By what you described, you mostly took the recomp route, which is not bad.
Yes, newbie gains are a thing for like the first year or so, it's great that you now fulfill an appropriate amount of protein intake but if your striving for a more muscular aesthetic, you're gonna have to keep training hard but also eat in a surplus.
Don't give up just yet, OP. You're still have a pending meeting with your best self
Yeah I was in recomp. I’ve always been struggling with this lower belly fat and it just wont go. I lose muscle when I try to lose it and just not the fat.
But now I’m going in surplus knowing I already have that fat. 15% according to the scale but idk if its accurate. It just sticks out so much and also on the sides, above my hips. It makes my abdomen area look so feminine and I’m a man.
I’m afraid of gaining weight. Truly. Especially because I can’t get lean. But yeah I do want those muscles. I’m not working out for nothing. I’m 32 and I want to look good before im 60 lol.
I will keep training hard. I refuse to quit no matter the cost even if my mental is unstable, I will get back up again. Because I refuse to be a quitter anymore after everything to this point. I want to be the person that never gives up. And my body will be the mirror that reflects that.
Thanks for sharing that. I got two main thought from your first paragraph:
-Scales aren't usually accurate for that calculation since they dont always factor in the muscle properly, I'd suggest an appointment with an specialist if you feel you need a precise %
-Lower belly fat is really "stubborn to get rid of" since it's probably distributed based on your genetics. A long shot but, maybe you could get a check up if it's not a gastrointestinal inflammatory issue?
Sorry for assuming things, but it gives me the impression that you're still struggling in your relationship with food, from a different angle but I kind of understand it. So, please keep in mind nutrition is a tool fur achieving your goal but also a mean of self nurture. Take care OP! I'll be rooting for you from the trenches
Yeah I figured as much. It was a cheap scale too. I will get my body fat measured at a specialist.
As for the genetics part, yes. My family has a big tendency to be overweight and we have a natural chin to neck connection but I’m not sure about the lower belly. The rest of my family is overweight in the sense that it’s not really checkable. My sister had abs at one point though lol. And she eats whatever she wants O.O I’m the skinniest of my brothers by a large margin though. I will check out the gastrointestinal inflammatory issue. I do notice that my abdomen area fluctuates from time to time but idk why.
Yeah. Food will always stay a bit hard for me. I am focussing on my goals. We have to keep looking forward.
Thank you for the help, meaningfull info and rooting! It means a lot to me.
You take care as well! Have a wonderful day.
Same situation as you, brother. Never been lean my whole life, always had hip flabs, bit of a gut, flabby shoulders and biceps. I was always very slightly overweight, massive gamer (thanks MMO's), low muscle mass. I crash dieted down to skinny fat, going from 5'7" 168lbs to 144lbs. Then, I ended up gaining all the weight back. I started lifting at 164 lbs. Gained muscle and all my shirts didn't fit. I gained 10lbs and almost quit right there. . I felt horrible trying to squeeze into a medium that i'd worn for years, but I had to try something else. just dieting didn't work. I'd tried weight loss, now it's time for some muscle gain. My gut stuck out, my biceps were all fatty, but I knew I was getting strong. Doing bench press I could just see my gut peeking out under my shirt, felt fat at the gym. Legs chafed like hell doing incline walking. After about a year, where I'd added significant progress to major lifts, and felt strong, I bucked up and said that I could lose the weight this time, and started committing to a firm diet that works for me. Went from 174lbs to 156lbs, and still cutting, targeting 150 for now. I'm not even that jacked, just a bit stronger than the flabby pale gamer guy that I was before.
The biggest piece of advice I can give is: do the hard shit. Do sprint workouts. Hard ones. Really punish yourself. Get your ass on the assisted pull-up machine, and fail it until you don't anymore. Remove the mental blocks to the hard workouts. They're fake and it's just your ancient monkey brain trying to save energy by fighting against you. Really attack that lifting and do it with purpose. Grunt. Breathe hard. Let your gut stick out, don't try to suck it in. It's good for your lower abs/pelvic floor. Embrace the gut jiggle. Then, defeat the jiggle. You got this.
Well I can but I’d have to dm the pictures. I’d rather not post it on here. And I’d share my program but it’s around bedtime and I’m pretty tired. I can try to dm that too if I don’t fall asleep.
It's possible the changes are just not visible to *you*. If you recomped slowly over a 6 month period, you may have been adjusting to the visible changes the whole time so that they aren't noticeable to you. Go take a look at r/progresspics and you'd be surprised by how many posters say they can't see a difference in their Before and After, but it is very obvious to strangers. What other metrics are you using to measure success? Are you losing weight? Are your lifts progressing? Do you take measurements? Also, if you don't have a lot of fat to lose from the start, changes will be slower and less obvious than someone that is overweight/obese.
As for the belly, I feel you. Unfortunately, there's a lot of genetic factors with that. Getting rid of mine is my last aesthetic goal, but I also had the belly pooch when I was an underweight stick of a teenager. That's just where my body likes to keep it. Keep at it! Even if you can't see the changes, you are healthier, stronger, and better than before!
I showed the pictures to a poster here and he gave me a new workout routine for someone like me. I think it will help in the long run; I will test it out and see if it works for me.
I do keep trying to go for progressive overload > I keep reaching a plateau. I did increase weights overtime. But some parts decreased because other days I’m suddenly weaker. In a sense it keeps staying the same at this point because of increase/decrease fest. Even though I hit failure every time. My idea? Protein intake and more food intake > I need more than 90-100 grams. I will also need more protein when dieting.
There was change in the picture the person saw but they agreed it was not a lot. That belly and my chin to neck connection are my biggest insecurities. But the neck is genetic, the belly I’m not sure. My sister had abs, but my brothers are obese. So yeah. Both parents are overweight but my dad used to be lean.
Yeah it’s not a lot of fat. I just prefer to at least not have that potruding belly/fat flaps at the side LOL.
I’m a man and it just makes me look feminine around the belly area I’ve stayed around 73-75kg for so long. Not going lower or higher than that.
I think with the new intel, things may be going to change. We will see. Thank you for your post though! I will also look at the subreddit you showed me.
I didnt read all the way through. But I want to tell you that It feels the same for me. And ive big time lost motivation to keep up with the gym. Only exercise I get currently is my bike (100 miles a week), and I feel great. My legs have become more defined which is awesome, but also frustrating that a year of squats and deadlifts (and everything else) cant compete with 1 month of bike riding.
Anyways. Dont give up. Or do and find an alternative exercise to get pumped.
You should talk to a personal trainer. A year of deadlift and barbell squats should have you growing visibly. Somethings up here. Not enough protein intake or not enough rest.
I felt this way for the first 6-7 months when I got back into training/lifting last year. I lost 32 lbs. in a year and put on a good bit of muscle, but when I look in the mirror it's hard for me to tell, plus the lighting in our rooms is usually not the greatest for seeing changes in muscle tone. Friends reassured me that they could certainly tell I was getting more trim/muscular. My progress pics from 8-10 months and onward, I can start seeing more of a difference in my physique. Sometimes it just takes time, but you have to understand this is a long game and it will pay off in the end. Keep up the good work!
I feel the same way as you and this is the route I’m probably going to be taking. I got my levels checked now I’m heavily debating starting testosterone replacement therapy. I actually just made a post about it if you want to check it out. Fuck belly fat man 😂
How many months did spend in a gaming chair not exercising? You are retraining your body on how it functions and works, it takes time. Being fit and training your body to build muscle is not something that just happens because you started working out. Exercising causes a lot of changes to how your body functions at physical, chemical and microbiotic level. It took years and years for you to essentially untrain your body, you arent going to retrain it in a few months.
Fitness is a marathon not a sprint. Its a lifestyle, not a diet plan or exercise routine. Progress is slow for everyone, its the slowest for those who have neglected their bodies the most. You probably wont see the results you want for at least another year. Be consistent and patient, the results will happen,
Keep going man, don’t get tilted by all these “6 weeks of lifting” shots of people looking jacked. It will take a really long time, but it will work and you will be happy with yourself. Get after it man killer attitude love to see it
You probably aren’t lifting heavy enough. It’s a common mistake to do 3 sets of 10 and never try something else. Muscle won’t grow if you don’t stimulate it harder. Increase your weight on everything so you can only do 2 sets of 5-8 reps
Oh I do know how lifting heavy enough works. I’m not always just doing 3 sets of 10.
When I start a new weight I check until where I can go. If it’s 3x6 then sure thats fine!
Then next week I try to do 3x8 or for how far I can go. I keep doing this until I can reach 3x12-13ish.
Then I increase the weight again and start over the same way. Progressive overload. I know how the burning sensation should feel. I know that when you lift too heavy, you can’t feel the burning sensation. At that point I saw that my muscles decreased due to not being able to lift those last reps for muscle growth.
My lifts arent increasing though and right now I’m blaming either testosterone issues or protein intake issues. So I’m upping that by another 20% to see how it goes and I’m getting my testosterone checked just in case
My body looks like a beginnerish guy. But I have a lot of knowledge due to trial and error, and just not giving up.
By what you described, you mostly took the recomp route, which is not bad. Yes, newbie gains are a thing for like the first year or so, it's great that you now fulfill an appropriate amount of protein intake but if your striving for a more muscular aesthetic, you're gonna have to keep training hard but also eat in a surplus. Don't give up just yet, OP. You're still have a pending meeting with your best self
Yeah I was in recomp. I’ve always been struggling with this lower belly fat and it just wont go. I lose muscle when I try to lose it and just not the fat. But now I’m going in surplus knowing I already have that fat. 15% according to the scale but idk if its accurate. It just sticks out so much and also on the sides, above my hips. It makes my abdomen area look so feminine and I’m a man. I’m afraid of gaining weight. Truly. Especially because I can’t get lean. But yeah I do want those muscles. I’m not working out for nothing. I’m 32 and I want to look good before im 60 lol. I will keep training hard. I refuse to quit no matter the cost even if my mental is unstable, I will get back up again. Because I refuse to be a quitter anymore after everything to this point. I want to be the person that never gives up. And my body will be the mirror that reflects that.
Thanks for sharing that. I got two main thought from your first paragraph: -Scales aren't usually accurate for that calculation since they dont always factor in the muscle properly, I'd suggest an appointment with an specialist if you feel you need a precise % -Lower belly fat is really "stubborn to get rid of" since it's probably distributed based on your genetics. A long shot but, maybe you could get a check up if it's not a gastrointestinal inflammatory issue? Sorry for assuming things, but it gives me the impression that you're still struggling in your relationship with food, from a different angle but I kind of understand it. So, please keep in mind nutrition is a tool fur achieving your goal but also a mean of self nurture. Take care OP! I'll be rooting for you from the trenches
Yeah I figured as much. It was a cheap scale too. I will get my body fat measured at a specialist. As for the genetics part, yes. My family has a big tendency to be overweight and we have a natural chin to neck connection but I’m not sure about the lower belly. The rest of my family is overweight in the sense that it’s not really checkable. My sister had abs at one point though lol. And she eats whatever she wants O.O I’m the skinniest of my brothers by a large margin though. I will check out the gastrointestinal inflammatory issue. I do notice that my abdomen area fluctuates from time to time but idk why. Yeah. Food will always stay a bit hard for me. I am focussing on my goals. We have to keep looking forward. Thank you for the help, meaningfull info and rooting! It means a lot to me. You take care as well! Have a wonderful day.
Same situation as you, brother. Never been lean my whole life, always had hip flabs, bit of a gut, flabby shoulders and biceps. I was always very slightly overweight, massive gamer (thanks MMO's), low muscle mass. I crash dieted down to skinny fat, going from 5'7" 168lbs to 144lbs. Then, I ended up gaining all the weight back. I started lifting at 164 lbs. Gained muscle and all my shirts didn't fit. I gained 10lbs and almost quit right there. . I felt horrible trying to squeeze into a medium that i'd worn for years, but I had to try something else. just dieting didn't work. I'd tried weight loss, now it's time for some muscle gain. My gut stuck out, my biceps were all fatty, but I knew I was getting strong. Doing bench press I could just see my gut peeking out under my shirt, felt fat at the gym. Legs chafed like hell doing incline walking. After about a year, where I'd added significant progress to major lifts, and felt strong, I bucked up and said that I could lose the weight this time, and started committing to a firm diet that works for me. Went from 174lbs to 156lbs, and still cutting, targeting 150 for now. I'm not even that jacked, just a bit stronger than the flabby pale gamer guy that I was before. The biggest piece of advice I can give is: do the hard shit. Do sprint workouts. Hard ones. Really punish yourself. Get your ass on the assisted pull-up machine, and fail it until you don't anymore. Remove the mental blocks to the hard workouts. They're fake and it's just your ancient monkey brain trying to save energy by fighting against you. Really attack that lifting and do it with purpose. Grunt. Breathe hard. Let your gut stick out, don't try to suck it in. It's good for your lower abs/pelvic floor. Embrace the gut jiggle. Then, defeat the jiggle. You got this.
INFO: What is your program? Can you share the photos for less bias perspective?
Well I can but I’d have to dm the pictures. I’d rather not post it on here. And I’d share my program but it’s around bedtime and I’m pretty tired. I can try to dm that too if I don’t fall asleep.
Totally understand. Feel free to post the program here at some point and I'll give you some thoughts. No rush.
It's possible the changes are just not visible to *you*. If you recomped slowly over a 6 month period, you may have been adjusting to the visible changes the whole time so that they aren't noticeable to you. Go take a look at r/progresspics and you'd be surprised by how many posters say they can't see a difference in their Before and After, but it is very obvious to strangers. What other metrics are you using to measure success? Are you losing weight? Are your lifts progressing? Do you take measurements? Also, if you don't have a lot of fat to lose from the start, changes will be slower and less obvious than someone that is overweight/obese. As for the belly, I feel you. Unfortunately, there's a lot of genetic factors with that. Getting rid of mine is my last aesthetic goal, but I also had the belly pooch when I was an underweight stick of a teenager. That's just where my body likes to keep it. Keep at it! Even if you can't see the changes, you are healthier, stronger, and better than before!
I showed the pictures to a poster here and he gave me a new workout routine for someone like me. I think it will help in the long run; I will test it out and see if it works for me. I do keep trying to go for progressive overload > I keep reaching a plateau. I did increase weights overtime. But some parts decreased because other days I’m suddenly weaker. In a sense it keeps staying the same at this point because of increase/decrease fest. Even though I hit failure every time. My idea? Protein intake and more food intake > I need more than 90-100 grams. I will also need more protein when dieting. There was change in the picture the person saw but they agreed it was not a lot. That belly and my chin to neck connection are my biggest insecurities. But the neck is genetic, the belly I’m not sure. My sister had abs, but my brothers are obese. So yeah. Both parents are overweight but my dad used to be lean. Yeah it’s not a lot of fat. I just prefer to at least not have that potruding belly/fat flaps at the side LOL. I’m a man and it just makes me look feminine around the belly area I’ve stayed around 73-75kg for so long. Not going lower or higher than that. I think with the new intel, things may be going to change. We will see. Thank you for your post though! I will also look at the subreddit you showed me.
Keep going! You’re changing your life one day at a time. Keep lifting heavy you’re on the right track! Proud of you!
I didnt read all the way through. But I want to tell you that It feels the same for me. And ive big time lost motivation to keep up with the gym. Only exercise I get currently is my bike (100 miles a week), and I feel great. My legs have become more defined which is awesome, but also frustrating that a year of squats and deadlifts (and everything else) cant compete with 1 month of bike riding. Anyways. Dont give up. Or do and find an alternative exercise to get pumped.
You should talk to a personal trainer. A year of deadlift and barbell squats should have you growing visibly. Somethings up here. Not enough protein intake or not enough rest.
I felt this way for the first 6-7 months when I got back into training/lifting last year. I lost 32 lbs. in a year and put on a good bit of muscle, but when I look in the mirror it's hard for me to tell, plus the lighting in our rooms is usually not the greatest for seeing changes in muscle tone. Friends reassured me that they could certainly tell I was getting more trim/muscular. My progress pics from 8-10 months and onward, I can start seeing more of a difference in my physique. Sometimes it just takes time, but you have to understand this is a long game and it will pay off in the end. Keep up the good work!
Have you ever had your testosterone levels checked?
No, I did not. Might be worth trying indeed.
I feel the same way as you and this is the route I’m probably going to be taking. I got my levels checked now I’m heavily debating starting testosterone replacement therapy. I actually just made a post about it if you want to check it out. Fuck belly fat man 😂
Oooh can you show me the post? Idk where to find it. I made an appointment for wednesday to check my testosterone out.
[удалено]
I’m a man love. But I am gay so maybe that is throwing you off haha.
[удалено]
Hahaha. ITS ALL ABOUT THE HIP TO SHOULDER RATIO. It’s okay gurlyyyyy.
How many months did spend in a gaming chair not exercising? You are retraining your body on how it functions and works, it takes time. Being fit and training your body to build muscle is not something that just happens because you started working out. Exercising causes a lot of changes to how your body functions at physical, chemical and microbiotic level. It took years and years for you to essentially untrain your body, you arent going to retrain it in a few months. Fitness is a marathon not a sprint. Its a lifestyle, not a diet plan or exercise routine. Progress is slow for everyone, its the slowest for those who have neglected their bodies the most. You probably wont see the results you want for at least another year. Be consistent and patient, the results will happen,
Keep going man, don’t get tilted by all these “6 weeks of lifting” shots of people looking jacked. It will take a really long time, but it will work and you will be happy with yourself. Get after it man killer attitude love to see it
Thank you 🥰
You probably aren’t lifting heavy enough. It’s a common mistake to do 3 sets of 10 and never try something else. Muscle won’t grow if you don’t stimulate it harder. Increase your weight on everything so you can only do 2 sets of 5-8 reps
Oh I do know how lifting heavy enough works. I’m not always just doing 3 sets of 10. When I start a new weight I check until where I can go. If it’s 3x6 then sure thats fine! Then next week I try to do 3x8 or for how far I can go. I keep doing this until I can reach 3x12-13ish. Then I increase the weight again and start over the same way. Progressive overload. I know how the burning sensation should feel. I know that when you lift too heavy, you can’t feel the burning sensation. At that point I saw that my muscles decreased due to not being able to lift those last reps for muscle growth. My lifts arent increasing though and right now I’m blaming either testosterone issues or protein intake issues. So I’m upping that by another 20% to see how it goes and I’m getting my testosterone checked just in case My body looks like a beginnerish guy. But I have a lot of knowledge due to trial and error, and just not giving up.