Should I wait until I lose some belly fat to do abs?

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  • Leanne3552000
    Leanne3552000 Posts: 395 Member
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    Calories don't build muscle or feed muscle growth, protein does. You can get plenty of protein for healthy and consistent muscle growth without consuming a large number of calories. It's not a matter of how many calories you consume but what you get those calories from.

    One thing I've noticed about this website is the huge amount of erroneous information, Some even dangerous information. Do your own research folks, it's out there and it's easy to find. Call your doc if you're in doubt, they'll answer your questions. Visit a nutritionists. one that's actually licensed. Educate yourselves, don't take others advice at face value.

    Most advice is simply personal opinion slightly reworded. If you can't back it up with a reputable source it's not worth a thing.

    Yea that's not true at all. And i certainly have done my research. Protein isnt all that builds muscle. You need a surplus of calories too. You aren't going to be building muscle on a low calorie diet just because you have protein

    *facepalm*

    Yup she's right.
  • matthewdill83
    matthewdill83 Posts: 48
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    Also you aren't going to be building muscle on a calorie deficit. So no you wont look bulky

    Thats not entirely true.. I mean im on a huge calorie deficit, but ive seen obvious upper body muscle gain since ive been on my diet..

    how so?

    I mean im not going off scientific equations.. Ive been dieting for the past month, started doing cardio and resistance training at the same time.. Since then ive lost 13 lbs, and not only can i see a difference in muscle definition in my chest, shoulders, tri's and bi's.. I can feel a difference, I can feel that im stronger in those areas..

    So while I dont agree with that statement as a whole, I am not saying that it isn't true either. I just cant sit there and agree when I have results that prove otherwise.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    Well you see more definition because you have lost the fat that is sitting on top of the muscle, not because you have gained any. Also, strength does not actually mean that you have gained muscle. You can increase your strength, but not increase mass.

    I could look up some reputable sources to back it up if you would like. I don't have them bookmarked

    Good for you for seeing progress though! :flowerforyou:
  • JRhinoC
    JRhinoC Posts: 22
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    Also you aren't going to be building muscle on a calorie deficit. So no you wont look bulky

    Thats not entirely true.. I mean im on a huge calorie deficit, but ive seen obvious upper body muscle gain since ive been on my diet..

    how so?

    I mean im not going off scientific equations.. Ive been dieting for the past month, started doing cardio and resistance training at the same time.. Since then ive lost 13 lbs, and not only can i see a difference in muscle definition in my chest, shoulders, tri's and bi's.. I can feel a difference, I can feel that im stronger in those areas..

    So while I dont agree with that statement as a whole, I am not saying that it isn't true either. I just cant sit there and agree when I have results that prove otherwise.

    There's a difference between toning and building. On a deficit, the results you're seeing are from toning, not building. If you have actually gained mass in your upper body, you've likely lost a good deal elsewhere.

    On a deficit your body is not only burning fat, it's also burning muscle. It does this because it is not getting the proper nutrients it needs to maintain itself from your diet. Now it is possible to gain muscle mass while on a deficit, but it requires a very controlled exercise routine and an extremely strict diet to ensure you're getting the proper nutrition without burning too much while working out. Basically, without the supervision of a nutritionist and a trainer, it likely isn't going to happen.
  • matthewdill83
    matthewdill83 Posts: 48
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    Well you see more definition because you have lost the fat that is sitting on top of the muscle, not because you have gained any. Also, strength does not actually mean that you have gained muscle. You can increase your strength, but not increase mass.

    I could look up some reputable sources to back it up if you would like. I don't have them bookmarked

    Good for you for seeing progress though! :flowerforyou:

    LOL we are just gonna hafta agree to disagree on some things.. My arms have gotten larger, stronger, and are firmer than before I started..
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    Well you see more definition because you have lost the fat that is sitting on top of the muscle, not because you have gained any. Also, strength does not actually mean that you have gained muscle. You can increase your strength, but not increase mass.

    I could look up some reputable sources to back it up if you would like. I don't have them bookmarked

    Good for you for seeing progress though! :flowerforyou:

    LOL we are just gonna hafta agree to disagree on some things.. My arms have gotten larger, stronger, and are firmer than before I started..

    Yup somethings people are always going to disagree on. I stated what i know so its a take it or leave it sort of deal xD You are much more mature than an above poster *ahem* ;D

    There is always the newbie gains tho so hmm *shrugs*

    either way good job! I have been trying to put on muscle, not working out so well for me xD Ill be bulking by the end of december. Hoping to see some gains! :drinker:
  • matthewdill83
    matthewdill83 Posts: 48
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    Well you see more definition because you have lost the fat that is sitting on top of the muscle, not because you have gained any. Also, strength does not actually mean that you have gained muscle. You can increase your strength, but not increase mass.

    I could look up some reputable sources to back it up if you would like. I don't have them bookmarked

    Good for you for seeing progress though! :flowerforyou:

    LOL we are just gonna hafta agree to disagree on some things.. My arms have gotten larger, stronger, and are firmer than before I started..

    Yup somethings people are always going to disagree on. I stated what i know so its a take it or leave it sort of deal xD You are much more mature than an above poster *ahem* ;D

    There is always the newbie gains tho so hmm *shrugs*

    either way good job! I have been trying to put on muscle, not working out so well for me xD Ill be bulking by the end of december. Hoping to see some gains! :drinker:

    lol ah, I wouldnt call it the newbie gains.. this aint my first rodeo.. puttin on muscle just has never really been a problem, probably cause a calorie deficit has always been a problem haha..

    good luck though.. keep at it!
  • pawesome
    pawesome Posts: 3
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    Thanks for answering my questions, guys! This helped a lot. I will definitely continue to do my abs. I didn't mean for this thread to get kind of ugly. Good to see you guys figured it out. Thanks again.
  • SarabellPlus3
    SarabellPlus3 Posts: 496 Member
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    All the battles that result of any mention of "muscle building," "toning," and all the other hot-button / can't-wait-to-disprove-somebody issues aside, I do think it's important to work on core, even if there's fat above it.

    True, you won't have a "6-pack" until the fat is gone, if that is your goal, but as others have posted, you're so much fitter with a strong core even without a 6-pack. I also think strengthening your core 'pulls' everything in, and it looks better. I'm sure here's where someone dying to shame someone demands that I post links for that, and gets into a semantics debate with me, but I'm not interested in that. LOL What I do know is that my stomach is tighter (shown by looks and losing inches), when supposedly I haven't "gained muscle", but also hasn't probably been enough time to lose THAT much fat.
  • KendaVSG
    KendaVSG Posts: 147
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    Also you aren't going to be building muscle on a calorie deficit. So no you wont look bulky

    My apologies to Sunshine for being so blunt, but this is completely incorrect. A calorie deficit has nothing to do with building muscle. A calorie deficit is about utilizing the fat stores.
  • brycehopper
    brycehopper Posts: 1 Member
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    I agree with Mattthewdill83, I have put myself on a low calorie diet, however I still eat a lot of protein. They tell you to eat a lot of calories when bulking up with muscle to help, the only problem is that when you do this 30% of what you have gained is actually fat. To avoid this just eat less calories and more protein, you will still be able to gain muscles but without gaining the fat. To your question, yes you should still do core exercises, they help improve overall core strength, endurance, and posture. Just do not over do it, otherwise you will make your stomach look bulky because you will be building muscles underneath.
  • tomorrowstartstoday
    tomorrowstartstoday Posts: 1
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    Thanks for answering my questions, guys! This helped a lot. I will definitely continue to do my abs. I didn't mean for this thread to get kind of ugly. Good to see you guys figured it out. Thanks again.

    yeah, this got nasty pretty fast! just got done reading it and i got so caught up in the drama that i almost forgot why i started reading it in the first place. it's a good question, my friend. i have also wondered the same thing. i just recently got a large exercise ball and have been focusing on strengthening my core so that after i shed all this fat, i will have a "tight" stomach underneath. i can tell you that i have experienced noticeable improvement in my core strength (which, let's face it, was at zero...so any improvement would be noticeable), and i don't feel that my belly is getting bulky. i definitely don't see any definition, but that doesn't mean that i'm not improving.

    p.s. you're beautiful ;)
  • nikolaim5
    nikolaim5 Posts: 233
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    Yes, it is possible to gain muscle in a calorie deficit under certain conditions.

    Quoting Alan Aragon...

    "Gaining muscle in a calorie deficit is possible mostly for newbs & deconditioned folks. Those far past the newb stage stand far less of a chance to experience this. The more advanced you are in your development amd/or level of conditioning, the less this can happen. Perfect examples of who can gain muscle in a calorie deficit are overweight/sedentary newbs who weight train for the first time in years, or ever. Here's a couple research examples:"

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10204826
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9280173

    To the OP, ABS are 95% the result of low body fat. Do you think Iggy pop was hitting the gym after concerts? No, he was shooting smack and banging groupies. Smack (heroin) is an appetite suppressant.

    P.S. I'm not suggesting smack :)
  • bahacca
    bahacca Posts: 878 Member
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    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html
    This is a great article on the matter. There is another one by a poster here who wrote about the physiology behind muscle fibers being awakened from a "sleeping" state and therefore being wrapped in glycogen and water, hence making the appearance of more muscle tissue when, in reality, those fibers were there all along. I will go try and dig up the link for you. It was a really interesting read and helped me understand why I, too, thought my muscles were "bigger" in just 2 weeks of heavy lifting, but, in reality, it is my fibers going "Ohhhhh-you need us again!!!"
    Found it:http://bankshealth.wordpress.com/2011/06/27/weight-gain-with-new-exercise-programs/

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