Lifting and weight gain?

janekenney95
janekenney95 Posts: 22 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So, I'm pretty new to the world of lifting weights, but so far I'm loving it and the way it makes me feel! I started lifting a little bit everyday to tone up, strengthen my muscles, etc. I've happened to notice the scale has definitely been creeping up, a sure sign of building muscle. While I love the fact that I'm building muscle, it would also be pretty beneficial for me to lose weight which was my initial intention starting MFP. I can feel the inches around my waist dropping off and feeling overall lighter than I did when I was just doing simple cardio and eating clean. I was wondering if there's any chance any of this muscle building weight will come off? I've heard rumors of this, but this sounds damn near impossible with continuous lifting everyday. Thoughts/advice? Thanks!
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Replies

  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    It's most likely water retention due to muscle repair. I don't know how much you are lifting but rest days are important to your progress and for injury prevention. For a new lifter 3 days a week is probably fine. Of course, look at your food logging, too.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    sorry you are not building muscle.

    But if you are new to lifting and feel "sore" even a little bit it is water/glycogen stores in the muscles for repair.

    I've lifted heavy for 3 years and have yet to build any appreciable muscle...but yes I have continued to lose weight.

    Weight loss is about the calorie deficit...exercise is for health and fitness.

    If after a couple weeks you are still gaining time to look at your logging and get it in line.

    oh btw...eating "clean" whatever that means is not necessary for weight loss either...I still eat treats all the time...did it while losing and while maintaining etc.
  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,404 Member
    The weight gain may appear in the first few weeks. And maybe in the 4th-6th week you may stabilize if eating at maintenance. If you are weighing your food and eating in a deficit, you may see a drop in bodyweight. My understanding is that lifting heavy can help retain LBM as you lose fat.
  • tinywonder25
    tinywonder25 Posts: 148 Member
    The only way to know for sure if it's muscle is to have your bodyfat% measured at the gym. There are natural fluctuations in weight, especially for women, so if it creeped up a lb or 2 it's probably just water retention.
    Make sure you have a deficit so that you lose weight and keeping up with cardio will help that. Adequate resting days are important for muscles to repair so you don't necessarily have to lift everyday.
  • jmaidan
    jmaidan Posts: 93 Member
    Hate to break it to you but that's just your body holding onto water lol don't worry about it?
  • ChristopherLimoges
    ChristopherLimoges Posts: 298 Member
    I believe I've heard it takes 5-10 years to burn off muscle weight, from lifting, opposed to fatty weight. Lifting weights isn't really meant for weight loss in terms of minimal total weight. Dietary needs will also increase as muscle mass and density is. Lifting is more of a conversion than a reduction.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    ChristopherLimoges wrote: »
    I believe I've heard it takes 5-10 years to burn off muscle weight, from lifting, opposed to fatty weight. Lifting weights isn't really meant for weight loss in terms of minimal total weight. Dietary needs will also increase as muscle mass and density is. Lifting is more of a conversion than a reduction.

    I don't understand what you are saying.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    ChristopherLimoges wrote: »
    I believe I've heard it takes 5-10 years to burn off muscle weight, from lifting, opposed to fatty weight. Lifting weights isn't really meant for weight loss in terms of minimal total weight. Dietary needs will also increase as muscle mass and density is. Lifting is more of a conversion than a reduction.

    Um no. I was very ill and lost 2 years of muscle growth very quickly. I took 10 months off and had to start over. Sure it came back faster but with malabsorption and Prednisone and bed rest it was gone.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    you look great but I don't see 10 lbs of muscle between the two pictures
  • drwilseyjr
    drwilseyjr Posts: 225 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    I've lifted heavy for 3 years and have yet to build any appreciable muscle...

    Then you're doing something wrong if your goal is to build muscle. I've been lifting heavy and hard for 6 months and have a noticeable difference in muscle mass.

    If you've been lifting heavy for 3 years and continue to lose weight and haven't noticed any real muscle growth, chance are you're not feeding your body the amount it needs to build muscle.

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    edited May 2016
    drwilseyjr wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    I've lifted heavy for 3 years and have yet to build any appreciable muscle...

    Then you're doing something wrong if your goal is to build muscle. I've been lifting heavy and hard for 6 months and have a noticeable difference in muscle mass.

    If you've been lifting heavy for 3 years and continue to lose weight and haven't noticed any real muscle growth, chance are you're not feeding your body the amount it needs to build muscle.

    my goal was to never build muscle...it's to keep what I have and keep my strength...and you are correct no bulk happening for me...can't wrap my head around a bulk...keep in mind I probably have done some recomp during my maintenance phase.
  • drwilseyjr
    drwilseyjr Posts: 225 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    drwilseyjr wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    I've lifted heavy for 3 years and have yet to build any appreciable muscle...

    Then you're doing something wrong if your goal is to build muscle. I've been lifting heavy and hard for 6 months and have a noticeable difference in muscle mass.

    If you've been lifting heavy for 3 years and continue to lose weight and haven't noticed any real muscle growth, chance are you're not feeding your body the amount it needs to build muscle.

    my goal was to never build muscle...it's to keep what I have and keep my strength...and you are correct no bulk happening for me...can't wrap my head around a bulk...keep in mind I probably have done some recomp during my maintenance phase.

    That makes more sense, now.

    I don't really bulk. I eat a slight caloric surplus and monitor my weight and measurements. I eat enough to build the muscle, but not to gain too much surplus stores. I also cut every so often, but not extreme cuts.
  • a_hounslow09
    a_hounslow09 Posts: 36 Member
    edited May 2016
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    you look great but I don't see 10 lbs of muscle between the two pictures

    Given the amount of body fat I lost and the fact that I weighed 4lbs more in my leaner pics I'd say 10 is pretty accurate... I'm over 5'9, 10lbs of muscle won't look the same on me as 10lbs of muscle on someone that's 5'2.

    Edit: actually I just looked back and I weighed 6 lbs more in the leaner photos not 4! So yeah, I'd say more than 10lbs of muscle. I was 140 not 138.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    a_hounslow09 wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    you look great but I don't see 10 lbs of muscle between the two pictures

    Given the amount of body fat I lost and the fact that I weighed 4lbs more in my leaner pics I'd say 10 is pretty accurate... I'm over 5'9, 10lbs of muscle won't look the same on me as 10lbs of muscle on someone that's 5'2.

    Edit: actually I just looked back and I weighed 6 lbs more in the leaner photos not 4! So yeah, I'd say more than 10lbs of muscle. I was 140 not 138.

    You gained over 10 pounds of muscle in six months? Very impressive, that must have been a hardcore steroid cycle you ran along with the training. No other way a woman puts on 10+ pounds of muscle in 6 months. How did you measure the fat loss/muscle gain?
  • a_hounslow09
    a_hounslow09 Posts: 36 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    a_hounslow09 wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    you look great but I don't see 10 lbs of muscle between the two pictures

    Given the amount of body fat I lost and the fact that I weighed 4lbs more in my leaner pics I'd say 10 is pretty accurate... I'm over 5'9, 10lbs of muscle won't look the same on me as 10lbs of muscle on someone that's 5'2.

    Edit: actually I just looked back and I weighed 6 lbs more in the leaner photos not 4! So yeah, I'd say more than 10lbs of muscle. I was 140 not 138.

    You gained over 10 pounds of muscle in six months? Very impressive, that must have been a hardcore steroid cycle you ran along with the training. No other way a woman puts on 10+ pounds of muscle in 6 months. How did you measure the fat loss/muscle gain?

    Yeah ok
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
    a_hounslow09 wrote: »
    If you're lifting heavy, "like a man" and getting plenty of protein you could be gaining muscle... These are me... I weighed 134 in the 1st pics, and 138 in the 2nd (tan) pics... 6 months between photos, big drop in body fat percentage, so in the second pics I way more but have lower body fat, which means I easily put on about 10lbs of muscle and lost at least 5 lbs of fat in that 6 month period.1ewx3z37gcpy.png

    You look great but you didn't gain 10 lbs of muscle in 6 months.
  • a_hounslow09
    a_hounslow09 Posts: 36 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    a_hounslow09 wrote: »
    If you're lifting heavy, "like a man" and getting plenty of protein you could be gaining muscle... These are me... I weighed 134 in the 1st pics, and 138 in the 2nd (tan) pics... 6 months between photos, big drop in body fat percentage, so in the second pics I way more but have lower body fat, which means I easily put on about 10lbs of muscle and lost at least 5 lbs of fat in that 6 month period.1ewx3z37gcpy.png

    You look great but you didn't gain 10 lbs of muscle in 6 months.

    Cool
  • a_hounslow09
    a_hounslow09 Posts: 36 Member
    I guess you'll all tell me that I didn't go from a 75lb bench to a 150lb bench in 6 months either? Or that I didn't go from being unable to walk for 6 months to a 180lb squat.... Since everyone knows my story better than I do...
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    edited May 2016
    arditarose wrote: »
    You look great but you didn't gain 10 lbs of muscle in 6 months.

    There's no doubt that she did an outstanding job losing bodyfat, the difference in BF% is very noticeable and looks great. Undoubtedly sub 20% in the second pictures, maybe even down around 17%'ish. I'm guessing that she was measuring her fat loss/muscle gain using a BIA device, which would account for the erroneous figure. My hat is off to her for a great transformation, but there's not 10+ additional pounds of muscle there.

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