Advice please

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StargazerB
StargazerB Posts: 425 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I feel like I look too soft. I want more definition but I'm unsure the best way to get it. I know fat loss will help reveal the muscles I have. But I'm not sure if I have much to reveal. I have been 6 pounds lighter than this and honestly looked about the same. I lost around 20 pounds in 2017, I didn't lift weights at that time and didn't like the way I looked at my goal weight. I then started lifting and did a recomp over the next year and it really made a difference. It slowed down and I got tired of logging my food so I decided to eat intuitively. This was around the end of August. I slowly started to gain weight so I decided to go with it and do a lean bulk. In total I gained 6 pounds in 4 months and I stopped (beginning of January) because I feel like I look too soft and I'm starting to lose motivation for working out. I lost 1 pound this month. I just honestly don't know what to do. I like my body enough, some days more than others. But I do also have dreams of having a lean and fit body. My lifting program has mostly been an upper/lower split, I usually switch accessories every few weeks. I did strong curves for about a month in the fall but I'm not a fan of all of the hip thrusting so I went back to the upper/lower split. I do some bodyweight exercises in that split as well. I do follow progressive overload but I had some injuries over the year that did set me back a couple of times. For nutrition, I think I'm doing that ok. I eat about 80-120g of protein a day. I average around 60g of fat a day and the rest is carbs. Sorry for the long post but any advice is appreciated.
Here is what I look like right now, unflexed. I'm 5'2" and about 120 pounds.f36syzjs1dbk.jpg

Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited January 2019
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    MommyLifts3 wrote: »
    I feel like I look too soft. I want more definition but I'm unsure the best way to get it. I know fat loss will help reveal the muscles I have. But I'm not sure if I have much to reveal. I have been 6 pounds lighter than this and honestly looked about the same. I lost around 20 pounds in 2017, I didn't lift weights at that time and didn't like the way I looked at my goal weight. I then started lifting and did a recomp over the next year and it really made a difference. It slowed down and I got tired of logging my food so I decided to eat intuitively. This was around the end of August. I slowly started to gain weight so I decided to go with it and do a lean bulk. In total I gained 6 pounds in 4 months and I stopped (beginning of January) because I feel like I look too soft and I'm starting to lose motivation for working out. I lost 1 pound this month. I just honestly don't know what to do. I like my body enough, some days more than others. But I do also have dreams of having a lean and fit body. My lifting program has mostly been an upper/lower split, I usually switch accessories every few weeks. I did strong curves for about a month in the fall but I'm not a fan of all of the hip thrusting so I went back to the upper/lower split. I do some bodyweight exercises in that split as well. I do follow progressive overload but I had some injuries over the year that did set me back a couple of times. For nutrition, I think I'm doing that ok. I eat about 80-120g of protein a day. I average around 60g of fat a day and the rest is carbs. Sorry for the long post but any advice is appreciated.

    If your goal is more definition, then lifting heavy while following a bulk/cut cycle is what will get you there. I'm sure you already know this. Have you run a hypertrophy program? Maybe cycle between hypertrophy and your upper/lower split. I don't know if hiring a coach is possible for you, but that's really what helped me. All the coaches at my gym do online coaching, if you want a name.

    I understand being burnt out at the gym. I'm kinda there, too.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    You have a few options.

    You can keep cutting down a bit more to give you a better idea of what you have. Then re-assess every few lbs. If you feel like you are looking worse at any point and not closer to goal, you will have to decide what to do (recomp or bulk, I know you have had issues with bulking in the past)

    Alternatively you can continue to recomp, knowing it is slow but definitely possible to make progress.

    You look great and are closer to your goal than you think.

    And as mentioned a coach might be a good way to go if you feel lost.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    I think you are in a perfect place to recomp if you want to hang out where you are. Or you can slowly drop the 6lbs you gained and re-evaluate how you look on the way down. Just keep up the resistance training along the way.
  • StargazerB
    StargazerB Posts: 425 Member
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    I think my expectations may not be realistic either. I will cut down to my previous maintenance weight and see if any changes resulted from my mini bulk and go from there. I do wish I could get a trainer or a coach, but it's not in the budget right now.
    I have never run a purely hypertrophy program but the split I do has both strength and hypertrophy focus.Thanks ladies.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    I don't know if you've seen this thread, but I started it to help ladies deal with unrealistic expectations.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10689837/does-this-uterus-make-my-stomach-look-fat#latest
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    MommyLifts3 wrote: »
    I think my expectations may not be realistic either. I will cut down to my previous maintenance weight and see if any changes resulted from my mini bulk and go from there. I do wish I could get a trainer or a coach, but it's not in the budget right now.
    I have never run a purely hypertrophy program but the split I do has both strength and hypertrophy focus.Thanks ladies.

    I think we all feel like that from time to time. Sometimes body changes can be soooo slow going. Whenever that happens I compare photos from the start of my journey to now and put them side by side. It can really click at that point and we can see how far we've come.
  • StargazerB
    StargazerB Posts: 425 Member
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    mom23mangos wrote: »
    I don't know if you've seen this thread, but I started it to help ladies deal with unrealistic expectations.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10689837/does-this-uterus-make-my-stomach-look-fat#latest

    Yep, I've seen it. Great thread. Thank you.
  • StargazerB
    StargazerB Posts: 425 Member
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    sardelsa wrote: »
    MommyLifts3 wrote: »
    I think my expectations may not be realistic either. I will cut down to my previous maintenance weight and see if any changes resulted from my mini bulk and go from there. I do wish I could get a trainer or a coach, but it's not in the budget right now.
    I have never run a purely hypertrophy program but the split I do has both strength and hypertrophy focus.Thanks ladies.

    I think we all feel like that from time to time. Sometimes body changes can be soooo slow going. Whenever that happens I compare photos from the start of my journey to now and put them side by side. It can really click at that point and we can see how far we've come.

    Good point. Compared to where I started, I've really transformed. It's just much slower now and I'm not the most patient person 😆
  • Windy_City_Beast
    Windy_City_Beast Posts: 8 Member
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    Everyone’s body is different. What may work for some may not work for others. It’s basically a trial and error situation until you find what works best for you. I’ve been at it for years and I finally found what works for me. Don’t be so hard on yourself if it was that easy everyone would be doing it. You look great! Have fun in the gym work hard, and find what works for ya. 💪🏻
  • Silkysausage
    Silkysausage Posts: 502 Member
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    I knew that my body wouldn't put up with lighter weight/more reps so I go hard every session, 4 days a week for an upper/lower split. Lots of volume, heavy weight and wanting sleep right after!

    This isn't for everyone but maybe you need to see what your body is capable of. Some people are put off by 'heavy' but it's very individual and specific to each lifter.

  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,618 Member
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    I guess it depends on how much muscle you have now. If you cut a little and keep lifting, you should see more definition. But if you cut and don't have enough muscle base, you might want to bulk a little. Your other option would be to recomp. I can only compare your stats to mine, for reference. 5'3" and look fairly well defined around 115. I'm guessing you might want to go a little lower since you are shorter? It's all about what you want, because you look fine where you are now. Do you cardio?

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