So, bottom line - do I need to switch to maintainence in order to gain muscle?

ElJefeChief

I'm hovering around 190 (slightly over 6'2'').

Seems to be a comfortable weight for me, albeit on the upper end of normal BMI. Just the beginnings of some nice vasculature in my legs and midsection, arms.

I've started lifting again. I'm an old hand at it - I used to lift all the time for years, and know how to do it (took a break for about two years though due to recovery from multiple musculoskeletal issues).

Here's the question - I'd like to continue to gain muscle and lose fat. I currently have MFP set at 0.5 pounds of weight loss per week.

What do I do? Do I leave things where they are? Do I adjust it upwards to maintainence, or perhaps a slight gain (I really don't want to do that)? What's my strategy?

I'm basically wanting a more filled-out appearance. I'm a bit sick of all the "you're too skinny" comments I've been getting lately. Also, I have a little bit of loose skin going (not too much) and I feel like this would be a good way to take care of that.

Anyways, advice appreciated.

DopeItUp

Try it and find out how you like the results.

The truth is, to put on any significant mass you're gonna have to be in a surplus.

jemhh

At this point I think it would be a good choice. My guess is that you are light enough that you no longer in the "overfat" category of people who can build muscle in a deficit. Eating at maintenence is a good way to recomp--Build muscle while burning fat. Maybe stick with it for a set time period and then decide if you want to up calories slightly to build muscle a bit more quickly. You might decide to stick to maintenance for the next 3-4 months and reevaluate in the new year.

AsISmile

jemhh wrote: »

At this point I think it would be a good choice. My guess is that you are light enough that you no longer in the "overfat" category of people who can build muscle in a deficit. Eating at maintenence is a good way to recomp--Build muscle while burning fat. Maybe stick with it for a set time period and then decide if you want to up calories slightly to build muscle a bit more quickly. You might decide to stick to maintenance for the next 3-4 months and reevaluate in the new year.

Seconded.

XavierNusum

DopeItUp wrote: »

Try it and find out how you like the results.

The truth is, to put on any significant mass you're gonna have to be in a surplus.

+1

cwolfman13

what you're more or less describing is re-composition work....which is great but you should also realize that it's a pretty slow process. you aren't going to put on significant mass with great speed doing a re-comp.

I've basically been re-comping for the last 2.5 years...I'm the same weight that I was when I stopped dieting, but I'm leaner and have more of a "fitness body" now than I did a couple years ago...i.e. I look like I workout. I personally never looked at re-comp as the goal but more of a bi-product of eating well and rockin' my fitness so the fact that it's so slow has never bothered me. I really just set out to crush some fitness goals and the rest kind of took care of itself.

if you want to put on any significant mass with any kind of speed, you'd need to eat at a surplus (i have done a brief bulk (5 months) during this phase in which I did put on a little fat as well and had to cut about 10 Lbs over the spring...I think it helped me get to where I am now, but I'd really recommend starting with just eating around maintenance and really killing it in the gym for now. I did my bulk largely because I was plateauing on some of my big lifts and i needed that energy surplus to push through. I'll likely never do one again as I'm pretty happy with where things are both in RE to my body and my fitness. I'm basically in an all around maintenance phase now...maintaining weight, health, and fitness levels.