get "ate". You're still going to have muscle, and having lost 60lbs it should be easier for you to do a sit up. However, if you lose weight quickly without exercise, especially weight training, a significantly higher percentage of the weight loss could come from muscle loss.
  • positivepowers
    positivepowers Posts: 902 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Physical limitations of carrying extra mass. Plus, strength and muscle are not necessarily the same. You can get stronger without gaining muscle or while losing it.

    Now I'm curious; how do you gain strength while losing muscle? That seems counterintuitive.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    If i lost muscle mass by losing 60 lbs over 4 months how is it that i can now do 6 perfect situps and before i could do zero. And today is the first time ive even tried to do situps at all...its not like ive been training to do them. Most people have said the weight loss would of ate muscles

    Are you really asking this question? You're doing a bodyweight exercise and you're wondering why it's easier after losing 60lbs?

    Hmmm, I wonder if this bar will be easier to lift if I take 60lbs off of it?
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Physical limitations of carrying extra mass. Plus, strength and muscle are not necessarily the same. You can get stronger without gaining muscle or while losing it.

    Now I'm curious; how do you gain strength while losing muscle? That seems counterintuitive.

    The anatomy and physiology of muscles. Muscle size does not dictate the strength. You can lose muscle storage size without impacting the fibers that do the work.
  • coalz
    coalz Posts: 308 Member
    I do a sit up every morning when I get out of bed ;). But seriously I want to know your method for such rapid weight loss.
  • derek1237654
    derek1237654 Posts: 234 Member
    Thanks. Read my other post about how i did it. But basically 2 hour cardio and half hour of strength training 7 days a week combined with high protein and an average calorie intake of around 2400 a day.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Physical limitations of carrying extra mass. Plus, strength and muscle are not necessarily the same. You can get stronger without gaining muscle or while losing it.

    Now I'm curious; how do you gain strength while losing muscle? That seems counterintuitive.

    The anatomy and physiology of muscles. Muscle size does not dictate the strength. You can lose muscle storage size without impacting the fibers that do the work.

    Because a large part of strength is related to neuromuscular adaptation where the way nerves fire and call muscle fibers into action matters more than the actual muscle mass.

    One can't lose 60 lbs without losing LBM. That's lean body mass which can include muscle, connecting tissue, mineral mass during weight loss. One can reduce the amount of LBM loss via exercise and while maintaining a reasonable loss rate over time but some loss is inevitable and overall strength is only a small indicator.

    Congrats on the 60 lbs lost that's a great achievement! Now it's time to work those 6 sit ups into something beyond the minimum core strength of a first time effort. Your ability to do things, everyday movements and healthy aging will improve with a stronger core.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    raindawg wrote: »
    ................................how is it that i can now do 6 perfect situps and before i could do zero. And today is the first time ive even tried to do situps at all...

    ??????? If you've never tried sit ups how do you know you could do zero before?

    good question! :laugh:
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
    It's not like all of your muscle would get "ate". You're still going to have muscle, and having lost 60lbs it should be easier for you to do a sit up. However, if you lose weight quickly without exercise, especially weight training, a significantly higher percentage of the weight loss could come from muscle loss.

    To add, how would you even walk without muscle mass? Or how would your heart pump? You have muscle. And based on how you lost weight according to your other post, you may have taken preventative measures to retain muscle you had by keeping protein high and lifting (without knowing any other stats).
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    Strength to weight ratio. It's like me trying to do a situp while holding my youngest daughter, vs. trying to do them without holding her. Doing pushups with her on my back, then without her.

    Of course you can move 60lb less mass easier, even if you have slightly less muscle. It's not like you would lose ALL your muscle. If you lose weight slowly most of what you lose will be fat.
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