
nurtracki asked: One always hears how strength training is good for a weight loss program, or how permanently switching to a better diet and incorporating strength training will add muscle and bring down the fat level.
How is this possible, though? Doesn’t the body need a surplus of caloric intake (relative to stable rate) in order to add muscles, and a deficit of calories to burn fat? How do those two elements go together?
My guess would be that eating the biggest meal of the day, with slightly more protein than usual, following a strength training session will result in a “surplus” of calories for a short “time window” (say, the 3 hours following a workout) and in that time frame, the body will actually use energy/protein to build muscle. Once one goes back to small portions, the body will once again resort to burning fat instead of building muscles.
So basically, strength training with weight loss is possible, although the strength gains will be lesser than usual, and the weight loss slower?
Cullen