Group: General Fitness & Exercise

Created: 2011/12/31, Members: 383, Messages: 54581

Various general exercise related discussions. Find out what it takes to reach your fitness goals through daily effective exercise. With so many options we try to find out what works best.

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Gaining Lean Muscle Mass

Zenkei18
Zenkei18
Posts: 277
Joined: 2005/06/22
United States
2005/07/09, 01:31 PM
Do you absolutely have to take in more calories than you burn off in order to gain some muscle weight? I have been working out in the gym and I know that I have gotten stronger but I don't see it reflecting in the weight scale :surprised:
bb1fit
bb1fit
Posts: 11,105
Joined: 2001/06/30
United States
2005/07/09, 02:05 PM
That is a crux of the matter....as you are finding out, it is quite possible to to increase strength while reflecting nothing in size or scale weight.

Keep at it....one thing to think about, if you give your body "X" amount of calories, it is going to perform needed bodily processes first and foremost...muscle building is actually in many ways unnatural to the body, as it is an extra load it has to maintain. The body strives for a balance, so if you do not give it enough calories, it will not build any new muscle...strengthening the muscle you have is its option of sorts.

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If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything....

bb1fit@freetrainers.com
Zenkei18
Zenkei18
Posts: 277
Joined: 2005/06/22
United States
2005/07/09, 04:23 PM
But if you're muscle is being strengthened that means it is building lean muscle mass, right? :surprised: Or are you saying it is just strengthening the current muscle instead of building new ones because I am not taking in enough calories? I'm a hardgainer if that helps anything. :laugh: