looking "bulkier" during initial phases of working out?

[sla07]

first time poster here but have always read articles from the forum and have always been pleased with what ive found so far...one thing i cant seem to find too much on is the initial workout motivators...for me, for example, it becomes a visual motivator...i work out on and off every few months (i know i know thats bad and i need to stick to it, im working on it )...when i do, one of two things typically happens...either i end up dropping weight pretty quick, or i end up looking "bulky" and fat...this time around, i am getting the latter again...and im not sure what it is or why...below is my "routine"...

sundays
morning - stationary bike for 30 minutes (rpm's around 92)
evening - 15 minute stationary bike (rpm around 78 for a warm up),
weight training consists of deadlifts, push press, and shrugs (circuit style training)...three sets each, then 15 minutes cool down on the stationary bike the same as i did with the warm up

mondays
morning - stationary bike for 30 minutes (rpm's around 92)
evening - 15 minute stationary bike (rpm around 78 for a warm up),
weight training consists of squats, shoulder press, lat pull down (circuit style training)...three sets each, then 15 minutes cool down on the stationary bike the same as i did with the warm up

tuesdays
morning - stationary bike for 30 minutes (rpm's around 92)
no weight training at night

wednesdays and thursdays the same as sunday/monday


so i started this routine about 2 weeks ago, and at this point i feel like im getting "fatter"...i havent taken measurements so im not sure if thats whats really happening or its just that im gaining a little muscle faster then im losing fat, giving the illusion of being fatter (im assuming this is whats happening)...

as for my current stats, about 5'4", im guessing around 155-160 pounds at the moment (i dont really weight myself as i always measure myself with how clothes fits (another bad habit of mine)...

as for food typically will be:

breakfast
steel cut oats with a banana and cinnamon
or
3 egg whites, with about half a cup of brown rice

lunch
tuna pouch (chunk light tuna) with a cup of brown rice
or
side salad (just lettuce, tomatoes onions), with grilled chicken breast, a little bit of balsamic vinnagriette, and some croutons
or
half a turkey sub on whole wheat with spinach (instead of lettuce), tomato, onions, jalapenos, yellow peppers, mustard, and swiss cheese
or
spinach turkey wrap, same ingredients as the sub

dinner
tuna pouch (chunk light tuna) with a cup of brown rice
or
side salad (just lettuce, tomatoes onions), with grilled chicken breast, a little bit of balsamic vinnagriette, and some croutons
or
grilled chicken breast with some sauteed veggies or steamed veggies

snacks will usually be a handful of almonds throughout the day or some mixed fruits (ie: mango, blue berries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, etc)

granted, im not eating completely and utterly healthy 24/7...i do go out to dinner here and there and when i do, if its not a steakhouse, i'll get the healthiest alternative which will typically be grilled chicken with veggies...if its a steakhouse, definitely a steak (typically a ribeye) with grilled/sauteed mushrooms (i dont normally get mashed potatoes or anything with this meal)...and yes, i do drink whiskey (which is a huge no no, but again, its all supposed to be about balance, right?)

i feel like i may not be eating enough, or maybe eating the wrong things...and im not completely against cutting out certain things like the booze for a little bit, but long term wise, thats not my personal choice of lifestyle to cut little things like that out completely from my diet, so im trying to find the fine medium...any thoughts/suggestions/comments on the workout routine or eating habits would be greatly appreciated...

[sla07]

Damn no replies...maybe I need to have this moved to a different forum?...if I posted incorrectly, my apologies :/...just wanted some outside perspective...

[alleyesonme711]

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but from my broscience opinion I would agree with the title and this happened to me. Came back from lifting and gained 35lbs in 3 months looked 'bulky', and then lost 15lbs while still increasing strength. Rome isn't built in a day and looking at the mirror after less than a year of consistent training is probably a bad idea. Your eyes can lie to you based upon shirt/pants/how much you ate earlier that day or last couple of days.

On the other hand when you lift 150lbs, you lift 150lbs and there is no way to lie about that. 98.1% of the time you will never see a small guy lifting 300lbs, they will only be the bigger guys who actually look like they lift. Maybe 10% of the time you might see a guy with crappy lifts / fitness looking 'fit', but you can increase those odds by alot by actually being fit rather than looking like it. Just focus on doing better week to week.

[BigHugeLawls]

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Agreed.
On a serious note however, you are doing way to much cardio to see the gains you should be seeing.
I was the puniest guy for my height when I first started to lift (had been on and off at the gym) and I used to run a mile before and after every workout.

I then learned an important lesson I will never forget. If you don't get the results you want, doing the same thing will get you nothing more than what you have.

So I grew a pair and did exclusively compound lifts. (where novices like you and me get the most gains).
If you stop doing what you're doing and do exclusively squat, bench, deadlift, row, and overhead press with a bar (squat being most important) for even 1 month, you will lose way more fat and build more muscle than you ever have. After seeing the success, you will probably be motivated to continue and get strong as fawk.

True story brah

Also, if you do read on this forum much, I am surprised you are even doing cardio. Cardio forces your body to adapt, losing muscle and fat around 50-50 in order to make it easier for your body to do it. Weightlifting, on the other hand, only attacks the fat and builds muscle at the same time. If you want some sort of cardio, do more squats, they tax your cardiovascular system and are arguably the most important exercise to do for your health.

[sla07]

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crap sorry about that guys :/

thanks for the responses though...my method to madness with the cardio is, im signing up for the 5k corporate run again this year so i want to maintain some cardio to be able to do those 3 miles...and i want to beat my time last year (first time ive ever done any of this) of 34 minutes...

as for just weights, id love to do just weights...im always concerned of feeling "fat" or bulky though more than looking lean...my ultimate goal is to just be leaner...i dont need to be sub 10% bf...but if im between 10-15% i think i'll be "lean" for my stature...i have some fat to lose (hence why i figured cardio combined with weights would give me multiple benefits)...

im going to start keeping track of what weight i put up at the gym...the only one off the bat i have measured has been squats (225, but i did this about 8 times on my last set) and deadlifts (215 but i did around 5/6 of these on my last set)...

i dont look muscular at all and unfortunately have been bulky lately, thats why i asked about looking bulkier in the initial phases...kind of de-motivating when you look "fatter" then you actually are...