Did I bulk/recomp? Do I look leaner even though I’m heavier?

2»

Replies

  • I’m a fan of recomp here. Bulks and cuts are only one way of achieving a more muscular physique. They aren’t for everyone though.

    I have similar stats to you.

    One thing I have noticed is the difference between 140 and 133 for me visually. I look much more toned (hate that word) at the lower weight. Whereas a 7 pound drop say from 150 to 143 was not such a visible difference.

    Basically I’ve been recomping at around 140 for 2 years with some good results. Just dropped another 7 pounds in last few months and I do look leaner.

    I’d say if you don’t want to gain then just train and maintain. It kept things low stress for me. If you get fed up with it, you can always change your mind, nothing is set in stone.
  • happysquatter
    happysquatter Posts: 91 Member
    To add to the chorus of voices: you definitely look leaner and looks to be an ongoing recomp. Just offering my congrats and encouragement - cheers!
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,937 Member
    I’m a fan of recomp here. Bulks and cuts are only one way of achieving a more muscular physique. They aren’t for everyone though.

    I have similar stats to you.

    One thing I have noticed is the difference between 140 and 133 for me visually. I look much more toned (hate that word) at the lower weight. Whereas a 7 pound drop say from 150 to 143 was not such a visible difference.

    Basically I’ve been recomping at around 140 for 2 years with some good results. Just dropped another 7 pounds in last few months and I do look leaner.

    I’d say if you don’t want to gain then just train and maintain. It kept things low stress for me. If you get fed up with it, you can always change your mind, nothing is set in stone.

    I agree with you about recomp. I'm not sure it is any more or less efficient than bulk/ cut cycles. The results take about the same amount of time but the pace of change is much slower. So, more patience needed if you want to see observable changes.
  • peachvine29
    peachvine29 Posts: 400 Member
    To add to the chorus of voices: you definitely look leaner and looks to be an ongoing recomp. Just offering my congrats and encouragement - cheers!

    Thank you! I was questioning whether it was the lighting, angle, way I am wearing the clothes, but everyone is saying I do look leaner so that gives me confidence in my progress :). Next time I'll do pics the exact same way as I did last time. I'm glad there is objectively a difference :)


  • I agree with you about recomp. I'm not sure it is any more or less efficient than bulk/ cut cycles. The results take about the same amount of time but the pace of change is much slower. So, more patience needed if you want to see observable changes. [/quote]

    I don’t know about whether it’s quicker to do bulks and cuts. Maybe for some who are good at dieting. For me weight loss takes forever. That said, I read something by Eric helms suggesting that lean bulks are more appropriate for intermediates and recomp once you are no longer a novice is less possible. He wasn’t saying impossible, just more time efficient to bulk and cut once you are past the novice stage.
  • peachvine29
    peachvine29 Posts: 400 Member
    I’m a fan of recomp here. Bulks and cuts are only one way of achieving a more muscular physique. They aren’t for everyone though.

    I have similar stats to you.

    One thing I have noticed is the difference between 140 and 133 for me visually. I look much more toned (hate that word) at the lower weight. Whereas a 7 pound drop say from 150 to 143 was not such a visible difference.

    Basically I’ve been recomping at around 140 for 2 years with some good results. Just dropped another 7 pounds in last few months and I do look leaner.

    I’d say if you don’t want to gain then just train and maintain. It kept things low stress for me. If you get fed up with it, you can always change your mind, nothing is set in stone.

    I think recomp is definitely the best for me to pursue right now, because I still need a mental and physical break from the 1+ year deficit I was in, now I know recomp is effective for me so I can relax into it rather than constantly want to switch to deficit, and I don't want to gain any fat right now. I feel like when I am thinner where I am now is where I would want to bulk up to, but not go too far past. I'll relax into this recomp and see where I am when I am done with my trainer, which I believe will be March. That is my plan. I'm fine with slow but steady progress right now, much less stressful!
  • peachvine29
    peachvine29 Posts: 400 Member
    edited December 2019
    .
  • peachvine29
    peachvine29 Posts: 400 Member
    edited December 2019
    jseams1234 wrote: »
    One more thing I am wondering...

    I got down as low as averaging 134.7 in late September, in mid-late November I was averaging 137, now I am averaging 141.3, and my clothes do feel tighter. I think I feel less flabby and more solid but also a little bigger and fuller. Probably fat gain since it happened so quick I'm sure? I also started personal training on 11/7....

    Also just realized that my pic at 138 was taken in a mirror that makes everything look wider than it is (it is curved a bit - cheap mirror), recent pic I posted from 12/9 was taken with webcam on computer.

    I'm confused at how I'm averaging six pounds heavier, possibly looking leaner, but clothes feeling tighter. Not to overthink this and be annoying but just wondering?
    rczaki8c6f01.png

    A lot of it is where the weight gain happened... in theory during a recomp you are losing body fat and gaining muscle... but although you lose body fat "all over" in a gradual sense (you can't target fat loss) - you may be adding muscle in very specific areas depending on your training. Take a dude who skips leg days and trains hard upper body. His pants might be getting looser but his shirts are getting tight. If you have relatively fitted cloths they might start feeling tight in the shoulders and chest but you aren't noticing them getting looser in other areas.

    Also, progress pics are great - but please keep in mind change is very gradual. Take them frequently if you feel the need, but for me at least - seeing them year by year or at the very least every few months apart allows me to see the actual gains or losses without driving myself crazy trying to see something that is almost invisible on a day to day or weekly comparison.

    I think my clothes have gotten a tad tighter overall, however in my legs, butt, and waist actually feel tightest. But, I am squatting and deadlifting both twice per week, doing more abs than I ever have

    I was thinking I would aim to take a monthly progress pic in the same conditions and setting each time
  • m123aria
    m123aria Posts: 3 Member
    edited December 2019
    YOU TOTALLY DID IT!! :) Awesome work!!
    Do you take any body measurements? Like bust, waist and hips. Bicep and upper thighs.
  • peachvine29
    peachvine29 Posts: 400 Member
    edited December 2019
    m123aria wrote: »
    YOU TOTALLY DID IT!! :) Awesome work!!
    Do you take any body measurements? Like bust, waist and hips. Bicep and upper thighs.

    Thank You!!! :smiley:

    I did take some measurements, they may not be the most accurate but everything did go down (all in 2019):

    Upper Arm:
    Feb. 12.5 inches
    Nov. 10.75 inches

    Thigh:
    Feb 22.5 inches
    Nov 19 inches

    Hips:
    July 37.5 inches
    Nov 36.25 inches

    Waist:
    May 29 inches
    Nov 28.5 inches

    I'm about 142 pounds today and averaged about 137 pounds in mid-November, definitely had some holiday weight gain and these measurements went up since!