Body recomposition help??

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annabeladcock
annabeladcock Posts: 99
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I'm still at a loss as exactly what body recomp is and how it's done?! I see these people who go from being overweight or "skinny-fat" to thin AND muscular. How do they do this? I don't know if I should go the weight loss, muscle gain or body recomp route and it's really frustrating me because I just end up not going anywhere. I'm 18, 5"2, 134lbs and look similar to this http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RTpFo5lw02g/UE3ALfGXpVI/AAAAAAAAB_0/DW9LheC2q0w/s320/skinnyfat.jpg but with slightly larger thighs and smaller stomach.

Help me!! What do I do? I'm going on holiday in 4 weeks and also I have 3 months in summer to really get this down!

Replies

  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
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    body recomps are tough, ive never done one myself but from my understanding you need to be ridiculously strict with your food intake in terms of hitting the sweet spot of enough calories to build muscle but low enough to burn fat, plus intense workouts and high protein intake, and they take a lonnngg time. your better option would be short bulk/cut cycles to build muscle with as little fat possible, then burning fat, then building muscle with as little fat possible....
  • RavenLibra
    RavenLibra Posts: 1,737 Member
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    I think that IF you hit the weights, you would be perfectly fine.. look into 5X5. an easy beginner strength building program... If you don't have access to a gym... go the DVD route... a body worth having... requires work period... think sweat equity... if you are starting from zero... invest in a couple of 10 lb (4.5kg) dumbbells and search the web for routines and lifts that will benefit you the most...

    FIT does NOT just happen... it will take you a lifetime to create and maintain... BUT that discipline will serve you well your entire life... GOOD Luck!!!
  • annabeladcock
    annabeladcock Posts: 99
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    body recomps are tough, ive never done one myself but from my understanding you need to be ridiculously strict with your food intake in terms of hitting the sweet spot of enough calories to build muscle but low enough to burn fat, plus intense workouts and high protein intake, and they take a lonnngg time. your better option would be short bulk/cut cycles to build muscle with as little fat possible, then burning fat, then building muscle with as little fat possible....

    Does anyone have a good cut/bulk cycle they could suggest to me? Like how many calories should I eat, workout compositions etc?
  • wanttobebaking
    wanttobebaking Posts: 4 Member
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    Check out a calculator on a website for macros. like macrofit or iifym. This will give you a good starting point. You can tweak it as you track your progress once you see if you are eating too little or too much. For recomp you basincally want to be close to maintenance in order to fuel muscle growth, but keep your body lean. It is a long process. I was able to go from 15% BF to 12% BF over the course of 6 months while slowly increasing muscle mass (I remained the same weight in the end). If you are focusing on body recomp also know that your focus will be less on the number on the scale and more on BF%. You will need a reliable test done throughout to measure progress and help you know how to tweak your food intake.
  • laurenawolf
    laurenawolf Posts: 262 Member
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    Go to iifym.com
    Figure out your TDEE
    Subtract 20% from that to get a reasonable cutting deficit.
    If you want to bulk, add 20% to your TDEE.
    Stay at TDEE if you want to maintain your weight.
    Go to the gym and lift heavy weights.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    If you are newer to strength training body recomp can be a an effective way to gain muscle and lose fat. For those that have been lifting for a while it is much easier to do rounds of bulks and cuts until you get the look you want to achieve.

    I would suggest at your height an weight that you focus on a heavy lifting strength training program while having a 0.5lb/week weight loss goal, or if you follow TDEE go with TDEE-10 to 15%. Focus on getting enough protein (100+ grams/day) and enough fat (0.4 grams/lb) and fill in the rest of your calories how you like, either more fat and protein along with carbs or just carbs.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Personally, I would focus on cutting bodyfat first. Incorporate a heavy weightlifting routine like Starting Strenght or New Rules of Lifting for Women. Eat at a modest deficit and set your macros accordingly.

    Here is a link that will help you figure calorie and macro goals.
    (you could also check out this group this post is in).

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    I wouldn't go for a bulk/cut cycle at this point.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Go to iifym.com
    Figure out your TDEE
    Subtract 20% from that to get a reasonable cutting deficit.
    If you want to bulk, add 20% to your TDEE.
    Stay at TDEE if you want to maintain your weight.
    Go to the gym and lift heavy weights.

    Looking at a recomp I would suggest a 15% reduction from TDEE at the most.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Options
    Go to iifym.com
    Figure out your TDEE
    Subtract 20% from that to get a reasonable cutting deficit.
    If you want to bulk, add 20% to your TDEE.
    Stay at TDEE if you want to maintain your weight.
    Go to the gym and lift heavy weights.

    Looking at a recomp I would suggest a 15% reduction from TDEE at the most.

    I agree.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    Go to iifym.com
    Figure out your TDEE
    Subtract 20% from that to get a reasonable cutting deficit.
    If you want to bulk, add 20% to your TDEE.
    Stay at TDEE if you want to maintain your weight.
    Go to the gym and lift heavy weights.

    Looking at a recomp I would suggest a 15% reduction from TDEE at the most.

    I agree.

    Ditto. That's basically what I'm doing right now. It's painfully slow weight loss, but the physical changes are undeniable.
  • husseycd
    husseycd Posts: 814 Member
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    I pretty much did a body recomp this past winter ( I did gain 3 lbs, which I've now lost). Lift heavy weights and eat at maintenance. It's slow, but that's all there is to it as far as I'm aware. Below is the progress I made. It's definitely subtle. BTW, ignore the "standing on toilet" part. I've been taking pictures that way for years, never thinking I'd post them publicly. :blushing:

    August 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]

    Overall
    OneyearcomparsionMay2013-2013.jpg
  • thatpixichick
    thatpixichick Posts: 77 Member
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    body recomps are tough, ive never done one myself but from my understanding you need to be ridiculously strict with your food intake in terms of hitting the sweet spot of enough calories to build muscle but low enough to burn fat, plus intense workouts and high protein intake, and they take a lonnngg time. your better option would be short bulk/cut cycles to build muscle with as little fat possible, then burning fat, then building muscle with as little fat possible....

    I do this :smile: It fits into life easier and personally, I hate the stress and restriction of counting macros!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    body recomps are tough, ive never done one myself but from my understanding you need to be ridiculously strict with your food intake in terms of hitting the sweet spot of enough calories to build muscle but low enough to burn fat, plus intense workouts and high protein intake, and they take a lonnngg time. your better option would be short bulk/cut cycles to build muscle with as little fat possible, then burning fat, then building muscle with as little fat possible....

    I do this :smile: It fits into life easier and personally, I hate the stress and restriction of counting macros!

    As someone newish to lifting she should be able to build some muscle while in a deficit, so why not take advantage of the Noob gains while cutting fat.
  • annabeladcock
    annabeladcock Posts: 99
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    I've put some more pictures up on my profile so you can all get an idea of where I'm starting from. I do already do some weight training so I'm not sure noob gains will apply unfortunately...
  • dmenchac
    dmenchac Posts: 447 Member
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    In short:
    If you would like to cut for a bit more, you can lift heavy and gain some muscle through noob gains. After cutting:

    Eat 200-400 above your TDEE as you're only looking to gain about 2-3 lbs a month. If you gain more, the majority will be fat.

    Hit your macros, get plenty of protein and fat. Fill the rest with carbs.

    LIFT WEIGHTS. LIFT WEIGHTS. LIFT WEIGHTS.

    If you see yourself getting a little chubby or think you have had enough bulking, cut TDEE -20 until you are happy with what you see.

    LIFT WHILE CUTTING.

    I suggest Ice Cream Fitness 5x5 routine if you are new to lifting.
  • husseycd
    husseycd Posts: 814 Member
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    I've put some more pictures up on my profile so you can all get an idea of where I'm starting from. I do already do some weight training so I'm not sure noob gains will apply unfortunately...

    How long have you been lifting? And what program have you been following?
  • annabeladcock
    annabeladcock Posts: 99
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    How long have you been lifting? And what program have you been following?

    I don't follow a specific program, and I don't really mean serious lifting, but I do weight training incorporated into my circuit routine at the gym. For arms I do shoulder press, bicep curls, tricep dips etc etc. For legs I do weighted lunges, weighted squats, the leg machines and leg press!! I can leg press 100kg for several reps... (I think, I forget! Could be more or less, I never remember). So by weight lifting I mean more weight machines, a couple of free weights, and circuit training using my body weight (squats, pushups etc)

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