BMR & muscle gain

Jessi__
Jessi__ Posts: 31
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm confused! And so I'm hoping that someone can clear this up for me in an idiot-proof way.

I am eating at my BMR and eating back my exercise calories. At the moment I mainly do cardio - roller derby training, swimming, elliptical and outdoor running.

I am looking to start a weight training program (I have a meeting with a PT tonight). While losing my excess fat, I would like to also gain muscle on my shoulders and arms etc, and generally work on my strength and muscles.

However, I'm now reading things on here that tell me that because I'm still in a defecit from my TDEE, gaining any muscle is impossible. Which is kind of disheartening.

Is that actually the case, or am I being stupid? Do I really have to wait until I've lost the fat I want to lose before I can start building some muscle? It seems mad to me, but apparently I'm dumb to think it's going to happen!

If someone could clear this up for me without really complicated formulas that melt my brain I'd really appreciate it :)

Yours faithfully,
Confused & Dim

Replies

  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    When you're first starting out, I think you'll see improvements in body composition even if you're eating under maintenance.

    I would just eat very close to your needed calories, while weight training.
  • staceyseeger
    staceyseeger Posts: 778 Member
    I am not an expert...all I know is that my PT keeps telling me that I need to be eating more since I am lifting heavy...:smile:
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    You will most likely have some small beginners gains when it comes to building new muscle. That being said you will continue to get stronger even if you don't build new muscle, this is done by conditioning the muscle you already have along with the central nervous system.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    No, you don't have to wait until you lose the fat. You can, however, take a BREAK from losing the fat and build some muscle, which sets you up for losing the fat more effectively later. There are techniques for building muscle while losing fat (Leanfat being one), but I'm not too sure. I suppose things like that are worth a try.

    I'm struggling with the same thing. I'm about 20 pounds from goal, and I'm starting on some light weights in addition to cardio. I'm currently torn between losing the extra pounds and building some muscle under the fat, but I'm losing weight very effectively right now at my defined pace and that's making me very happy. Plus I have a long charity bike ride in a month and endurance is really what I need to be training for at the moment, and the cardio is great for that.

    I think I'll probably concentrate on cardio with some light weights, up my proteins a little but keep a deficit, and build what little muscle I can (or tone the existing muscle if that's all I can do) while concentrating on losing the last 20 (and maybe a few beyond that). When I go on maintenance, I'll keep my proteins up and up the weights, and see if I can build some muscle. That might mean I go back over, but by that point I'll be looking more at body fat percentage than the scale.

    I may also stall if the cardio becomes ineffective, and at that point I might build some muscle mass to support further loss.

    One day at a time.
  • BurkeshireFarms
    BurkeshireFarms Posts: 45 Member
    Excellent question. I've wondered this as well.
  • thistimeismytime
    thistimeismytime Posts: 711 Member
    You can't gain muscle eating at a deficit... With a few exceptions (the morbidly obese, using steroids), it is biologically impossible. You can't build something out of nothing. You must have a surplus of calories that the body can use to build new muscle. YES, you will have to wait. You get rid of the fat first, and then work on adding muscle by eating at a surplus and lifting heavy weights. Yes, it sucks. The truth hurts, but it's just the way it is. You may notice that anyone online who tells you differently is probably selling something. Read this if you'd like more information.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/593320-setting-the-record-straight-on-muscle-building-deficits
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    No, you don't have to wait until you lose the fat. You can, however, take a BREAK from losing the fat and build some muscle, which sets you up for losing the fat more effectively later. There are techniques for building muscle while losing fat (Leanfat being one), but I'm not too sure. I suppose things like that are worth a try.

    I'm struggling with the same thing. I'm about 20 pounds from goal, and I'm starting on some light weights in addition to cardio. I'm currently torn between losing the extra pounds and building some muscle under the fat, but I'm losing weight very effectively right now at my defined pace and that's making me very happy. Plus I have a long charity bike ride in a month and endurance is really what I need to be training for at the moment, and the cardio is great for that.

    I think I'll probably concentrate on cardio with some light weights, up my proteins a little but keep a deficit, and build what little muscle I can (or tone the existing muscle if that's all I can do) while concentrating on losing the last 20 (and maybe a few beyond that). When I go on maintenance, I'll keep my proteins up and up the weights, and see if I can build some muscle. That might mean I go back over, but by that point I'll be looking more at body fat percentage than the scale.

    I may also stall if the cardio becomes ineffective, and at that point I might build some muscle mass to support further loss.

    One day at a time.

    with light weights you will not build muscle, and most likely lose some that you already have in the process of losing fat.
  • Hakarn
    Hakarn Posts: 62 Member
    Yes, you can build muscle while losing fat. The amount of muscle that you gain on a calorie deficit diet will be much lower than if you were on a diet to gain muscle (e.g. a bulking diet). In order to gain muscle and have the correct hormonal response to build lean muscle, there are a certain number of carbs/fat/protein that you have to each day. These numbers are hard to peg exactly because it is relative to your total weight and lean body mass (LBM).

    I would suggest that you train for strength right now instead of mass. While doing that, your body will gain some muscle, which changes your LBM, which changes the numbers of carbs/fat/protein, etc. But the extra exercise and muscle will increase the amount of food that you can eat in a day in order to still lose fat. That, in turn, makes the carb/fat/protein ratio for building muscle easier to obtain.

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