Recomp/inadvertant small bulk
husseycd
Posts: 814 Member
So, I joined this group thinking I might want to try to bulk, but got scared and decided to just lurk. Deep down I wanted to cut a little more before bulking and ended up with a small gain of about 3 lbs (facepalm).
A little bit of history, I came to MFP in May 2013 wanting to lose about 5 lbs. Ended up dropping 10, but by the end of summer, while I liked being smaller than I had been in high school, I wasn't exactly happy with my physique, especially my lower body.
I'm a hobby aerialist so my upper body/core get a ton of work, but my lower body not so much. Started a heavy lifting program in September 2013. I do all lower body, but try to hit the compound lifts. Squats, deadlifts, barbell lunges, barbell glute bridges. I've definitely gained strength and the 3 lbs I've gained seems to have all gone to my thighs, which I think you can see in the pictures below. My waist and hip measurements are pretty much unchanged.
I won't lie the bigger thighs are kinda freaking me out even though I think I needed to balance my upper body. And since there were times I wanted to cut and ended up maintaining or worse, gaining, I am still a little freaked by the bulking process. Or rather, afraid I won't be able to cut.
My plan is to start a slow cut for summer. Ideally, I'd like to lose 3-5 lbs by May and then maintain all summer. Next fall/winter, I will attempt another small bulk. How much I bulk depends on how well I maintain/cut.
Pictures are below. While subtle, I do think there is a difference. I've gained about 0.5" in my thighs, but nowhere else. And sorry for the standing on the toilet pics. It's the best location in my house for selfies and I've been taking pictures there for the last 3 years or so, so I like to stay consistent. :laugh:
September 2013:
[img]http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee322/jivete/Lifting progress/F-08192013.jpg[/img]
February 2014:
[img]http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee322/jivete/Lifting progress/F-02272014.jpg[/img]
TLDR; Results from small bulk (~3 lbs) over last 5 months.
A little bit of history, I came to MFP in May 2013 wanting to lose about 5 lbs. Ended up dropping 10, but by the end of summer, while I liked being smaller than I had been in high school, I wasn't exactly happy with my physique, especially my lower body.
I'm a hobby aerialist so my upper body/core get a ton of work, but my lower body not so much. Started a heavy lifting program in September 2013. I do all lower body, but try to hit the compound lifts. Squats, deadlifts, barbell lunges, barbell glute bridges. I've definitely gained strength and the 3 lbs I've gained seems to have all gone to my thighs, which I think you can see in the pictures below. My waist and hip measurements are pretty much unchanged.
I won't lie the bigger thighs are kinda freaking me out even though I think I needed to balance my upper body. And since there were times I wanted to cut and ended up maintaining or worse, gaining, I am still a little freaked by the bulking process. Or rather, afraid I won't be able to cut.
My plan is to start a slow cut for summer. Ideally, I'd like to lose 3-5 lbs by May and then maintain all summer. Next fall/winter, I will attempt another small bulk. How much I bulk depends on how well I maintain/cut.
Pictures are below. While subtle, I do think there is a difference. I've gained about 0.5" in my thighs, but nowhere else. And sorry for the standing on the toilet pics. It's the best location in my house for selfies and I've been taking pictures there for the last 3 years or so, so I like to stay consistent. :laugh:
September 2013:
[img]http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee322/jivete/Lifting progress/F-08192013.jpg[/img]
February 2014:
[img]http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee322/jivete/Lifting progress/F-02272014.jpg[/img]
TLDR; Results from small bulk (~3 lbs) over last 5 months.
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