Losing my favorite asset....

Ya can't spot reduce or spot gain. Shake that groove thang.

rosebarnalice wrote: »

Ya can't spot reduce or spot gain. Shake that groove thang.

You can spot gain, but not really in a deficit.

There's always your personality.

walk uphill. squat. do lunges. ride horses.

Squats. Different kinds of them, not just one kind (in other words, with your feet/legs in various (safe) positions. Also you may find Bret Contreras a good resource. He is "the glute guy."

rosebarnalice wrote: »

Ya can't spot reduce or spot gain. Shake that groove thang.

You can definitely spot gain by building muscle (I have a bigger butt and smaller waist now - which wouldn't be possible unless I'd lost fat overall and gained muscle in a specific area). To gain muscle on your butt you'll need:

1. Calorie surplus;
2. Adequate protein (2xbody weight in kgs is ballpark);
3. Strength training - progressive overload; and
4. Exercises that directly target your glutes in multiple planes and with varying rep ranges, 3-4 times a week.

I also recommend Bret Contreras as a source of information/programming - I did Strong Curves for 12 weeks and it's the best my butt has ever looked.

Wish it was that easy. Plastic surgery is probably your best bet.

Rebecca_MT wrote: »

Thanks everyone! I just bought the book on my phone. I was expecting it to be dry but I'm surprisingly sucked in lol. I'll probably read it through while still trying to slim down (fat) and then start trying to build back up with muscle.

That was the path I took. I lost until I was lean enough to bulk. My big butt got pretty flat. Once I started doing a lot of the lifts in the Strong Curves book in a surplus I gained 3 inches back and now I'm cutting again to see if any of it is muscle. It's a process. And I guess I'm not building my dream butt in one bulk and cut cycle lol.

Rebecca_MT wrote: »

@arditarose
Thats honestly what scares me about bulking! (If anyone can shine light on this that'd be great) When I gain weight it is mainly in my thighs and its predominantly fat, which is what im trying to lose. I'm nervous that if I "bulk" it'll be counter productive to what I'm currently trying to achieve with my calorie deficit (less body fat).

When you bulk you need to have a heavy lifting program with a progressive overload set up. You should probably not do it as a beginner lifter. You can see changes by lifting in maintenance and trying a body recomp if that's the case.

When you're bulking you are lifting heavy in a surplus so you will gain some muscle, as well as fat. Of course it's counter productive to what you're doing at the moment. Because you want to lose fat. But once you lose the fat and you're lean enough (not more than 22% body fat), and you want to gain muscle/change your physique...you make a decision between a bulk or a recomp.

Rebecca_MT wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

Rebecca_MT wrote: »

@arditarose
Thats honestly what scares me about bulking! (If anyone can shine light on this that'd be great) When I gain weight it is mainly in my thighs and its predominantly fat, which is what im trying to lose. I'm nervous that if I "bulk" it'll be counter productive to what I'm currently trying to achieve with my calorie deficit (less body fat).

When you bulk you need to have a heavy lifting program with a progressive overload set up. You should probably not do it as a beginner lifter. You can see changes by lifting in maintenance and trying a body recomp if that's the case.

When you're bulking you are lifting heavy in a surplus so you will gain some muscle, as well as fat. Of course it's counter productive to what you're doing at the moment. Because you want to lose fat. But once you lose the fat and you're lean enough (not more than 22% body fat), and you want to gain muscle/change your physique...you make a decision between a bulk or a recomp.

Thank you for explaining! I've heard of a "lean bulk" would this be a better option since I've never done any serious lifting? I had a trainer but with my school schedule it was too much so I know basic moves but I feel like I would look silly walking into the weight section of the gym as I have always stuck with cardio!

I think your best bet is to get on a lifting program NOW. First of all, it's going to help you maintain muscle mass/lose less muscle at the moment (we lose muscle along with fat unfortunately), and you'll have a better baseline once you're at goal weight. Second, you'll have more time practicing the lifts and be a little more experienced for when you start upping your calories. Programs that are tried and true: Strong Lifts 5x5, New Rules of Lifting for Women, Strong Curves (this is the booty program, you can start it now), All Pros Beginner Routine, Starting Strength.

I think the best option would be to start one of these, get to your desired body fat %, and then decide what to do. Honestly you might want to lift in maintenance for a bit before a bulk.

A lean bulk is just a 250 calorie surplus. A half pound per week gain. That's what I did...though a little fast because it was during the holidays. I definitely got chubby but after 3-4 weeks of cutting I feel relatively lean again.

Rebecca_MT wrote: »

@arditarose
Thank you so much for all the information! I'll probably start the Strong Curves program in the next couple days and get in the gym to start lifting. I'll eat at my maintenance calories as well.

Awesome! Great program. Love Bret Contreras.