A "gaining muscle" question...

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Lyadeia
Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
OK, so I have believed for the longest time that you couldn't gain muscle on a calorie deficit. And that it takes a long time to put any real amount of muscle on your body when you are trying.

So...

For the past month I have been lifting really heavy, doing no cardio, and eating in a calorie deficit. My goal this month was to build strength, not pack on muscle, so when I start adding in a bunch of cardio all I have to do is lessen the strength training frequency and maintain what I've got while in a deficit and doing cardio.

And in the past month, I have gained TONS of strength. But, I also gained these nice rounded biceps when I flex (for example) and I see toned muscles everywhere. And about 3 pounds.

So, fitness gurus...I may have lost a little body fat since I was eating at a deficit, but since my measrements are the same and weight is slightly higher...how do I go about explaining all this without saying "I gained muscle" which is what seems to have happened to me while on a calorie deficit?

And by the way...I am in no way shape or form complaining about it. I like the new found strength and the ability to see some muscles poppin' while I flex. I wasn't really expecting a huge loss this month anyway since I took out cardio. And I will never believe that weights "bulk you up" cause that's crap. I just want to know how you would explain this. :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
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    your muscles have just ' come out ' it happens when you get more strong and fit. they are getting 'toned' and have the illusion theyre getting bigger
  • rachel871
    rachel871 Posts: 113 Member
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    Be interesting to hear answers from professionals/well researched individuals...

    I have made quite good friends with a professional bodybuilder recently - and he's said basically the same things to me as you believe with regards to muscle gain on a calorie deficit etc etc etc...

    I sincerely doubt the 3lb gain is muscle, in that space of time and especially as your measurements haven't changed...

    What I do know is that there's a distinct difference between fat, muscle, and lean body tissue.. You can have a glorious set of abs but cover them with a layer of fat and you'll never see them...

    Maybe this is what's happened with your biceps? By lifting heavier weights you've stripped the fat from them, showing the lean body tissue underneath?

    I'm going with loss of body fat (do you record your body fat %??) and posisbly water weight as the 3lb!!

    But I'm not a professional, just going on my experiences/research...!

    Sounds like you're doing good whatever you're doing anyway! Well done! :)
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    I'm going with loss of body fat (do you record your body fat %??)

    I do record body fat %, but since I don't have access to more expensive measures and I am a spaz with calipers, I use the Navy method which goes by measurements and weight. And well, since my measurements have not really changed other than a slight weight gain, my bf% hasn't moved either (except a tiny fraction higher, but I don't count that as I don't see how it's possible on a calorie deficit with 5 days a week of weight lifting, lol).

    The trainers at my gym like to use that thingy you hold on to that somehow checks body fat...which I think is stupid since simple things like being dehydrated that day can throw off results. I'm sure one of them can do the skinfolds with calipers, I just haven't found one yet, haha.
  • jdhosier
    jdhosier Posts: 315 Member
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    Be careful thinking that you can exercise certain muscles and have the fat stripped from them. If this were true, people who chew gum would have skinny faces.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    Be careful thinking that you can exercise certain muscles and have the fat stripped from them. If this were true, people who chew gum would have skinny faces.

    I don't believe in spot reducing or spot toning. I have been doing a split routine where on Mondays and Thursdays I work legs and calves doing barbell squats and other goodies...Tuesdays I do back and biceps...Wednesdays I do chest and triceps...Fridays I do shoulders and abs... So I am hitting all major muscle groups using compound lifts followed by a couple of isolation moves like curls. This past month I was just trying to gain strength when I started to notice muscles showing up with no explanation of how since I am eating a deficit and doing no cardio...and my measurements stayed relatively the same other than a slight weight gain.
  • emmab0902
    emmab0902 Posts: 2,337 Member
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    If you work it out let me know as it sounds similar to me - been working out for 2-3 months and no change in weight or much in measurements but I can now see muscles in my arms esp my triceps.
  • Chairless
    Chairless Posts: 588 Member
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    I never understood why people were not supposed to be able to build new muscle on a calorie defecit. Lean people sure, nothing to make it out of, but overweight people are carrying stored energy, no?
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    It's prob. just water weight from your muscles repairing themselves.. an swelling from that water, would be my guess.

    They do have what they call "beginners gains" where if you've never lift before and suddenly start doing only lifting, then your going to pack on a little muscle.. but not much since it's physiologically impossible to gain muscle on a deficit.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    I never understood why people were not supposed to be able to build new muscle on a calorie defecit. Lean people sure, nothing to make it out of, but overweight people are carrying stored energy, no?

    I've never fully understood it either, just accepted it since so many knowledgeable people agree with it. I don't even understand how someone like myself who started out doing like 170 pound leg presses and ended up doing nearly 300 pound leg presses in less than month can gain so much strength without gaining at least a little muscle? I know strength and lean muscle mass are not the same thing, but shouldn't they go hand in hand? IDK.
  • Chairless
    Chairless Posts: 588 Member
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    but not much since it's physiologically impossible to gain muscle on a deficit.

    Uh huh, but why?

    Graphs, charts, links to scientific papers or at least a crude explanation in crayon please!
  • rachel871
    rachel871 Posts: 113 Member
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    Be careful thinking that you can exercise certain muscles and have the fat stripped from them. If this were true, people who chew gum would have skinny faces.

    I wasn't talking about spot toning either, just mentioned biceps as that was the example given in the OP. :smile:
  • AlwaysWanderer
    AlwaysWanderer Posts: 641 Member
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    It's prob. just water weight from your muscles repairing themselves.. an swelling from that water, would be my guess.

    They do have what they call "beginners gains" where if you've never lift before and suddenly start doing only lifting, then your going to pack on a little muscle.. but not much since it's physiologically impossible to gain muscle on a deficit.
    ^this
    To build muscle you need protein. If you on a calorie deficit, everything you eat will be used as energy, with noting leftover for rebuilding muscle tissue. There is much more to it, this is just the basics.
  • Flissbo
    Flissbo Posts: 302 Member
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    It's prob. just water weight from your muscles repairing themselves.. an swelling from that water, would be my guess.

    They do have what they call "beginners gains" where if you've never lift before and suddenly start doing only lifting, then your going to pack on a little muscle.. but not much since it's physiologically impossible to gain muscle on a deficit.
    ^this
    To build muscle you need protein. If you on a calorie deficit, everything you eat will be used as energy, with noting leftover for rebuilding muscle tissue. There is much more to it, this is just the basics.

    Hi All, been reading these posts with interest and was wondering how many calories people are referring to when they talk about a deficit? Is it just anything under what you would need for a typical day based on your own activity level? I suppose what I am trying to ask is; if you are on maintenance calories would that still be classed as a deficit (based on UK guide of 2000 cals for a woman, which would make me gain weight if I ate that many) or would it just be if you were actively trying to lose weight? Hope this makes sense!!
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
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    Jillian believes you can add muscle whilst in a deficit.

    *NOW DROP TO THE FLOOR AND GIVE ME 20* lol
  • cathyblack179
    cathyblack179 Posts: 7
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    I also have been attending the GYM and over the last 3 month I have lost 1 pound. I have not inches but I have noticed that I can go long on the treadmill without feeling really washed out. But I am with you. Why me. What am I doing wrong . I work hard at it.
  • musclebuilder
    musclebuilder Posts: 324 Member
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    I never understood why people were not supposed to be able to build new muscle on a calorie defecit..

    Simply put you need to synthesize more protein than you breakdown..In a negative energy balance that does not happen. Proteins are constantly being synthesized and broken down but in a deficit it favors more net breakdown. Tissue protein breaks down to supply more AA to the AA pool..These AA are used as an energy source and nitrogen is excreted..Thus the term negative nitrogen balance..You may build some muscle on a diet but significant lean tisue accretion will not occur. And the longer you diet and the leaner you get, you realy won't be gaining jack in the way of muscle.
    It's prob. just water weight from your muscles repairing themselves.. an swelling from that water, would be my guess.

    They do have what they call "beginners gains" where if you've never lift before and suddenly start doing only lifting, then your going to pack on a little muscle.. but not much since it's physiologically impossible to gain muscle on a deficit.

    These "beginner gains" are likely and largely the result of adaptations to the nervous system.. For example, some of the adaptations include reduced activation of antagonitic muscles and enhanced ability to overcome the inhibitory effects of the golgi tendon organs..GTO are a type of mechanoreceptor that are located at the musculotendinous junction and are very sensitive to force development by muscle fibers. In short, this inhibitory effect is likely to cause a reduction in force production. These neural adaptations would allow the individual to use heavier resistance during training sessions, thus loading the muscles to a greater degree.

    Reference:
    1)Skeletal muscle plasticity: Joseph A. Chromiak and Jose Antonio
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    It's prob. just water weight from your muscles repairing themselves.. an swelling from that water, would be my guess.

    They do have what they call "beginners gains" where if you've never lift before and suddenly start doing only lifting, then your going to pack on a little muscle.. but not much since it's physiologically impossible to gain muscle on a deficit.
    ^this
    To build muscle you need protein. If you on a calorie deficit, everything you eat will be used as energy, with noting leftover for rebuilding muscle tissue. There is much more to it, this is just the basics.

    Hi All, been reading these posts with interest and was wondering how many calories people are referring to when they talk about a deficit? Is it just anything under what you would need for a typical day based on your own activity level? I suppose what I am trying to ask is; if you are on maintenance calories would that still be classed as a deficit (based on UK guide of 2000 cals for a woman, which would make me gain weight if I ate that many) or would it just be if you were actively trying to lose weight? Hope this makes sense!!

    I eat around 1500 calories when my TDEE is more like 2000. I eat 45% protein so I am getting more than 1.5 g of protein per body weight...35% carbs, 20% fat. (Save your "that's too much protein" posts...this is what works for me, k?)

    And I am hardly a beginner either. I've been weight lifting since 2007, just never done it without cardio until this month. I've finished P90X 7 times, done P90X+ twice, and have lifted at the gym with various cardio classes mixed in.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    Not sure why it quoted my response with my quote above, lol

    edit: I fixed it, lol. :bigsmile:
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
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    but not much since it's physiologically impossible to gain muscle on a deficit.

    Uh huh, but why?

    Graphs, charts, links to scientific papers or at least a crude explanation in crayon please!

    I would tell you, but I don't want competition.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    but not much since it's physiologically impossible to gain muscle on a deficit.

    Uh huh, but why?

    Graphs, charts, links to scientific papers or at least a crude explanation in crayon please!

    I would tell you, but I don't want competition.

    Awww, competition can be fun...as long as people are polite about it. I like reading good informed info from opposing viewpoints. I just really hate the "carbs are good (or evil) cause I said so" crap. (Carbs being an example that is yelled about everyday here, lol)

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