Recomposition slow?

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richardgavel
richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I lost 70 lbs and overshot my goal weight (finished at 157), started eating more and got up to 165 (my long term goal weight). I'm been lifting via Stronglifts since September, though as a complete noob. I got a DEXA scan in Dec showing 20.4% BF. Just got another one today (so 4 months later) showing 20.1%. Between those 2 measurements is about 1.5 lbs gain. Should I be disappointed that the recomp is going this slow? Should I possibly go on a cut of maybe 10-15 lbs and get my BF lower?

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  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    I personally would start with changing your programming and see if switching to a hypertrophy/bodybuilding program or even a hybrid program would show slightly better gains in the next 4 months. I have never seen statistics on what someone can potentially gain per month during recomposition, but it's not going to be nearly as fast as bulking (up to 2 pounds per month on a bulk for a male newer lifter).
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    edited April 2017
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    I recomped at 175lbs. Took about 14 months to drop from 19ish% to under 7%. Can't remember what that breaks down to in muscle gain and don't feel like doing the math... That gives you an idea on what someone can do...

    That being said, I lifted over 2 hours per day, 5 days a week during this time, and did quite a bit of calories.

    I focused on getting 175 grams of protein minimum, and 300 grams of carbs minimum. And let fat fall wherever.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    If you are happy at 165lbs then I would say stay at maintenance.

    Well done on picking a suitable beginner program but maybe time to have a think about if it still fits your goals?
    If strength is a priority and you are continuing to progress well with adding weight to your lifts - carry on.
    If hypertrophy is more of a priority then you probably want a program with more volume.
  • bioklutz
    bioklutz Posts: 1,365 Member
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    usmcmp wrote: »
    I personally would start with changing your programming and see if switching to a hypertrophy/bodybuilding program or even a hybrid program would show slightly better gains in the next 4 months. I have never seen statistics on what someone can potentially gain per month during recomposition, but it's not going to be nearly as fast as bulking (up to 2 pounds per month on a bulk for a male newer lifter).

    This is good advice. You have been running stronglifts for over 6 months now. At this point you should be having difficulty make progress with that program. PsuLemon has been talking up Bigger Leaner Stronger (probably the next thing I am going to run) - but there are a lot of options to choose from:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,978 Member
    edited May 2017
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    Not sure how much it matters but I've generally heard that it's best not to start recomp til you're around 15% BF. So, you might want to cut 5% more & then try to start recomp again.

    As for my experience, I started "recomp" & tested at 166# & 16.9% and was last tested 6 months later at 158# & 10.1% -- lost 12.1# of BF and gained 12.1# of LBM in the process. BF testing results were based on hydrostatic weighing.

    I did this lifting 4 days a week at 80-90% 1RM doing only BP, SQT, DL & OHP for 30 min to 1hr a day plus 1 hr a day of pull-ups, push-ups and dips 3x's a week, rowing 30 mins a day 2x's a week and StairMaster for 30 mins once a week.

    Just doing lifts and exercise to maintain my strength and weight at current levels, not to get stronger or to lose weight specifically although that seemed to be the result, albeit an unintended one.

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