Why is weight training a necessity when cutting?

[SuppKnight]

Specifically weight training?

If recomping is such a difficult, almost mythological thing to achieve, why do people need to lift when cutting? They won't be able to gain muscle mass anyway right? So is the lifting necessary only insofar as it decreases the rate in which muscle is lost?

If that is the case, people would be on endless cutting and bulking cycles to look basically the same, with marginal net gains in muscle.

Isn't it easier to simply lift without cutting or bulking? That way the initial increase in metabolism will assist in fat loss and the progressive gain in muscle mass will further increase metabolism leading to even more fat loss without the need of a diet. This way one gains muscle mass and loses fat without cutting or bulking. In other words, a non-dietary recomp.

Of course, I am talking about normal people, not Ronnie Coleman, as I'm sure he needs more food and injections *wink* than most racehorses.

Am I missing something???

 

[GeekPoop]

cut for a a month + and dont lift weights. come back and lift. kick yourself after your 1st trip to the gym.

 

[Gonzo14]

Try cutting by doing cutting cal intake and cardio, your going to get no where fast. my metabolism is going to drop off the table, and make no progress.
Also extended periods of cardio have been shown to lower test output (similar to how weight training increases test, cardio decreases it)
That being said, lower test is going to have negative effects on weight loss, similar to slower metabolism.
Not to mention you are more likely to burn away at your muscles a lot fast than BF without training.

 

[jessta]

I believe it just might have more to deal with muscle memory. I gues that would be a good guess but also maintance. Also your body will become accustome to a routine and then the benefit you were gaining from that will no longer benefit you when your body becomes used to it. Im in the same boat but with carido workouts..im always having to change and modify so my body will continue achieving results instead of a platue.

 

[SouthernCharm]

While your goal on a cut would be to burn fat, you want to lose mostly fat, and have minimal decrease in strength and muscle mass. When you keep stimulating muscles, and supplement them with proper protein intake, you are preserving muscle that you have worked hard for. Any joe or jane could cut down weight altogether by eating less, but you will not only lose size, but strength as well, which is technically digressing.

 

[Mulletsoldier]

It is well known that increases in lean muscle tissue have both a positive effect on BMR and RMR, as well as exerting downward pressure on the expression of fat metabolic genes that are responsible for the distribution and accumulation, differentiation and hypertrophy of fat mass throughout the body.

These fat metabolic genes, and other genes and gene-families that are responsible for the mobilization and oxidation of energy substrates within the body, along with various endocrine hormones are what we commonly refer to as, "the metabolism." Again, resistance training has been established as a mechanism to force the body into a state of substrate selection that is beneficial for the preserving of lean tissue, and the reduction in fat tissue.

Weight-training can significantly contribute to a multitude of vital metabolic functions, not just while cutting, but in general. If aesthetics is the goal one strives for, completely eliminating weighted resistance training would seem to be tantamount to that goal.

 

[SuppKnight]

It is well known that increases in lean muscle tissue have both a positive effect on BMR and RMR, as well as exerting downward pressure on the expression of fat metabolic genes that are responsible for the distribution and accumulation, differentiation and hypertrophy of fat mass throughout the body.

These fat metabolic genes, and other genes and gene-families that are responsible for the mobilization and oxidation of energy substrates within the body, along with various endocrine hormones are what we commonly refer to as, "the metabolism." Again, resistance training has been established as a mechanism to force the body into a state of substrate selection that is beneficial for the preserving of lean tissue, and the reduction in fat tissue.

Weight-training can significantly contribute to a multitude of vital metabolic functions, not just while cutting, but in general. If aesthetics is the goal one strives for, completely eliminating weighted resistance training would seem to be tantamount to that goal.

Yes, this is pretty much my argument; others seemed not to notice that. According to what you typed, one does not need to cut; weight training in itself will assist in "the preserving of lean tissue, and the reduction in fat tissue".

 

[SuppKnight]

Everyone pretty much replied to my argument by saying that cutting without lifting equals losing all the time and muscle spent at the gym. This means everyone replied to the topic title; not the argument per se. After posing the question, I argued that simply lifting without cutting and/or bulking is better than either cutting or bulking.

 

[Jake Fires]

muscle is more metabolic so it will allow u to burn more cals than un active muscle

 

[Rodja]

Everyone pretty much replied to my argument by saying that cutting without lifting equals losing all the time and muscle spent at the gym. This means everyone replied to the topic title; not the argument per se. After posing the question, I argued that simply lifting without cutting and/or bulking is better than either cutting or bulking.

However, it generally takes a caloric (albeit, not a hefty one) surplus to add a significant amount of LBM. For those seeking merely maintenance, then you are correct. Then again, who is doing that?

 

[Mulletsoldier]

Yes, this is pretty much my argument; others seemed not to notice that. According to what you typed, one does not need to cut; weight training in itself will assist in "the preserving of lean tissue, and the reduction in fat tissue".

You must have misunderstood me, as that is not at all what I meant.

You asked why "weight-training" while "cutting" is a necessity, in the relative sense of the term - and my response was the above. It does not indicate that calorie manipulation is unnecessary, but merely that weight-training while manipulating calories can be of great benefit.

Not sure how you extracted support for your initial post from one which was meant to distinctly disagree with it. :lol:

 

[Nitrox]

Everyone pretty much replied to my argument by saying that cutting without lifting equals losing all the time and muscle spent at the gym. This means everyone replied to the topic title; not the argument per se. After posing the question, I argued that simply lifting without cutting and/or bulking is better than either cutting or bulking.

It seems you are not considering the programming of the human body. First and foremost it is programmed for survival. Since starvation is a big threat the body will (1) Use/store every calorie that you consume and (2) muscle tissue is a liability in time of energy restriction since it is metabolically active.

So (apart from newbie gains) in order to build more muscle you really need surplus calories and an adaptation stimulus. If you only consume maintenance calories then your body is interpreting that the status quo is sustainable but nothing more. This is why re-comping is so difficult and alternating cutting and bulking is usually preferred.