Cardio, Strength Training & Diet Q's
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ceembeee
Posts: 26 Member
Hi! I've posted here before & got some great advice so I'm going to post again because I am at a confusing point in my journey. I am female, 5'5 and 137 lbs. I started my journey in January at 155 ish lbs with a goal weight of 135 ish. For the first couple months, I did a little cardio and ate like a bird and lost 10 lbs. obviously that wasn't healthy or sustainable so I plateaued, came to MFP and got great advice and began eating more, working out more and losing at a healthy slow pace of a half lb a week. So here is where I need advice: I'm 2 lbs from my goal weight, which I don't care about the number so much as what I look and feel like, so I'm beginning my transition to body recomposition. For the past few months I focused almost completely on cardio, to the point of going overboard burning 700-1000 cals just so I could eat more and not touching any weights. My goal now is to lose a bit more fat, but build muscle for a lean and toned body. I was born with a flat butt and I've seen amazing butt transformations and I want in, so I am doing my squats, but I am just kind of lost and without a plan in the weight room. Is it even possible for me to build my muscles if I'm still at a very slight calorie deficit to lose the last stubborn bits of fat? Should I continue to focus on weight loss until I have lost all the fat I want to lose, or can I continue to slowly lose while working on my muscles? Where do I start? Right now I'm just doing weighted squats, lunges, crunches and some free weights. Any advice is appreciated, and sorry for the novel I just didn't know what info would be helpful.
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Replies
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First, you need to figure out what your goal is. You have three options:
1. continue cutting until you lose the last two pounds. You can either switch to .5 pund per week loss, or keep your current deficit.
2. Do a recomp. This is where you eat at maintenance level calories and strength train with the goal of building some muscle and losing fat over X amount of time. However, my understand of this is that it can be a slow process.
3. You can run a few bulk/cut cycles. Where you add muscle and some fat, and then cut it down. Issue many have with bulking is that is a mind F, because you will gain fat, no way around that one.
Once you figure out which of the above you want to do you then need to get on a structured lifting program. Does your current program have you doing compound movements like deadlifts, squats, barbell bench press, overhead press, etc? I would recommend looking into starting strength, new rules of lifting for woman, or strong lifts. Or you can look into Strong Curves if you just want to build dat *kitten*
do you know what your current body fat % is?
how long have you been lifting for?0 -
My suggestion would be to eat at your maintenance calories, rather than a deficit, if you are going to continue cardio and start weight training. You're so close being 2 pounds away...just stay active and be patient. You will get the results you are looking for over time. It's taken me nearly 4 years of cardio and 1 year of weight training to achieve the look I've been shooting for.
Congratulations on your success so far and keep up the good work!!!0 -
First, you need to figure out what your goal is. You have three options:
1. continue cutting until you lose the last two pounds. You can either switch to .5 pund per week loss, or keep your current deficit.
2. Do a recomp. This is where you eat at maintenance level calories and strength train with the goal of building some muscle and losing fat over X amount of time. However, my understand of this is that it can be a slow process.
3. You can run a few bulk/cut cycles. Where you add muscle and some fat, and then cut it down. Issue many have with bulking is that is a mind F, because you will gain fat, no way around that one.
Once you figure out which of the above you want to do you then need to get on a structured lifting program. Does your current program have you doing compound movements like deadlifts, squats, barbell bench press, overhead press, etc? I would recommend looking into starting strength, new rules of lifting for woman, or strong lifts. Or you can look into Strong Curves if you just want to build dat *kitten*
do you know what your current body fat % is?
how long have you been lifting for?
^^^ This is great advice. I’m also about 2.5lbs away from my goal weight. What I really want to do is bulk, but my bf% estimate is still so darn high (around 23-25%, just based on various calculators). A recomp is always a good safe option while you figure out what’s what.
One thing I would encourage you to do is get back into weight training even if you choose option (1) above. I’ve been lifting in a deficit for about 3 months and still find it very enjoyable. I barely do any cardio these days.0 -
you can recomp at a minor deficit, but it will slow strength gains somewhat. this probably won't matter during the noob strength phase, when gains are easy and quick. it will become much more noticeable later when you hit your first strength plateau.
best advice is to look for a lifting program and start following it. StrongLifts, NROLFW, and Starting Strength are good places to start your search.0 -
First, you need to figure out what your goal is. You have three options:
1. continue cutting until you lose the last two pounds. You can either switch to .5 pund per week loss, or keep your current deficit.
2. Do a recomp. This is where you eat at maintenance level calories and strength train with the goal of building some muscle and losing fat over X amount of time. However, my understand of this is that it can be a slow process.
3. You can run a few bulk/cut cycles. Where you add muscle and some fat, and then cut it down. Issue many have with bulking is that is a mind F, because you will gain fat, no way around that one.
Once you figure out which of the above you want to do you then need to get on a structured lifting program. Does your current program have you doing compound movements like deadlifts, squats, barbell bench press, overhead press, etc? I would recommend looking into starting strength, new rules of lifting for woman, or strong lifts. Or you can look into Strong Curves if you just want to build dat *kitten*
do you know what your current body fat % is?
how long have you been lifting for?
Thank you so much!! To answer your questions, I last checked my body fat about 5 lbs ago and I was at 22%.
I have been lifting for maybe a month, a few times a week..but pretty minimally, the only thing I have been going hard on is the squats, which I do 50 slow and low squats with a 50 lb barbell and then 40 lb weighted lunges about 50 of those. I am def gonna look into strong curves cause I am all about the booty!!!!0 -
First, you need to figure out what your goal is. You have three options:
1. continue cutting until you lose the last two pounds. You can either switch to .5 pund per week loss, or keep your current deficit.
2. Do a recomp. This is where you eat at maintenance level calories and strength train with the goal of building some muscle and losing fat over X amount of time. However, my understand of this is that it can be a slow process.
3. You can run a few bulk/cut cycles. Where you add muscle and some fat, and then cut it down. Issue many have with bulking is that is a mind F, because you will gain fat, no way around that one.
Once you figure out which of the above you want to do you then need to get on a structured lifting program. Does your current program have you doing compound movements like deadlifts, squats, barbell bench press, overhead press, etc? I would recommend looking into starting strength, new rules of lifting for woman, or strong lifts. Or you can look into Strong Curves if you just want to build dat *kitten*
do you know what your current body fat % is?
how long have you been lifting for?
Thank you so much!! To answer your questions, I last checked my body fat about 5 lbs ago and I was at 22%.
I have been lifting for maybe a month, a few times a week..but pretty minimally, the only thing I have been going hard on is the squats, which I do 50 slow and low squats with a 50 lb barbell and then 40 lb weighted lunges about 50 of those. I am def gonna look into strong curves cause I am all about the booty!!!!
I would suggest finding a structured program and running that for six months.
what are you using to measure body fat %?0 -
Brett Contreras is kind of king of the butt transformation. Check his page.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bret-Contreras-Fitness-Page/196219527140228?fref=ts
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i suggest either Strong Curves or New Rules of Lifting for Women.0
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