Post: #1

I want to get down to less than 10%. Any advice you can give...

Post: #2

I'm hovering at 10% right now, down from 14% a year ago.

For me, the key was:

1. Fasted heavy lifting in the morning -- this shed most of my extra β-adrenoreceptor fat ("easy fat") leaving me with mostly α-adrenoreceptor (difficult fat) along my lower back and lower sides.

2. Fasted heavy lifting the morning supplemented with Yohimbine HCL (not Yohimbe Extract) -- I take 12.5grams per morning. This seems to help shed my α-adrenoreceptor quicker, but it's a slow process.

3. Avoid excess cardio -- I prefer sprints to long distance running. If I do any long distance running, my cortisol response is to store fat.

4. Weeks where I hit in excess of 50% calories from saturated fat, I get cut quickly. I'm lucky to live in a college area (UI Chicago) and they have an actual whole body tank to measure body fat. The last time I dipped, I was at 11%, I'm certainly down to 10%, maybe 9%. In the last 4 weeks, my muscle definition has provoked quite awesome responses on spring break and from the usual plates I see.

5. Random Intermittent Fasts (IF) throughout the month, especially on travel days -- 24-32 hours of fasting. This is great of fat loss and autophagy.

My difficult areas are still the lower back and the tricep region, but I'm pretty sure another 4 weeks of heavy lifting (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) should get me to 8%, which is where I want to be.

I eat healthy (2000 calories per day), I have a standing desk at all of my offices, and I practice plenty of outdoor play activities (frisbee 3-4 days per week, surfing in California a few times a year, paddleboarding in Chicago a few times a week, climbing trees and walls, etc) that keep my body active.

Post: #3

What he said. For me, three things:

1: keep carbo intake under or around an avg if 75g a day.

2: track bf% and lbs daily, after you wake up and pee. Tanita makes good scales that track both, and more. Invest In one and record your data religiously

3: low impact slow movements like yoga as often as you can. Cardio is for sports not reducing bf.

Post: #4

I can attest that intermittent fasting is very effective, particularly if you eat about your maintenance in healthy cals on feeding days.

I'm trying to get down to 10% or lower myself. I'm never really sure where I'm at but I know the look I'm trying to achieve.

I have trouble getting my waist below 33" at 6'.

Post: #5

(04-07-2012 01:03 PM)RaulValdez739 Wrote:  I want to get down to less than 10%. Any advice you can give...

-reduce cals to below current maintenance.

-figure out a good macro ratio...if carbs are hard on you lower the percentage of them, I myself am sitting around 8 percent with 40 percent of my daily cals coming from carbs so not everybody needs to low carb it to make it. Make the protein/carbs/fats you do get, good ones...

-limit catabolic activity, cardio...keep up the weight training, crossfit that sort of thing. Cardio is for general well being, if your diet is in check you won't ever need to use a cardio machine to get your bf down.

- add a thermogenic... classic eca stack will give your metabolism an extra little boost.

- More water, less sugar

- Move away from refined foods, as a general rule when you're shopping stick to the outside of the grocery store miss isles in between and you're in good shape.

- Eat more often, keeps you satiated and less likely to binge, I don't believe that revs your metabolism but if you keep yourself from getting really hungry you're less likely to do something like hit a drive thru.

- make your biggest meal of the day the one that follows your workout, you'll best make use of the nutrients...make every other meal smaller than that one so arrange your daily macro plan.

- use a program like fitday to record what goes in...when you start accounting for every little intake you get a little more strict.

- Keep your body guessing, if your maintenance is 2000 cals and your diets 1500 to lose bf, it's cool to eat 1800 one day, and 1200 the next, if you stick to 1500 everyday your body gets used to it.

- Find an excuse to be active, not high intensity cardio but walk when you can little things like that that are bonus cals to come off.

- make sure you eat something a good hour before you head to bed, a slow burning protein...grass fed beef (expensive choice but I like it) cottage cheese or even a casein protein powder, give it the hour to digest somewhat before going to bed.

Post: #6

keto, compound lifts, and step mill / stair master

Post: #7

Intermittent fasting
Paleo
Atkins
HIIT
Going for walks.

Post: #8

What I like to do in the warmer months is play Tennis, Basketball, or Soccer. I've never had the motivation to do long distance running, but Soccer and Tennis are good for HIIT if you don't like long distance running. There's another thread about CR7's training routine(/thread-11848.html). Also, doing your exercise in a warm, humid climate burns off some extra fat.

Post: #9

Run...run...run!

Post: #10

Also here are some facts about me. I'm 6ft and between 185-190 pounds.

Post: #11

(04-18-2012 01:08 AM)RaulValdez739 Wrote:  Also here are some facts about me. I'm 6ft and between 185-190 pounds.

Measure your waist (real waist, not jean size). Height and weight alone isn't a good indication. You could have either a small gut or a six-pack with those same stats.

Post: #12

i've tried it all, but nothing burns my body fat like carbo restriction. 75g a day is my sweet spot, your mileage may vary.

it got me from 210 to 195 in the span of 6 weeks, and from 225 to 210 before that. again, your body type may respond differently, but carb restriction has been the ONLY thing that has gotten me results. strength training was good, cardio did nothing, and weekly sports didn't do much at all (but were fun). give it a go. learn what 75g of carbs translates to in real-world food and see what you can do.

also, get a scale that measures body fat percentage, weigh yourself naked each morning and record your LBS and BF%. i actually keep detailed records of my daily statistics and generated a bunch of derivative metrics and graphs to help monitor my progress. what gets measured gets managed, mate!

Post: #13

(04-07-2012 03:42 PM)mikeymike Wrote:  -figure out a good macro ratio...if carbs are hard on you lower the percentage of them,

-limit catabolic activity, cardio...keep up the weight training, crossfit that sort of thing. Cardio is for general well being, if your diet is in check you won't ever need to use a cardio machine to get your bf down.

-

This ^ is gold.
No one can guarantee what works for you as all people are different but limiting stopping/cardio can really help although every personal trainer in the world will try to tell you different. Cardio on a calorie defecit can literally destroy your muscle and your metabolism making it impossible to lose fat.

Post: #14

(04-18-2012 05:51 AM)billy Wrote:  

(04-07-2012 03:42 PM)mikeymike Wrote:  -figure out a good macro ratio...if carbs are hard on you lower the percentage of them,

-limit catabolic activity, cardio...keep up the weight training, crossfit that sort of thing. Cardio is for general well being, if your diet is in check you won't ever need to use a cardio machine to get your bf down.

-

This ^ is gold.
No one can guarantee what works for you as all people are different but limiting stopping/cardio can really help although every personal trainer in the world will try to tell you different. Cardio on a calorie defecit can literally destroy your muscle and your metabolism making it impossible to lose fat.

if your protein intake is high enough and your causing stimulation/damage to muscle tissue on a cal deficit you will retain most of your mass.you can still lose a lot of fat if you eat more.as in if you've been dieting for a number of weeks and arnt seeing results,the best way to combat it would to ramp up calories for a day to keep the metabolism stoked.

Post: #15

(04-18-2012 06:11 AM)alecks Wrote:  if your protein intake is high enough and your causing stimulation/damage to muscle tissue on a cal deficit you will retain most of your mass.you can still lose a lot of fat if you eat more.as in if you've been dieting for a number of weeks and arnt seeing results,the best way to combat it would to ramp up calories for a day to keep the metabolism stoked.

This for me personally is plain wrong, I tried a cut and lost a massive amount of muscle an almost no fat despite still lifting and consuming tons of protein, in three weeks I lost 6 months worth of strength gains. Dieting and cardio is a terrible mix.

Post: #16

Bascially, eat less.

More specifically, I'll reiterate what others have said here. Reduce carbs and be more active. Once I go carb restrictive the fat falls off. By carb restrictive i mean less that 150g/day. However, (this is quite a big however), I find restricting my carbs too much makes my workouts much less effective. For example I did, 13 sets of five reps, with heavy weights, of back today. With carbs under 250g I just wouldn't be able to do this sort of intensity.

Post: #17

(04-18-2012 03:23 PM)billy Wrote:  

(04-18-2012 06:11 AM)alecks Wrote:  if your protein intake is high enough and your causing stimulation/damage to muscle tissue on a cal deficit you will retain most of your mass.you can still lose a lot of fat if you eat more.as in if you've been dieting for a number of weeks and arnt seeing results,the best way to combat it would to ramp up calories for a day to keep the metabolism stoked.

This for me personally is plain wrong, I tried a cut and lost a massive amount of muscle an almost no fat despite still lifting and consuming tons of protein, in three weeks I lost 6 months worth of strength gains. Dieting and cardio is a terrible mix.

what was your diet and training split like? that sounds ridiculous how you lost muscle and no fat? doesnt make sense.I assume you were still lifting heavy

Post: #18

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/dish/201...i-dolphins

Post: #19

When I was doing heavy squats and deadlifts for reps I found they would just amp my metabolism so much. I cant do them anymore and I definitely notice less overall muscularity and I have to tweak my diet more to get the fat off. Really wanna get back on them, but blew out my inner ear (lol) and dont wanna risk a relapse.

Post: #20

This thread seems dead, but highly informative.

I, too, want to cut body fat %, at least below 13% ASAP, onwards to 10-12% -- but that's for later on. I'm now at 17,3% (upper body, legs would be lower at 16%). I've been stagnating for about three weeks.

My goal is, besides feeling good, to increase complexity of bodyweight training & my body fat percentage is too high for that, atm.

Is fasting rly a good idea, because I'm afraid I'll lose muscle tissue that way. Another problem I have with fasting is that when I work & train hard, I feel like having zero energy w/o food.

Post: #21

(06-13-2014 06:06 AM)Maciano Wrote:  This thread seems dead, but highly informative.

I, too, want to cut body fat %, at least below 13% ASAP, onwards to 10-12% -- but that's for later on. I'm now at 17,3% (upper body, legs would be lower at 16%). I've been stagnating for about three weeks.

My goal is, besides feeling good, to increase complexity of bodyweight training & my body fat percentage is too high for that, atm.

Is fasting rly a good idea, because I'm afraid I'll lose muscle tissue that way. Another problem I have with fasting is that when I work & train hard, I feel like having zero energy w/o food.

http://www.silverhydra.com/2011/03/cheat...ial-guide/

Post: #22

^ That sounds like it would work, if only I could give up my 1000 calorie breakfast....

I'm at 10% but want to get more defined.

Post: #23

I've heard a lot of people suggest fasted cardio on waking up, but a lot on this thread are saying no cardio. Why's that?

Post: #24

(06-13-2014 04:35 PM)runsonmagic Wrote:  I've heard a lot of people suggest fasted cardio on waking up, but a lot on this thread are saying no cardio. Why's that?

the difference is the intensity.

doing light cardio (to keep a lower heart rate) for an extended time, like hiking for an hour

versus

running 5 miles

My understanding is that you want to keep your heart rate in the "fat burning" zone. Get a V02 max test and that should be able to tell you what your target heart rate range should be.

Post: #25

(06-13-2014 04:35 PM)runsonmagic Wrote:  I've heard a lot of people suggest fasted cardio on waking up, but a lot on this thread are saying no cardio. Why's that?

I think the theory is that low-intensity cardio is good for burning fat in the short term (i.e. while you're doing it) but can actually work against your fat loss efforts in the long term (it's catabolic, and will lower your metabolism.) So, the wisdom says to strength train and do HIIT.