Recomping

allother94

I think recomping is to lose body fat and gain muscle with eating at maintenance.

Has anyone tried this? What was your experience like vs a bulk/cut strategy? I’m curious how much muscle growth you miss out on vs. a straight bulk. 50%

Thanks!

sijomial

"I think recomping is to lose body fat and gain muscle with eating at maintenance."
Correct. At or around maintenance to be pedantic as it's a range either side of perfect weight maintenance. How wide that range is differs widely between individuals. (The more male, untrained, young and genetically gifted probably the wider the range.)

"Has anyone tried this? "
Yes - it's exceedingly normal, most people just call it getting in shape.
Bulking and cutting is the minority approach in the general population as it's more a niche for bodybuilders and others with high body composition aspirations.
Here's a long running thread....
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

"What was your experience like vs a bulk/cut strategy? "
Never wanted or needed to deliberately bulk.
For most of my sports keeping weight down has been an advantage so bulking wouldn't be sensible for me. I also detest dieting (cutting) but enjoy eating at maintenance levels.


"I’m curious how much muscle growth you miss out on vs. a straight bulk. 50%"
None - your ultimate genetic potential is the same. Timescales to get there may well be different - especially as someone becomes highly trained and muscle growth slows and needs more nurturing.
Assuming a person bulks and cuts well it MAY be faster but you need to compare the entire bulk/cut cycle and not just the bulk part which may give more optimal support to faster muscle growth but at a cost of gaining some fat too (normally).

cupcakesandproteinshakes

I’ve been recomping for 2 and a half years. I’m pleased with the results though it is slow.

You need to be patient as you are unlikely to see big changes in physique quickly. I’m more muscular now than when I started.

The reason why I chose recomp was because I am good at gaining weight and bad at losing it. So it made sense for me to avoid this.

I’m looking at bulking shortly though. I have a few pounds to lose first.

You need to be on a decent resistance training programme and stick to it.

allother94

Thanks for these replies! The thread you linked seems to be exactly what I’m looking for. May take a while to read 115 pages of posts, but it’s better than begging people for advice though.

A lot of people on this and similar forums push bulk/cut hard. Apparently I’m asking the niche folks and the feedback would suggest their is no other option. I really didn’t want to bulk/cut, so this sounds like my out.

Thanks!

staticsplit

I also can't be bothered bulking and cutting. I've been doing recomp for a little over a year, but I'm happy with how I look. I also know I can maintain my current weight really easily. It's barely moved in like a year, whether I track calories or don't track. I like listening to my hunger cues and just focusing on working my body in ways I enjoy.