Building muscle on under maintenance calories Naturally

[Marc_83]

What happens to your muscles if you keep working out under your calorie maintenance? (Naturally)

Its said you can only build muscle if you surpass your daily calorie maintenance. But I have been doing progress overload for the last month and a half and keep adding 5lbs to my major compounds movement every week and gaining weight while I'm eating under maintenance and doing cardio.

So whats the deal? What happens to your muscle? do they shrink and get more defined while under maintenance?

[gbrice75]

What happens to your muscles if you keep working out under your calorie maintenance? (Naturally)

Its said you can only build muscle if you surpass your daily calorie maintenance. But I have been doing progress overload for the last month and a half and keep adding 5lbs to my major compounds movement every week and gaining weight while I'm eating under maintenance and doing cardio.

So whats the deal? What happens to your muscle? do they shrink and get more defined while under maintenance?

It all depends on how you go about it. Generally, if you're consistently eating under maintenance, you're going to lose weight. The composition of that weight (i.e. LBM vs. bodyfat) will depend on your diet, training, cardio, etc.

I will say that I added lean mass on a cutting diet. While the overall goal was to reduce bodyfat, I was able to add some LBM and definitely added strength via incorporating refeed / overfeed days. My point being just because you're cutting doesn't mean you have to be in a caloric deficit 24/7. You can be in a deficit some days, and in a surplus others.

[Dukkit]

Its not always the simple fact of being under maintenance calories, that dictates muscle/fat loss.

Its about the macros and quality that make up the amount of those specific under maintenance calories.

And as GB stated.... not being under maintenance every single day is another aspect that makes a difference.

[Marc_83]

Thanks guys!

[digsy1983]

also the correct food / balance comes into play. a balanced diet is a wonderful thing, took me years of bodily abuse to realsie just how important diets are, in gerneral as well as cutting/bulking.