How to recomp??
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This is not accurate. Lifting does not "inflate" muscles. Toning doesn't exist. A toned look comes from two conditions being met: 1,a moderate amount of muscle exists, and two, body fat is low enough to reveal that muscle. People who lift and lose a lot of weight, myself included, seem to gain muscle while losing fat. This is not the case. I simply was able to preserve enough of my lean mass through lifting that when all the body fat was gone, my muscles showed definition. I didn't truly look "cut" until I did multiple bulk cut cycles. Most people will not look toned, or cut, or whatever word you choose to use by simply lifting and losing fat. They will need to at least spend a portion of time working on muscle gaining. Some genetically lucky individuals have decent lean mass buried beneath their fat. Those individuals can look rather toned after simply removing the fat. They are the exception, not the rule. The OP should certainly do lifting while losing fat. There are a million good reasons to do it but they would be setting themselves up for disappointment if they think that alone will achieve their goal physique.You can definitely recomp your butt and wherever else you want to tone!
Don't let the expert bodybuilders deter you. They're talking about building muscle. We're talking about maximizing the muscle that you already have. It's two different things!
When you inflate your muscles, called toning in the old world, you change your shape! That along with losing body fat will make you look great!0 -
This is not accurate. Lifting does not "inflate" muscles. Toning doesn't exist. A toned look comes from two conditions being met: 1,a moderate amount of muscle exists, and two, body fat is low enough to reveal that muscle. People who lift and lose a lot of weight, myself included, seem to gain muscle while losing fat. This is not the case. I simply was able to preserve enough of my lean mass through lifting that when all the body fat was gone, my muscles showed definition. I didn't truly look "cut" until I did multiple bulk cut cycles. Most people will not look toned, or cut, or whatever word you choose to use by simply lifting and losing fat. They will need to at least spend a portion of time working on muscle gaining. Some genetically lucky individuals have decent lean mass buried beneath their fat. Those individuals can look rather toned after simply removing the fat. They are the exception, not the rule. The OP should certainly do lifting while losing fat. There are a million good reasons to do it but they would be setting themselves up for disappointment if they think that alone will achieve their goal physique.You can definitely recomp your butt and wherever else you want to tone!
Don't let the expert bodybuilders deter you. They're talking about building muscle. We're talking about maximizing the muscle that you already have. It's two different things!
When you inflate your muscles, called toning in the old world, you change your shape! That along with losing body fat will make you look great!
Okay I'm glad you said something, because quite frankly I don't know nearly the same amount as you on this particular topic....but when she said inflated my brain went "WAIT WUTTT".0 -
Lose weight to a point to where you are within a normal limit and a low body fat percentage, then bulk slowly. It is a cycling process so you will bulk a little, then cut a little, then bulk a little, etc. Best wishes.0
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You look good my man but I'll bet you were always thin and what they call a hard gainer. I am quite the opposite. Training builds muscle and diet shows it.
His body shape does look like he is naturally thin, doesn't it? I wonder if that's part of the reason why he was able to drop the weight so quickly and easily.0 -
If by quick you mean over a full year and by easy you mean being 100 % compliant with my diet, no unplanned cheats or binges, never missing a single workout, giving 100 % in the gym despite feeling awful due to the prolonged deficit then yeah, you're correct. Also I was never thin, not as a child, not as a teenager, and not in my 20's until I committed to my new lifestyle.You look good my man but I'll bet you were always thin and what they call a hard gainer. I am quite the opposite. Training builds muscle and diet shows it.
His body shape does look like he is naturally thin, doesn't it? I wonder if that's part of the reason why he was able to drop the weight so quickly and easily.0 -
You look good my man but I'll bet you were always thin and what they call a hard gainer. I am quite the opposite. Training builds muscle and diet shows it.
His body shape does look like he is naturally thin, doesn't it? I wonder if that's part of the reason why he was able to drop the weight so quickly and easily.
Are you for real?! How about not disregarding peoples hard work just because you want to feel better about yourself.0 -
You look good my man but I'll bet you were always thin and what they call a hard gainer. I am quite the opposite. Training builds muscle and diet shows it.
His body shape does look like he is naturally thin, doesn't it? I wonder if that's part of the reason why he was able to drop the weight so quickly and easily.
Are you for real?! How about not disregarding peoples hard work just because you want to feel better about yourself.
:noway:0 -
So I've learned a lot since joining MFP. I know that you cannot build new muscle unless you are in a caloric surplus, so my question is, how do you 'reshape' your body without having to purposely gain weight? Is it possible? I've lost 50 pounds since having my son and I don't want to gain some back to get the body I want. My biggest complaint is my butt- I lost the weight pretty quickly and its kind of flat and saggy now. I'd like a round butt again...is that possible while eating at a caloric deficit? People have recommended squats, but is that pointless when I'm not eating a surplus to gain more muscle?
So barring the argument about gaining muscle and losing fat on a deficit...teehee...doesn't happen
To the OP if you want to "reshape" your body ie lift that butt...start a progressive load lifting program like Stronglifts 5x5...it gave mine an amazing shape that I am very proud of and I did it while eating at a deficit. This pic is me 30 weeks into lifting heavy, at this point I was squatting over 150lbs.
I did not gain any new muscle, lost inches and weight.
Now a recomp is a totally different beast, you have to be patient and watchful of your food...I am going to do one over the summer and see how it goes as I am not prepared for a bulk at the moment.
Bulks for women are a mind game...imagine eating food to gain...:noway: ...on purpose...
Anyway...start lifting, continue with your deficit if you have more weight to lose, if you don't have more weight eat at maitenance and the lifting will have the same effect.0 -
I will never understand people's insistence on spreading misinformation and when someone tries to point it out to them, as Vismal did, it becomes, "well, he's probably naturally skinny" as if that somehow detracts from the facts and education he's trying to provide. I have learned a ton from him, and he was by no means "naturally skinny", he worked his *kitten* off. OP, listen to Vismal, continue to lift, but you will not build muscle while at a deficit, you will just help to retain what you have. Good luck!0
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OP, do the squats! Lift heavy and you'll be okay :-)0
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it's possible but slow as **** for a natty, you're better off just cutting then bulking, if you're a noob lifter you may even gain a little muscle on a deficit but don't expect it and treat it as a bonus0
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Here"-s a scientific study. Is it really possible to build so much muscle while you’re in a calorie deficit?
The results I’m talking about come from a United States Sports Academy study looking at the effects of strength training and aerobic exercise on body composition in a group of overweight (27% body fat) men.
The men were assigned to one of two groups and trained three days per week for 14 weeks.
An endurance-only group performed both cycling and walking (30 minutes each at 60-70% heart rate reserve for a total of 60 minutes).
A cross-training group performed both cardiovascular and resistance exercise (8 exercises, 4 sets per exercise, 8-12 repetitions per set, 60 seconds of rest between sets) in a single session. Exercises included the bench press, lat pulldown, military press, barbell curl, triceps extension, leg press, leg curl, and calf raise.
The results are shown in the table below, which I scanned in from the research paper.
As you can see, the group that combined cardiovascular with resistance exercise were able to lose fat (7.4 kilograms or 16.3 pounds) while gaining muscle (4.3 kilograms or 9.5 pounds) at the same time.0 -
The bottom line is this. If you are a beginner and overweight you can build muscle. If you are a muscular person who has already built muscle, cutting back on you calories will result in losing some fat and muscle. I gave my advice based on the person asking the question who says she has fat to lose and no muscle not a seasoned bodybuilder. I really don't think she's looking to pack on slabs of muscle, which seems to be the focal point of a lot of comments.0
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You look good my man but I'll bet you were always thin and what they call a hard gainer. I am quite the opposite. Training builds muscle and diet shows it.
His body shape does look like he is naturally thin, doesn't it? I wonder if that's part of the reason why he was able to drop the weight so quickly and easily.
Yeah, I bet going from 300 lbs to what he is now was so easy for him. I bet he doesn't have any useful or helpful information for anyone. He should just stay off the boards and stop trying to help people.
These comments are SO ignorant I can't stand it.0 -
You look good my man but I'll bet you were always thin and what they call a hard gainer. I am quite the opposite. Training builds muscle and diet shows it.
His body shape does look like he is naturally thin, doesn't it? I wonder if that's part of the reason why he was able to drop the weight so quickly and easily.
These comments are SO ignorant I can't stand it.
Yeah, I bet going from 300 lbs to what he is now was so easy for him. I bet he doesn't have any useful or helpful information for anyone. He should just stay off the boards and stop trying to help people.
I seriously don't see how these comments are insulting. He looks good and it took a lot of dedication to look that way. Maybe you're reading more into it than was meant.. I'm truly sorry if it came across as an insult. It wasn't at all. And the comment under mine doesn't look like an insult either.0 -
The bottom line is this. If you are a beginner and overweight you can build muscle. If you are a muscular person who has already built muscle, cutting back on you calories will result in losing some fat and muscle. I gave my advice based on the person asking the question who says she has fat to lose and no muscle not a seasoned bodybuilder. I really don't think she's looking to pack on slabs of muscle, which seems to be the focal point of a lot of comments.
Actually bottom line is this...the OP said they understood building muscle requires a calorie surplus which is correct and just wanted to know if squats would help her butt...all you had to say was yes.
As well if you are a beginner and/or morbidly obese you can gain muscle but those gains are small and short lived.So I've learned a lot since joining MFP. I know that you cannot build new muscle unless you are in a caloric surplus, so my question is, how do you 'reshape' your body without having to purposely gain weight? Is it possible? I've lost 50 pounds since having my son and I don't want to gain some back to get the body I want. My biggest complaint is my butt- I lost the weight pretty quickly and its kind of flat and saggy now. I'd like a round butt again...is that possible while eating at a caloric deficit? People have recommended squats, but is that pointless when I'm not eating a surplus to gain more muscle?
and you disagreedYou absolutely can build muscle.If it is impossible to build muscle while eating fewer calories then a lot of people are wasting their money on P90 X , Insanity and gym memberships lol. In fact if you want to lose weight and look good you have to do those two things....
and the above is just false...impossible to build lots of muscle while losing 30lbsAll I can say is I lost 30 pounds and built a lot of muscle from scratch at 46 absolutely on a calorie deficit and naturally.
Then you spread this mis-informationSo you lost all your weight before you started weight training?
That probably is the better way to go. Losing weight is way easier when you don't work out because you don't get so hungry all the time.
Then post opinions of others to back up your opinion.
Bottom line is this..weighted squats will give the OP the butt she wants while still losing weight along with helping her preserve the muscle mass she has left.
And the information in these posts you gave in this thread are just basically wrong...false and you are mis-informed.0 -
:laugh: okay then. Who else wants to attack me and call me a liar lol? Man I thought this was a message board not an attack board.The bottom line is this. If you are a beginner and overweight you can build muscle. If you are a muscular person who has already built muscle, cutting back on you calories will result in losing some fat and muscle. I gave my advice based on the person asking the question who says she has fat to lose and no muscle not a seasoned bodybuilder. I really don't think she's looking to pack on slabs of muscle, which seems to be the focal point of a lot of comments.
Actually bottom line is this...the OP said they understood building muscle requires a calorie surplus which is correct and just wanted to know if squats would help her butt...all you had to say was yes.
As well if you are a beginner and/or morbidly obese you can gain muscle but those gains are small and short lived.So I've learned a lot since joining MFP. I know that you cannot build new muscle unless you are in a caloric surplus, so my question is, how do you 'reshape' your body without having to purposely gain weight? Is it possible? I've lost 50 pounds since having my son and I don't want to gain some back to get the body I want. My biggest complaint is my butt- I lost the weight pretty quickly and its kind of flat and saggy now. I'd like a round butt again...is that possible while eating at a caloric deficit? People have recommended squats, but is that pointless when I'm not eating a surplus to gain more muscle?
and you disagreedYou absolutely can build muscle.If it is impossible to build muscle while eating fewer calories then a lot of people are wasting their money on P90 X , Insanity and gym memberships lol. In fact if you want to lose weight and look good you have to do those two things....
and the above is just false...impossible to build lots of muscle while losing 30lbsAll I can say is I lost 30 pounds and built a lot of muscle from scratch at 46 absolutely on a calorie deficit and naturally.
Then you spread this mis-informationSo you lost all your weight before you started weight training?
That probably is the better way to go. Losing weight is way easier when you don't work out because you don't get so hungry all the time.
Then post opinions of others to back up your opinion.
Bottom line is this..weighted squats will give the OP the butt she wants while still losing weight along with helping her preserve the muscle mass she has left.
And the information in these posts you gave in this thread are just basically wrong...false and you are mis-informed.0 -
Accept that you are wrong and move on, no one is attacking you. Facts might feel that way, suck it up :laugh:0
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attack wow...if you call what I did an attack wait for it...
I pointed out the fallacies in your posts, corrected you without calling you names, posting a gif to point out your mis-information or resorting to insults....
ETA: and no where in my post is the word liar typed out...my word was misinformed which is totally different from being a liar...we understand you actually believe what you are saying...but unfortunately it's just not true...0 -
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Wow, thanks everyone for the responses, and I did not mean to cause drama! Haha. I should've been a little more clear. I'm not looking to 'bulk' and I don't have much weight to lose (the 50 lbs I lost was pregnancy weight), I just want the nice butt I used to have! I can't afford a gym, so I can only really do body weight workouts. Now that I know what a recomp really is, it sounds like a lot of dedication that I just don't have the time for. I'll keep doing my squats and Bulgarian split squats, hopefully I'll see some results
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Drama happens around this place a lot. For what you are specifically seeking to do, strength training will be beneficial. Doing any kind of strength training while you lose that last bit of weight you have will improve your overall end physique. Whether or not body weight exercises combined with a caloric deficit or maintenance calories will actually "grow" your butt, I'm guessing not. But what strength training does ensure is that the majority of the weight lost is fat, not muscle, which will certainly improve your end result.Wow, thanks everyone for the responses, and I did not mean to cause drama! Haha. I should've been a little more clear. I'm not looking to 'bulk' and I don't have much weight to lose (the 50 lbs I lost was pregnancy weight), I just want the nice butt I used to have! I can't afford a gym, so I can only really do body weight workouts. Now that I know what a recomp really is, it sounds like a lot of dedication that I just don't have the time for. I'll keep doing my squats and Bulgarian split squats, hopefully I'll see some results0 -
If by quick you mean over a full year and by easy you mean being 100 % compliant with my diet, no unplanned cheats or binges, never missing a single workout, giving 100 % in the gym despite feeling awful due to the prolonged deficit then yeah, you're correct. Also I was never thin, not as a child, not as a teenager, and not in my 20's until I committed to my new lifestyle.You look good my man but I'll bet you were always thin and what they call a hard gainer. I am quite the opposite. Training builds muscle and diet shows it.
His body shape does look like he is naturally thin, doesn't it? I wonder if that's part of the reason why he was able to drop the weight so quickly and easily.
Great response, I would not have been able to respond so politely to a post like this.0 -
My biggest complaint is my butt- I lost the weight pretty quickly and its kind of flat and saggy now. I'd like a round butt again...is that possible while eating at a caloric deficit?
Run hills. Run stairs. Squats. Every day.
Even in a deficit, that will at a minimum help you retain what is there. When you get to your goal weight and no longer have to eat at a deficit, re-evaluate.
Here's the thing....a very reliable way to make a butt look nice and round...
....is to shrink everything around it.
You probably don't need to make your butt bigger -- ie, get slim and fit, and THEN see what it is actually necessary.0 -
The thing I find hilarious about all of this is the number of people that think it is as easy to build muscle as it is to lose fat. Building muscle is one of the hardest things you will ever try to do with your body. If you are not doing everything absolutely right, a diet surplus, a training response focused on progressive overload, rest, etc. you are not going to build any appreciable muscle. So to think that one can just haphazardly do it while in a deficit and probably doing tons of cardio is just laughable!
If you think you built muscle while you were in a deficit, I hate to break it to you, all you did was uncover muscle that was already there. Yes if you were an untrained individual to begin with you might have gained a very minute amount of muscle to begin with but it wasn't as much as you think.
Now, to the OP. Yes, as some have already said, it IS possible to recomp. But it is so painfully slow, and everything MUST be in order at all times. You will be able to do traditional cut and bulk cycles far easier and quicker than any recomp.0 -
I think I may have done body recomp to some degree accidentally. I have been trying to lose weight for 10 years or since my adult years...but I have never reached my goal, not even close. But for the past 2 years, I started lifting more seriously and took up on running and other intense workout programs. Now I am still not satisfied with my look, not even close but I noticed that my used-to-be thin top no longer thin but more muscular and my big thighs...they are still big, but less jiggling...over all my weight is still the same but I look more balanced.0
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SO TRUE EVERY WORD OF IT!!!!The thing I find hilarious about all of this is the number of people that think it is as easy to build muscle as it is to lose fat. Building muscle is one of the hardest things you will ever try to do with your body. If you are not doing everything absolutely right, a diet surplus, a training response focused on progressive overload, rest, etc. you are not going to build any appreciable muscle. So to think that one can just haphazardly do it while in a deficit and probably doing tons of cardio is just laughable!
If you think you built muscle while you were in a deficit, I hate to break it to you, all you did was uncover muscle that was already there. Yes if you were an untrained individual to begin with you might have gained a very minute amount of muscle to begin with but it wasn't as much as you think.
Now, to the OP. Yes, as some have already said, it IS possible to recomp. But it is so painfully slow, and everything MUST be in order at all times. You will be able to do traditional cut and bulk cycles far easier and quicker than any recomp.
I assure you that you did not recomp by accident. No one does. It's not easy to do. As the above quote reflects, building muscle is extremely time consuming and difficult process. You can lose 10 lbs of fat in a month and hope to build about 1 lb of muscle in the same time frame. An old bodybuilder saying is the quickest way to look like you gained 5 lbs of muscle is to lose 10 lbs of fat. Losing fat makes you look more muscular because you can actually see the muscles. People never come up to me during my bulks and say "hey you've but on some muscle". They all seem to do it as start getting lean in my cutting phase because the muscle I've built begins to show.I think I may have done body recomp to some degree accidentally. I have been trying to lose weight for 10 years or since my adult years...but I have never reached my goal, not even close. But for the past 2 years, I started lifting more seriously and took up on running and other intense workout programs. Now I am still not satisfied with my look, not even close but I noticed that my used-to-be thin top no longer thin but more muscular and my big thighs...they are still big, but less jiggling...over all my weight is still the same but I look more balanced.0 -
I came to MFP to make weight (8.5 lbs) for competitive kick boxing. It took me a month.
I have a question. I'm quite new to heavy lifting.
I am a competitive kick boxer. I do intense cardio 3xs a week.
I started lifting on my own about 4 months ago with weights that were heavy for me. Not technically "heavy" These were barbells with as much weight as I could lift with decent form. For the last 2 months I've been following "Starting Strength" and lifting slowly, but surely, heavier weight. Total lifting time 6 months.
I have progressively added weight even if slow.
I am faster, more agile and have more endurance kick boxing since starting the heavier weight lifting.
I have gained NO weight as I do not want to leave my kick boxing weight class.
How was I able to lift heavier weights, get faster, more agile and more endurance if I did not add muscle or "recomp" while lifting without the cut/bulk cycle? Losing weight (especially as little as I did) doesn't make you stronger or faster. It only makes you look different.0 -
Muscle coordination, neural adaptation. Lifting heavy things is a learned skill, like anything else.How was I able to lift heavier weights, get faster, more agile and more endurance if I did not add muscle or "recomp" while lifting without the cut/bulk cycle?
No, that's basically completely 100% wrong. If you maintain strength X and lose weight, you *will* in fact get faster. It's basic physics - exerting Y amount of power on two weights will accelerate the lower weight faster. Depending on how "strength" is measured, it will also make you stronger.Losing weight (especially as little as I did) doesn't make you stronger or faster. It only makes you look different.0 -
So you CAN build muscle or "recomp" while maintaining? It just takes longer than the traditional bulk/cut cycle, correct?
Is this the difference between lifting for power VS strength? Low rep vs high rep?
Lifting is rather confusing.0
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