What is the difference between "recomp" and weightlifting?
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Machka9
Posts: 25,149 Member
I am pretty close to my weight goal (<2 kg to go) and have reached that goal through a combination of diet and exercise. My exercise has consisted of a combination of brisk walking, stair climbing, cycling, and relatively light weightlifting 2-3 days a week.
When I reach my goal ... or even starting now, for that matter ... I would like to build my muscular strength so that I can cycle up hills quicker and easier, and so that I can sit on a bicycle for longer periods of time more comfortably. Of course, that will involve lots of cycling ... but I'd like to do more weightlifting too.
Which brings me to my question ... I see the term "recomp" used quite frequently around here and I gather that it involves weightlifting and possibly eating more than I am now, which is an attractive proposition. But what is the difference between "recomp" and just going into my basement and lifting weights (as I am doing now)? Is "recomp" a specific program of exercises ... or just another way of saying "weightlifting" ... or something else?
When I reach my goal ... or even starting now, for that matter ... I would like to build my muscular strength so that I can cycle up hills quicker and easier, and so that I can sit on a bicycle for longer periods of time more comfortably. Of course, that will involve lots of cycling ... but I'd like to do more weightlifting too.
Which brings me to my question ... I see the term "recomp" used quite frequently around here and I gather that it involves weightlifting and possibly eating more than I am now, which is an attractive proposition. But what is the difference between "recomp" and just going into my basement and lifting weights (as I am doing now)? Is "recomp" a specific program of exercises ... or just another way of saying "weightlifting" ... or something else?
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Recomp, as its generally used here, means changing ones body composition while maintaining roughly the same weight. For most people here, that generally involves increasing the lean muscle mass by some sort of progressive overload program while eating more or less at maintenance.0
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^^^^ Spot on.
Recomp (changing your body composition, more muscle and less fat) is the goal, weight lifting is the method to help you attain the goal.
Even your cycling will help to a degree (head for the hills!!) but to build muscle you have to stress your muscles and weight training is the most efficient/quickest way.
"Light weightlifting" - is it actually stressing your muscles? Are you increasing strength and upping the weights?0 -
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That small exchange of muscle for fat. That is recomposition for me
No high calories and bulking. Maintaining calories and targeted lifting to add specific muscle
I had been focusing on hamstrings and glutes to add cycling strength with added muscle.
It has been a bit more dramatic appearance wise than expected. A two pound loss net that is three pounds of muscle over a few months and 6 lbs of fat lost was dramatic.
Recomposition is the best part in my opinion. Where your hips and waist lean out and arms and legs look more lean.
I plan on recomp for the next 6 months. It feels like the reward phase after dieting.
On lifting - Google "negatives for lifting"
A partner can help you do negatives. I like it for that beyond my max lifts that have helped me add muscle.
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Though great for overall fitness, keep your primary goals in mind as you lift or recomp. Biking on the road doesn't take much upper body strength, but works your legs, gluts, and core really hard.
Sometimes a great way to "find" the muscles you don't usually push enough to notice when biking is to use your higher gear sets at lower speeds and/or higher loads (uphill) to make your cadence drop. Then you to apply more torque to the pedals, and some of the more specific muscle groups become apparent.0 -
@Machka9
Disagree - doubling your weights is very impressive.
Remember heavy for you and progression is what's important, don't compare yourself to other people. Everyone has to start somewhere.
(I started with a "Bullworker" in about 1974 so least you are starting with better equipment!)0 -
@Machka9
Disagree - doubling your weights is very impressive.
Remember heavy for you and progression is what's important, don't compare yourself to other people. Everyone has to start somewhere
Disagreeing here too! LOL! Doubling the weight is no small feat so don't go shortchanging yourself! Lifting is hard. Especially when you start working muscles that are weak to begin with. I started out feeling a little disgusted with myself when I realized I have no upper body strength, but I'm working on it and getting better.
Sounds like you're doing great!
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Thanks for the encouragement.
By doubling the weight ... I went from bench pressing the bar with nothing on it, decided after a couple weeks that I could probably do a bit more, so I added 1 kg weights to either side (bar + 2 kg), and then after about three weeks, decided that was probably a bit light, so I put on 2 kg weights to either side (bar + 4 kg).
And as for the bicep curls ... I've gone from 2.5 kg weights to 5 kg.
But I don't seem to be able to increase anything else past 2.5 kg yet.
Anyway, I find I need the upper body and core strength to help me up the hills and over long distances on the bicycle. I've done fairly strenuous weights workouts over the winters in the past (like 10 years, and more, ago), and that made quite a difference to my comfort on the bicycle. I'm able to sit with better posture and don't become as fatigued.
I am female, so it's not as though I'm going to really bulk up too much. I'd just like the strength ... and there's a little bit of vanity going on too ... I'd like to be able to wear sleeveless tops and have my arms look decent.
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Anyway, I find I need the upper body and core strength to help me up the hills and over long distances on the bicycle. I've done fairly strenuous weights workouts over the winters in the past (like 10 years, and more, ago), and that made quite a difference to my comfort on the bicycle. I'm able to sit with better posture and don't become as fatigued.
I am female, so it's not as though I'm going to really bulk up too much. I'd just like the strength ... and there's a little bit of vanity going on too ... I'd like to be able to wear sleeveless tops and have my arms look decent.
For years, my purpose for lifting was to increase my upper body strength for yoga and swimming, but now after reading these boards I am interested in the whole recomp thing as well.
In April, I had some...not sure what you call it...dimpled skin (?) under my arms which is now gone, but I don't know if it vanished over the summer while I was swimming or since I started working out again in October.
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Recomp (changing your body composition, more muscle and less fat) is the goal, weight lifting is the method to help you attain the goal.
BTW - this and hill8570's posts did help clarify things. That's actually a relief to know that it is basically weightlifting, or building muscle in some way.
I had done a google search and got this: http://recomp.com.au/ ... and started to think that recomp was one of these programs you have to sign up for, and pay money for, etc. Plus I actually find that site a little bit intimidating.
I have lost the weight simply using MFP and CI<CO ... and I'd like to build muscle with my own equipment (my husband has set up a small gym for me, plus the bicycles, of course) and a relatively basic program.
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Thanks for the encouragement.
By doubling the weight ... I went from bench pressing the bar with nothing on it, decided after a couple weeks that I could probably do a bit more, so I added 1 kg weights to either side (bar + 2 kg), and then after about three weeks, decided that was probably a bit light, so I put on 2 kg weights to either side (bar + 4 kg).
And as for the bicep curls ... I've gone from 2.5 kg weights to 5 kg.
But I don't seem to be able to increase anything else past 2.5 kg yet.
Anyway, I find I need the upper body and core strength to help me up the hills and over long distances on the bicycle. I've done fairly strenuous weights workouts over the winters in the past (like 10 years, and more, ago), and that made quite a difference to my comfort on the bicycle. I'm able to sit with better posture and don't become as fatigued.
I am female, so it's not as though I'm going to really bulk up too much. I'd just like the strength ... and there's a little bit of vanity going on too ... I'd like to be able to wear sleeveless tops and have my arms look decent.
Curls are not something that you are going to see as big an increase on as you will on bench press. Curls work the biceps, so they are an isolation exercise. Bench press work several muscles at once and are a compound exercise. More muscles working = more potential to lift more weight. I'm not saying not to do curls or add weight when you can, but just keep in mind that your progress will be different for the different exercises.0 -
Congrats on your progress. My suggestion would be to pick a strength program and follow it. SL 5x5 is often recommended on MFP. I'm a fan of Allpro's. They both incorporate compound lifts and provide a structured, progressive program. Helps you determine when to add more weight.
On a size note, when tracking how much you are lifting you should include the weight of the bar. If it's an olympic bar it should be 20kg (45 lbs). Best of luck.0 -
I tend to view "recomp" as a bi-product of getting your fitness on and eating well...it's a bi-product of good livin'. If you're eating at or around maintenance and crushing your fitness and rocking your nutrition, over time, your body changes favorably...recomp.
I would suggest doing a structured program in the weight room.0 -
and dont forget also...if you can fully complete each set without too much difficulty its time to add weight! you know its right when you struggle to get to the end of each set but do actually complete it. If you add weight and cant complete the set - consider going back to the old weight and upping the reps by 50% - when you can comfortably do that - try the higher weight again.
Most importantly - keep on going!!0 -
Thanks for the encouragement.
By doubling the weight ... I went from bench pressing the bar with nothing on it, decided after a couple weeks that I could probably do a bit more, so I added 1 kg weights to either side (bar + 2 kg), and then after about three weeks, decided that was probably a bit light, so I put on 2 kg weights to either side (bar + 4 kg).
And as for the bicep curls ... I've gone from 2.5 kg weights to 5 kg.
But I don't seem to be able to increase anything else past 2.5 kg yet.
Anyway, I find I need the upper body and core strength to help me up the hills and over long distances on the bicycle. I've done fairly strenuous weights workouts over the winters in the past (like 10 years, and more, ago), and that made quite a difference to my comfort on the bicycle. I'm able to sit with better posture and don't become as fatigued.
I am female, so it's not as though I'm going to really bulk up too much. I'd just like the strength ... and there's a little bit of vanity going on too ... I'd like to be able to wear sleeveless tops and have my arms look decent.
Still great gains... we all start somewhere regardless of what muscles we are trying to build. And in hindsight, my assumptions on upper body strength and biking were obviously just that, being I have no idea where your strong and weaker areas might be. My apologies.
And personally though it is almost always spoken of here on these forums in terms of more weight lifting, I view any type of "recomp" as simply changing your body based on either what you want to do or what you actually do. If you took a thin runner type, that might mean the transition to more strength training. Or it might mean a heavy lifter getting on a bike more. With conditioning and the right diet, people lose in certain areas and gain strength where they either train for it, or with the muscle groups they use more often.0 -
robertw486 wrote: »Thanks for the encouragement.
By doubling the weight ... I went from bench pressing the bar with nothing on it, decided after a couple weeks that I could probably do a bit more, so I added 1 kg weights to either side (bar + 2 kg), and then after about three weeks, decided that was probably a bit light, so I put on 2 kg weights to either side (bar + 4 kg).
And as for the bicep curls ... I've gone from 2.5 kg weights to 5 kg.
But I don't seem to be able to increase anything else past 2.5 kg yet.
Anyway, I find I need the upper body and core strength to help me up the hills and over long distances on the bicycle. I've done fairly strenuous weights workouts over the winters in the past (like 10 years, and more, ago), and that made quite a difference to my comfort on the bicycle. I'm able to sit with better posture and don't become as fatigued.
I am female, so it's not as though I'm going to really bulk up too much. I'd just like the strength ... and there's a little bit of vanity going on too ... I'd like to be able to wear sleeveless tops and have my arms look decent.
Still great gains... we all start somewhere regardless of what muscles we are trying to build. And in hindsight, my assumptions on upper body strength and biking were obviously just that, being I have no idea where your strong and weaker areas might be. My apologies.
And personally though it is almost always spoken of here on these forums in terms of more weight lifting, I view any type of "recomp" as simply changing your body based on either what you want to do or what you actually do. If you took a thin runner type, that might mean the transition to more strength training. Or it might mean a heavy lifter getting on a bike more. With conditioning and the right diet, people lose in certain areas and gain strength where they either train for it, or with the muscle groups they use more often.
Thanks ... that's kind of what I was hoping. Next up, I think I need to find a bit more structure when it comes to the weightlifting part ... and a bit more regularity when it comes to cycling.
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robertw486 wrote: »Thanks for the encouragement.
By doubling the weight ... I went from bench pressing the bar with nothing on it, decided after a couple weeks that I could probably do a bit more, so I added 1 kg weights to either side (bar + 2 kg), and then after about three weeks, decided that was probably a bit light, so I put on 2 kg weights to either side (bar + 4 kg).
And as for the bicep curls ... I've gone from 2.5 kg weights to 5 kg.
But I don't seem to be able to increase anything else past 2.5 kg yet.
Anyway, I find I need the upper body and core strength to help me up the hills and over long distances on the bicycle. I've done fairly strenuous weights workouts over the winters in the past (like 10 years, and more, ago), and that made quite a difference to my comfort on the bicycle. I'm able to sit with better posture and don't become as fatigued.
I am female, so it's not as though I'm going to really bulk up too much. I'd just like the strength ... and there's a little bit of vanity going on too ... I'd like to be able to wear sleeveless tops and have my arms look decent.
Still great gains... we all start somewhere regardless of what muscles we are trying to build. And in hindsight, my assumptions on upper body strength and biking were obviously just that, being I have no idea where your strong and weaker areas might be. My apologies.
And personally though it is almost always spoken of here on these forums in terms of more weight lifting, I view any type of "recomp" as simply changing your body based on either what you want to do or what you actually do. If you took a thin runner type, that might mean the transition to more strength training. Or it might mean a heavy lifter getting on a bike more. With conditioning and the right diet, people lose in certain areas and gain strength where they either train for it, or with the muscle groups they use more often.
Thanks ... that's kind of what I was hoping. Next up, I think I need to find a bit more structure when it comes to the weightlifting part ... and a bit more regularity when it comes to cycling.
We can all build up in areas that work for the stuff we like. There are some good sources for info on transitioning specific types of weight training to help build biking muscles. And I've personally found that the right types of indoor cardio help me on the bike as well.
As for the regular cycling, I don't think anything is as good as the real thing, but with the right structure you can do other things that keep you more ready for the times you can get out on the roads.0
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