Gaining Muscle

24

Replies

  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    I have been successful in gaining 6lbs of muscle. I started at 110lbs and now I am currently 116lbs!

    I'm wondering if I go back to a calorie deficiency in order to lower my body fat percentage can I still gain muscle? If so, any tips? I lift heavy at least 3-4x a week and 1 day of intense cardio.

    Thanks!

    Muscle is always gained with fat. You have to eat more in order to obtain muscle and with that comes some amount of fat gain. Most people suggest taking body measurements and keeping track of BF% throughout your bulk and then cutting or switching to maintenance + cardio once you hit a certain %. That way you can do a slow cut and hold as much muscle as possible while decreasing the fat %.
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    I'm at 21% body fat right now and have baby abs. I'm 5'3, 135lbs. It's possible that at your size (5', 116, which is very small), you don't have the muscularity to really see muscle definition.

    If this is the case, eating at a deficit isn't going to reveal muscles that you haven't built. It's possible to gain 6lbs of muscle in a year; I put on 10. I think you need to continue what your doing, continue to build muscle, and then cut.

    Thank you! I lift heavy and have went up in weight over the past year. It just seems that no matter how much I lift my muscles are staying the same. I have hit a tough spot.. I also use the correct supplements.... Protein and BICAAs

    I'm 4' 11" and 113-115 lbs. so I know the struggle. I started at 98 lbs. and over the course of 3 years put on more weight. It's all about staying consistent and eating enough (which I still struggle with sometimes). Your muscles are growing, they are building, but the process takes a ton of time. I always thought I would be a freaking bikini pro after three years and here I am still struggling to get abs (which I basically gave up on because I'd rather be stronger and have definition than be cut and lose that strength).
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
    Btw, here's proof that I dropped the fat and gained muscle... it's been a year.. I'm positive it was a mostly (not all) muscle gain

    Great progress! I'd just keep on doing what your doing and have patience unless you have a goal to compete at bodybuilding or something. It looks like you are on the right track to me.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,879 Member
    It has taken a whole year to gain the 6 lbs ladies, so thanks but my trainer does keep track my measurements. It's not mostly fat.. especially since it's my stomach that has gotten flatter.. I have abs now. The gains have mostly been lower body with a little upper body.

    so how much fat do you now want to lose?

    I would like to get down to 10-15% body fat to see definition in my muscles. Right now I'm a fit thick chick. I'm 5 even, and I weigh 116lbs.. most of that is my lower body..

    I know a couple of lady physique competitors and they're only that lean right before the stage...they don't walk around at 10-15%...that's way too low for walking around %. Their walking around % is around 18-20%.
    I'm at 21% body fat right now and have baby abs. I'm 5'3, 135lbs. It's possible that at your size (5', 116, which is very small), you don't have the muscularity to really see muscle definition.

    If this is the case, eating at a deficit isn't going to reveal muscles that you haven't built. It's possible to gain 6lbs of muscle in a year; I put on 10. I think you need to continue what your doing, continue to build muscle, and then cut.

    Thank you! I lift heavy and have went up in weight over the past year. It just seems that no matter how much I lift my muscles are staying the same. I have hit a tough spot.. I also use the correct supplements.... Protein and BCAAs

    You've put on 6 Lbs over a year which would suggest that you have a very tiny surplus (like basically 250 calories per month)...closer to a re-comp than a bulk. You're not putting on mass because you're not eating enough to support putting on mass or at least putting on mass at an efficient rate if that's your goal...

    Nothing wrong with what you're doing at all, but that's what's going on...
  • e123b123
    e123b123 Posts: 27 Member
    I put on a nice amount of muscle, but when i started cutting, it was getting tuff to even lift the same weight i used to.

    Its extremely tuff to gain muscle and lose body fat at the same time.

    So my answer would be No.
  • rachelfetterley
    rachelfetterley Posts: 19 Member
    Your progress looks great---did you increase your calories over time continuously while bulking?
  • destinykeith22
    destinykeith22 Posts: 17 Member
    Your progress looks great---did you increase your calories over time continuously while bulking?

    I did not, should I? Would that help?
  • Fitness01_
    Fitness01_ Posts: 16 Member
    Your progress is amazing!
  • WorkerDrone83
    WorkerDrone83 Posts: 3,195 Member
    You're doing much MUCH better than I am. Congrats!
  • Polo265
    Polo265 Posts: 287 Member
    It has taken a whole year to gain the 6 lbs ladies, so thanks but my trainer does keep track my measurements. It's not mostly fat.. especially since it's my stomach that has gotten flatter.. I have abs now. The gains have mostly been lower body with a little upper body.

    Certainly this is possible! I had a personal trainer 3 years ago. I was 64 at the time. Although my BMI was satisfactory, my BF was high. Below is a summary of my progress at the end of 6 months by my trainer:

    I used the Bio Electrical Impedance Monitor values because I feel they may be more accurate than the skin calipers. Your BF% back in July was 33.5%. It is currently approx. 29.5%. These means you have lost ~4% body fat. Your weight in July was 128 lbs. It is now 124 lbs. Based on the calculations, back in July your body composition was 43.5 lbs. of fat and 84.5 lbs. of lean mass. Currently, your body composition is 36.6 lbs. of fat and 87.4 lbs. of lean mass. To sum up, you have lost approx. 7 lbs of fat and gained approx. 3 lbs. of muscle. Great job! This is good news and I see good things to come... keep up the good work, you should be proud of yourself. Please do contact me with any questions

    Great job Destiny! YAY!
  • moogie_fit
    moogie_fit Posts: 279 Member
    It has taken a whole year to gain the 6 lbs ladies, so thanks but my trainer does keep track my measurements. It's not mostly fat.. especially since it's my stomach that has gotten flatter.. I have abs now. The gains have mostly been lower body with a little upper body.

    Then ask your trainer for advice...
  • Ironandwine69
    Ironandwine69 Posts: 2,432 Member
    First, you look great.

    Going by your pictures, going to 10-15% body fat at this point is going to make you look way too thin, in my opinion. Keep in mind that is an extremely hard BF to achieve, let alone maintain.
    As far as gaining muscle and losing fat, if I was you, I would start another bulk cycle, a little more aggressive than 6 lbs a year, than cut.
  • LiftHeavyThings27105
    LiftHeavyThings27105 Posts: 2,086 Member
    @destinykeith22 - you are correct! Your gains are really awesome. And, yes - the booty has indeed improved greatly (not saying that in an inappropriate way).

    To mirror what @Ironandwine69 suggested, 10% body fat for a female is really tough to maintain for an extended period of time. Not saying that it is not possible...I would just want you to be aware of what happens to females who get that low (you will possibly loose your menstrual cycle if you get down that low and stay there for an extended period of time). Your hormones will take a huge hit, as well.

    Hey, as long as you are aware of what can happen and YOU choose to go down that path, I will never judge. Your call.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,454 Member
    I'm at 21% body fat right now and have baby abs. I'm 5'3, 135lbs. It's possible that at your size (5', 116, which is very small), you don't have the muscularity to really see muscle definition.

    If this is the case, eating at a deficit isn't going to reveal muscles that you haven't built. It's possible to gain 6lbs of muscle in a year; I put on 10. I think you need to continue what your doing, continue to build muscle, and then cut.

    Thank you! I lift heavy and have went up in weight over the past year. It just seems that no matter how much I lift my muscles are staying the same. I have hit a tough spot.. I also use the correct supplements.... Protein and BCAAs

    if your muscles are staying the same its because you're not in a surplus or enough of one, or you arent on a progressive overload lifting programme.
    I

    Okay, thank you! I may up my surplus then! I usually do the heaviest I can for 6-8 reps. If I can do more then I go heavier..
    If that is your rep range, you're building more strength than muscle size. So if you're trying to add more size, then bump the reps from 8-12 with multiple sets. Like 16 sets for each body part.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    edited September 2017
    donkey9512 wrote: »
    ...Back in the day of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Frank Zane, I doubt they did this yoyo stuff of bulking and cutting. They just knew how to train and eat. Of course they also have a genetic advantage. Life ain't fair! Deal with it nay sayers!...

    LOL. Professional bodybuilders have extensive "supplementation" regimes. Which is to say they're "roided to the gills. Arnold has openly admitted that he was a steroid/PED user. Comparing anything about their training, diet or supplementation regimens to that of an average Joe/Jane is both naive and laughable. You can't come anywhere even remotely close to what they achieve unless you're taking the drugs they take.

    And yes, they bulked and cut. Heavy steroid cycles and lots of food in the offseason, followed by heavy use of powerful cutting drugs to cut back to contest shape. You don't get those kind of results without those kind of pharmaceutics.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    donkey9512 wrote: »
    e123b123 wrote: »
    I put on a nice amount of muscle, but when i started cutting, it was getting tuff to even lift the same weight i used to.

    Its extremely tuff to gain muscle and lose body fat at the same time.

    So my answer would be No.
    In general I would agree with you. However,
    everyone is different. I know that I struggle to not get fat. Some are luckier than others. Back in the day of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Frank Zane, I doubt they did this yoyo stuff of bulking and cutting. They just knew how to train and eat. Of course they also have a genetic advantage. Life ain't fair! Deal with it nay sayers!

    To all the nay-sayers, did you ever consider that maybe the OP is genetically gifted?

    @OP, ignore the negative comments. They're just jealous.

    Be sure to read:. http://www.muscleandfitness.com/nutrition/lose-fat/death-bulk-and-cut-diet

    There are multiple ways to do things of course. Nothing wrong with choosing recomp or bulking. Different people will find success with it depending on several factors (stats, bodyfat%, goals, etc)

    I am currently 130lbs. My ultimate goal is to be 140lbs with the same bodyfat%. .. recomp would not be for me that case (unless you consider really slow bulking over many years recomping) but why the hate on bulk/cut? It works for many people... it has been the best thing I ever did for my physique.