Failure to recomp; advice requested
Replies
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I do log everything I eat on days I track, so that's an accurate view of my diet (minus the holiday weeks). My cheat day isn't an all-out splurge; I'll typically have a plate of phad Thai from a local restaurant and a small dessert with snacks scattered on either side. My weight has remained steady for the past few months, so maybe that does come out to 4000 calories. Then again, as suggested by AnnPT77, perhaps my maintenance level is unhealthily low and that's why I'm not recomping.thisvickyruns wrote: »My ultimate goal is to lose my belly fat. I'm not looking for a six-pack; just a flat stomach. Eating more to achieve that goal seems counterintuitive and will present a challenge psychologically. What I'm doing clearly isn't working, though, so I might as well give it a shot. Given my lack of activity outside of the gym (approximately 4 hours per week) and my cheat day, what do you recommend should be my target for a six-foot, 155-pound man?
I had a quick look at your diary and of the days that you had logged, you were often 200-300 cals below your goal of 1900, which is below maintenance. Hopefully your logging is inaccurate and you're eating more than is in your diary? you don't need a calorie deficit for recomp.
Just for another comparison, i am 5ft5 and 133lbs and I maintain on net 1950 cals, you're netting 15-1600 cals regularly. Unless your cheat day is around 4000 cals you're nowhere near maintenance by the end of the week.1 -
If your weight has remained steady for a few months, then there isn't anything wrong with your calorie level itself. But recomp also required stressing your body in the right way with your resistance training.1
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Your workouts seem like maintenance when it comes to poundages. I'd be looking to increasing the poundages by quite a bit. Your muscles aren't getting taxed enough for any growth.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I'm not sure how much more I can increase the weights without risking injury. As I said, I do my big compound lifts in 4 sets of 3-5 reps. Most of the time, I fail to hit five reps on the last set; if I do hit it, I'll increase weight the following session.Your workouts seem like maintenance when it comes to poundages. I'd be looking to increasing the poundages by quite a bit. Your muscles aren't getting taxed enough for any growth.
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I'm not sure how much more I can increase the weights without risking injury. As I said, I do my big compound lifts in 4 sets of 3-5 reps. Most of the time, I fail to hit five reps on the last set; if I do hit it, I'll increase weight the following session.Your workouts seem like maintenance when it comes to poundages. I'd be looking to increasing the poundages by quite a bit. Your muscles aren't getting taxed enough for any growth.
Have you experimented yet with gently ramping up your calories?0 -
Well, it IS recomp the normally people that do it already have put a little muscle on and are willing to go the SLOW route to adding more. IMO, you'd be much better off bulking up then cutting again since your muscle mass is slight. Yes fat comes with that but unless you're going to be patience with recomp, putting on muscle takes time even with bulking.
I'm not sure how much more I can increase the weights without risking injury. As I said, I do my big compound lifts in 4 sets of 3-5 reps. Most of the time, I fail to hit five reps on the last set; if I do hit it, I'll increase weight the following session.Your workouts seem like maintenance when it comes to poundages. I'd be looking to increasing the poundages by quite a bit. Your muscles aren't getting taxed enough for any growth.
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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So it's possible to be too under-muscled to effectively recomp? I'm usually very patient if I'm seeing some sort of progress, even if it's slow. My concern is that I put in five months of effort last year for essentially nothing, and I want to avoid that again if I can.
Well, it IS recomp the normally people that do it already have put a little muscle on and are willing to go the SLOW route to adding more. IMO, you'd be much better off bulking up then cutting again since your muscle mass is slight. Yes fat comes with that but unless you're going to be patience with recomp, putting on muscle takes time even with bulking.
I'm not sure how much more I can increase the weights without risking injury. As I said, I do my big compound lifts in 4 sets of 3-5 reps. Most of the time, I fail to hit five reps on the last set; if I do hit it, I'll increase weight the following session.Your workouts seem like maintenance when it comes to poundages. I'd be looking to increasing the poundages by quite a bit. Your muscles aren't getting taxed enough for any growth.0 -
I've not done recomp with many clients but for a couple of times. Both times they did, they were experienced lifters and had some muscle.
So it's possible to be too under-muscled to effectively recomp? I'm usually very patient if I'm seeing some sort of progress, even if it's slow. My concern is that I put in five months of effort last year for essentially nothing, and I want to avoid that again if I can.
Well, it IS recomp the normally people that do it already have put a little muscle on and are willing to go the SLOW route to adding more. IMO, you'd be much better off bulking up then cutting again since your muscle mass is slight. Yes fat comes with that but unless you're going to be patience with recomp, putting on muscle takes time even with bulking.
I'm not sure how much more I can increase the weights without risking injury. As I said, I do my big compound lifts in 4 sets of 3-5 reps. Most of the time, I fail to hit five reps on the last set; if I do hit it, I'll increase weight the following session.Your workouts seem like maintenance when it comes to poundages. I'd be looking to increasing the poundages by quite a bit. Your muscles aren't getting taxed enough for any growth.
IMO, you don't have a lot give up on the fat side and gaining muscle usually means gain in weight for someone who's not overweight. Which is why I think you should consider eating even in a slight surplus to help put on some muscle easier.
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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My concern is that I put in five months of effort last year for essentially nothing, and I want to avoid that again if I can.
Like others, I'm puzzled. My only explanation is you've under-eaten for so long that your body/mind is not giving any priority to your strength training.
My best guess is you are making 3 mistakes that are compounding:- You are undereating -- even to maintain you should be eating more. Your body has adapted by reducing energy expenditure. I'm 5 inches shorter, almost 20 years older and I eat 2000 calories per day to LOSE 1.5 lbs per week.
- Possibly you have a misperception of what kind of effort should be required on a 5 rep set. You don't have to go to failure but it should be hard to complete.
- Possibly you have form issues and simply aren't performing the lifts correctly.
If you want to avoid another wasted five months, I think you should:- Slowly increase your calorie intake each week with the goal of getting to 2500 calories per day. This would be maintenance for someone with your stats in the moderate exercise category.
- Hire a trainer for a few sessions when you can get back to the gym. They can help your with #2 and #3. Don't pick someone skinny, pick someone with muscle and let them know you aren't trying to lose weight but build muscle. You really need to add another 10 - 20 lbs for your height, IMO.
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Recomp - losing fat while gaining muscle at the same time - is a VERY difficult thing to achieve.
I tried to do it for 2 YEARS (not just a few months) by lifting heavy, eating a high protein diet and doing limited cardio.
Personally, I think the best way to achieve "recomp" is to do what pro body builders still do. Gain muscle by lifting heavy and eating A LOT and then "cutting" by eating less, doing more cardio and lifting only to try to maintain/limit muscle loss
This is the ONLY thing that worked for me.
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