Gaining muscle on deficit

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yuliyax
yuliyax Posts: 288
in Fitness and Exercise
Since you can't gain muscle on a deficit, how would you explain people weighing the same amount but losing inches (eating on deficit ofc)?

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  • keengkong
    keengkong Posts: 83 Member
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    You can gain muscle on a deficit provided the deficit is not too large.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Bump to watch unfold.
  • tross0924
    tross0924 Posts: 909 Member
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    While I don't know for sure my guess at the answer is fat loss weight is balanced by increased glycogen and water storage which is a muscles first reaction to weight training before growth. This storage, and several other neuro-muscular processes, allows you to increase strength and muscle recruitment without actually growing new muscle fibers.
  • chickentunashake
    chickentunashake Posts: 165 Member
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    If you are losing inches but weigh the same,that means u are building muscle but losing fat. Muscle is heavier and smaller size then fat. It depends how big is the deficit and what kind of food you are eating. For example, if you have enough protein to support the muscle mass and less carbs, that way your body is using fat for energy instead of the carbs.
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
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    I've built muscle on a ketogenic diet for 9 months, which a lot of "brofessionals" say is impossible. Just take something heavy, lift it, repeat.

    Yes, I'm also usually in under my TDEE as well.
  • mes1119
    mes1119 Posts: 1,082 Member
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    muscles retain water when they are sore, i.e. causing someone to get smaller but weigh heavy still.

    people don't realize how much water weight messes with the "number on the scale"

    people seem to think that a four pound gain or something crazy like that is muscle or fat. it is almost always water with maybe 1 pound of it being either fat or muscle.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    when a muscle is holding water for repair, how long does that last? 24 hrs? a couple days? a week? Does it happen pretty much continually if you weight train regularly?

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