Questions about Muscle.

cbevan1229
cbevan1229 Posts: 326 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I have several questions about exercise/muscle that I am hoping you all can help me with...

I have often heard that if you begin an exercise routine at the same time as a weight loss diet plan, you may not see results on the scale right away. The explanation I've always heard is that the reason for this is that you are building muscle, which, inch for inch, weighs more than fat. But I've read here that it is not actually possible to build muscle with the type of exercise I'm doing (30 Day Shred and walking) and while maintaining a calorie defecit.

SO -
Does beginning an exercise program really slow weight loss? (Just the numbers on the scale - I know it's helping body shape/ inches.)
If it does, and it's not because of building muscle, then why does it happen?
When you begin to notice changes in your body with exercise (tightening of abs, more visible bicep) what would you call this? I have seen people get their heads bitten off for calling it muscle gain. Would you call it muscle tone? Muscle definition?

Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    The reason why you don't see weight loss right away (you may even see gain) is due to water retention, that's all. It's not muscle gain. It's extremely difficult to gain muscle. It's basically impossible to gain it on a deficit. Even harder if you're a woman. I've gained ~2.5lbs of muscle in the last 6 months and I am a large man who lifts heavy 4 days a week. So no, it's not muscle.

    The initial shape changes you see at the beginning are basically just your body adapting. As mentioned, it's also water retention for repair and storage of more glycogen. Again, adaptation for a weight lifting routine. If you stopped lifting for just a couple weeks your muscles would return to normal.

    You can also see more muscle definition as you lose fat. The muscle look bigger but it's just the fat melting away around them. So it's really a combination of factors that allow you to see progress, but it does not mean you are building actual new muscle mass. For the most part this requires a calorie surplus, not a deficit.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories