Gains & Bodyfat concerns.

[Kyokudo]

Here's the deal, I've been going to the gym for about a year now.
My starting weight was something like 65kg... or there abouts.
I now weigh 71kg. I do see more muscle size and definition.

But this growth stopped some months ago.
Also, when I first started they measured my bodyfat to be about 24%?
Now according to them it's 21%!?

I vary my routine about 4-6 weeks, attending 3 times a week. But I confess my diversity of exercises lacks a bit. I don't know too many variations.
I wans't doing much cardio, about 5-10 mins of warm-up at a steady pace.
I would split my routines to; Chest/Triceps, Back/Biceps then Legs/Shoulders. Each day would get abs too, for about 15 mins.

Recently I've started jogging in the morning before breakfast for 20 mins 3 times weekly. I'm also now throwing in an extra day at the gym for cardio incorporating some HIIT.

My diet is mixed and healthly. I stay away from saturated fats and eat high protein/carbs throughout the day. Keeping my protein source as chicken, fish and eggs. I take protein supplements in the morning and after a workout. I also mix creatine with the post-workout protein shake!

But is this progress normal for such a long period of time.
I am getting people telling me I'm looking bigger, but I want to be leaner too.
21% is not where I wanted to be, and to be honest, it's somewhat de-motivating.

Any advice would be welcome, as I feel I'm stuck in a rut.

 

[johnny83]

You definetely sound like your on the right track, just hit a plateau which is normal. A couple things I do to combat plateaus is do a different workout every week, this will keep your body guessing and not building a memory to the same old routine. Also, and I know this is unorthadox to a lot of people but I take one week off of all exercises including lifting and running every 9-12 weeks. You would be amazed what that recooperation time can do for you, its like getting beginner gains every time you start up again, including fat loss. The hardest part is the guilt ya feel about takin a week off, but trust me, its worth it, I was stuck at 200lbs until I started doing these things and now im at 175. I havent plateaued since I started this type of plan. Good luck to ya.

 

[Karky]

Did your weight gain come evenly over that 1 year period?
Did you stop gaining weight after you added more cardio?

you've gained weight and dropped BF at the same time.. that's something to be happy about.

How did they measure your BF? Did you do it exactly the same every time? Same person to do the measurements if it was with calipers. Same hydration level, same time of day, etc?

If you really want to lose BF you should go for losing weight as well, it makes it a lot easier and faster. Don't drop too fast, though, as you'll end up losing muscle. I'd say 1lb a week at most.. I'd personally go for less than that, but choosing a number has a lot to do with experience you get over the years. Keep doing resistance training and keep the protein intake up should minimize any muscle loss.

Also, a split routine like that might not be the best for you. If I were you I'd go for a 3 day a week full body routine, an upper lower or a push pull split. The two latter would be 4 days a week instead of 3. For the vast majority of people, 1 day a week per muscle group will be a bit too little.