Strength/weight training with a calorie deficit

I'm looking for information here. I've been having difficulty finding any on this particular topic.

What I want to know if, what happens when you do heavy weight training while running on a calorie deficit?

I know that when the goal is to build up muscle, you should be running on a calorie surplus (with lots of protein), but I don't know what happens in our bodies when we do muscle-building exercises on a calorie deficit.

My specific situation -- I intake 1400 net calories, which MFP says puts me at a 500 calorie/day deficit. In a typical week, with my overs and unders, I probably end up closer to a 2100 calorie deficit than a 3500 calorie deficit. I weight train 5 days a week, with the remaining two days dedicated to some moderate cardio. On my strength days, I do a 10-minute walking warm-up, followed by 7 strength exercises, a 5-minute walk, my second set of 7, another 5-minute walk, and then my final set of seven. My strength days are the following: legs day, push day, pull day, and shoulders/biceps/abs day.

I can't think of anymore information to give. I'm not necessarily looking for advice just for me. I mostly just want to see if anyone knows --- what happens in our bodies when we weight train on a calorie deficit? Do we build muscle? Do we lose fat? Do our muscle continue to break down as they do when we focus on dieting and cardio?


Thanks for your help!

You DON'T build muscle on a calorie deficit. To build muscle you would be adding weight to your body, so that would mean calorie surplus.
You will lose some lean muscle tissue on calories deficit, but not compared to if you didn't strength train at all and just dieted or did cardio only. The strength training is to help retain the lean muscle you have and to condition it keep it strong. Also when you go on calorie deficit, your body will automatically start to lower it's metabolic rate. This is why many people stall on diet only weight loss even though they may be in calorie deficit. Strength training helps to sustain a higher metabolic rate.
Keep it up though. What I would do though is complete ALL your strength sets first, then do your walk after. This way ALL your energy is dedicated to your strength session first. If any of the energy is "sapped" away from your walking, then your body will break down muscle tissue usually as a first resort to fuel the rest of your lifting. And you don't want to break down muscle tissue for energy usage.

I'm looking for information here. I've been having difficulty finding any on this particular topic.

What I want to know if, what happens when you do heavy weight training while running on a calorie deficit?

I know that when the goal is to build up muscle, you should be running on a calorie surplus (with lots of protein), but I don't know what happens in our bodies when we do muscle-building exercises on a calorie deficit.

My specific situation -- I intake 1400 net calories, which MFP says puts me at a 500 calorie/day deficit. In a typical week, with my overs and unders, I probably end up closer to a 2100 calorie deficit than a 3500 calorie deficit. I weight train 5 days a week, with the remaining two days dedicated to some moderate cardio. On my strength days, I do a 10-minute walking warm-up, followed by 7 strength exercises, a 5-minute walk, my second set of 7, another 5-minute walk, and then my final set of seven. My strength days are the following: legs day, push day, pull day, and shoulders/biceps/abs day.

I can't think of anymore information to give. I'm not necessarily looking for advice just for me. I mostly just want to see if anyone knows --- what happens in our bodies when we weight train on a calorie deficit? Do we build muscle? Do we lose fat? Do our muscle continue to break down as they do when we focus on dieting and cardio?


Thanks for your help!

You DON'T build muscle on a calorie deficit. To build muscle you would be adding weight to your body, so that would mean calorie surplus.
You will lose some lean muscle tissue on calories deficit, but not compared to if you didn't strength train at all and just dieted or did cardio only. The strength training is to help retain the lean muscle you have and to condition it keep it strong. Also when you go on calorie deficit, your body will automatically start to lower it's metabolic rate. This is why many people stall on diet only weight loss even though they may be in calorie deficit. Strength training helps to sustain a higher metabolic rate.
Keep it up though. What I would do though is complete ALL your strength sets first, then do your walk after. This way ALL your energy is dedicated to your strength session first. If any of the energy is "sapped" away from your walking, then your body will break down muscle tissue usually as a first resort to fuel the rest of your lifting. And you don't want to break down muscle tissue for energy usage.

Thank you, I think this confirmed my suspicions. I am curious, though -- I walk between my sets because I am working such similar muscle groups that I can't move on to set 2 without a rest. I was using the walk as a way to keep moving as opposed to just sitting. How long should you rest between sets?
I run through my 7 different exercises at a circuit training pace (little/no pause between) and use heavy weights (heavy enough that the last 2 reps feel almost impossible). If I continue with the weights I'm using, I'm not sure I could get through all three sets without pause. Any ideas?

rest should be 30-45 secs if cutting, 1 min. to 1.5 mins if strength training...basically if you are lifting 8-12 reps go short time and if you are lifting 6-8 reps rest longer. You should not be walking in between sets at all. If you are lifting different body parts per day then you do 3-4 sets per body part and then walk. You also wanna do complimentary parts to be effective, i.e back/bi, chest/tri, etc. 3sets of chest then 3 sets or triceps then you are done...should take abot 60 mins. you can walk afterward.