can you build muscle without a calorie excess?

Question

i know someone who has been weight training for the past year and has become really muscular and has maintained a low bf%. I have been training with weights for about a year also but not properly. I have only just began to add weight each week to my lifts and am experiencing some fast strength gains (ive added nearly 10kg to my bench press and 20kg to my deadlift in about a month).
I want to gain as much muscle as possible by the summer, and also want to lower my bf% to under 10 (its about 14 - 15 at the moment)

So can i build muscle without having to eat like a pig or can i eat in moderation (for me about 2700 calories a day) with around 150g protein and still build muscle whilst getting leaner?

This person i know doesnt have a great diet and consumes a lot of alcohol on the weekends.

Answer 1

Yes....calories do not build muscle...hard work does. You will need plenty of protein...and some calories will help because you body needs fuel to work. But eating to excess does not make you strong..plus adding muscle will lower your body fat naturally because muscle burns more calories.

Answer 2

Yes, when you exercise, body fat will be converted into muscle - actually, the body fat is converted to energy which powers the construction of the muscle fibers. However, this is not a good approach overall to building muscle mass. It's better if you have a high protein diet which is calorie controlled.

Answer 3

Think about it....can you grow without food? Of course not. You need to FEED the muscle in order for it to grow. You don't have to eat like a pig, you just need to eat the proper nutrient to provide for muscle growth, of course, that's protein.

Answer 4

^^^
That is false... the answer to your question is no.

Answer 5

No ofcourse not..............