Can We Gain Muscle on a Caloric Deficit?

[dashforce]

Okay, "Bod Pod" results this time around say that (over my 8 week experiment on the AD) I have lost 4 lbs of fat and gained 1 lb of muscle. Mid-November to mid-December in particular, I gained 2 lbs muscle and lost 0.3 lbs fat (if that is all within the accuracy of this machine).

Of course, this could also be just the tail-end of my "newbie gains" or due to changes in training, etc. My LBM increase was probably even more than the 1 lb reflected overall because that first month (where I lost 1 lb LBM) also included the changover from a normal carb diet to a carb and glycogen - depleted state, and as I showed about that could possible account for as much as 3 extra pounds LBM or more.

So, theoretically, comparing carbed up to carbed up states, I could have done as well as gained 5 pounds muscle while losing 4 pounds fat. In only 8 weeks time, I would consider that not only substantial, but ground-breaking. Hopefully we'll get updates from others that are cutting on the AD (Venom for sure -- not sure if Calvin is using the AD to bulk or cut) and see if they're able to put on LBM during their cuts as well.

[Venom]

Congratulations!

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Hopefully we'll get updates from others that are cutting on the AD (Venom for sure -- not sure if Calvin is using the AD to bulk or cut) and see if they're able to put on LBM during their cuts as well.

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I absolutely am.

I am convinced you can do it. I have this cut.

I’ll give summary results as always, but I am happy with my progress.

The more I study, the more I am against diets where you get fat. I just think it is completely inefficient. People end up consuming "empty calories" that do nothing for them but add fat.

I think a lot of the reason people don't gain muscle on a cut, is because they don't believe they can. Sounds simple, but there is a boat load of evidence backing up how much your self efficacy can impact your performance and behaviors.

I don't want to get into this too much now though, but soon. [img]/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Calvin]

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not sure if Calvin is using the AD to bulk or cut) and see if they're able to put on LBM during their cuts as well.

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I've just been focusing on doing the AD- eating what whatever felt decent. So far, my weight has been going down about a pound a week.
I've been traveling for a week or so, and when I get back I'm starting a serious cut. I'm going to redo the 12 day no-carb start up for the beginning, then track clories and cycle them pretty tightly.

[dalvare1]

yeah this always confused me. Assuming I have a RMR of around 2400 cals, then I could eat this everyday and be in a calorie deficit:

200g Protein
200g Carbs
50g Fat

that seems like more then enough macronutrients to build muscle. You could also do lower carbs and bump the protein to 300 grams while dropping carbs to 100g, which isnt that low compared to some diets.

I personally think you CAN build muscle on a calorie deficit

[Kasaz]

I'm not sure if I can go back 10 months or so on a search but I kept a pretty detailed journal where I lost 20+ pounds and added a good amount of muscle and strength.

[Kasaz]

Found it I think if the link works.

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/forum/sho...page=41#1091956

[R.A.D.]

This is great news!
Since beggining of the year, waist went down a lot, while my weight stayed more less the same, and in my crazy mind i already started to wonder wtf am i doing wrong, and what is wrong with me. Now I see that I might have put on some LBM, while loosing FAT.

[TForce]

I think there are more factors involved than what have been listed on this topic. When I first came to ABC, I did pretty well gaining muscle on a cutting diet. 1) I was very determined to have the best of both worlds, but also 2) I think there was a lot of muscle memory involved. I had not worked out with weights in quite a while, muscles were very undeveloped. Not sure, but when the muscles atrophy, do the fibers shrink or evaporate?

I believe that for circumstances such as these that I experienced, it is very possible to gain muscle on a cut, possibly even for someone who has no muscle memory to call upon, since the fibers that they do have are still undeveloped. However, I really believe that there reaches a point where your body will plateau much sooner than if you were on a bulking diet and you would be forced to up your cals to keep up the progress, or simply your progress will be very slow. For someone who has already been bulking and cutting in the traditional manner, any LBM gains attempted on a cutting diet would be very minimal. While the Law of Caloric Surplus/Deficit may not be completely etched in stone, I believe the basic concepts stand true, as evidenced by any hardcore bodybuilder vs. fitness expert.