Feeling fat, not fit - any advice?

Kestrelwings

Hi all,

I would value your perspective.

I have been bulking since September, which has been tough for someone who has spent her entire adult life strictly keeping at around 110lbs (5'6").
My weight fluctuates massively with my periods/what I eat, but at the moment I am 122lbs, which is 2lb/month average. I was aiming for slower, as I think a cut may be too risky for me in case I get carried away, but I keep getting too damn hungry :-(

At present I am feeling very bloated and fat (even though I know I am probably not as fat as I think) and getting comments from people who think I am pregnant!!!

More to the point, the whole aim of the bulk is to increase my lifts.

They have hardly increased at all

I have a PT, and lift on average 4-5x per week. Doing a 5x5 at present. I admit to doing a lot of cardio as well, partly because it is my stress relief, and partly because I eat too much and need to balance out the calories (aiming net 2,100 plus eatback for exercise - as I lose weight on any lower plus I am now so hungry I can't seem to eat less than this).

Here is the thing: my lifts are still crap. Do I continue the bulk, or just try and get some form of maintenance going and aim for a recomp? My PT says to continue the bulk, but he is a powerlifter who is a fan of very dirty bulks.

Any advice or wisdom from you guys would be very much appreciated.

xxx

DopeItUp

Where are your lifts at currently?

If you're doing a 5x5 program why are you doing it 4-5x a week? Most/all of these standard beginner programs are meant to be done only 3x a week.

Lots of cardio will affect your ability to recover for your lifts. Added with a possibly excessive lifting program your recovery could be hampered, resulting in poor lifting performance. How often do you take a rest/deload week? That could factor in too.

The whole bloated/fat thing is normal, everyone feels that way. But I understand that it can be immensely frustrating to be bloated, fat, AND your lifts aren't going the way you want. It's depressing, I've been there.

Long story short, depending on where you are in your lifting career, your performance issues are likely to be programming/technique/recovery related at this point. Gaining 2lbs/month is fine.

ndj1979

DopeItUp wrote: »

Where are your lifts at currently?

If you're doing a 5x5 program why are you doing it 4-5x a week? Most/all of these standard beginner programs are meant to be done only 3x a week.

Lots of cardio will affect your ability to recover for your lifts. Added with a possibly excessive lifting program your recovery could be hampered, resulting in poor lifting performance. How often do you take a rest/deload week? That could factor in too.

The whole bloated/fat thing is normal, everyone feels that way. But I understand that it can be immensely frustrating to be bloated, fat, AND your lifts aren't going the way you want. It's depressing, I've been there.

Long story short, depending on where you are in your lifting career, your performance issues are likely to be programming/technique/recovery related at this point. Gaining 2lbs/month is fine.

all this…..

the bloated part is just the psychological part of bulking..I had the same issue when I ran my bulk ..

Kestrelwings

Thanks for the replies.

I deload every 8-12 weeks, depending on how long a programme my PT writes for me. My last programme was German Volume Training for two cycles of 8 weeks then deload, lifting 3xper week. I am just starting a new cycle, which is going to be 5x5 and I do not know if it will be 4x or 5x per week yet. I absolutely adore lifting - even if I am cr*p at it!

I don't adore all my waistbands being so tight and feeling like I have a beachball stuffed up my T-shirt ;-)

Thank goodness I own plenty of leggings and baggy tops!

trigden1991

Bulking is a mind game much more so than cutting. Yes you will get softer and lose definition but when you reduce your bodyfat in X months, you'll have much more lean mass (hopefully).

tiffanyaiv

Leggings and baggy tops are the best!!!

Brolympus

trigden1991 wrote: »

Bulking is a mind game much more so than cutting. Yes you will get softer and lose definition but when you reduce your bodyfat in X months, you'll have much more lean mass (hopefully).

Yup, exactly. Bulking is a self-esteem game. Try to keep your brain on the long-term prize. It can definitely be a detriment to motivation when it looks like you aren't working out at all, but keep focusing on trying to push up the lifting numbers a little more each week and those numbers creeping up should keep your spirits up. Either more weight, or more volume, every workout.