Why Fat Loss Is Easier Than Gaining Muscle
If there’s one thing that almost everyone in the gym can agree on, it’s that losing weight is much easier than gaining muscle. While there are exceptions to this rule, it’s true for the most part. So, if you’re looking to lose a few pounds before summer hits, read on—you’re in luck!
In this post, we’ll examine some of the reasons why fat loss is typically easier than muscle gain and offer a few tips to help you get started.
Ready to learn? Let’s go!
Why Do We Gain Fat
To start, let’s briefly analyse both processes to understand what they require.
First and foremost, it is essential to understand the primary function of subcutaneous body fat (the fat that makes us look fluffy).
That is, its energy-storage function!
You heard it right—excess body fat is nothing but your body saying, “Hey, you consumed some more energy than I need to maintain, so I’ll store it for later use!”
In essence, even though we don’t like how excess fat makes us look, it is there because the body is competent and doesn’t waste unused energy.
With that in mind, it is best to view excess body fat as something you use rather than lose when getting rid of it!
Why Do We Gain Muscle
Contrary to gaining fat, which mainly serves as energy storage, we have a different type of gain—active muscle mass! Unlike fat, the function of muscle mass is to help you sustain performance through various loads.
Generally speaking, the type of muscle mass gained depends on the stimulus created. If you’re mainly training in the strength range of 1-5 reps with heavy weights, you will induce what’s known as “myofibrillar hypertrophy.”
This fancy scientific term refers to the growth of the contractile muscle units called ‘myofibrils’ (otherwise known as ‘muscle fibres’). On the flip side, if you’re mainly training in the bodybuilding range of 6-15 repetitions with heavy weights, you will induce some myofibrillar hypertrophy and some ‘sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.’
The latter is called the growth of the ‘sarcoplasm,’ a jelly-like fluid that contains energy substances used during prolonged high-intensity activity.
In simple words, such training results in greater strength and endurance.
But Why Is Gaining Muscle Harder?
The answer to this question is quite simple: Gaining muscle basically implies adding active mass, which has more complex functions than fat!
This means that the stimuli and internal processes that lead to the gain of active muscle mass are much more complex and challenging to master than those that lead to fat loss.
With fat loss, you have a couple of basic principles to follow to get the most results.
These are, namely:
- Eating in a caloric deficit
- Consuming enough protein/fats, and some carbs
- Sleep well/manage stress
On the contrary, in a muscle-gaining phase, you have to:
- Consume food in a caloric surplus
- Progressively overload
- Nail rest-times between sets
- Nail rest-times between workouts
- Sleep well/manage stress
Of course, neither process is easy when you first start doing it.
However, gaining and maintaining quality muscle mass is a much longer process, which leads us to believe that fat loss is generally a bit easier!
Of course, if you find a sustainable approach, you can stick to it (which should be your primary goal when building up your fat loss regimen).
Final Thoughts
If you want to lose weight, it may be easier than you think. But if your goal is to gain muscle mass and increase strength? It’s a whole different ball game.
The key difference between fat loss and muscle gain is that the latter requires commitment and consistency for much longer periods of time—something most people lack!
Which body transformation goals are you working on at the moment? Let us know in the comments!