Thickening waist powerlifting?

I have been systematically training powerlifting for around 8months and made solid progress. I have gained around 35lbs in bodyweight, a good deal of which appears to be muscle.

in terms of love handle, grip n’ grab fat my subcut fat stores haven’t changed much. I have the same level of wobble as ever. However, my waist has shot up to 36inches from 30-32. This really feels like a thickening of my torso and not just fat accumulation.

What do?
Am I deluding myself or is a degree of waistband thickening common among those newly committed to thrice weekly squats and weekly deadlifts etc.
I’m certainly a much more solid and robust creature than I was this time last year, but keen to hear if others have this broadening around midsection too.

It is likely you have gained a considerable amount of body fat if your waist has gone up 4-6" in 8 months. While muscles get bigger in response to training, the waist doesn’t tend to grow significantly without fat gain.

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Well, that’s disappointing

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