Adding Mass / Losing Fat

I haven't posted here in many years -- even then, I rarely posted and
mostly just read.
This is the first time I've been back in awhile so I apologize in
advance if this has already
been discussed, but...

The last time I checked (5+ years ago), it was understood that it's
not possible to add
muscle mass and lose fat simultaneously (except for the rank
beginner). Has any more
been learned about the mechanism(s) involved, and why this is so?
I've recently
started lifting again and was wondering if it would be possible to
lift heavy maybe
twice a week while maintaining a caloric surplus during the day you
lift and the day
after, and then go into a caloric deficit for the remaining three days
of the week. If
you ate at 500 calories over maintenance calories for four days a week
and had
a 1000 calorie deficit on the other three days, the net deficit would
be 1000
calories / week, which would be a little over a pound lost per month.
Doesn't
sound like much, but it could (theoretically) add up to 12-14 pounds
lost per
year while maintaining (or even gaining a little) muscle mass. Of
course, the
numbers could be tweaked to find the optimal balance -- I'm thinking
that the
lifting days might need a little more than 500 and the next day a
little less, but
again, I don't know if it's yet understood exactly how large the
caloric surplus
needs to be and for how long.

Sorry to be long-winded, but I'm hoping someone knowledgeable like
Lyle (if
he's still around) or someone else can set me straight. Thanks.

<familyspeer.RemoveThis@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1180370392.417727.167360@i13g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>I haven't posted here in many years -- even then, I rarely posted and
> mostly just read.
> This is the first time I've been back in awhile so I apologize in
> advance if this has already
> been discussed, but...
>
> The last time I checked (5+ years ago), it was understood that it's
> not possible to add
> muscle mass and lose fat simultaneously (except for the rank
> beginner). Has any more
> been learned about the mechanism(s) involved, and why this is so?
> I've recently
> started lifting again and was wondering if it would be possible to
> lift heavy maybe
> twice a week while maintaining a caloric surplus during the day you
> lift and the day
> after, and then go into a caloric deficit for the remaining three days
> of the week. If
> you ate at 500 calories over maintenance calories for four days a week
> and had
> a 1000 calorie deficit on the other three days, the net deficit would
> be 1000
> calories / week, which would be a little over a pound lost per month.
> Doesn't
> sound like much, but it could (theoretically) add up to 12-14 pounds
> lost per
> year while maintaining (or even gaining a little) muscle mass. Of
> course, the
> numbers could be tweaked to find the optimal balance -- I'm thinking
> that the
> lifting days might need a little more than 500 and the next day a
> little less, but
> again, I don't know if it's yet understood exactly how large the
> caloric surplus
> needs to be and for how long.
>
> Sorry to be long-winded, but I'm hoping someone knowledgeable like
> Lyle (if
> he's still around) or someone else can set me straight. Thanks.
>

There is still a great deal of debate about this topic. I can tell you that
I was able to gain muscle and lose fat in the last 3-4 months. I had not
been training consistently for a few years and really got back into about 4
months ago. I also used to be a competitive bodybuilder, so I had a lot of
muscle in the past that most people don't. I keep my calories a bit below
maintenance and while I did not take any body fat measurements, I can tell
you that I went from wearing 30" jeans to 28" jeans. My weight went from 190
all the way down to about 160 or so. I am now back to about 185 and still am
wearing the 28" jeans. I have been taking in more calories that last month
or so, but still eating cleanly. If someone has had muscle before, it is
easier to get it back via muscle memory. That is why it was not a big deal
for me to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. I think that the
average person should start out getting rid of as much fat as possible and
then gaining the muscle.

--
Robert Schuh
"Everything that elevates an individual above the herd and
intimidates the neighbour is henceforth called evil; and
the fair, modest, submissive and conforming mentality,
the mediocrity of desires attains moral designations and honors"
- Nietzsche

http://www.hardbopdrums.com/