Post: #1

Starting this thread to track my progress, and also hold myself accountable.

Attributes

Age: 32 Currently standing at 6'1, and bulked up to about 210-215lb this past winter. I'm starting to think I may have taken it a bit too far, since my lifts were hampered by forearm and back injuries, which kept me from really pushing it on my favorite lifts (deadlifts, all biceps related workouts, squats, even pullups! Currently cannot do a pullup without pain in my forearm, so I do low weight cable pulls), yet I continued to gain weight anyway (natural, no steroids used)

Max lifts:

I'm benching 300lb on a good one rep max, was able to deadlift just over 415lb without any straps or belt before forearm injury, but squat was a measly 300ish due to form and flexibility issues which I'm still trying to fix. Squats have always been my worst exercise.

I do not know if this chart is accurate, but based on it I would fall at 20% bodyfat tops:



The plan:

20% bodyfat at 210 pounds mean I need to lose about 21 pounds to get down to my goal bodyfat % of 10. Of course this is a bit loose since I will probably loose a little muscle mass on the way down, so dropping 21 pounds won't necessarily put me at 10% bodyfat.

Am still deciding what kind of split to do. Currently I'm going to the gym 4 days a week, alternating legs and upper body each workout, with occasionally skipping a day if I feel the need for recovery, or the need to party.

My initial thought is to keep this split, with adding swimming or cycling on days off, and concluding workouts with an incline walk while I drink my post-workout protein shake.

My current diet consists of eating at least 200 grams of protein, eating vegetables, and that's all I really count, so that obviously has to change. Starting Monday, I will maintain my protein intake, eat most of my carbs at breakfast, practically none at lunch, and only a few at dinner post workout. Will be mostly high fat low carb, which I have done before with success. I don't plan on counting every single calorie, just protein to make sure I don't dip below 200 grams a day. Don't have time to make this a fulltime job.

Typical workouts:

Upper body

Bench press (warmups then 3-5 working sets)
Pulldowns superset with hanging leg raises (3 sets)
Incline bench press (warmup set then 3-4 sets)
Cable chest flies superset with cable back rows (3 sets)
Shrugs superset with lateral raises (3 sets)
Curls superset with varying tricep excercise (3 sets)
Dips superset with abs again (3 sets)


Leg day

Cycling for 4 miles at moderate pace to warm up
Squats (warmup to a working set of 3-5 sets)
Lunges, at end of set do squats with weight used for lunges (3 sets)
Occasionally do dumbell deadlifts here, with straps if wrists aren't giving me much pain (3 sets)
Hip thrusters superset with varying ab excercise (3 sets)
Bodyweight back extensions, then do the reverse (lifting my legs while holding with arms (3 sets)
Leg curls superset with leg extensions (3 sets)
Calf raises superset with more abs
End workout with light jumprope and box jumps

If the gym is dead I can get through each day in maybe an hour. Usually takes 1.5 hours though. Occasionally I will swap excercising in and out depending on which gym I'm at or if I just want to mix it up. For example, may do goblin squats instead of hip thrusters.


Anyway, experienced lifters, feel free to comment or point out what I'm doing wrong.

Post: #2

Leg day today. Worked up to single rep squats of

275
280
280
280
285

Next leg day is Wednesday. Goal will to be to work up to 3 sets of 7 of 230 for squats. Then go heavy again next Sunday.

Post: #3

Warmed up to working sets of 225 on bench till failure.

Did set of 9, 8, then 7.

Did incline 185 till failure, 8, 7, then 6 reps.

Plan will be to do heavy singles on Saturday if I feel recovered. I'm having a hard time determining my true Body fat percentage, because I've been experiencing alot of bloating due to some stomach issues I've been seeing a doctor about, think it is IBS. Anyway, bottom line goal is to lose body fat and eat healthy. Been eating alot of pro biotics and prebiotics

Post: #4

Warmed up to the following sets of squats:

7 reps of 230
7 reps of 230
7 reps of 235

Goal for leg day Sunday will be as follows

1 rep of 280
1 rep of 280
1 rep of 285
1 rep of 285
1 rep of 285

Post: #5

Went swimming yesterday for 40ish minutes. Never been a great swimmer, teaching myself proper breathing is much harder than I expected. Did not lift any weights.

Hoping the weather will permit me to take a bike ride today. No plans to lift today either. Upper body workout scheduled for tomorrow.

Post: #6

Are you tracking you food consumption? Myfitnesspal doesn't take long to use. Also I think based on the picture you would have more likely 50 lbs to lose to get that lean. For me, I recently lost weight starting 20+ range, to about 16 ish now, which was 19 lbs for me!

Post: #7

When cutting, I only count protein and carbs, but kind of eyeball things. I realize that this could be done a lot more precisely.

I think 50 pounds would be excessive for me. If I'm 20% body fat at my weight and want to get to 10% body fat, I calculated the amount of weight that 10% represents and am tracking that way. My ab muscles are already somewhat visible without flexing, but I definitely don't have a six pack at the moment. Losing 50 pounds would put me at 160 lbs at 6'1, I honestly don't think I could put up the numbers I do at that weight.

Since I'm natural, I'm afraid if I cut too much I'll lose size, and I like having the broad shoulders that I have now.

Post: #8

Maybe not 50, but its more than you think. The example they have for 20% looks really fat though. What did you use to calculate? Also it gets harder to lose as you get closer to your goal weight. At least for me.

Post: #9

Yeah I'm not quite as fat as that picture, but not quite as lean as the preceding. I'm just eyeballing my %. I'll post pics this weekend.

Post: #10

Warmed up to single reps of

Bench press
275
Failed rep of 295
Successful rep 295
Successful rep 295
1 set of 5 of 225

I failed the one rep because I brought it down too high on my chest and wasn't able to correct. Keeping form is hard for me when I'm near my max weight.

Incline bench press:
3 singles of 225

Post: #11

Start cutting calories and add hill sprints. Reduce weight training volume as needed while still trying to push your self.

Post: #12

Worked up to single rep squats yesterday of

280
280
285
285
290

Agree rhodey, I started cutting calories about a week ago, and will be doing hill runs when it gets warmer out on my off days. For now swimming seems to burn quite a few calories, especially because I suck at it.

Will walk on an incline today for 30-40 minutes, and try to upload my pics today as well. No lifts today. Debating doing a deload day for bench tomorrow. . . .my body is still adjusting to fewer calories and increased intensity of workouts. Don't want to risk injuring a tendon or anything. Writing things down definitely has helped me keep my focus.

Post: #13

Man there is a weird imbalance here. Any reason you are benching more weight than you are squatting?

Post: #14

Yes, I have been benching with proper form for longer than I have been squatting with proper form. When I first started lifting I didn't know what the hell I was doing, and did things like squats on the Smith machine.

Also, I have had a few back problems that set me back a bit throughout the years. Deadlifts were always my favorite lower body exercise, I can do 405, but have banned myself from them due to my forearm issues.

Anyway, I'm aware it is an imbalance and am trying to correct it.

Post: #15

Figured as much just wanted to make sure you weren't walking around like this

Post: #16

Pics of my fatass, sorry not sure how to resize:







Taken at various times and various lighting this past weekend. (none taken after a workout)

I still feel I'm about 20% bodyfat going by pics.

Post: #17

16-18 percent all day.

You are gonna be one skinny mofo when you get down to 10 percent.

Post: #18

Yeah may not take it down to 10% if it seems I'm getting too skinny. Definitely want to get rid of the gut though

Post: #19

Low carb should work. You don't have much of a gut. Any problems with salt? I can bloat if I eat too much.

Post: #20

That's my nonbloated gut. I haven't pinpointed the source of the bloating/IBS yet, but I know super fatty/greasy foods are triggers. My salt intake is low so I don't think that's the issue.

Post: #21

Great workout today. Warmed up to the following

Bench press
Set of 3 of 275
Set of 3 of 275
Set of 3 of 280

Incline bench
Set of 3 of 205
Set of 3 of 210
Set of 3 of 215

Did of course all the other work in my initial post, just an not tracking that stuff here

Post: #22

Just a tip, body fat percentages arent the end all for an aesthetic physique. Its somewhat relative. For example someone who is 5'10 carrying 20% bf but weighs around 220lbs will look significantly better before and after a cut than the same sized person at 160lbs and 20% bf.

The pics of 20% and 25-30% in the chart can be used as a pretty good example. The 20% dude is carrying far more absolute muscle under his fat than the 25-30% dude, if dude 1 cuts he wont looks too bad, dude 2 on the other hand will look like a twig.

Carrying an objectively larger amount of muscle will allow you to hover in the higher bf percentages without sacrificing a huge amount of aesthetics, whereas the opposite is true for carrying less.

This is kind of what steelex means when he says your cut is going to leave you as a skinny mofo.

For your next bulk cycle try spreading your weight gain over a longer period of time allowing for a better ratio of muscle to fat gain and ultimately an easier cutting cycle there after

Post: #23

Makes sense. I do think that with my current amount of muscle mass I'll look better with some form of abs. I'll post pics as I get slimmer. . . definitely don't want to swing too far the other way.

Post: #24

As for IBS, check out autoimmune paleo diet, or my MRT thread.You tend to loose a fair amount of weight on elimination diets, but you might not be able to go max weight lifting. Depends on he flared up you are.

Post: #25

Warmed up to 3 sets of 7 235lbs for squats. Not gonna lie this was brutal and I needed a couple seconds between reps to do this (keeping bar on back of course).

I should probably track my lunges too, did 3 sets of 7 standing lunges with 50 lb dumbells.

The hunger has set in, and based on the comments I'm not going to run too big of a calorie deficit. I'm actually seeing improvements already. My abs were shredded two years ago, I guess the muscle memory helps.