Dieting & Muscle Loss
Today, a guest column from 'supplement-insider' Brad Pilon, CSCS... Read Brad's Supplement Myths blog here
The "secret" to preventing muscle loss while dieting
by Brad Pilon, CSCS
I review a lot of fat loss programs.From the most underground e-books, to the latest best seller on Amazon, I've read stacks of diet programs. Let me tell you, most of the time, once I've finished reading of these works of garbage, I feel like I need to take a shower.They are just that sleazy.
Sure, they're some of the greatest examples of marketing this side of beer commercials, but the actual information in them is a combination of basic good nutritional practices (you should eat more fruits and vegetables) and make-believe (never eat carbohydrates past 6:45 pm).
Most of the time the marketing story starts like this- "My special 'melt the lard' program guarantees you will lose fat fast without losing any muscle".The part I have a trouble with is the 'without losing any muscle'. It seems losing muscle is something everyone is deathly afraid of doing.
Most of the bodybuilders I've talked with are convinced that they lose muscle when they are dieting. And, I've talked with a lot of body builders. Heck, I've even had dinner with Arnold himself (He had just finished filming T3 and was JACKED)!
Here's the truth about losing muscle mass while dieting. I don't believe it. Not at all.I have taken over one hundred body fat measurements on amateur body builders and fitness models, none of them lost any more than 1 or 2 pounds of lean mass while dieting for a competition!
They drop anywhere from 20 to 50 pounds of fat, but lose almost no muscle!My measurements were taken with a BodPod, and validated with both skin fold calipers and limb circumference measurements, so I'm sure they were accurate.
All of these athletes were on different types of low calorie diets and loads of different supplements or no supplements at all; however, none of them were losing muscle.This is for one reason and one reason only.People who are weight training while dieting (within reason) will not lose muscle mass.
I believe this is for one main reason. By lifting weights, you are telling your body you need that muscle.
Your body recognizes that need, and thinks "Whoa. Looks like I'm dieting again. I need to burn something for some extra energy but if I get rid of some of this muscle, it'll make this whole lifting weights thing even harder. I better keep this muscle and burn something else, maybe this fat over here?"
Straight up, the number one way to ensure you don't lose any muscle while you are dieting is by lifting weights.
Protein may play a role on in this (almost all of the people I was tracking were eating a high protein diet), but other than that, no fancy diet program works better than weight training for preventing you from losing muscle while you are dieting.
BP
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Thanks Brad, great info.
That's the combination of real-world experience AND scientific principles that successful programs are based on.
By immersing myself in the science of fat loss and muscle growth (through countless hours in the Health Sciences Library at McMaster University), and by training thousands of hours in gyms in Southern Ontario (these hours were a little more fun), I've been able to observe and conclude what works for men and women that want a lot of results in a short amount of time.
Strength training has been an essential part of building a better body since the beginning of time. Just like you can't have fat loss without proper nutrition, you can't build muscle without some form of strength training.
And Turbulence Training delivers on the absolute, most time-efficient exercises (using both your own bodyweight and dumbbell exercises) to build muscle and burn fat.
Click HERE to get started with your Turbulence Training workouts today!
Build your body, don't just break it down with dieting,
CB
P.S. Turbulence Training is for moms, clients, men & women...
"My husband and I purchased your Turbulence Training program a couple of months ago to use with our clients. As we read your approach to fitness, we agreed with it completely, and were willing to give it a try. I decided that if I was going to train my clients with this program, I needed to do it myself also. Wow! I have been a Certified Personal Trainer for 7 years and I have not seen any other program that works as quickly or effectively.
I recently had my first baby, and have been working to lose the last of the baby weight. I am no couch potato, and I just ran my 5th marathon, but I couldn't seem to get all the weight off- even with training for a marathon. Within 3-4 weeks of doing the Turbulence Training program, I lost the last 8 pounds, and am now happy to be at my pre-pregnancy weight- and stronger than I was before. I increased my protein, tracked all my food intake at fitday.com, eat much more "raw, natural" foods, did Turbulence Training 3 times a week, and have been doing an extra day or two of cross training to get ready for marathon #6.
The great part is even my clients are seeing results- and quickly. They like the "work harder, but in less time" approach, and I like the full body exercises and core training that I feel is so important for them to get. You have a good thing going here! Thanks for sharing."
Annette Allen
Click HERE to get started with your Turbulence Training workouts today!
dieting, strength training, muscle
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