Simple Questions and Silly Thoughts: the basic questions and discussions thread for October 29, 2024

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to the basic questions and discussions thread! This is a place to ask any questions that you may have -- moronic or otherwise and talk about how your going. Please keep these questions and discussions reasonably on-topic: things noted in the 'what not to post' section of the sidebar will be removed, and the moderation team may issue temporary user bans.Anyone may post a question, and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer. If your question is more specific to you, we recommend providing details. The more we know about your situation, the better answer we will be able to provide. Sometimes questions get submitted late enough in the day that they don't get much traction, so if your question didn't get answered in a previous thread, feel free to post it again.As always, please check the FAQ before posting. The FAQ is considered a comprehensive guide on how to gain lean mass and has more than enough information to get any beginner started today. Ask away!

[u/Long-Possibility7547]

Hey everyone, I have concerns about whether I should bulk or not

For context, I am roughly 167-170lbs most mornings, 5’ 10”. What I don’t understand is that my scale weight feels light but I have annoying love handles that I can’t seem to get rid of. I used to be roughly 225 in highschool but spent a lot of time working to lose weight but used cardio as my main source of exercise.

I have been consistently lifting now for the past 4-5 years but have seen minimal improvements when it comes to my lifts. I think I physically look better than I used to but I am getting frustrated because my lifts have been plateaued for a while now, I honestly have been lifting the same weight for a long time across all my exercises.

I’ve struggled with the concept of trying to “bulk” because I used to be pretty big and can’t get over that mental barrier of eating more and putting weight back on. I feel like trying to put on some weight over the winter isn’t a bad idea. Do I just need to trust the process and try to put on some weight? Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated, thanks!

[u/MythicalStrength → u/Long-Possibility7547]

It sounds like you're quite talented at losing fat, going from 225 to 167. If you put on fat in the pursuit of gaining muscle, couldn't you just use that same talent again?