Weight lifting but losing muslce bulk

Question
QUESTION: hi, im an 18 yr old guy. I've been weight lifting since i ws in my mid 15. I started this training because i had thin arms. I bulked up pretty well. But the prob is im loosing them gradually since the last 5 6 months. Its like the more i exercise, the more the muscles get smaller. I knw it sounds absurd, but tats actually happening. N nw my muscles, (nt jst the arms and chest- the parts in which i train), but muscles everywhere are decreasing dramatically. Is it because of a wrong eating habit? Its not that i don't eat well. I do eat. Though i don't look like a walking skeleton, but there is a vast difference on how i look last year and now. Its pretty disturbing most of the times. Is something wrong with me? Is this normal? Does this got to do with my digestive system? or could it even be because of not increasing the weights..? But if its because of not increasing the weights, should it only affect my arms n chest..? Its currently affecting me everywhere. Please help. Thank you.


ANSWER: Hello Christopher,

Muscle building and maintenance is a tricky business. As you age, even at 18, your metabolism changes and it's normal: you keep growing and this is a very demanding process, energy-wise and protein consumption-wise. So, you can do one or both of these:

1. Go see your doctor to figure out about your digestive system and protein metabolism;
2. Learn how to eat right for your muscle to keep them.

Here are the necessary steps for the second option.

Check you body fat percent and see whether your muscles are being replaced by fat - go to this page to calculate. You'll have to do it several times to see the dynamics - http://www.bestofweightloss.com/body_fat_calculator.html

Make it sure you eat enough of quality protein - read these articles:

The Training Diet http://www.bestofweightloss.com/subpage13.html

Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle
http://bestofweightloss.com/diet_reviews/2006/05/burn-fat.html

Count calories, count portions, or calories don't count?
http://bestofweightloss.com/subpagecalorie-count.html

What Our Ancestors Ate
http://dietandbody.com/did-you-know/2007/06/what-our-ancestors-ate.html

Making Meat Work For You
http://dietandbody.com/recipes/2007/07/meat-it-does-body-good.html

Please don't hesitate asking me further questions,

Tanya Zilberter

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hello again. So are u saying that i need medical attention? Then there is a probablity that something is wrong with me? U know the last time i couldn't really pinch myself because there wasnt enough skin. It would hurt. But now theres like extra skin for me to pinch. Can u understand what im saying? I don't really knw hw to explain.

But i feel perfectly fine. Nothing unusual besides the decreament of muscle mass. But i do feel a little loss of strength though. I use to do 50 push-ups straight. But now im struggling jst at 30.

what could be the possible factors of this prob? Do u think im sick? Like really sick?

Thanks for your attention.

Chris

Answer
Chris,

I cant tell whether or not the fact that you're losing strength/muscle indicates any serious health condition or not. Try eating right and exercising right (see references above) before getting too much worried.

The loose skin can be due to fat loss not muscle loss, this is why I wrote "Check you body fat percent and see whether your muscles are being replaced by fat - go to this page to calculate. You'll have to do it several times to see the dynamics - http://www.bestofweightloss.com/body_fat_calculator.html "

After you know you current body composition, we can watch the dynamics, OK?

Tanya Zilberter

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