TRAINING & NUTRITION: Is it possible to grow muscles in a calorie deficit?

Remember that regardless of whether you're operating with a calorie deficit, lean muscle mass only increases when given the appropriate stimulus.

If you're just starting out, lifting full water bottles or soup cans might be a challenge — but that won't be the case for long. And if you stop challenging your muscles, they won't have any reason to develop further.

That's why your fitness program should always progress as you do. That doesn't mean jumping from 50 pounds to 350 on the bench press — that kind of drastic advancement is a good way to get hurt. Instead, set a realistic goal for sets and repetitions.

The most important thing is to get out and move, challenge your muscles, and make sure your body has the appropriate NUTRIENTS and stimuli needed to keep that lean muscle mass growing.