Recomposition

Alia_R
Alia_R Posts: 410 Member
edited December 20 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I know most people say that it’s better to “cut” then “bulk”, but what about “Recomp”? I’ve been trying this process for about 4 months now. The weight loss is slow, but starting to see some definition (not a lot, but some parts of the body certainly don’t look the same as it was before I started). And, not to mention my caloric deficit (on cardio days) and maintenance calories (on weight lifting days)...

Has anyone else tried this process? :)

Replies

  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Recomp is great but it can take quite a bit of time. Mind you bulking and cutting takes a lot of time too and can be very mentally and physically taxing. There are pros and cons to both routes and what you do depends on your stats, goals and comfort level.

    Have you seen this thread? Lots of great info and success stories

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

    I just want to clarify, have you been losing weight these past 4 months? If you are in a deficit overall technically you are not recomping since you would want to be maintaining your weight to be able to build muscle and lose fat over time.

  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
    I have never heard anyone say it is better to cut than bulk unless your goal is just to lose body fat. Recomp isn't about losing weight but maintaining weight while losing fat, which means being in maintenance rather than a deficit. What are your goals?

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1
  • Cassandraw3
    Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
    Alia_R wrote: »
    I know most people say that it’s better to “cut” then “bulk”, but what about “Recomp”? I’ve been trying this process for about 4 months now. The weight loss is slow, but starting to see some definition (not a lot, but some parts of the body certainly don’t look the same as it was before I started). And, not to mention my caloric deficit (on cardio days) and maintenance calories (on weight lifting days)...

    Has anyone else tried this process? :)

    This is not recomp. If you are in an overall calorie deficit, that is weight loss/cutting. Recomp is what happens when you eat on average your maintenance calories (maintain the same weight) while strength training to build muscle while burning fat.
  • deputy_randolph
    deputy_randolph Posts: 940 Member
    edited April 2019
    I've never heard anyone say cutting is better than bulking. Big muscles and lots of food FTW.

    I recomped...it was a 2 year process; same weight, 2 sizes smaller.

    ETA: I would average a 50-100 calorie deficit on none lifting days and a 50-100 calorie surplus on lifting days. Over the course of the week, I was eating at maintenance or very minimal deficit. Maybe this helps explain how to cycle calories during recomp...
  • Alia_R
    Alia_R Posts: 410 Member
    You guys are awesome! Thanks for clarifying a lot for me!!!👍🏻
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Recomposition doesn't mean you are precisely maintaining your weight.

    It refers to the simultaneous gaining of muscle and losing fat and that happens in a band around maintenance not just at maintenance. How wide that band will be is very individual but the factors are the same as people's potential rate of muscle growth. It's the simultaneous nature of gaining muscle/losing fat that defines recomp not a person's weight trend.

    A young, male, new to training, good responder to exercise will have quite a broad band and also a good potential speed of progress when recomping.

    "Recomp is slow" is a saying not reality for everyone, it may be slow of course. Just like cutting and bulking will be slow for those not young, not male, lots of training years, poor responder to exercise.....
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,498 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Alia_R wrote: »
    I know most people say that it’s better to “cut” then “bulk”, but what about “Recomp”? I’ve been trying this process for about 4 months now. The weight loss is slow, but starting to see some definition (not a lot, but some parts of the body certainly don’t look the same as it was before I started). And, not to mention my caloric deficit (on cardio days) and maintenance calories (on weight lifting days)...

    Has anyone else tried this process? :)

    Outside of MFP and a few fitness sites, recomp is just called getting in shape...it is what most people in the gym are doing. I know very few people outside of bodybuilders (competitive or not) or people with very advanced aesthetic goals who are doing bulking and cutting cycles. I would say the ones that are doing that are also pretty advanced lifters and have a good deal of knowledge in regards to how to go about it without losing their gains in a cut, etc.

    Also, if you did go that route you'd want to make sure you're starting off very lean because you're going to gain fat as well as muscle.

    I would agree with all of the above. Plus the general recommendation that a male should be in the 12% BF range before bulking, thins down the pool even further.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Alia_R wrote: »
    I know most people say that it’s better to “cut” then “bulk”, but what about “Recomp”? I’ve been trying this process for about 4 months now. The weight loss is slow, but starting to see some definition (not a lot, but some parts of the body certainly don’t look the same as it was before I started). And, not to mention my caloric deficit (on cardio days) and maintenance calories (on weight lifting days)...

    Has anyone else tried this process? :)

    Outside of MFP and a few fitness sites, recomp is just called getting in shape...it is what most people in the gym are doing. I know very few people outside of bodybuilders (competitive or not) or people with very advanced aesthetic goals who are doing bulking and cutting cycles. I would say the ones that are doing that are also pretty advanced lifters and have a good deal of knowledge in regards to how to go about it without losing their gains in a cut, etc.

    Also, if you did go that route you'd want to make sure you're starting off very lean because you're going to gain fat as well as muscle.

    I agree. Funny thing is I got thrown into the bulk/cut world because I was just about underweight and had no choice but to run a bulk to gain. I wasn't advanced at all (in fact I had never run a proper lifting program before running my first bulk!), But my results were so amazing I kept doing them, since I tried to recomp and it just wasn't for me. But my case is probably not very common. Bulking is really difficult and I have seen so many people struggle with it, waste time, not put on as much muscle as they hoped, get frustrated and struggle to lean out again.
  • jnik554
    jnik554 Posts: 2 Member
    I am not an expert. However, I would say that it depends on your goals. If you are competing in bodybuilding contests, then the bulk/cut routine may be a good route. Otherwise, I would choose recomposition because it is easier to maintain an aesthetically pleasing physique w/o having to go through the extremes of packing on weight and then dieting down. From my own personal experience, I will say this...if you choose to bulk, keep up some sort of cardio routine...one that will keep you conditioned but will not sacrifice your gainz. I neglected cardio while trying to bulk and gained unwanted body fat.
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