Hi everyone! I'm new here, though I've been lurking for a few months. I wanted to get everyone's opinions on whether or not I'm making the right choice by spending the next 9 or so months on a slow bulk.
A little background and information about me:
I started weightlifting in March and have only ever done cardio before then. I've always been fairly happy with my weight & size, though unhappy with my body composition. It took me a long time to realize that cardio is not going to get me into the kind of shape I'd like to be in, which is the completely unrealistic Alyssa Loughran type body. So, I sought the help of a personal trainer since I had no idea what I was doing and felt like I'd probably injure myself if I picked up a barbell. He helped me the first few months, showed me how to do the big compound lifts, and coached me on form. I was incredibly weak, and I couldn't even squat with the bar. So, he had me squatting onto a bench with an 8kg kettlebell! Anyway, I've come a long way, but I still have a very long way to go. I moved onto the bar in May but can still only squat 45kg, but I'm slowly getting there. And I can now deadlift 60kg, which is a bit more than I weigh.
Unfortunately, I realize now that my diet was all wrong for gaining strength. I was eating at a deficit at first. The weight dropped off me. I started off at 64kg and got down to 58kg. In May, I started eating at maintenance despite my PT telling me I needed to eat at a surplus. I was stubborn.
When I first started this, I had the vague goal of wanting to be "fit and lean and in good shape" but my goals have become clearer to me in the past month or so. I want to be strong with muscle definition. Basically, I want bigger muscles, but I also don't want layers of fat hiding them. Big defined quads, defined back and arms, shapely glutes, etc, etc. Unfortunately, I am very far away from that and am going to keep spinning my wheels unless I make a change.
As it stands, I am a 37 year old, 5'4 female who weighs 58kg (around 128 pounds). I have fat to lose, particularly in my upper arms, thighs, and stomach. I lift weights 4 times a week with a focus on the big compound lifts (and hip thrusts for the glutes). The scale tells me my body fat percentage is around 23% but that's probably not accurate. My belief is that I should now start a slow bulk over the next 9 months to a year but there is a part of me that second guesses myself, and I wonder if I should try to cut down to 120 first. To be honest, I hate that idea because I want to grow my muscles and get stronger, and that feels like delaying it. But I want to do this right.
by jenpwriter via Bodybuilding.com Forums - Female Bodybuilding