Lift, Train, Fitness
- Thread starter Trusylver
- Start date
Fantastic!
Tru, I have seen you say that you can't build muscle while you're in a calorie deficit. What exactly do you mean by that? I think if I were to workout, I would certainly be able to increase that ability even while I'm losing weight, no? I increased my running and therefore developed a lot more leg muscle with that process all throughout my weight loss so far so not sure I understand.
Building muscle size requires an increase in calories to feed the process. For most people that means eating more. however there is the exception being people who are morbidly obese who have not trained before or only done very limited training being able to source the energy needed from bodyfat. (Newbie gains)
Increasing strength and ability on the other hand can be done in a deficit, but the process to achieve that improvement does not come from muscle growth but from neurological adaptation. In the case of strength, you become better at recruiting more of your existing muscle fibres and you become better at having those fibres work together to achieve results. This is the primary way most female athletes improve strength regardless of calorie intake as we do not have the testosterone levels to build a lot of size without a bit of extra help. I say most female athletes, as we do produce testosterone, it is just rare to have a lot.
Many people confuse improved muscle definition with actual muscle growth, as we loose fat our muscle slowly become more defined and visible leading to the belief that we have build muscle. yes some will have build muscle given the right nutrition but most have not. It is worth getting a tape measure to keep track of muscle circumferences, if you are seeing more muscle definition but the measurement is getting smaller then you have not gained muscle. If at the same time performance or strength has improved you have become more neurologically efficient.
All of this is why bodybuilder go through a bulking phase to build muscle size and a cutting phase to get rid of the fat they put on with the muscle during their bulk.
Huh, ok thanks. I was referring to muscle mass. I’m pretty sure my leg muscles are much bigger. I was reading this article. I think they’re referring to lean muscle mass here.
https://health.usnews.com/wellness/...12-02/can-you-gain-muscle-while-losing-weight
https://health.usnews.com/wellness/...12-02/can-you-gain-muscle-while-losing-weight
The study in point one that shows muscle gain in calorie deficit used obese men (23.6 ± 6.1 bodyfat %) who do not train "no participants were regularly performing resistance exercise", which is basically the exception I mentioned. I also notice the intensity of lifting is very high, 3 sets of 10 at 80% of 1 rm for each lift in a circuit with no rest. This is not something you would normally put an untrained lifter through in the real world where without the controlled conditions an injury is just waiting to happen.
Feeling a bit better, my headache from the smoke has subsided. Today's focus at Uni was shoulders.
The shoulder mobility and clearing tests which was a revision from start of semester showed exactly how far I have come with my rehab.
after chatting with others, is seems I may have one of the highest marks in the cohort for the exam a couple of weeks ago, with nobody knowing of anybody scoring higher.
I may have overdone eating macadamias today, otherwise food was good.
The shoulder mobility and clearing tests which was a revision from start of semester showed exactly how far I have come with my rehab.
after chatting with others, is seems I may have one of the highest marks in the cohort for the exam a couple of weeks ago, with nobody knowing of anybody scoring higher.
I may have overdone eating macadamias today, otherwise food was good.
Congratulations on both!
Cate
Long term member
That is fantastic! Well done, Tru!
I'm glad the smoke is clearing. I would really be struggling with that & would be inside the house with the air purifier on.
We are under an Advice level fire warning.
If you have a bushfire survival plan, refer to it now and be ready to follow it.
• If you do not have a bushfire survival plan, or if your plan is to leave, identify where you will go if the situation changes.
• Close windows and doors to minimise smoke exposure.
• If you suffer from a respiratory condition, keep your medication close by.
• Drive with caution in low visibility conditions.
• Contact your neighbours to see if they need help preparing for the bushfire.
• Consider finding your essential items (e.g., identification documents, prescription medication, food and water, and protective clothing such as a long-sleeved cotton shirt and trousers, and boots) in case you need to leave.
the fire is still about 15 km away, but probably should check documents etc. are ready go as the wind is picking up
If you have a bushfire survival plan, refer to it now and be ready to follow it.
• If you do not have a bushfire survival plan, or if your plan is to leave, identify where you will go if the situation changes.
• Close windows and doors to minimise smoke exposure.
• If you suffer from a respiratory condition, keep your medication close by.
• Drive with caution in low visibility conditions.
• Contact your neighbours to see if they need help preparing for the bushfire.
• Consider finding your essential items (e.g., identification documents, prescription medication, food and water, and protective clothing such as a long-sleeved cotton shirt and trousers, and boots) in case you need to leave.
the fire is still about 15 km away, but probably should check documents etc. are ready go as the wind is picking up