Help! Butt getting flat

capriqueen

Hi everyone, with the work from home situation I have been mostly sitting all day and Ms. Derriere has been flying down south. It's sad because I had a nicer pear shape. Unfortunately I also have to lose about 70lbs, so I have been eating at a deficit. Is it possible to build some glute muscle while on a deficit, maybe through eating more protein? I am trying to do Strong Curves "Bootyful Beginnings" or the at-home workout.

MaltedTea

If I were in your shoes, I'd ask myself: "Self? What would @sardelsa do?" 🤔

You can follow some of her previous posts on this (and other weight training, body sculpting, and general health topics).

Me? I just run stairs a bit, squat heavy, walk a bunch and call it a day. But I'm not trying to sculpt anything.

sardelsa

Can you build muscle in a deficit? While not impossible it will depend on your lifting experience, bodyfat, and other factors. in your case, you have a higher chance for sure. You will at least be able to retain what you have. Either way you would be going about it the same way... You want to get adequate protein (0.8-1g per lb goalweight or lean body mass), don't lose too aggressively for your stats (2lbs per week is good with 70lbs to lose), and Strong Curves is a great program do continue to follow it with progression. Be patient and consistent, take diet breaks as needed especially as you get leaner. Most of all try to enjoy the process.

When you get closer to goal you can re-evaluate and either recomp or eat in a small surplus if you really want more significant glute growth at that point.

@MaltedTea thanks for the tag

capriqueen

sardelsa wrote: »

Can you build muscle in a deficit? While not impossible it will depend on your lifting experience, bodyfat, and other factors. in your case, you have a higher chance for sure. You will at least be able to retain what you have. Either way you would be going about it the same way... You want to get adequate protein (0.8-1g per lb goalweight or lean body mass), don't lose too aggressively for your stats (2lbs per week is good with 70lbs to lose), and Strong Curves is a great program do continue to follow it with progression. Be patient and consistent, take diet breaks as needed especially as you get leaner. Most of all try to enjoy the process.

When you get closer to goal you can re-evaluate and either recomp or eat in a small surplus if you really want more significant glute growth at that point.

@MaltedTea thanks for the tag

Hey @sardelsa , thank you so much! I definitely do not plan to lose more than 2lbs per week at all- at least until I hit 190 pounds. (Right now I am 5'6. 220). I plan on doing either the Bootyful Beginnings or the at-home workout. Do you think I could skip the lat pulldowns and other exercises that require additional equipment? None of the gyms nearby are open. Right now I have resistance bands and 10lb dumbbells at home.

Chieflrg

Maybe, it depends on how sensitive you respond to that program. I have had many clients that didn't respond or had poor result to that program or programs very similar. That doesn't mean others can't have success. One way to find out if you are satisfied with the amount stimulus your achieve.

With the data you have supplied I would suggest to target protein intake to just over 1g per lb of goal weight since you are eating in a deficit.

sardelsa

capriqueen wrote: »

sardelsa wrote: »

Can you build muscle in a deficit? While not impossible it will depend on your lifting experience, bodyfat, and other factors. in your case, you have a higher chance for sure. You will at least be able to retain what you have. Either way you would be going about it the same way... You want to get adequate protein (0.8-1g per lb goalweight or lean body mass), don't lose too aggressively for your stats (2lbs per week is good with 70lbs to lose), and Strong Curves is a great program do continue to follow it with progression. Be patient and consistent, take diet breaks as needed especially as you get leaner. Most of all try to enjoy the process.

When you get closer to goal you can re-evaluate and either recomp or eat in a small surplus if you really want more significant glute growth at that point.

@MaltedTea thanks for the tag

Hey @sardelsa , thank you so much! I definitely do not plan to lose more than 2lbs per week at all- at least until I hit 190 pounds. (Right now I am 5'6. 220). I plan on doing either the Bootyful Beginnings or the at-home workout. Do you think I could skip the lat pulldowns and other exercises that require additional equipment? None of the gyms nearby are open. Right now I have resistance bands and 10lb dumbbells at home.

If you don't have a lat pulldown you can sub in dumbbell rows or band rows. There are many substitutions in the index.

And to add to @Chieflrg 's point while Strong Curves is a good program it is one of Bret's older programs so there are some limitations (compared to his new stuff), but I still think it's ok for beginners.

Chieflrg

sardelsa wrote: »

capriqueen wrote: »

sardelsa wrote: »

Can you build muscle in a deficit? While not impossible it will depend on your lifting experience, bodyfat, and other factors. in your case, you have a higher chance for sure. You will at least be able to retain what you have. Either way you would be going about it the same way... You want to get adequate protein (0.8-1g per lb goalweight or lean body mass), don't lose too aggressively for your stats (2lbs per week is good with 70lbs to lose), and Strong Curves is a great program do continue to follow it with progression. Be patient and consistent, take diet breaks as needed especially as you get leaner. Most of all try to enjoy the process.

When you get closer to goal you can re-evaluate and either recomp or eat in a small surplus if you really want more significant glute growth at that point.

@MaltedTea thanks for the tag

Hey @sardelsa , thank you so much! I definitely do not plan to lose more than 2lbs per week at all- at least until I hit 190 pounds. (Right now I am 5'6. 220). I plan on doing either the Bootyful Beginnings or the at-home workout. Do you think I could skip the lat pulldowns and other exercises that require additional equipment? None of the gyms nearby are open. Right now I have resistance bands and 10lb dumbbells at home.

If you don't have a lat pulldown you can sub in dumbbell rows or band rows. There are many substitutions in the index.

And to add to @Chieflrg 's point while Strong Curves is a good program it is one of Bret's older programs so there are some limitations (compared to his new stuff), but I still think it's ok for beginners.

Any program will produce results for a beginner because the individual is untrained. That is why people who swear by a program for beginners are pretty much blindly endorsing. So I agree and will add that all programs are ok for beginners.

I have access to all Bret's programming, and honestly I'm not impressed on how it is dosed. I think there is better choices but some people will certainly obtain results and others even robustly. Not faulting the guy, he is trying to make a buck but some of his evidence is misleading and I feel there is better options for ROI once advanced programming is needed.

For a beginner, rock whatever program you like that you have access to the equipment.

capriqueen

Chieflrg wrote: »

Maybe, it depends on how sensitive you respond to that program. I have had many clients that didn't respond or had poor result to that program or programs very similar. That doesn't mean others can't have success. One way to find out if you are satisfied with the amount stimulus your achieve.

With the data you have supplied I would suggest to target protein intake to just over 1g per lb of goal weight since you are eating in a deficit.

Hi @Chieflrg , thanks for the information and I will try to peg my protein higher than the 1g/lb. It's kind of tough because i am vegetarian and it's super hard to even get 100g of protein a day. Do you have other programs you recommend other than SC?

Chieflrg

capriqueen wrote: »

Chieflrg wrote: »

Maybe, it depends on how sensitive you respond to that program. I have had many clients that didn't respond or had poor result to that program or programs very similar. That doesn't mean others can't have success. One way to find out if you are satisfied with the amount stimulus your achieve.

With the data you have supplied I would suggest to target protein intake to just over 1g per lb of goal weight since you are eating in a deficit.

Hi @Chieflrg , thanks for the information and I will try to peg my protein higher than the 1g/lb. It's kind of tough because i am vegetarian and it's super hard to even get 100g of protein a day. Do you have other programs you recommend other than SC?

There are plenty of choices for a vegetarian to get their protien in. Though some vegetarians may neglect consuming adequate EAAs that without certain ones(Leucine for one) muscle protien synthesis can't be achieved. Meaning protien would act solely as a energy source. A carnivorous diet has the EAAs built in naturally, but that just means you have to eat a bit more protien to make us for a lessor quality protien on efficiency standpoint. There is also supplemental options that could help to a degree.

If you are novel to lifting SC is just fine. I wouldn't recommend any cookie cutter programs without knowing more details on your training history. You might research templates with auto regulation built into the programming that utilizes the equipment you have available.