Not-that-heavy girls

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Any "hardgainer" ladies here?

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wimberleybonnette737
wimberleybonnette737 Posts: 68 Member
in Social Groups
So frustrated with myself!! Here I was seeing awesome results building muscle and decreasing my bf% with my maintenance calories and then started adding in a few days of sprints/hiit intervals...well after a month or so of that I went to my monthly BodPod appointment and see I have lost muscle mass. Grr!!!

Just venting and seeing if anyone else has the problem/inconvenience of being a hardgainer. The struggle is real!!! I know what I need to do to fix. Just letting go of some steam lol. Lifting heavy on leg day today!!! It's never too late to fix things and get back on track in the right direction!

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  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    It sounds like you knocked yourself out of maintenance with extra cardio. If you add more training, you have to fuel for that training. Did you lose weight during that time? I don't know very much about BodPod and how accurate it is, but I wouldn't worry too much about the results and just keep focusing on what you are doing.

    I am currently bulking and a "hardgainer" myself since I am nursing so basically I have to eat so much extra to stay in a surplus.. when I have problems hitting my cal goal, calorie dense foods - nuts, nut butters, full fat dairy and meat, oils, pasta, bagels, dried fruit, ice cream, cookies etc. are my best friends.

    Good luck!
  • wimberleybonnette737
    wimberleybonnette737 Posts: 68 Member
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    @sardelsa no weight loss, just exchanged muscle for fat so my muscle decreased and fat % increased, lol.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    edited April 2017
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    I would say it is highly unlikely that you lost muscle and gained fat. It may be possible if you completely stopped lifting and did not get adequate protein. It could also have been a random fluctuation, again I wouldn't worry too much about it.

    If I were you, I would focus more on lifting vs cardio, and get at least 0.8-1g protein per lb lean body mass. Not sure what program you are following, but make sure you are progressing over time.. also if you are still having problems putting on muscle, you may need to start eating in a surplus and gain weight. But that is up to you and your goals
  • wimberleybonnette737
    wimberleybonnette737 Posts: 68 Member
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    @sardelsa yes definitely on progressive plan. Actually, NSV I was able to bench 40 lb dumbbells yesterday! I only got 1 good rep, but that is the first time I was able to do that. I eat about 1.2g per lb of LMM. Also following keto/low carb and KetoGains (keto diet for athletes basically). I think less focus on cardio is exactly what I am going to do and I had my calories/macros re-done as well. So far this week so going well :smile: I have a good outlook on this and know I will figure this out! Thank you so much!

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