F23, 5’5, 69kg / 150lbs, 38% body fat. training for 1 year. seeking advice on what to do next

[dynamitex]

@kateetak What program are you following?

 

[ab24]

@kateetak This is just your first cycle. You're going to have to do multiple bulks and cuts (although some people say it isn't necessary, but I think you can get good results from it), follow a consistent and well-designed program that works for you, and consume annoyingly large amounts of protein for a few years to see the kind of changes that I THINK you want to see (going by your post) in a year.

I've been training for 3+ years and I'm nowhere near as strong as I'd like to be, and LOOK nowhere near as strong as I actually am. It takes time. Give yourself some grace, and whenever you're ready, try following a proper program, do a cut, then do a bulk, eat more protein. You'll be fine, and you got this.

 

[piermario]

@kateetak Firstly, InBody scans are mostly crap--they're too variable to really give meaningful, actionable data in most cases.

So, going by what you look like, how your clothes fit, how you feel, what your goals are, etc.--What are you happy with and what are you not happy with?

i’m very happy with my lower body “gains”. i went from having no ass to having one, but my gains seem mainly driven by fat as opposed to muscle, even though i definitely have some glute muscles. i’m scared that if i lose weight, i’ll lose my lower body gains.

I mean, if what you gained in your butt was fat and you lose fat, then yes, it's likely your butt will get smaller.

That doesn't mean that you'll go back to looking like your 'before' photos either, though, as you've likely built muscle over the last year and as such if you want to cut at this point, you'll probably look different than you did a year ago.

If you're heavier than you want to be, you need to assess your diet and eat less. You can help keep the muscle you have by continuing to lift and keeping your protein intake up. 100g is probably close enough, though keeping protein high gets tougher when you calorie restrict.

What's your lifting program like? Who wrote it? What's the progression scheme?

 

[katie4469]

@kateetak What are your goals?

 

[kateetak]

@katie4469 i guess my main goal is to build muscle mass. i thought me bulking was helping me to build muscle mass but it seems like i’ve put on a lot of excess fat and not that much muscle. i’m not sure if it’s “healthy” for me to continue bulking given that i’m at 38% body fat and high bmi

 

[katie4469]

@kateetak What lifting program have you been following? Possibly the program you’ve been following is not effective. Have you been applying progressive overload?

 

[soldierundercommand]

@kateetak Sounds like you need to lift heavier and at a higher pace. Most people, especially women, do not put in enough effort or eat properly to fuel their goals. How are you lifting? Are you pushing yourself so that the last two reps are hard to finish? Or are you just pushing weight without breathing hard?

And the majority of women, as we age, do need cardio. I’ve never been a cardio bunny, but when I hit 41 last year the things I usually did weren’t working to keep my same body comp. I had to start an hour a day of zone 2 cardio, 6 days a week. I still lift 5-6 days a week -45 mins/day. You’ve got some years til then, but if you are prone to gaining fat, you may need to add in the zone 2.