Recomposition: Maintaining weight while losing fat
Replies
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So the answer to this question may be buried in the previous 104 pages, but here it is anyway.
Is it possible to recomp without lifting? There really isn't much on earth I hate more than going to the gym and lifting weights.
No - not really. Some resistance training in some way, to some extent is needed.
The idea is you are doing damage to the muscles/body that requires it to rebuild stronger, more muscle.
That uses more of your food eaten - requiring more of your fat stores to be used for everyday life.
Net effect, muscle goes up - fat goes down.
If not doing any damage - what exactly does the body have to improve?
If not pushing it beyond what it can do now - why build more?
Cardio taps out pretty quickly for requiring more from the body besides storing more glucose in muscles.3 -
So the answer to this question may be buried in the previous 104 pages, but here it is anyway.
Is it possible to recomp without lifting? There really isn't much on earth I hate more than going to the gym and lifting weights.
No - not really. Some resistance training in some way, to some extent is needed.
The idea is you are doing damage to the muscles/body that requires it to rebuild stronger, more muscle.
That uses more of your food eaten - requiring more of your fat stores to be used for everyday life.
Net effect, muscle goes up - fat goes down.
If not doing any damage - what exactly does the body have to improve?
If not pushing it beyond what it can do now - why build more?
Cardio taps out pretty quickly for requiring more from the body besides storing more glucose in muscles.
That is a shame. But thank you for your quick reply.0 -
Hoping someone can help me out here! I'm starting a very light/casual/slow recomp because I've been noticing my legs are getting too big for my shorts. In need of advice for things to tweak, remove, or add in my current workout and eating habits. I'm not really rushing to lose weight or anything as I'm quite happy with my current weight and size except for my thighs (it seems to store more fat than the rest of my body??)
Is there a private women's group I can be added to where I can post pictures and my full stats, rants, etc. Just not comfortable posting full body pictures but would love some support and advice
1 -
So the answer to this question may be buried in the previous 104 pages, but here it is anyway.
Is it possible to recomp without lifting? There really isn't much on earth I hate more than going to the gym and lifting weights.
No - not really. Some resistance training in some way, to some extent is needed.
The idea is you are doing damage to the muscles/body that requires it to rebuild stronger, more muscle.
That uses more of your food eaten - requiring more of your fat stores to be used for everyday life.
Net effect, muscle goes up - fat goes down.
If not doing any damage - what exactly does the body have to improve?
If not pushing it beyond what it can do now - why build more?
Cardio taps out pretty quickly for requiring more from the body besides storing more glucose in muscles.
That is a shame. But thank you for your quick reply.
To be clear though, as long as it's some kind of progressive resistance, then you can recomp. That doesn't mean you have to do traditional lifting. You can do crossfit, bodypump or etc.. But you need to increase resistance over time otherwise you won't force your body to build muscle. And cardio certainly won't do it.4 -
justjara123 wrote: »Hoping someone can help me out here! I'm starting a very light/casual/slow recomp because I've been noticing my legs are getting too big for my shorts. In need of advice for things to tweak, remove, or add in my current workout and eating habits. I'm not really rushing to lose weight or anything as I'm quite happy with my current weight and size except for my thighs (it seems to store more fat than the rest of my body??)
Is there a private women's group I can be added to where I can post pictures and my full stats, rants, etc. Just not comfortable posting full body pictures but would love some support and advice
What is your current workout program? The one that will have the greatest impact is the one that will force you to get stronger. Typically, a recomp is best completed with a well structure lifting routine like : https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
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So the answer to this question may be buried in the previous 104 pages, but here it is anyway.
Is it possible to recomp without lifting? There really isn't much on earth I hate more than going to the gym and lifting weights.
I lost some fat around the waist from walking a *lot*. A belt hole (an inch) over the course of a few weeks.
I am currently doing dumbbell rows, table pull ups and push ups to get some upper body changes but not looking like a body builder. I just want more definition.0 -
justjara123 wrote: »Hoping someone can help me out here! I'm starting a very light/casual/slow recomp because I've been noticing my legs are getting too big for my shorts. In need of advice for things to tweak, remove, or add in my current workout and eating habits. I'm not really rushing to lose weight or anything as I'm quite happy with my current weight and size except for my thighs (it seems to store more fat than the rest of my body??)
Is there a private women's group I can be added to where I can post pictures and my full stats, rants, etc. Just not comfortable posting full body pictures but would love some support and advice
It's not private, but this group might be helpful to you.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/499-not-that-heavy-girls
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I'm actually in the group already! The pictures are because I don't want people to be able to just search me up, I have a few birth marks that are clear indicators that it's me, and I have a traditional family.
@psuLemon my workouts in a week usually look like this:
- CrossFit 1-2x
- Pilates 2-3x (I do a 15-20m jog as warm up)
- Total body strength workout 1-2x
I basically workout every other day so in total, 3-4 workout days with moderately active rest days in between. I don't workout more than an hour because of my schedule (2 hours of free time cut in with an hour of class, I wanted to get good professors this semester).
I'm changing it up though. My class subscription to CrossFit ends this month and I'll be too busy with my last month of college (!!) to attend scheduled classes. I tried running a 5k the other day and today (took 35, then 33 minutes), and I think I can build up to doing a 45 minute run. The extra 15 minutes of jogging (I also went a little faster than I would my warmup jogs) was SO exhausting when followed up by 30m pilates, so I'll be doing long jogs on separate days. My "new" plan:
- Pilates 2-3x (I'll still be doing a warmup jog)
- Total body strength workout (aka lifting) 1-2x
- Jogging 1-2x0 -
justjara123 wrote: »I'm actually in the group already! The pictures are because I don't want people to be able to just search me up, I have a few birth marks that are clear indicators that it's me, and I have a traditional family.
@psuLemon my workouts in a week usually look like this:
- CrossFit 1-2x
- Pilates 2-3x (I do a 15-20m jog as warm up)
- Total body strength workout 1-2x
I basically workout every other day so in total, 3-4 workout days with moderately active rest days in between. I don't workout more than an hour because of my schedule (2 hours of free time cut in with an hour of class, I wanted to get good professors this semester).
I'm changing it up though. My class subscription to CrossFit ends this month and I'll be too busy with my last month of college (!!) to attend scheduled classes. I tried running a 5k the other day and today (took 35, then 33 minutes), and I think I can build up to doing a 45 minute run. The extra 15 minutes of jogging (I also went a little faster than I would my warmup jogs) was SO exhausting when followed up by 30m pilates, so I'll be doing long jogs on separate days. My "new" plan:
- Pilates 2-3x (I'll still be doing a warmup jog)
- Total body strength workout (aka lifting) 1-2x
- Jogging 1-2x
Honestly, jogging and pilates, while good exercise, is not really going to contribute to a recomp. Only lifting 1 or 2x a week is suboptimal, which will drive suboptimal results. If your goal is recomp, you'd put yourself in much better of a place lifting 3 or 4x a week (full body or upper/lower split) and then filling in the other times with jogging or pilates.2 -
Honestly, jogging and pilates, while good exercise, is not really going to contribute to a recomp. Only lifting 1 or 2x a week is suboptimal, which will drive suboptimal results. If your goal is recomp, you'd put yourself in much better of a place lifting 3 or 4x a week (full body or upper/lower split) and then filling in the other times with jogging or pilates.
I can definitely lessen pilates. Now, I use it mostly as a less intense CrossFit/strength training since I don't have weights at home.
I exhaust pretty quickly when I lift (might be because I see these huge guys lifting at the gym and I'm this short girl that's taking up space in the weights area so I might be getting too heavy weights to fit in? Idk) so I only ever manage 20 minutes on an area (I do 20m lower body, 15m upper body, 5m abs and just get in a lot of ab time when I do pilates). Would you suggest I lower my weights then get in more sets or add new moves to spend longer on upper body or lower body per day?
Would this sound good as a workout cycle? Upper body, run, pilates, rest, lower body, rest (upper body, rest, so on, so forth).0 -
justjara123 wrote: »Honestly, jogging and pilates, while good exercise, is not really going to contribute to a recomp. Only lifting 1 or 2x a week is suboptimal, which will drive suboptimal results. If your goal is recomp, you'd put yourself in much better of a place lifting 3 or 4x a week (full body or upper/lower split) and then filling in the other times with jogging or pilates.
I can definitely lessen pilates. Now, I use it mostly as a less intense CrossFit/strength training since I don't have weights at home.
I exhaust pretty quickly when I lift (might be because I see these huge guys lifting at the gym and I'm this short girl that's taking up space in the weights area so I might be getting too heavy weights to fit in? Idk) so I only ever manage 20 minutes on an area (I do 20m lower body, 15m upper body, 5m abs and just get in a lot of ab time when I do pilates). Would you suggest I lower my weights then get in more sets or add new moves to spend longer on upper body or lower body per day?
Would this sound good as a workout cycle? Upper body, run, pilates, rest, lower body, rest (upper body, rest, so on, so forth).
What are your goals? What do you want out of your body? Do you have goals outside of a body physique?
Also, remember, when you are a gym, most people aren't paying attention to you.. at least if they are serious.2 -
What are your goals? What do you want out of your body? Do you have goals outside of a body physique?
Also, remember, when you are a gym, most people aren't paying attention to you.. at least if they are serious.
Lower BF % but same weight. At 5"0, I'm 98 pounds and don't want to go lower. I'm not opposed to going a bit higher as it'll be muscle weight anyway. I'm hoping to catch my glutes up to my quads as well (I do different squat variations and probably too little moves that activate my glutes more?). I know I can't fat reduce but the only part of my body that seems to be showing fat is my thigh area (especially inner thigh), so I'm mostly hoping to tone them. Hoping toned legs will help me look a little taller too. Can I message you privately with my starting pic to give you a better idea?
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justjara123 wrote: »What are your goals? What do you want out of your body? Do you have goals outside of a body physique?
Also, remember, when you are a gym, most people aren't paying attention to you.. at least if they are serious.
Lower BF % but same weight. At 5"0, I'm 98 pounds and don't want to go lower. I'm not opposed to going a bit higher as it'll be muscle weight anyway. I'm hoping to catch my glutes up to my quads as well (I do different squat variations and probably too little moves that activate my glutes more?). I know I can't fat reduce but the only part of my body that seems to be showing fat is my thigh area (especially inner thigh), so I'm mostly hoping to tone them. Hoping toned legs will help me look a little taller too. Can I message you privately with my starting pic to give you a better idea?
Yea, you can PM the links. And ill pull together my opinion for you.0 -
justjara123 wrote: »What are your goals? What do you want out of your body? Do you have goals outside of a body physique?
Also, remember, when you are a gym, most people aren't paying attention to you.. at least if they are serious.
Lower BF % but same weight. At 5"0, I'm 98 pounds and don't want to go lower. I'm not opposed to going a bit higher as it'll be muscle weight anyway. I'm hoping to catch my glutes up to my quads as well (I do different squat variations and probably too little moves that activate my glutes more?). I know I can't fat reduce but the only part of my body that seems to be showing fat is my thigh area (especially inner thigh), so I'm mostly hoping to tone them. Hoping toned legs will help me look a little taller too. Can I message you privately with my starting pic to give you a better idea?
If you want to grow your Glutes and considering your weight (as well as pics), there is a good chance that you might have to run a few bulk/cut cycles. And while you can make some progress with a recomp, you are at the low end of a weight which means, you don't have much muscle to begin weight to begin with (actually this is a fairly common problem with many women).
Now, you could certainly start with a well structure hypertrophy based program, like StrongCurves (http://bretcontreras.com/strong-curves-a-womans-guide-to-building-a-better-butt-and-body-sample-and-coaching-consultation-giveaway/) and see what kind of progress you make. But if you don't see the kind of gains you would like, then it might be ideal to gain some weight (including muscle) and then cut any fat gains after.
Squats are ok for building the butt, but they are better at building quads. Things like hip thrusts are king or shall I say queen for building the booty, followed by lunges. There is direct Glute activation when you are doing those moves. This is why a program, such as StrongCurves, is so ideal. Now is does lack a little on the upper body, but that can be alters at a later date if you want more. The below video is a great source of the science behind glute building. Jeff Nippard is a great source for training video.. and so is his girlfriend.
https://youtu.be/Ynjshc_LwPE
What I would probably do to start, is have you start following a structure program (if you don't want to buy StrongCurves there is a pdf template in the below link), have you aim for 80-100g of protein per day (your diet doesn't look too bad but a bit light on protein IMO) and track your weight over a period of time (I use Libra but there are other tracking weight apps). Roughly, your weight should stay the same or even go up slightly.
Over a few months, you should start seeing progress visually. And if you are following the program, you still see strength increases every session for awhile. Going back to what I said earlier, after the summer, if you don't see as much progress as you would have liked (pending you were consistent), I'd consider coming over to the bodybuilding section and look into doing a lean bulk (you may want to check out the section anyways because there are a lot of intelligent people in that section).
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
Ultimately, I think you are in a good position to make some gains. You just need to get some structure and be consistent.
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Very well said and informative as usual @psuLemon ... exactly what I would recommend. Strong Curves is fantastic, and @justjara123 you may want to consider running a bulk cycle at some point based on your stats. I have done several bulk cycles following Strong Curves and similar programming and it is very effective for growing the glutes (and keeping the rest of the leg gains in check) if run properly.5
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@psuLemon You are a doll! I’ll invest in some protein powder to add into my morning coffee instead of milk and stevia.
Will try out your StrongCurves program suggestion before the bulk/cut as I’ll likely have to build up slowly on my eating habits. Aside from being taught the basic moves and given a workout routine by a friend + what I’m learning in CrossFit, I’m pretty much a beginner to the lifting scene and have stayed with mostly cardio activities.
So I’m super grateful for your help and patience with my questions!0 -
Hello guys,
I could use some advice's.
Right now i'm around 83 kg, my height is 189 cm and my BMI is 23.2 which is between the normal weight (18.5–24.9). I have something like 14.5 - 15% body fat. My goal is to get to around 80 kg because i still have a little bit of fat in my belly.
Should i recomp now or when i get to 80 kg?
I do Calisthenics training.
Thank you!
Luís Castro Soares0 -
Manequinhas wrote: »Hello guys,
I could use some advice's.
Right now i'm around 83 kg, my height is 189 cm and my BMI is 23.2 which is between the normal weight (18.5–24.9). I have something like 14.5 - 15% body fat. My goal is to get to around 80 kg because i still have a little bit of fat in my belly.
Should i recomp now or when i get to 80 kg?
I do Calisthenics training.
Thank you!
Luís Castro Soares
Short answer is do now what you intend to do for recomp, but with a tiny calorie deficit so that your training and recovery is minimally impacted while you lose the last few kg.
Callisthenics aren't going to be optimal for adding muscle.6 -
Manequinhas wrote: »Hello guys,
I could use some advice's.
Right now i'm around 83 kg, my height is 189 cm and my BMI is 23.2 which is between the normal weight (18.5–24.9). I have something like 14.5 - 15% body fat. My goal is to get to around 80 kg because i still have a little bit of fat in my belly.
Should i recomp now or when i get to 80 kg?
I do Calisthenics training.
Thank you!
Luís Castro Soares
Short answer is do now what you intend to do for recomp, but with a tiny calorie deficit so that your training and recovery is minimally impacted while you lose the last few kg.
Callisthenics aren't going to be optimal for adding muscle.
Hey!
Thanks for the answer.
My TDEE is 2559 and i'm eating 2047 calories per day which is a 20% deficit.
My macros are:
143g carbs - 205g protein - 73g fat
(28% - 40% - 32%)
What do you mean by a small deficit? Like 10%?
Thanks,
Luís Castro Soares
0 -
Manequinhas wrote: »Manequinhas wrote: »Hello guys,
I could use some advice's.
Right now i'm around 83 kg, my height is 189 cm and my BMI is 23.2 which is between the normal weight (18.5–24.9). I have something like 14.5 - 15% body fat. My goal is to get to around 80 kg because i still have a little bit of fat in my belly.
Should i recomp now or when i get to 80 kg?
I do Calisthenics training.
Thank you!
Luís Castro Soares
Short answer is do now what you intend to do for recomp, but with a tiny calorie deficit so that your training and recovery is minimally impacted while you lose the last few kg.
Callisthenics aren't going to be optimal for adding muscle.
Hey!
Thanks for the answer.
My TDEE is 2559 and i'm eating 2047 calories per day which is a 20% deficit.
My macros are:
143g carbs - 205g protein - 73g fat
(28% - 40% - 32%)
What do you mean by a small deficit? Like 10%?
Thanks,
Luís Castro Soares
The bigger the deficit / faster the rate of loss then the chances of gaining any muscle decline dramatically.
10% sounds reasonable.
(I had to go lower but my situation was also different - much older and been training for ages.)
Worth tracking your body measurements (tape measure) and taking progress photos.
If your 15% body fat estimate is accurate you should be able to see progress in leanness and definition appear quite easily.3 -
Manequinhas wrote: »Manequinhas wrote: »Hello guys,
I could use some advice's.
Right now i'm around 83 kg, my height is 189 cm and my BMI is 23.2 which is between the normal weight (18.5–24.9). I have something like 14.5 - 15% body fat. My goal is to get to around 80 kg because i still have a little bit of fat in my belly.
Should i recomp now or when i get to 80 kg?
I do Calisthenics training.
Thank you!
Luís Castro Soares
Short answer is do now what you intend to do for recomp, but with a tiny calorie deficit so that your training and recovery is minimally impacted while you lose the last few kg.
Callisthenics aren't going to be optimal for adding muscle.
Hey!
Thanks for the answer.
My TDEE is 2559 and i'm eating 2047 calories per day which is a 20% deficit.
My macros are:
143g carbs - 205g protein - 73g fat
(28% - 40% - 32%)
What do you mean by a small deficit? Like 10%?
Thanks,
Luís Castro Soares
The bigger the deficit / faster the rate of loss then the chances of gaining any muscle decline dramatically.
10% sounds reasonable.
(I had to go lower but my situation was also different - much older and been training for ages.)
Worth tracking your body measurements (tape measure) and taking progress photos.
If your 15% body fat estimate is accurate you should be able to see progress in leanness and definition appear quite easily.
Thanks for the answers! You helped me understand things better.
1 -
This recomp stuff is fun, I just compared pictures of myself from before I started like 9 weeks ago and I can already see a difference and I weigh the exact same
10 -
Sorry if this has been asked/answered, but I'm not going to read 105 pages. I skimmed the first 5 and didn't see it addressed, so...
Does the type of lifting routine matter when recomping (i.e. strength vs hypertrophy vs...)?
- I don't enjoy lifting, so any program is going to be simply a means to an end. Might as well go with the best means...
- For me, lifting will be 99% about improvements in appearance/body comp0 -
Sorry if this has been asked/answered, but I'm not going to read 105 pages. I skimmed the first 5 and didn't see it addressed, so...
Does the type of lifting routine matter when recomping (i.e. strength vs hypertrophy vs...)?
- I don't enjoy lifting, so any program is going to be simply a means to an end. Might as well go with the best means...
- For me, lifting will be 99% about improvements in appearance/body comp
From what I've seen, it's best to keep your reps in the 8-12 range, and you want the program to be progressive, so as you make gains you can increase the weight to keep pushing your muscles.
As far as enjoying lifting, there are some exercises I enjoy a lot, and others I do NOT enjoy. I think my body just doesn't "fit" certain movements. There are usually multiple moves you can do for any one muscle group, and I'm definitely a proponent of compound lifts that hit lots of muscle groups at the same time (squats, dead lifts, presses, etc) as well as body weight exercises like push ups and pull ups.
Just find something that you like and run with it! But you need to keep pushing yourself and making it progressively harder to get real gains in a recomp plan.1 -
Sorry if this has been asked/answered, but I'm not going to read 105 pages. I skimmed the first 5 and didn't see it addressed, so...
Does the type of lifting routine matter when recomping (i.e. strength vs hypertrophy vs...)?
- I don't enjoy lifting, so any program is going to be simply a means to an end. Might as well go with the best means...
- For me, lifting will be 99% about improvements in appearance/body comp
From what I've seen, it's best to keep your reps in the 8-12 range, and you want the program to be progressive, so as you make gains you can increase the weight to keep pushing your muscles.
As far as enjoying lifting, there are some exercises I enjoy a lot, and others I do NOT enjoy. I think my body just doesn't "fit" certain movements. There are usually multiple moves you can do for any one muscle group, and I'm definitely a proponent of compound lifts that hit lots of muscle groups at the same time (squats, dead lifts, presses, etc) as well as body weight exercises like push ups and pull ups.
Just find something that you like and run with it! But you need to keep pushing yourself and making it progressively harder to get real gains in a recomp plan.
I'd argue against this sticking point. Following a structured program that runs a variety of rep ranges is going to provide the best results, because those big moves support the ability to increase more volume with high rep work. It's why programs like PHAT and PHUL are so effective.
@jjpptt2 the best thing you can do is run a few programs for awhile and see what you enjoy the most. Or find a progressive resistance program you enjoy. I have worked with clients that have see great recomp results from everything to include dumbbell programs, lifting programs and crossfit.4 -
tagging0
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Sorry if this has been asked/answered, but I'm not going to read 105 pages. I skimmed the first 5 and didn't see it addressed, so...
Does the type of lifting routine matter when recomping (i.e. strength vs hypertrophy vs...)?
- I don't enjoy lifting, so any program is going to be simply a means to an end. Might as well go with the best means...
- For me, lifting will be 99% about improvements in appearance/body comp
From what I've seen, it's best to keep your reps in the 8-12 range, and you want the program to be progressive, so as you make gains you can increase the weight to keep pushing your muscles.
As far as enjoying lifting, there are some exercises I enjoy a lot, and others I do NOT enjoy. I think my body just doesn't "fit" certain movements. There are usually multiple moves you can do for any one muscle group, and I'm definitely a proponent of compound lifts that hit lots of muscle groups at the same time (squats, dead lifts, presses, etc) as well as body weight exercises like push ups and pull ups.
Just find something that you like and run with it! But you need to keep pushing yourself and making it progressively harder to get real gains in a recomp plan.
I'd argue against this sticking point. Following a structured program that runs a variety of rep ranges is going to provide the best results, because those big moves support the ability to increase more volume with high rep work. It's why programs like PHAT and PHUL are so effective.
@jjpptt2 the best thing you can do is run a few programs for awhile and see what you enjoy the most. Or find a progressive resistance program you enjoy. I have worked with clients that have see great recomp results from everything to include dumbbell programs, lifting programs and crossfit.
Thanks for the response @psuLemon. I haven't looked at PHAT or PHUL in a while, but I know the general philosophy behind them. I think. (c'mon memory... you can do it).
For now I'm leaning towards sticking with a 5/3/1 variation. It's worked for me in the past, I like Wendler's general philosophy behind it, and it's easy for me to run based on available time, equipment, etc. I'll probably run BBB to add a bit more volume and shift the focus more towards hypertrophy. Or at least a strength/hypertrophy hybrid.0 -
Can a recomp be effective for a beginner who has not gained much muscle but is still pretty lean (10-12% body fat for a male) with a low BMI overall? I know a bulk would be most beneficial in this case, but I was curious if a recomp could also work or if it's just to little body fat (12-14 lbs in this case).
I have seen very few examples of people who recomped in this situation.0 -
ForecasterJason wrote: »Can a recomp be effective for a beginner who has not gained much muscle but is still pretty lean (10-12% body fat for a male) with a low BMI overall? I know a bulk would be most beneficial in this case, but I was curious if a recomp could also work or if it's just to little body fat (12-14 lbs in this case).
I have seen very few examples of people who recomped in this situation.
Nvm, I think from what I've seen I would suspect it would not work well.
0 -
Will it work? Yes. Will it be the most effective/efficient? Probably not.
But it's your life, your process... run it how you want. You get to decide what's right/best for you.0
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