doing stronglifts and becoming less muscley

yirara

Maybe someone has an idea? I started Stronglifts 5x5 properly some 4 weeks ago. Since then I seem to be losing muscles. At least my *kitten* is less round and the side of my thighs are showing again. My belly isn't as flat anymore as it used to be.

Maybe the problem is that I cannot do Stronglifts as often as it's recommended? I can do it twice a week as my regeneration time seems to be quite long. If I try 3 times then the weights I can move go down drastically and I'm tired all week. Plus I only have a rather poor quality housing community gym without trainer and I don't have a spotter. I don't dare using seriously heavy weights, at least not for bench presses.

I'm eating at nearly maintenance now and manage about 60-80 grams of protein per day. I'm 66kg/169cm. When I was still doing weight based HIIT exercises I looked more muscley than now. But due to some health problems, and a doctor's appointment only in December I don't dare to do them now.

212019156

I don't know, but 4 weeks of an exercise program is not going to have that noticeable of an impact. Its sounds like you are gaining fat or retaining water which can be noticeable in that time frame. I suspect you may be eating more than you think.

yirara

I don't know, but 4 weeks of an exercise program is not going to have that noticeable of an impact. Its sounds like you are gaining fat or retaining water which can be noticeable in that time frame. I suspect you may be eating more than you think.

No, I'm logging meticulously in grams, including the cream in my tea (if I had any).
Ok, I think I should be clearer: I stopped doing the HIIT type exercise when I got sick. After kind of recovering I did slow kettlebell workouts and a few slow bodyweight exercises. Since I stopped with those to do Stronglifts my backside is getting saggy

SideSteel

What has your body-weight done in the past 6-8 weeks?

yirara

Going down first, then stabilizing when I increased food intake. Maybe it's just a combination of everything *shrugs* I took some photos today for the fat estimation thread. I'm still not happy with my legs (they look much more terrible on photos than what I see in the mirror but I'm happy with pretty much everything else. Just my backside should be less saggy.

heybales

I don't know, but 4 weeks of an exercise program is not going to have that noticeable of an impact. Its sounds like you are gaining fat or retaining water which can be noticeable in that time frame. I suspect you may be eating more than you think.

No, I'm logging meticulously in grams, including the cream in my tea (if I had any).
Ok, I think I should be clearer: I stopped doing the HIIT type exercise when I got sick. After kind of recovering I did slow kettlebell workouts and a few slow bodyweight exercises. Since I stopped with those to do Stronglifts my backside is getting saggy

Did you properly adjust eating levels when your activity level changed, like fast?

Because if you dropped say an average of 250 cal of exercise burn a day, but kept the same eating level, that's 1 lb gain of fat in 2 weeks.
And I've observed through many winters of getting sick earlier on doing exactly that, your actual weight can remain the same, as your muscles shrink from less glycogen stores, blood volume goes down for being less active, ect. And clothes can feel the same for a long while, until the fat is put on in just the right place to be noticeable.
Many spots measured might pick that up faster.

And are you still at the level in the SL program that your bar weight is still increasing and it's easy for you? Or the comment about must space it out more means your are sore for too many days after because it is a good heavy workout already?

MrGonzo05

I can do it twice a week as my regeneration time seems to be quite long. If I try 3 times then the weights I can move go down drastically and I'm tired all week. Plus I only have a rather poor quality housing community gym without trainer and I don't have a spotter. I don't dare using seriously heavy weights, at least not for bench presses.

You aren't doing Stronglifts.

_errata_

I can do it twice a week as my regeneration time seems to be quite long. If I try 3 times then the weights I can move go down drastically and I'm tired all week. Plus I only have a rather poor quality housing community gym without trainer and I don't have a spotter. I don't dare using seriously heavy weights, at least not for bench presses.

You aren't doing Stronglifts.

Or the OP isn't eating enough? That could be killing her gains and killing her workouts.

Sarauk2sf

Going down first, then stabilizing when I increased food intake. Maybe it's just a combination of everything *shrugs* I took some photos today for the fat estimation thread. I'm still not happy with my legs (they look much more terrible on photos than what I see in the mirror but I'm happy with pretty much everything else. Just my backside should be less saggy.

Could you lay our what your weight has done weekly over the 6 - 8 weeks?

yirara

Ok, went on the scale again (battery was empty the last few days) and lost weight again, 800 grams in 3 days, which statistically is quite a bit above my normal fluctuation even when I just stopped having my period (which I don't). Time to make a doctors appointment I guess. Have to wait until next week Sunday though as the only clinic who has the department I should probably visit is closed this week apart from emergencies - and specialists aren't in anyway . My weight was hovering between minor loss and stable the last few weeks, and I was happy with how I looked (apart from my thighs, but there's nothing I can do about it) so I decided after a lot of consideration that it's time for maintenance.