BB gospel-true for everyone??

[Rachel_n_SD]

Hi everyone,
theres several things that everyone in BB'ing agrees upon, such as we all know to eat 5-6 meals a day, we all know that lifting is superior to cardio, and we all know that lifting heavy is the way to go and will not make us girls look like arnold, right?

so i have a question to pose, and this is from personal experience-does this apply to everyone?

Personally, i have been working out consistently for 4 years, and have lost 80 lbs. i am in pretty good shape right now, within 5-10 lbs of my goal weight. i really dont technically even need to lose it, its kind of a personal preference.
i should also say that i am an endo-meso who puts on muscle and adds strength very easily, and generally looks muscular even after a long hiatus from the gym, but also gains fat easily too.

so (as you can see im my sig) i do cardio 3 times weekly, lift heavy 3 times weekly, eat 5 meals per day, etc.

i understand why i should be lifting heavy, but i honestly notice that my body seems leaner when i am in the 12-15 rep range. i have always noticed that when i am lifting in the 10rm or lower range, my muscles begin to look blocky and fuller than i like, and when i am at 15rm, my muscles appear smooth and "feminine" and i also have increased vascularity(due to the pump, maybe?)

as for eating, i eat 5 meals a day, but doing this leaves me always hungry, never satisfied, and hard-pressed to stay within my goal of 1600 a day. i notice when i eat 3-4 larger meals, i feel satisfied after each one and and have no problem staying in my macro ratios, and have few cravings.

so whats up with all this? i know all the gospel but my body seems to go against it.

[emmie]

Every BODY is different. If your routine and eating plan works for you, and from how you describe it, it seems to, stick with it!

Several months ago I was blindly following some of the bb gospel (about the amount of calories needed, and the amount - or lack thereof - of cardio, etc.), and found myself with some unwelcomed pudge. I reassessed what I was doing, listened to my body, and now eat/work-out in a way which works for me. I am pleased with how by body looks, and I am comfortable with the amounts I am eating. This, I think, should be what guides a person, not some so-called "gospel." One size does not fit all, ever!

- Emma

[arose70]

I agree with emmie. If you don't like the way you look in certain rep ranges, just don't do it. BB gospel I think works really well for beginners and then it is up to the individual to know their bodies well enough to tweak their workouts and diets for them.

Different muscle groups, as you know, also respond better to different rep ranges and its good to do different ranges once in a while so you can see what's working for you. You seem to be well versed in bbing so you know what is healthy and what is not....if its working for you, stick with it. Congrats on the 80 lbs lost!

[terracotta]

Yes, I agree.. do what works

[imperfectly_lou]

Absolutely.... I know that a lot of the training I am doing at the moment is fairly unconventional in that is doesn't follow a traditional BBing split and is quite long in duration, but hey, it is working!

[Rachel_n_SD]

gracias everyone for the replies! im gonna keep sticking to what works for me even if i look like a silly girl lifting light in the gym

[VanillaBean_21]

Basically...but I only eat 3 sometimes 4 meals a day...