To the gymrats: fat distribution

[lucidbass]

I've worked out a lot in the past and was pretty ripped. That was years ago and I degenerated into a pretty doughy physique. It's ok, it'll go away and I'm bulking rather well right now.

What I never lost, though, was muscular abs. They're covered in fat, but they're still there, but that's the problem. Now that I'm bulking, I gain muscle quite well, but all the fat seems to be going to the gut. That combined with the big abs looks just... awful.

I am using creatine, however. So I was wondering, would the bloatiness of the creatine add a lot to the issue I'm having? Is it really just a combination of fat, muscle AND creatine that makes it look like more of a 'beer belly' than it actually is and do I just have to bite through it?

I know that I'm bulking so a bit of extra fat is expected, but I don't think I can bulk for a year while carrying around an awfully flabby middled aged gut.

 

[AlphaMale]

I could probably tell you more if you stated your height, weight, and body fat percentage. However, I'll give some general tips/ideas.

Creatine causes you to retain water, which in turn causes water weight (which can make you look bigger/bulkier/fatter than you really are). It is also something designed to mainly increase your strength and not to give actual permanent muscular development. Any perceived muscular size gains from creatine will be from the temporary water weight only.

The other thing I wanted to mention is that men will mostly store fat in two places: their gut and butt. Women, will store fat in these same places but also around their thighs. So if you're bulking up now, be prepared for most of the fat storage to be in those two places.

As far as abs go, I know exactly how you feel. I'm 6ft tall and most of my life I've been in the 155-175 lbs. range with lean but muscular abs. However, recently I started bulking up as well and now I weigh 200 lbs. As a result of that I have lost some ab definition, but not the size of the muscles. So I still look like I have ab muscles, but they just aren't as defined.

Unfortunately, that's probably something that's always going to happen if you are truely bulking (i.e. gaining 20+ lbs of weight over a few months time) and not taking fat burners at the same time. Without taking fat burners, it's nearly impossible to only be gaining muscle weight and not a little bit of fat weight along with it. Also, if you want to have what I call "magazine model abs" AND have a big chest/shoulders be prepared to take fat burners.

So my advice would be to bulk now, and not worry about the fat gain. Then after you get the bulk you want worry more about cardio/fat burning and losing about 5-10 lbs down to the weight/look that you want.

Hope that helps! :smile:

 

[twoton]

If you're big and strong, what do you need visible abs for?

 

[B_jeepguy2]

I've worked out a lot in the past and was pretty ripped. That was years ago and I degenerated into a pretty doughy physique. It's ok, it'll go away and I'm bulking rather well right now.

What I never lost, though, was muscular abs. They're covered in fat, but they're still there, but that's the problem. Now that I'm bulking, I gain muscle quite well, but all the fat seems to be going to the gut. That combined with the big abs looks just... awful.

I am using creatine, however. So I was wondering, would the bloatiness of the creatine add a lot to the issue I'm having? Is it really just a combination of fat, muscle AND creatine that makes it look like more of a 'beer belly' than it actually is and do I just have to bite through it?

I know that I'm bulking so a bit of extra fat is expected, but I don't think I can bulk for a year while carrying around an awfully flabby middled aged gut.

The same thing happened to me when I was about 25. I think something about your metabolism changes at about that age because all of my ripped friends started putting on fat at about that age too. I am not sure what it is that makes guys start storing fat. A drop in T levels maybe?

 

[AlphaMale]

The same thing happened to me when I was about 25. I think something about your metabolism changes at about that age because all of my ripped friends started putting on fat at about that age too. I am not sure what it is that makes guys start storing fat. A drop in T levels maybe?

Your metabolism does start to slow during your mid to late 20s, which makes it harder to keep fat off. However, that doesn't mean that you can't keep it off at all... you just means you have to work harder to do so! :tongue:

Testosterone levels are actually at their highest around age 28-29, which is considered the time where a male is at his peak physical strength. The T levels start to decline after that point, but it is pretty slowly.

 

[lucidbass]

I could probably tell you more if you stated your height, weight, and body fat percentage. However, I'll give some general tips/ideas.

Height is 1,74 m and weight is 72 kg.

Creatine causes you to retain water, which in turn causes water weight (which can make you look bigger/bulkier/fatter than you really are). It is also something designed to mainly increase your strength and not to give actual permanent muscular development. Any perceived muscular size gains from creatine will be from the temporary water weight only.

Yeaah I know, but bloatiness can be a side effect of creatine too, hence why I mentioned it, wondering if it's just a combination of bloatiness, fat and muscle, making it look more than a 'beergut' than it actually is.

The other thing I wanted to mention is that men will mostly store fat in two places: their gut and butt. Women, will store fat in these same places but also around their thighs. So if you're bulking up now, be prepared for most of the fat storage to be in those two places.

As far as abs go, I know exactly how you feel. I'm 6ft tall and most of my life I've been in the 155-175 lbs. range with lean but muscular abs. However, recently I started bulking up as well and now I weigh 200 lbs. As a result of that I have lost some ab definition, but not the size of the muscles. So I still look like I have ab muscles, but they just aren't as defined.

Unfortunately, that's probably something that's always going to happen if you are truely bulking (i.e. gaining 20+ lbs of weight over a few months time) and not taking fat burners at the same time. Without taking fat burners, it's nearly impossible to only be gaining muscle weight and not a little bit of fat weight along with it. Also, if you want to have what I call "magazine model abs" AND have a big chest/shoulders be prepared to take fat burners.

So my advice would be to bulk now, and not worry about the fat gain. Then after you get the bulk you want worry more about cardio/fat burning and losing about 5-10 lbs down to the weight/look that you want.

Hope that helps! :smile:

I didn't know I could just use fat burners while bulking? As you said, I just wanted to bulk until the end of the year and then just cut it all down. Wouldn't fat burners mess up my gains?

 

[AlphaMale]

Height is 1,74 m and weight is 72 kg.

Ok so at 5'7" 159 lbs, you are at a pretty good weight for your height. You probably don't want to get much heavier than that. Maybe 75 kg at the most.

Yeaah I know, but bloatiness can be a side effect of creatine too, hence why I mentioned it, wondering if it's just a combination of bloatiness, fat and muscle, making it look more than a 'beergut' than it actually is.

The only bloatedness that I was aware of from creatine was the "water retention/water weight". And yes, the combination of fat, muscle, and puffiness from water retention could definitely cause a "beergut" type of look.

The more water you drink while taking creatine, the more water you are going to retain (i.e. the more puffiness all around you are going to experience).

I didn't know I could just use fat burners while bulking? As you said, I just wanted to bulk until the end of the year and then just cut it all down. Wouldn't fat burners mess up my gains?

Fat burners will only get rid of your excess fat, not your muscle. So as far as your actual weight number, you will probably lose some due to the fat burners. However, that's because you are losing fat only, not muscle (which is a good thing).

A true "bulky" look without the use of steroids will contain some fat (i.e. lack of rippedness... not necessarily a ton though). Conversely, the true ripped looks aren't really bulky because they contain no fat (i.e. not as big chest/arms/shoulders but slimmer waist).

 

[D_Ernest Porknine]

As we age our metabolism slows down and we tend to start storing fat a lot easier than when we were younger even if we try to clean up our eating habits... it is just a fact of nature. As men, we also tend to store the bulk of our body fat around our middle. Women will tend to store it in their ass or thighs.

You can't spot reduce so you have to just eat less, do cardio (to burn more calories) or a combination of the two for the best results. It is very hard to gain muscle and lose body fat at the same time unless you are a total newbie in the gym when muscle gains can be made quickly. A zig zag diet of bulking and dieting may give you some results of gaining or maintaining muscle mass and giving yourself the opportunity to lose some bodyfat at the same time. However be aware that this process can be VERY slow. Most peope fail because they do not have patience and can not lead a healthy eating habit life which is necessary if you want to get and stay lean... that is unless of course you are one of the select few that is always lean... then my guess is also that you are not very muscular and have a very hard time trying to gain any muscle mass. Only a select few are blessed with the ability to be muscular and lean with little effort. There is no magic pill.

 

[lucidbass]

While we're at it... I'm getting kre-alkalyn soon, when I'm out of my regular creatine. But I was thinking of getting a pre-workout and a post-workout. Are there any that work well together that have kre-alkalyn and no caffeine?

Ok so at 5'7" 159 lbs, you are at a pretty good weight for your height. You probably don't want to get much heavier than that. Maybe 75 kg at the most.

I was thinking of bulking until I'm 80 kg then cut. Not sure what my fat percentage currently is, but I think it's somewhere around 16?

The only bloatedness that I was aware of from creatine was the "water retention/water weight". And yes, the combination of fat, muscle, and puffiness from water retention could definitely cause a "beergut" type of look.

The more water you drink while taking creatine, the more water you are going to retain (i.e. the more puffiness all around you are going to experience).

A lot of people report stomach issues with creatine and I've noticed I've been rather gassy lately... thought it was from the creatine?

Fat burners will only get rid of your excess fat, not your muscle. So as far as your actual weight number, you will probably lose some due to the fat burners. However, that's because you are losing fat only, not muscle (which is a good thing).

Alright, thanks! I'll think about it. :0

As we age our metabolism slows down and we tend to start storing fat a lot easier than when we were younger even if we try to clean up our eating habits... it is just a fact of nature. As men, we also tend to store the bulk of our body fat around our middle. Women will tend to store it in their ass or thighs.

You can't spot reduce so you have to just eat less, do cardio (to burn more calories) or a combination of the two for the best results. It is very hard to gain muscle and lose body fat at the same time unless you are a total newbie in the gym when muscle gains can be made quickly. A zig zag diet of bulking and dieting may give you some results of gaining or maintaining muscle mass and giving yourself the opportunity to lose some bodyfat at the same time. However be aware that this process can be VERY slow. Most peope fail because they do not have patience and can not lead a healthy eating habit life which is necessary if you want to get and stay lean... that is unless of course you are one of the select few that is always lean... then my guess is also that you are not very muscular and have a very hard time trying to gain any muscle mass. Only a select few are blessed with the ability to be muscular and lean with little effort. There is no magic pill.

Naw, I've doubled the weights of all my exercises since I started a month and a half ago. Did a dumbell shoulder press with 7 kgs, which is nothing, to 14 right now. Doing 16 the next time I'm working my shoulders out. I'm getting stretchmarks left and right so I'm definitely getting bigger. I wasn't asking for a magic pill, really, I was prepared to add both fat and muscle. I was just wondering if the beergut I had was the result of getting all the fat there, or could be a combination of bloating + muscle + fat and if I should be too worried.

And most of all, I was just worried about all the fat centralizing to my gut. I would've liked it a bit more evenly distributed. I don't care if I add fat while bulking. I know it'll go away when I'm cutting.