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[quote=Anonymous]How long were you at Orange Theory? It is possible that yes, you did gain muscle... but you did not lose any fat. Here's how it works... if you want to gain muscle - actually build new muscle, not strengthen existing muscle - you have to eat at a caloric surplus. This is often referred to as a "bulk." It's also extremely likely someone bulking will also put on fat - you cannot tell your body "hey, make new muscle, not fat, okay?" However, if you don't just eat a ton of junk food, etc you will likely gain more muscle than you do fat. A bulk is often followed by a cut - a caloric deficit. This is how your body then sheds your fat, thus hopefully revealing your new, sculpted muscles. You continue to do your weight training during this cut in order to preserve as much muscle as possible - because again, you can't tell your body to just lose the fat. But if you are careful, you can likely lose more fat than you do muscle. This is how you get a sculpted, "toned" body.

When people say, "oh you've just gained muscle" in reference to a new workout routine - yes that is possible for a couple of reasons. Eating more, as you mentioned. There's also a phenomenon where a person who has never really built muscle before can build a limited amount even while eating at a caloric deficit but this is not going to be a huge amount like you see on fitness models with visible abs. Or lastly, they are not really gaining muscle but the scale is increasing due to other reasons - hormonal changes, water, eating too much without the necessary exercises required to build muscle... etc.

Bulking and cutting is more of an extreme method for someone who might compete for fitness, etc. Most people do not live their lives this way. For most of us, the recommendation if you want to "lose weight" (i.e. get smaller overall) is to eat at a caloric deficit, while also lifting weights at the same time. This is not really going to build muscle because it's not scientifically possible - but you are going to maintain more of your existing muscle, while getting stronger. The scale does not drop as much as someone who just cuts calories, because they are losing both fat and muscle, but this leads to a much more pleasing physique.

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