increase in waist size?

[panupong81]

Hi all, I have a question concerning strength training and weight gain. If for example I am 5'10 173 lbs 31" waist (maybe 14% body fat according to accumeasure caliper) and I gain strictly muscle weight from strength training, would my waist size also increase? Would your abdomen muscles increase the size of your waist? I am not concern about my physique so much but I am wondering if I will need to find different size clothing down the line..

[holvoetn]

Normally your waist size should decrease from dropping fat but if you are already on the low side (and 14% is low in my book) it might be your ab muscles will result in waist size going up a bit.
Will it require new clothing ? Depends ...

I would not worry about it right now

[ricepower]

Youll find early on that your waist size might decrease a bit from the combination of a little fat loss and stronger core muscles pulling stomach in.

However as time goes on and especially if you bulk up considerably your waist may increase a little again with muscles but it shouldnt be much more than the flabby stomach you started with.

An important thing to consider if your worried about fit of trousers. Is that most people wear trousers around their hips, much below actual waist.

Your thighs & glutes will grow quite a lot from squats & deadlifts.

[panupong81]

Thank you, H. Actually this is a strange year... I started as an overweight engineer at 215lbs in July... and I got on a restrictive diet and cardio to get in shape. I dropped to 167 lbs around September and realized I was just WEAK at that point. I googled "getting stronger" randomly and found this site. After reading what Mehdi has to say about nutrition and fitness, I got rid of my restrictive diet and cardio in favor of weights...

My midsection seems to look 'fuller' from the eating and strength training but I am still wearing the same size if not slimmer. I was just wondering if I would keep expanding lol, I just bought new pants!!

[holvoetn]

As ricepower indicated, what should worry you more should be your thighs and glutes

[TAYLORCANNON]

Thank you, H. Actually this is a strange year... I started as an overweight engineer at 215lbs in July... and I got on a restrictive diet and cardio to get in shape. I dropped to 167 lbs around September and realized I was just WEAK at that point. I googled "getting stronger" randomly and found this site. After reading what Mehdi has to say about nutrition and fitness, I got rid of my restrictive diet and cardio in favor of weights...

My midsection seems to look 'fuller' from the eating and strength training but I am still wearing the same size if not slimmer. I was just wondering if I would keep expanding lol, I just bought new pants!!

I can gain over an inch through the day from eating and drinking alone. Normaly a good bowel movement drops it back down by morning.

[Qen]

Your waist may not increase... but after a while you will be more than likely looking for new clothes.

Your glutes will get bigger , which will make it feel like your waistband doesnt fit anymore.

Your thighs will get bigger, which will make the legs of the jeans uncomfortably tight.

Take it as a sign that your are getting stronger, Its a good thing.

[Leot]

I've moved from ~72 to ~80kg in the last 11 months - the biggest increases as others have noted is in glutes and thighs, which have increased in size rather drastically. Waist remains the same as when I started at ~31-32". My spinal erectors are definitely a lot bigger though.