Body recomp?

jollyjoe321

Hi there,

I've been eating at around maintenance level for a while and my weight generally hops between 154lbs and 160lbs.

At the moment I'm at the point where my abs are visible. However, at my current weight previously, you could not see my abs at all, no sort of definition.

My diet isn't really special, maybe 0.5g protein per lb body mass, not a lot, and I don't time my meals etc.

So, if a body recomp is only really possible with a really focused diet, why are my abs far more defined now than they were at this weight previously? If no muscle has been added, then my BF hasn't changed as my weight is the same.

Any ideas?

FrnkLft

If your weight is the same, and now your abs are showing where they weren't before, then you must have built some muscle.

Not all in your abs of course, but possibly in other parts of your body that you're less aware of, and you now have a lower bf%.

DavPul

no clue, but do you have any questions about something that is repeatable or sustainable? we can help with those better than we can help with special one off situations.

and since you haven't provided and calorie or activity information we can't even confirm if you're in a deficit or doing anything else that would increase definition. hell, you could be dehydrated for all i know.

dieselbyte

no clue, but do you have any questions about something that is repeatable or sustainable? we can help with those better than we can help with special one off situations.

and since you haven't provided and calorie or activity information we can't even confirm if you're in a deficit or doing anything else that would increase definition. hell, you could be dehydrated for all i know.

^This. I will add, that in another thread you posted that you lift and run. From your profile, you say you're 18. If you are lifting and running, you ARE training your core muscles, even indirectly, so why would you expect to not see some definition in your abs, if your bf% is low enough? When were you at your current weight previously? Not to be funny, but did you even hit puberty when you were last at this weight? Also, you ride a motorcycle, which requires use of your core as well... Somewhat of a silly question unfortunately.

MrGonzo05

Your plan is perfect.

jollyjoe321

I am referring to 2 months ago

I drink at least 2.5 litres a day.

I was curious, there are people who say it is impossible to recomp without a brilliant diet, and also they say you don't just gain muscle definition, you only strip fat. My diet is crap, I'm sitting here with a pack of custard creams at this moment in fact.

The conclusion is then, it is possible to recomp without following a strict regime?

DavPul

okey dokey then. perhaps you should ask the people that said those things. I've never told someone they couldn't eat custard cremes.

i'm still not clear on what you're trying to prove but you still haven't provided any information for anyone to make an intelligent guess about. A person can easily eat a pack of custard cremes or whatever and still be in a calorie deficit.

jollyjoe321

I'm not saying you did say that .

Posts on the forum had led me to believe that it was only really possible through high protein diets, cycling carbs etc.

sijomial

I'm doing a recomp as well and I understand your frustration over a lot of the negative comments (and downright broscience) thrown about if you dare take a different path from the mainstream cut/bulk cycles.

However, remember as an 18 year old male you do have a lot of advantages over the majority of the population.

As an old fella I do need to take care over my diet (esp. protein) and fully expect my progress to be slow. Despite that I'm more than happy with how it's going for me.

mustgetmuscles1

I'm not saying you did say that .

Posts on the forum had led me to believe that it was only really possible through high protein diets, cycling carbs etc.

Not sure what posts you are referring to but I dont know anyone that says recomps are not possible.

Higher protein is helpful for retaining muscle in a calorie deficit. You can have lower protein goals while at maintenance or above. If you have been fluctuating weight you are going between surplus and deficit. Leading to small increases in muscle with small decreases in body fat. What you eat has little to with it.

ETA:
Being a young males definitely has its advantages also.

You may be misunderstanding some of the people suggesting the bulk/cut method as being superior for people who want to "lose fat and gain muscle". For most of them it is just more efficient to cut the fat with a deficit and then bulk with a surplus until they reach their goal.

jollyjoe321

Oh, you think it could potentially be some mini bulk and cut cycles in a sense?

TR0berts

The beautiful thing about your situation is that, at 18 yo, you likely have plenty of testosterone pumping through your system. As such, it should be easier for you to build muscle, even with a less than stellar diet. So, it would then likely be relatively easy for you to recomp.

Me, at 41 yo? I'd likely need a much stricter diet than you need.

Realistically, though, like Dave mentioned - we don't know enough about your specific situation to do anything other than guess.

mustgetmuscles1

Oh, you think it could potentially be some mini bulk and cut cycles in a sense?

Possibly since you can never be EXACTLY at maintenance but I really have no idea what your program is, how long you have been on it or what your calorie and macro goals are.

A young male new to training could gain some muscle even with less than optimal program. You could be retaining less water, The decrease from 160 to 154 could be entirely fat. 6 lbs of fat could fill a bucket and make a huge difference in appearance. Muscle could be swollen causing them to appear larger. To many variables without more info.