The primary goal of people who work out regularly is to get lean and muscular. However, it can sometimes be hard to determine whether your effort and commitment are paying off, and it’s difficult to tell if you are gaining muscle or losing fat.
As you stay consistent with your workouts and eat healthily, you might step on the scale and see that the number hasn’t changed. It’s also hard to tell the difference by solely looking in the mirror. So, what are the signs of gaining muscle and losing fat?
Generally speaking, the easiest and safest method is to take measurements and progress pictures while logging them in the Workit App. This ensures that you are staying on track with your progress and monitoring your weekly or monthly bodily changes.
In this article, we will discuss the top 6 signs of gaining muscle and losing fat. After reading this article, you will have a better understanding of how to notice your changes and determine whether you are achieving your fitness goals.
Signs of Gaining Muscle and Losing Fat
First of all, before we dive into the top 6 signs of gaining muscle and losing fat, it’s essential to know when to evaluate your progress to get the most accurate results and measurements possible.
Ideally, you should compare and evaluate your bodily changes every week, as soon as you wake up, by measuring yourself with a tape and logging your data into the Workit app, along with progress photos.
Alternatively, you can keep a journal to track your progress, but Workit is much easier as the feature is available for free.
As you start your fitness journey, whether you are doing home or gym workouts, you will be building muscle. Muscle is denser than fat, so it is very possible that despite eating healthy and working out consistently, the number on the scale doesn’t change.
This does not mean that you are not making progress; your body is definitely undergoing changes, becoming more athletic and beautiful. However, the scale and mirror aren’t your best friends, as it can be hard to notice progress in the first few months of your journey.
This is why we want to stress the importance of taking measurements and progress pictures; your smallest wins will be visible, and it will keep you motivated to keep going.
Let’s dive into the top 6 signs that you are gaining muscle and losing fat. Additionally, we will discuss how the process affects men and women, as the signs can differ between genders.
1. Gaining Weight, Not Waist
If you are lifting weights, you are definitely building muscle. Since muscle is denser than fat, you might notice that not only does the number on the scale not change, but it may even increase.
A lot of people, especially women, may panic because their primary goal in starting to lift weights was to lose weight. This can be confusing and discouraging. However, don’t worry about this—it’s expected when lifting weights, and remember that the scale isn’t everything.
The best way to measure whether you are making progress, building muscle, and losing fat is to take measurements of your waist.
As we gain muscle from lifting weights, the most noticeable changes are often in our legs and arms, while the torso remains unchanged or gets smaller. So, if you are gaining weight but losing inches around your waist, this is a clear indicator that you are definitely making progress.
2. Eating in a Calorie Deficit
The most reliable indicator to determine whether you are losing fat is to stay in a calorie deficit. You can easily calculate your daily calorie and protein maintenance with the Workit App, so make sure to use it to boost your progress.
Note that building muscle is relatively harder when you are in a calorie deficit, but this ensures you are losing fat while still building muscle, albeit slightly slower, assuming you are working out consistently.
Knowing your daily nutritional requirements is a must because you cannot outtrain a bad diet. You can train like a pro athlete, but if you are consuming more calories than you are burning, unfortunately, you are gaining fat.
It’s important to determine your fitness goals; some people prefer to bulk first (eating in a calorie surplus to maximize muscle growth) and then cut (staying in a calorie deficit to get leaner).
Remember, the number one indicator and most reliable proof that you are losing fat is staying in a calorie deficit. Training + calorie deficit = gaining muscle and losing fat. It’s as simple as that.
If you want to build muscle faster, consider training with a calorie surplus (+200-300 calories a day) = gaining muscle and losing fat (a bit slower).
3. Muscle Definition & Strength
If you notice that your muscle definition has improved and you are gaining strength, such as increasing reps or weights during your workout, this is a great indicator that you are gaining muscle and losing fat.
Remember, an increase in strength doesn’t necessarily mean you are losing fat. As you might already know, there are many strongman athletes who are visually overweight but have incredible strength.
This happens because their overall body fat percentage is high, so if you are only gaining strength but your body is still covered in fat, you likely need to make some changes. In short, muscle definition + strength = gaining muscle and losing fat.
4. Old Clothes Start to Fit
This is one of the old-school indicators that still holds true today. After a month or two of working out and eating healthy, you might try on your old clothes that no longer fit. To your surprise, you can now wear them or are very close to fitting into them.
Trying on your old clothes is a great way to test if you are gaining muscle and losing fat. Remember that muscle is denser than fat, so the appearance of muscle is smaller compared to fat. For more about this, read our Fat vs. Muscle comparison article.
5. Body Composition Changes
It may not happen in a month, but at some point in your fitness journey, you might catch a glimpse of yourself in a mirror and immediately notice the drastic changes in your appearance.
As your body composition changes over time, you will look more athletic, with better posture, and overall stronger and healthier. For example, you might notice that your hips and waist have gotten slimmer, your shoulders look broader, and some of your abdominal muscles have been revealed.
6. Metabolic Rate Improvement
As you build muscle, your basal metabolic rate (BMR) increases, meaning you will burn more calories simply by existing. This is a great thing, as having good muscle mass makes it harder for you to gain fat.
One thing to note is that an increased BMR can result in increased hunger. Make sure to satiate your hunger with protein and avoid snacking on foods that have no nutritional value whatsoever.
You can calculate your BMR for free, using the Workit App.
Gaining Muscle and Losing Fat in Men and Women
Since male and female bodies are different, gaining muscle and losing fat affect each gender differently. Whether you are male or female, you will experience muscle gain and fat loss uniquely. Let’s analyze what to expect:
1. Muscle Gain Rate
- Men: As men have naturally high testosterone levels, they gain muscle faster.
- Women: Generally, it is harder for women to gain muscle as they naturally have lower testosterone levels, but they can still build significant muscle mass; it will just take a bit more effort.
2. Body Composition Changes
- Men: Men gain muscle and lose fat more uniformly, with the most noticeable changes appearing in the arms, legs, abdominal muscles, and face.
- Women: Women tend to lose fat more noticeably in their upper body and build muscle more easily in their lower body, mainly in the thighs, glutes, and quadriceps.
3. Visible Definition
- Men: Men have less subcutaneous fat and thicker skin, making it easier to achieve muscle definition.
- Women: Women naturally have higher body fat percentages and a softer muscle appearance, making it relatively harder for them to gain visible muscle definition.
4. Strength Increases
- Men: Men tend to increase overall strength easily due to their naturally high testosterone and DHT levels.
- Women: Women are particularly strong in their lower bodies and can easily build muscle in their glutes and legs. It is also possible for them to achieve significant strength in their upper body.
5. Fat Distribution
- Men: Men typically store fat in the abdominal region, so if you notice significantly less belly fat in this particular area, you are definitely losing fat.
- Women: Women store fat in the hips, thighs, and buttocks, making fat loss in these areas more gradual.
6. Hormonal Influences
- Men: Unless there are underlying hormonal issues, men don’t experience fluctuations, and muscle gain and fat loss are consistent throughout the month.
- Women: Menstrual cycles can affect water retention, strength, endurance, mood, and bloating, which can negatively impact workout performance.
These are the main differences between men and women trying to gain muscle and lose fat. While there are some key differences, the principles remain the same, and the same procedures are required for both genders to gain muscle and lose fat.
Why Can’t I Lose Fat and Gain Muscle?
This can be very frustrating for someone committed to consistent workouts and diet. If you are working out regularly, whether at home or the gym, eating a protein-rich diet, and still can’t build muscle or lose fat, you need to evaluate several aspects of your routine and lifestyle:
- Hormonal Imbalance: First, look for any irregularities in your hormonal profile; this can be the number one reason you are not seeing progress. Consult with a healthcare provider immediately, do blood work, and assess your sleep quality.
- Workout Program: Is your workout program actually working? Is it well-structured? Are you getting too exhausted? Is it too easy for you? Assess this carefully and make sure your workout program is right for you. You can also access workout programs in the Workit app.
- Nutrition: Do you eat a protein-rich diet? Are you staying consistent with your food? Do you have cheat days? It is important to stay on track with your food intake and limit processed foods that can harm your health and progress. Also, are you eating according to your macros? Calculate this with the Workit App.
These are the primary reasons that can interfere with your progress in gaining muscle and losing fat. This is basic and fundamental fitness knowledge that serves as the essential foundation to build your habits on. If you do all of these correctly, you will definitely see great progress and positive physical changes.
Conclusion
All in all, the best way to measure your progress and see whether you are gaining muscle and losing fat is to take measurements and progress pictures consistently.
If you do this weekly, you will easily track and monitor your fitness progress. You will know exactly whether your fitness program is working, and if you notice any irregularities during your journey, you can easily identify flaws since you have data at hand.
We recommend tracking your progress with the Workit app, where you can upload progress pics and take measurements as often as you want for free.
As you work out and eat healthily, you will definitely see changes and signs that assure you are making quality progress, such as increased strength, better posture, muscle definition, a leaner physique, etc.
The key to gaining muscle and losing fat is to stay consistent with your workout and nutrition program. The results will follow.