Significant muscle loss after implementing low impact cardio

[basabeo]

Male, 173cm, 77kg, 6+ years of lifting

Diet:

2500 calories = 195 protein

5g Creatine + Multivitamin every morning

8g Citrulline + 5g Beta Alanine + 400mg Caffeine before strength workout

Routine:

Monday: 2-hour full body strength workout (back and triceps priority)

Tuesday: 30-minute walk at 6km/h speed with 22 degrees incline

Wednesday: 2-hour full body strength workout (chest and biceps priority)

Thursday: 30-minute walk at 6km/h speed with 22 degrees incline

Friday: 2-hour full body strength workout (legs and shoulders priority)

Saturday or Sunday: 30-minute walk at 6km/h speed with 22 degrees incline, the other day is a rest day

Problem:

I have been doing this routine (without 30-minute walks) for about 9 months now and saw a significant muscle and strength increase. I weighed myself every single training session and my weight was between 78kg and 78.5kg consistently. Once per month a did a full body scan and always saw a little increase in muscle mass or no change at all. A month ago a started doing my 30-minute walks and saw my weight go down (to 77kg). Today a did a full body scan and saw that almost 0.6kg lost was muscle mass. Any idea how to prevent muscle breakdown in my situation? Some friends recommended HMB to me, but at 3 grams per day, that thing is expensive as hell.

 

[dawn16]

@basabeo 30 minute walks are not causing muscle loss. The problem is you’re relying on scans that are inherently unreliable. Walking is good for you. Keep doing it.

 

[ebeccaray]

@dawn16 Really???? So a calorie deficit wouldn't cause someone to lose weight?

The guy has been training for 6 years and has said his weight has stayed the same, so they must be eating maintenance calories.

So adding 3 x 30 minute walks a week would make a big difference. 30 minutes of LISS could spend 100-300 calories. He has also said he walks on a 22 degree incline, that is a steep slope and so likely way way more calories used.

3 x 100 calories = 300 calories. So as has eating maintenance already, this is creating a deficit of 300 calories. As i said above, your walking on a steep slope and so you are likely using more so have an even bigger deficit.

Yes body scans are tremendously inaccurate but it is also inaccurate to say that adding a calorie deficit when eating maintenance will not cause weight loss.

I am amazed a comment saying a deficit will not create weight loss has the most upvotes. Yes walking is good for you. Yes keep doing it. If you want to not lose the weight eat a little more to get yourself back to maintenance or even more to gain weight.

 

[dawn16]

@ebeccaray Did you mean to reply to me with this rant? Because nowhere did I say that a calorie deficit doesn’t cause weight loss.

 

[ebeccaray]

@dawn16 This is information for OP. Downvote all you like, the information is valid and to help OP.

You said that 30 minutes of cardio would not create weight loss. The cardio is creating a deficit. You said the cardio would not cause weight loss. So yes in a round about way, you did.

 

[dawn16]

@ebeccaray No, I said it wasn’t causing muscle loss. You can lose weight without losing muscle and you can lose muscle without losing weight. I didn’t say anything in a roundabout way. You’re just making shit up to justify your own misreading of my very simple and straightforward comment.

 

[ebeccaray]

@dawn16 Sorry, what have I made up?

You have said "it wasn’t causing muscle loss". All I am suggesting is the calorie deficit could be the cause of weight and muscle loss. Actually almost certainly is from the limited information he has given us. His weight hasnt changed in 9 months, this not suggest hes eating maintenance?

I am merely trying to help OP with as much information as possible.

 

[dawn16]

@ebeccaray You misquoted me twice. That’s what you’re making up. In any case, no, a 30 minute walk might be causing a minimal calorie deficit, but it sure as shit isn’t causing muscle loss. You’re not trying to help OP by replying to my comment a month after the fact. OP isn’t even going to see that. You’re just trying to be a contrarian troll. Begone.

 

[basabeo]

@dawn16 My strength went down, I look smaller in the mirror, and my muscle definition did not improve. I don't thing the scan is lying.

 

[dawn16]

@basabeo An added 90 minutes of walking a week did not do that to you

 

[jskywalker]

@basabeo If you're not eating more, your glycogen stores are probably somewhat depleted, which will negatively impact your performance. Also, losing size in general will often decrease your performance.

 

[jess1]

@basabeo They’re widely inaccurate. Ignore those results.

Eat more if you’ve lost weight. Worrying about 30 minutes walking three times a week is crazy. It’s such a minimal amount of added exercise.

 

[savedbyreality]

@basabeo Read the article I linked in my other comment. I'm 99% sure you just think you look smaller and even if, it might be lost water/fat from increasing expenditure. Same with the strength. Sometimes you strnegth temporarily takes a dip, especially after introducing something new into your training/losing BW.

 

[chucksg]

@basabeo Eat more, train harder pleb

 

[shilliane]

@basabeo You need to eat more. 2500 cal with that workout routine. Your probably close to 2750 for maintenance. I would start eating 3000 and keep your protein about where it is, fats around 60-75 and the rest carbs.

Energy will go up and you will gain more muscle.

Also cut the Cardio down to 20 min.

 

[ebeccaray]

@basabeo Ignore the downvotes. People voting without reading your post properly.

9 month, you trained and ate the same.... your weight didnt change. This means whatever calories you were on were your maintenance calories.

So yes. Adding 90 minutes of cardio (steady state or otherwise) will spend more calories and drop you into a deficit where you will lost weight and some muscle.

Another thing to consider, as you grow muscle, get stronger or bigger, your calorie expenditure will increase. Bigger muscle requires more calories and heavier weight requires more exertion. So over time as you increase in strength and size your maintenance calories will increase. If you dont increase your calories with your increased expenditure then you'll create a deficit again.

Feel free to DM me if you have any questions. I am amazed at the amount of misleading information that has been commented on your post and I think a few appear to be fake natty types, calories are not so important when your on gear.

 

[thepinkpreacher]

@basabeo I personally would not use the scans as a means to monitor process.

Your level of hydration is enough to alter the results.

 

[savedbyreality]

@basabeo I personally think it is very unlikey you actually lost muscle after doing 30 minute walks 3 times a week. I and many others walk multiple hours per week and can gain muslce fine. The problem is that
body composition assessments are less useful than you think and often wildly inaccurate.

 

[pinetowntree]

@basabeo

a full body scan

These are not remotely accurate. Their error range is 10% on either end, so it's effectively useless.

Any idea how to prevent muscle breakdown in my situation?

Doing walking on the treadmill is not going to cause muscle loss. If you did lose muscle, it's for some other reason.

 

[wild]

@basabeo You are burning more calories and haven't made up for it in diet.