"You can't build muscle on a calorie deficit"

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  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    And the band-aid is ripping...
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    eagle_74 wrote: »
    BodyBuilders "appear" more muscular after a cut, it's an illusion from the deepening curves and slopes that get revealed from less Fat AND Water. That is not New Muscle.

    If you want to build New Muscle Mass you need to be in an Anabolic state...stuffing your face will do that, rather than shuttling those nutrients into solely fat...Heavy lifting will shuttle those nutrients into building new muscle tissue, the % going towards Fat vs Muscle is partly genetic.

    Calorie Deficits put you in a Catabolic state..that doesn't mean you can't "appear" to getting more muscular or that you can't get stronger..you can especially if you have recently started lifting and have lots of room neuromuscular adaptions.
    @eagle_74
    Actually no...
    Being in a deficit puts you into a catabolic state for slightly more of the day - you are constantly cycling between states depending on the progress of digesting your last meal whether you are in an overall deficit or surplus. So a small deficit or small surplus is only making a very small difference. It's a continuum not a switch.

    So being TDEE -1 cal doesn't make you catabolic 24 x 7 if you want an extreme example to illustrate the point.
  • AbelMendoza
    AbelMendoza Posts: 11 Member
    Simply put, if you are on gear, or if you are new to lifting/bodybuilding, you can gain muscle on a defecit. Once you've been doing it for some years, you won't gain any muscle on a defecit, though it will look like you did sometimes because you are getting leaner so everything is more defined.
  • AbelMendoza
    AbelMendoza Posts: 11 Member
    eatonjenn wrote: »
    I eat at a deficit and lift. My question is this then. I have not lost more the 5 pounds in the last few months but have lost inches all over my body. I am not a newbi. I have been lifting since I started MFP over a year ago. I have lost over a 100 pounds. So what happen? I thought I had gained muscle but after reading all the post about this topic I am still confused.

    Did I not gain muscle since the scale didnt budge and I lost inches?

    If you've only been doing this a little over a year, you're still new
  • AbelMendoza
    AbelMendoza Posts: 11 Member
    Also if you want better answers from more experienced people, go to bodybuilding.com forums.
  • AFGP11
    AFGP11 Posts: 142 Member
    I love when people try to argue with science. "B-b-but my friend's cousin's sister's dog's owner said they gained muscle while eating 1000 calories a day so I know it's true!"
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    BusyRaeNOTBusty wrote: »
    Some people can build muscle while on a deficit. Those who are new to lifting might build a small amount. For the most part we lift while dieting to preserve muscle and gain strength.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-1.html



    And as for 1200, why would anyone want to eat that low? If I can lose weight eating 2000 calories, you bet I'm going to eat 2000 calories, not 1200.

    Right and the other thing I'd like to point out that at such a low intake, what will happens to the non-responders? Do they cut more? Remove another 250 a day and eat 950? And then what if they stall after that? Remove anothe 250 down to 700?

    Meanwhile muscle is lost, lower metabolism, and increasing likelihood of malnutrition.
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