Regarding abdominal visibility and more

PlasticGains

So I'm trying to bulk as you guys know but my schedule basically only allows me to snack and have sometimes 1 meal before my big meal which is postworkout. I dont really track calories because it's a home cooked meal so sometimes I might be over my tdee but I feel like I'm mostly under.

However, in the typical asian cuisine, sodium is extremely high and so my question is, could that be why my abs and obliques went from semi shredded mostly consistently to basically nothing in a matter of days? It's still hardly visible now. Makes me sad

Also dumb question but could the stomach vacuum have caused it? I feel like it's good exercise for a flat stomach but I also feel that it crushes your abs???? So could that be why my ab definition went away? I stopped stomach vacuuming after 5 days of doing it daily but my abs still have yet to return

sardelsa

Typically during a bulk, there is fat gain and many people lose ab definition (depending on genetics and where fat is stored).

How long have you been bulking? You say you are under your TDEE most days, are you gaining right now? How much have you gained total? Do you know your approx bodyfat% when you started bulking vs now?

AnnPT77

PlasticGains wrote: »

So I'm trying to bulk as you guys know but my schedule basically only allows me to snack and have sometimes 1 meal before my big meal which is postworkout. I dont really track calories because it's a home cooked meal so sometimes I might be over my tdee but I feel like I'm mostly under.

However, in the typical asian cuisine, sodium is extremely high and so my question is, could that be why my abs and obliques went from semi shredded mostly consistently to basically nothing in a matter of days? It's still hardly visible now. Makes me sad

Also dumb question but could the stomach vacuum have caused it? I feel like it's good exercise for a flat stomach but I also feel that it crushes your abs???? So could that be why my ab definition went away? I stopped stomach vacuuming after 5 days of doing it daily but my abs still have yet to return

To the bolded: No. Stomach vaccuums (or other straightforward exercises) crushing your abs is not a thing. You cannot crush your abs without, say, a tree falling on them or something.

Bulking will tend to hide your abs temporarily (under a layer of fat). Water retention will hide your abs temporarily (under a layer of hydro-squish). If you keep up a reasonable workout schedule, get enough protein, and don't go on a stupid-aggressive cut, don't suffer from some form of sarcopenia or the like, your abs are still there . . . they're just hiding.

Keto_Vampire

Don't know why you would think stomach vacuums would be detrimental. It's a great way to gain more control on your corset muscles/transverse abdominis & can also help getting used to bracing for heavy compound movements (squats, DL, bench, etc.). Everyone has rectus abdominis muscles, it's just a matter of being able to show them based on the amount of bodyfat & subcutaneous water you've got localized to the area.

PlasticGains

sardelsa wrote: »

Typically during a bulk, there is fat gain and many people lose ab definition (depending on genetics and where fat is stored).

How long have you been bulking? You say you are under your TDEE most days, are you gaining right now? How much have you gained total? Do you know your approx bodyfat% when you started bulking vs now?

I've unofficially tried for 3 weeks or about 3-4 weekish

sardelsa

PlasticGains wrote: »

sardelsa wrote: »

Typically during a bulk, there is fat gain and many people lose ab definition (depending on genetics and where fat is stored).

How long have you been bulking? You say you are under your TDEE most days, are you gaining right now? How much have you gained total? Do you know your approx bodyfat% when you started bulking vs now?

I've unofficially tried for 3 weeks or about 3-4 weekish

Have you gained in that time?

PlasticGains

sardelsa wrote: »

PlasticGains wrote: »

sardelsa wrote: »

Typically during a bulk, there is fat gain and many people lose ab definition (depending on genetics and where fat is stored).

How long have you been bulking? You say you are under your TDEE most days, are you gaining right now? How much have you gained total? Do you know your approx bodyfat% when you started bulking vs now?

I've unofficially tried for 3 weeks or about 3-4 weekish

Have you gained in that time?

I'm not too good at telling the difference between water and fat and muscle weight but I do get a small boost of getting stronger so maybe that'll help??

nutmegoreo

PlasticGains wrote: »

sardelsa wrote: »

PlasticGains wrote: »

sardelsa wrote: »

Typically during a bulk, there is fat gain and many people lose ab definition (depending on genetics and where fat is stored).

How long have you been bulking? You say you are under your TDEE most days, are you gaining right now? How much have you gained total? Do you know your approx bodyfat% when you started bulking vs now?

I've unofficially tried for 3 weeks or about 3-4 weekish

Have you gained in that time?

I'm not too good at telling the difference between water and fat and muscle weight but I do get a small boost of getting stronger so maybe that'll help??

What does your scale say? Is your weight increasing during the 3-4 weeks?

AnvilHead

a) If you're just going by feelz and not accurately tracking/logging food, you have no idea whether you're actually in a deficit, at maintenance or in a surplus.

b) High sodium foods often cause water retention. Water retention blurs muscle definition.

c) You don't "crush" your abs by doing stomach vacuums, any more than you "crush" your biceps by doing curls or "crush" your quadriceps by doing squats. This is not a thing.

d) Getting stronger isn't necessarily a sign of hypertrophy/muscle gain. Neuromuscular adaptation and increased efficiency in your technique can result in very significant strength gains without your muscles growing even a millimeter.