Thickening midsection

[resle]

In the last few months I have put myself to some serious bulking for the first time in my life.
I have been super careful about gaining fat on top of lean mass, and although this made my bulking feel like watching paint dry, it worked.

However, something else happened: my midsection thickened considerably.
I can still see my six pack, but I got chunky: for my entire life seen from the side my midsection was thinner than my chest, especially after I started working out and my chest got way bigger.

Now they are aligned, like I have a ton of visceral fat or something - could it be that?
There is almost no fat I can "pinch" from the outside, that's what makes me think of visceral stuff.

I will try to put together some before and after pictures, but for reference - I am 47 years old, and I bulked from 67kg to 76kg in about 6 months.

[SuicideGripMe]

It could be just thickening of the abdominal wall and overall muscle mass. Hitting a lot of compound movements and weighted oblique work sometimes leads to a thickening of the core (all the bracing and what not). You could try doing stomach vaccuums to train your body to stop simply pushing your gut out. This worked well for some. Additionally, you may want to lighten up the load and stop doing exercises that require a big belly push out (like powerlifers pushing out all sides in a belt) but rather movements that focus on strong bracing or change how your brace.

Vince Girona and Frank Zane have talked about this in past articles.

[air2fakie]

It's called roid gut.

[LWW]

This is a simple fix.

You need more heavy shoulder and upper back work.

[mtpockets]

It's called roid gut.

Palumboism

This is a simple fix.

You need more heavy shoulder and upper back work.

LMAO

[TimKridel]

Same here. I started developing it about four years ago, or about five years after I started lifting seriously. Sometimes I wonder if I've somehow stretched out my abdominal muscles the way women do with pregnancy.

[patrenna]

In the last few months I have put myself to some serious bulking for the first time in my life.
I have been super careful about gaining fat on top of lean mass, and although this made my bulking feel like watching paint dry, it worked.

However, something else happened: my midsection thickened considerably.
I can still see my six pack, but I got chunky: for my entire life seen from the side my midsection was thinner than my chest, especially after I started working out and my chest got way bigger.

Now they are aligned, like I have a ton of visceral fat or something - could it be that?
There is almost no fat I can "pinch" from the outside, that's what makes me think of visceral stuff.

I will try to put together some before and after pictures, but for reference - I am 47 years old, and I bulked from 67kg to 76kg in about 6 months.

What type of supplements do you use? I lot of gainer supplements tend to make the stomach appear puffy or fuller.

[TimKridel]

What type of supplements do you use? I lot of gainer supplements tend to make the stomach appear puffy or fuller.

What types? Whey protein? I'd like to learn more about which ones and why. Thanks.

[resle]

I doubt palumboism or "roid gut" can be developed in the absence of steroid usage.
However, being 47 I am on TRT (Sus 500 / 1mg per week)

Other than that, the usual: couple scoops of whey per day.
I don't even use creatine because it makes me queasy.

[air2fakie]

I doubt palumboism or "roid gut" can be developed in the absence of steroid usage.
However, being 47 I am on TRT (Sus 500 / 1mg per week)

I wasn’t calling you out on whatever you are on whether it was TRT, steroids or HGH. I was just answering your question. Believe what you want I guess, but all of them have potential side effects.

[ectoBgone]

However, being 47 I am on TRT (Sus 500 / 1mg per week)

LOL, as though 47 was a significant milestone that people should expect to be on TRT. What a world we live in now.

[resle]

LOL, as though 47 was a significant milestone that people should expect to be on TRT. What a world we live in now.

Sorry, I understand that the nuances of such sophisticated grammar might make your comprehension wobble,
so I will rephrase in layman's terms:

"I am 47 years old. My testosterone levels dropped significantly, as it happens to some of the people in my age group. As such, to deal with the consequences of this drop,
I have been prescribed Testosterone Replacement Therapy"

Hope this dispels your idea that there was any implication of "milestones",
and it restores your faith in the world we live in and humankind as whole.

[LWW]

I doubt palumboism or "roid gut" can be developed in the absence of steroid usage.
However, being 47 I am on TRT (Sus 500 / 1mg per week)

Other than that, the usual: couple scoops of whey per day.
I don't even use creatine because it makes me queasy.

Well, if that avatar is your current up to date pic, it’s obvious, please see my prior post.

You are lacking upper body density thickness etc.

This how you are built, nothing you can do but bring up your shoulders and upper back and chest to get the V shape.

[resle]

Well, if that avatar is your current up to date pic, it’s obvious, please see my prior post.

You are lacking upper body density thickness etc.
This how you are built, nothing you can do but bring up your shoulders and upper back and chest to get the V shape.

not really, that dates back to 2018. I have a decent V shape now, and much, much bigger chest. I should update that picture indeed.