What happens to fat when strength training?

Bchlvr64
Bchlvr64 Posts: 89 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I started SL5x5 5 weeks ago. I'm progressing nicely. I feel stronger, clothes a little loose, and I'm a little less jiggly in areas. I have a lot of weight to lose still, and haven't been in a consistent calorie deficit. I'm even up 3 lbs the last two weeks. My question, where has some of the fat gone??

Replies

  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    Strength training doesn't do anything to fat, a calorie deficit does. Strength training builds muscle as long as your body has the resources to build it during the repair phase (extra calories and protein). More muscle = more calorie burn. So the end result might be fat loss, but the strength training itself doesn't really do it directly.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Pretty much nothing.

    Fat is lost when eating at a calorie deficit.
  • Bchlvr64
    Bchlvr64 Posts: 89 Member
    I know calorie deficit to lose weight/fat. I'm wondering why would I be the same weight, even up a little, yet clothes looser?
  • Bchlvr64
    Bchlvr64 Posts: 89 Member
    mgalovic01 wrote: »
    It went to a farm. Don't worry. They'll take good care of it :)

    Thanks, helpful.
  • Bchlvr64
    Bchlvr64 Posts: 89 Member
    redheaddee1974 wrote: »
    Muscle burns more calories than fat. So as you build muscle, your body is becoming more efficient at burning fat.

    "For example, muscle tissue has been observed to burn roughly seven to 10 calories per pound per day, compared to two to three calories per pound per day for fat. Therefore, if you replace a pound of fat with a pound of muscle, you can expect to burn only approximately four to six more calories a day."

    I recommend reading the New Rules for Lifting series. Extremely informative, based on medical facts, and yet easy to read. So yeah, something is happening to your fat. You are burning it more efficiently. Congrats on your progress!

    Thank you very much. I will get that book.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    You're 5 weeks in to a new exercise regime.

    The associated water retention is masking fat loss.

    It's nice to think that in 5 weeks and eating at a calorie deficit you've created enough muscle mass to be making an appreciable difference in calories burnt, but I'm afraid you haven't.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Bchlvr64 wrote: »
    I know calorie deficit to lose weight/fat. I'm wondering why would I be the same weight, even up a little, yet clothes looser?

    Water weight most likely.

    If your clothes are looser, consider it a win. No one but you sees the scale, every one sees how your clothes fit.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    Not a damn thing. Fat is a non contracting tissue so it sees no effects from contraction based workouts.
  • WayTooHonest
    WayTooHonest Posts: 144 Member
    Bchlvr64 wrote: »
    redheaddee1974 wrote: »
    Muscle burns more calories than fat. So as you build muscle, your body is becoming more efficient at burning fat.

    "For example, muscle tissue has been observed to burn roughly seven to 10 calories per pound per day, compared to two to three calories per pound per day for fat. Therefore, if you replace a pound of fat with a pound of muscle, you can expect to burn only approximately four to six more calories a day."

    I recommend reading the New Rules for Lifting series. Extremely informative, based on medical facts, and yet easy to read. So yeah, something is happening to your fat. You are burning it more efficiently. Congrats on your progress!

    Thank you very much. I will get that book.

    Don't buy them, my library had them!!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    cityruss wrote: »
    You're 5 weeks in to a new exercise regime.

    The associated water retention is masking fat loss.

    It's nice to think that in 5 weeks and eating at a calorie deficit you've created enough muscle mass to be making an appreciable difference in calories burnt, but I'm afraid you haven't.

    This is the right answer.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    Bchlvr64 wrote: »
    I know calorie deficit to lose weight/fat. I'm wondering why would I be the same weight, even up a little, yet clothes looser?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_tone

    i know everyone here has a fit if you use the word tone but there it is. it does have nothing to do with how much fat is in your body composition, but the deal with me was: working muscles gained more elasticity and a greater tensile tone - or whatever the right terminology is - even when they're at rest.

    less slack in my muscles tightened a couple zones up, noticeably my midriff where it was suddenly harder for my guts to spill out in any direction they liked because my abs were keeping them under better control.

    there's no such thing as spot reduction of fat. but your dimensions can still change in spite of that ime.
  • Bchlvr64
    Bchlvr64 Posts: 89 Member
    Thanks for replying everyone . I understand a bit more.

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