@mtbking30 She said she wants to gain muscle and is surprised she didn't gain any in a year. Maintaining the lowest BMI isn't conducive to this goal, as she has very little fat to start with.
DEXA Results | 1Yr Update: Progression is not Linear (29F/5’0/24.5% > 19.8% > 20.7%)
- Thread starter lapinot
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- female fitness
@mtbking30 Well yeah, because it’s usually obvious? People who lift generally want higher muscle mass. People who are losing weight from the higher end have to do more and more work as they get into the healthy range and the benefits of decreasing within the healthy range are likely not worth it.
@mtbking30 Don’t you know? It’s ok to shit on ppl for being thin
@skewpoint Being thin and being purposely on the razor edge of underweight are not the same.
Signed,
A lifelong thin person
Signed,
A lifelong thin person
@shiloh153 Your reply is missing the point. It’s not ok to question why someone would want to maintain a leaner weight. It stinks of the same bullshit men say “I prefer your before picture.” No one cares what you think. OP set a physique goal and achieved it. Congrats to her.
Signed,
Thin person who is sick of being questioned why I would go on a cut or told to eat a sandwich
Signed,
Thin person who is sick of being questioned why I would go on a cut or told to eat a sandwich
struggle101
New member
@shiloh153 100% this is where I was coming from and I can heavily relate. But people will always get defensive about this topic.
matthewwri
New member
@struggle101 5’0 is on the shorter side to be fair. I’m 4 inches taller and aim for around 115 maybe 120 lbs which is also on the lower end. I have a more apple shaped body so to have a healthy waist measurement I need to be closer to the lower end unfortunately.
@matthewwri Her goal weight is 95-98. That’s the low end for a person who’s 5’0”.
@shiloh153 Honestly when you’re that short, the margin of error is ridiculous — I’m a lot heavier than her but look very different at 125 versus 120. She didn’t say it’s her GW but a goal margin. You can see what a huge difference 10lbs made — it’s like two different bodies, and if she’s able to maintain at 1700 calories, that’s awesome for a very short girl.
What would you recommend as a different BMI for her?
What would you recommend as a different BMI for her?
@wordsbyj A specific weight is all going to depend on what type of mass. 10 lbs of fat does look noticeably different, but if that's 5-10 lbs of muscle then she's probably gonna have some very visible definition
If you're going to put on muscle I think automatically you need to be willing to be at least +5% up on what you thought was your preference/ideal
If you're going to put on muscle I think automatically you need to be willing to be at least +5% up on what you thought was your preference/ideal
@polcat 5-10lbs of muscle takes a long time to grow, especially on a lean frame that’s already used to lifting (you’ll always see the most dramatic changes at the very beginning when you’re a newbie). I think right now, it’s good to have a base and she can always increase weight if she feels it makes more sense to bulk. Cutting is usually a lot harder when you’re trying to build muscle at the same time. I think in terms of body recomp, it’s easier to start low and change from there.
matthewwri
New member
@shiloh153 And 115 is the low end for someone who’s 5’4. I’m just saying people have different body shapes and people store fat in different ways so I kind of get it.
@struggle101 I feel that I feel and look my best at this weight though of course everyone is different! i pole dance so this helps my ability to lift myself. I’ve been heavier and was unhappy with how I look. Im happy with how I look and feel now.
graemehoodless
New member
@lapinot When you put on muscle, you're going to stop seeing a direct correlation between weight and body size! For example, you will most likely gain weight from building muscle, but your measurements may stay about the same as they are now. All that to say, I would focus less on the scale and more on photos, measurements, how much you are progressing in your lifts, and how you feel 
@lapinot So... That says you lost less than a pound of muscle mass and gained less than a pound of fat. That's well within the margin of error for these scans. Don't put so much stock into these numbers. While they're probably still the best option for measuring body fat, they're not for tracking extremely small changes.
If you want to get stronger, you're going to have to get on a strength program and eat more.
If you want to get stronger, you're going to have to get on a strength program and eat more.
@maria37 Yeah this one is tough. Both really- i have both strength and aesthetic goals. I pole and I started weight training as I had plateau’d on my progression. Ive gained and been successful in so many new and harder skills here so It’s important to me to continue here- its mostly upper body and core for pole.
I REALLY want to gain a booty though, and this conflicts a bit with the strength goals. So ideally its a balance of the two but if I have to prioritize one it would be to increase strength for pole.
I REALLY want to gain a booty though, and this conflicts a bit with the strength goals. So ideally its a balance of the two but if I have to prioritize one it would be to increase strength for pole.
@lapinot Just my 2 cents as a med student since your post says you are looking for input - not sure how much muscle a person can have while maintaining a BMI of 18.5, which is the lowest end of the healthy range (lower than many docs I’ve worked with are comfortable with their patients being). Especially to get “a booty,” which I have never seen on a person in that weight range…because butts are muscle and fat! I really don’t see how you can increase muscle mass without increasing your weight above the minimum value needed for good health.
@shiloh153 Fair observation, I appreciate that! Likely will start a lean gain in a bit and see what happens!