Do you try to lose fat but in the process lost the mass muscle you had built over time with a lot of effort and hardcore exercises?
And does it make you look like a skinny fat person now? Do you feel you are stuck in some no-man’s-land between where you want to be and where you are?
Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us! Don’t give up. This is the time to increase your willpower so that you work even harder to achieve your desired goal. Let’s take a look at several strategies you need to use to maintain and even build muscle mass when in a calorie deficit.
PICK UP THOSE HEAVYWEIGHTS
Ditch those lightweights as it will only fast track the process of losing fat, not building your muscles. You will lose muscle along with it. If you don’t want your body to think you don’t need your muscle mass and start using it for fuel you need to give it a reason to hold on to it and lifting heavy weights is the best way to do this.
Now the best way to lift heavy, build strength and maintain your muscle mass is to use compound movements. Compound movements are movements that train multiple muscle groups through multiple joint actions.
Common compound movements include:
- Bench presses
- Shoulder presses
- Deadlifts
The reason they’re so great is that you’re using multiple muscle groups which allows you to generate a lot more strength and power in comparison to isolation exercises. This lets you lift more and gives you a greater capacity for growth.
LOWER YOUR OVERALL TRAINING VOLUME & FREQUENCY
While going on a calorie deficit diet, you are by-default providing your body with a lower amount of energy than it usually needs. This means your body won’t be able to repair itself or recover as fast and its capacity to bounce back from training sessions whilst you’re in a calorie deficit. Therefore, you need to be careful about how often you train and how much training you do.
To build muscle, the rate of protein synthesis in your body must be greater than the rate of your protein breakdown. Keep in mind that your goal, when trying to loose fat is mainly to preserve muscle mass and due to your body’s reduced capacity for recovery, you need to be more strategic when choosing your training plan in a calorie deficit. Don’t forget to get sufficient periods of rest and recovery between workouts.
DON’T USE MORE THAN A MODERATE CALORIE DEFICIT
The faster you lose weight, the higher the chances your body will start using your muscle mass as energy. You will not only lose fat but also muscle, which is bad if you wish to retain your strength.
Calculate the calorie intake you need daily by multiplying your body weight by 12 and stick to it. Don’t consume more or fewer calories than what your body needs. As you lose fat and your body weight goes down, so will the number of calories you need to maintain your weight, which means the number of calories you can eat and lose weight will also change.
