Starting exercise when you have done none previously

[Bugz]

If someone has done zero exercise before they take up a exercise rountine, is it commonplace to see muscle gains of 2-3 pounds in the first week(s) per week?

A girl I know has lost body fat weight, had zero fluctuation on her body water % but has actually put on half a pound in weight.

I was a little miffed about this myself and couldn't really advise her of what it definitely could be but I'm assuming maybe some of the body fat has turned into muscle and because muscle weighs more, this is why she has put on weight? Or she has burned body fat in one palce but added to muscle in another? Is this commonplace in the first weeks for a girl who previously did not need to exercise at all?

 

[old.user4556]

If she's doing cardio, I very, very much doubt it. If she's doing a lot of resistance training then I suppose it could be possible depending on the person, routine, diet etc.

Muscle weighs more than fat for the same volume, but you don't turn fat into muscle; you burn off the fat and increase muscle mass through damaging the muscle and it repairing stronger than before. It could be possible that a low fat, high protein diet combined with intense training would see her shedding body fat, but increasing muscle mass which could lead to an increase in weight as described.

You also need to remember (sorry women) that women are notorious liars when it comes to their weight / routine / diet, so she might just be BS'ing you.

 

[Ch3tan]

I'd love to be able to put on 2-3 pounds a week of muscle. That would take some hardcore weight training and a HELL of a lot of food.

 

[Ch3tan]

Also, your body weight will fluctuate by up to 2 pounds a day depending on the time of day, water retention, when you last had a poo etc. So half a pound gain is no measure. You'd have to measure yourself at the same time every day for a week to get an accurate picture.

 

[old.user4556]

Very true.

I had a chuckle at 'poo' .

 

[ramathorn]

as ch3t says, depending on when you weigh yourself during the day your weight can fluctuate massively. if you're going to go by weight always do it first thing in the morning with no clothing.

I prefer to go by measurement, I couldnt give a toss about how much i weigh but more on how that weight looks. Measure key area's of your body regularly (biceps, chest, stomach etc.) and keep a record. If these measurements are going down (or up, depending on your goal) then you're headed in the right direction.

Weight loss can be a great motivator but there will be times when days may pass with no change and it can be very demotivating (I've had the opposite when trying to build muscle).

What's her goal and what kind of training is she doing?

 

[tris-]

'muscle weighs more' is both a myth and a misconception of what those things are.

it is more accurate to say that muscle is more dense than fat, much like lead is more dense than water. a given volume of muscle will weigh more than the same given volume of fat.

muscle cannot turn in to fat either. for one thing is fat is made up of fat and muscle is made up of protein. i dont think there is any process that converts fat directly in to protein.

something else that is also impossible is to eat a deficit of calories (less than your body needs) AND gain muscle. building muscle takes calories as well as everything else. just like a car cannot travel 200 miles with 100 miles worth of fuel.

 

[Furr]

Well I had the norovirus aka the "24hrs of puking and "other end" sickness of doom" earlier this week which on the plus made me lose 1/2 stone in weight....

on second thoughts prolly not the best way to lose weight...