I (34M, 76kg) have noticed (by eyes) lately that I don’t look as lean as I used to (no more visible abs). However, the BW is still the same (76kg ish), and my Deadlift and Squats’ numbers have increased. Can one increase his body fat or look less leaner, with his body weight remaining the same and his performance over Big Three lifts increasing overall?
It’s possible to have discordant body composition and/or mass and strength performance, such as:
Higher muscle mass, but no increase in strength and even loss of strength. Most likely to happen when training is not specific to the way strength is tested.
Lower muscle mass, but an increase in strength. Most likely to happen when programming is good, but weight loss occurs. I predict your body composition didn’t change too much given the same BW. Would track with objective data like a waist circumference to make sure though!