# Feel lost at the minute and a bit fed up (with pics)



## Bobby1413 (Dec 29, 2011)

Hi everyone,

Been lifting for years now, the last two more seriously though.

*Stats*

I'm 30 years old

Height is 5ft 7

Weight: 180lbs / 81kg / 12.8stone

BF%: Not entirely sure but maybe 20-25% (trying to cut this down)

*Lifting Style*

I see myself as half Powerlifter and half Bodybuilder. I love deadlifts/squats/bench but want to get a good, cut physique which is what I'm currently aspiring too.

I lift 4-5 times a week, doing body split legs/back/chest/shoulders + repeat

I feel really lost though and despite being experienced, not sure what to do in several areas:


Cardio - should I be doing cardio or just more weights to get cut?

Calories - I was doing 1800 calories, with 40/40/20

Not sure if maybe I should eat more so I don't just duplete my body of all the muscle and the little size I have


I was doing fasted cardio in the mornings before work, but not sure if I should continue with this.

*Pics*














































*Aims*

As stated I want to get more cut, to have a much lower body fat percentage, more ripped, visible six pack.

Venting at the minute but I just feel a bit all over the place and thinking outloud, but also looking for some advice.

Thanks,

Bobby


----------



## TommyBananas (Nov 23, 2014)

I'd cut personally. Follow these steps, guarenteed 100% success:

1. Calculate a rough calorie/macronutrient breakdown here: IIFYM Calculator - a 500 calorie deficit is great. So if you maintain at 2500 calories, eat 2000.

1g of protein per lb, 0.33-0.45g fat per lb, rest into carbs is a good starting place.

2. Count your calories/macronutrients at Free Calorie Counter, Diet & Exercise Journal | MyFitnessPal.com - weigh your foods, account for everything including cooking oils, beverages etc.

3. Follow a weight training program (Yes! Women too, this does not make you look bulky, this is a silly misconception/myth). StrongLifts 5x5, ICF 5x5, Starting Strength - but for females obviously the progression will be slower in terms of strength so progress 50% slower each time. Example: If it says add 5lbs - add 2.5 instead.

4. Don't think you have to train 4-6x a week. 3 is plenty and gives you plenty of time to enjoy lifes pleasures and not burn yourself out fast. Cardio is OPTIONAL and not something you need to do, however for health benefits I'd recommend a little cardio 2-3x a week at a low/moderate intensity for 30-60 minutes.

5. Realise you don't need to give up your favourite foods, this is one that kills people fast - they think they need to eat "clean" and give up all their favourite foods. Obviously, a wholefood nutritious diet is what we want, but you can definitely still fit some of your favourite foods in each day without a problem. Ensure you get plenty of vegetables and a little fruit.

6. Weigh yourself but don't fret over it. Fitbit Official Site for Activity Trackers & More and TrendWeight is two places you can track your weight (daily). You enter it in fitbit and it displays on a graph at trendweight and shows you what weight loss/gain you are having - this gives you peace of mind. If you don't want to weigh daily - just weigh once every 1-2 weeks on the same day in the mornings after using the bathroom and hopefully within a few weeks you'll notice a downward trend.

7. The mirror is your friend, absolutely. This and measurements can be a great way (often better than the scale) to gauge progress. I advise you do all these steps.

8. Remember its a marathon, not a sprint, enjoy the journey.


----------



## Bobby1413 (Dec 29, 2011)

TommyBananas said:


> 1. Calculate a rough calorie/macronutrient breakdown here: IIFYM Calculator - a 500 calorie deficit is great. So if you maintain at 2500 calories, eat 2000.
> 
> 1g of protein per lb, 0.33-0.45g fat per lb, rest into carbs is a good starting place.
> 
> .


Thanks for the reply and useful comments.

On this, I was doing 40/40/40 which broke down over 1800 calories as:

180g protein

180g carbs

40g fat

If I break that down as you suggest, that would come to something like:

180g protein

108g carbs

72g fat

Does that sound right?


----------



## TommyBananas (Nov 23, 2014)

Bobby1413 said:


> Thanks for the reply and useful comments.
> 
> On this, I was doing 40/40/40 which broke down over 1800 calories as:
> 
> ...


You could lower the fat if you wanted more carbs, but.. 1800 calories is too low at your bodyfat.

With the moderate/low cardio, + training 3x a week you could be eating much more with a standard 500 calorie deficit and losing 1-2 lbs a week with no issues.

40g of fat though in the first few figures you gave me is too low.


----------



## Bobby1413 (Dec 29, 2011)

Thanks, I calculated my maintainence calories at just under 2500.

So with that in mind I will go for 2000 calories

Will do some LIIT fasted cardio in the mornings before work (2-3 times a week max)

Will maybe do some HIIT too but not over do it too much


----------



## AndyWaller (Oct 10, 2014)

Do you play any sports mate?

I can't stand cardio but play basketball and football once a week each. You can make it as HIIT as you want dependent on how competitive you are!! You look a good build for rugby union?


----------



## ImmortalTech (Feb 19, 2015)

Bobby1413 said:


> Thanks, I calculated my maintainence calories at just under 2500.
> 
> So with that in mind I will go for 2000 calories
> 
> ...


If you've been eating 1800 cals don't jump to 2500 overnight mate, you will not use some of those cals and store them (as bodyfat). Add 100 each night until you're at your desired amount.

That's solid advice Tommy gave you btw.


----------



## Bobby1413 (Dec 29, 2011)

AndyWaller said:


> Do you play any sports mate?
> 
> I can't stand cardio but play basketball and football once a week each. You can make it as HIIT as you want dependent on how competitive you are!! You look a good build for rugby union?


I don't play sports, due to working shifts it's sometimes hard to fit in regular activity. I used to play Rugby back in School, although that was about 15 years ago and I don't even know the rules anymore!

I did consider going down a boxing gym and trying some boxing on the bags as I've heard that's amazing cardio



ImmortalTech said:


> If you've been eating 1800 cals don't jump to 2500 overnight mate, you will not use some of those cals and store them (as bodyfat). Add 100 each night until you're at your desired amount.
> 
> That's solid advice Tommy gave you btw.


My diet has been off for a little while and so I'm getting it back on track and going to follow Tommy's advice and go for:

2000 calories

200g protein

150g carbs

67g fat

I'm going to set a reminder and weigh myself weekly - HOWEVER, I know for sure this is not a good indication by itself, so it's just to make sure I'm not dropping too much weight, or even gaining any. Then I can adjust the macros in the coming weeks.

Will also try to remind myself to post pictures - particularly of upper body as all the fat appears to be around my stomach/love handles


----------



## the.indian.guy (Mar 2, 2015)

hey mate...

i am not so into technical stuff but by my own experience, i have found few things to be really useful for shredding.

I can see that u have a good build and you can afford to loose some of the muscle mass while shredding.

what i follow is what i read in Kevin leverone's personnel blog, n its the same.

for a period of 3-4 weeks , i cut down carbs drastically. i mean for 3-4 weeks straight i am on fish and veggies.

my diet is bit different but i also take around 100mg caffeine n green tea extract everyday.

also in a week i suddenly up my carbs for a day and the look i get next day is grainy awesome.

well thats just me. everyone has different body so may be this will help you out.

again this my own personal experience which works best for me


----------



## Bobby1413 (Dec 29, 2011)

the.indian.guy said:


> hey mate...
> 
> i am not so into technical stuff but by my own experience, i have found few things to be really useful for shredding.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the input, sounds like you're doing well.

I do have some good muscle I think, and already I can see a bit more definition, especially in certain lights!

I just want to get a lot more cut, ideally around 12-15%.


----------



## Bobby1413 (Dec 29, 2011)

*Just an update:*

So far I'm doing well sticking to the calories and macros:

200g protein

150g carbs

67g fat

= 2000 calories

Should I be eating more on lifting days... say I do 300calories worth of cardio, would I eat 300 more calories? At the minute I'm not and just treating it as further fat loss as a result.

I'm currently 180.0lbs and think I'd like to get down to 170lbs and as above 12-15% bodyfat.

I'm going to give myself 11 weeks. That's plenty of time to drop the weight I think (1lb a week) and hopefully enough time to get a lot more cut up. This is in time for me going on holiday.

My biggest weakness is alcohol. I love a drink and due to work stresses I am often tempted and also drink a lot. I'm not a person who can just have one. I will try and not drink throughout this period.


----------



## Mince Pies (Dec 3, 2014)

You're doing pretty much the same as me. Same macros diet training etc. I'm 5 8", 200lbs at about 16% bf. If your training fasted then get a good pre workout to keep the energy up, some bcaa helps. I do cardio before and after 4 times a week, 25 mins total, 10 before to warm up and 15 after. I mix it up so it's not too boring. I wouldn't eat any extra on training days just have one cheat meal a week with the deficit. Don't go mad though and ruin the losses.


----------



## ImmortalTech (Feb 19, 2015)

Bobby1413 said:


> *Just an update:*
> 
> Should I be eating more on lifting days... say I do 300calories worth of cardio, would I eat 300 more calories? At the minute I'm not and just treating it as further fat loss as a result.
> 
> My biggest weakness is alcohol. I love a drink and due to work stresses I am often tempted and also drink a lot. I'm not a person who can just have one. I will try and not drink throughout this period.


Post-workout shake should do the trick for the extra energy expenditure on lifting days.

Alcohol is the biggest enemy when it comes to muscle/strength. You can't process food for energy while your body is fighting to get rid of alcohol, so anything you eat gets turned to bodyfat. It hinders muscle recovery for up to 60 hours after consumption, and in excess this is something you will feel. It flushes out stored minerals, vitamins and a ton of water too.

Avoid alcohol at all costs mate.


----------



## GPRIM (Mar 21, 2011)

Some great advice on here.

I would add what has worked for me as I was doing Powerlifting and Strongman last year. Ended up at about 124kg last August and was about 25-30% BF. I'm currently sitting at 102kg at 15-18% BF and pushing to get leaner for the next 5 weeks.

Basically I hit it in 6 week block, 500 calorie deficit, fasted cardio and 4-5 intense weight sessions. I then had a week off the diet and then hit it again for another 6 weeks. It keeps me sane knowing I only have 6 week blocks and mentally it was so much easier. The week off the diet I ate and drank what I wanted. Gained 5lbs each time but most of it was water. Always back to the weight I was before the week off a week after. Might help.


----------



## DaveW3000 (Mar 25, 2013)

I like a drink too so when i'm cutting I tend to cut down on the beer/ wine etc (not essential but I prefer to eat those cals) I try and stick to spirits with coke zero or sugar free lemonade. I think a shot of whisky is around 50cals or so, so its easy to allow it in without sabotaging the diet or sacrificing food.

I find this more that covers my desire for a little drink at the weekends.

Also good to have low cal munch in the house like pop corn for when the drink makes you hungry.

Best of luck!


----------



## gradziol (Feb 21, 2014)

Some great advices here but I would like to add mine, dont want to confuse anyone, just saying how I do it and that is something many lads I know follow (most of them compete with great results) but it is little hardcore.

As my aproach is work ur ass of and I rly love what I do I never look for excuses like enjoy life in the meantime, do not over train etc So:

1. Cardio daily, either fasted or after weights, start with 30 min and up every week till u at 60 min every day.

2. Start little over maintenance level, proteins 2,2g per kg, fats 0,45g per kg, rest in carbs, 6 meals a day, fats only on first and last meals, no carbs in last meal. That will speed up ur metabolism in first few weeks (especially if u killed it with some high fat diet like no carbs etc). U start to drop calories by removing 200 cal of carbs every time ur progress stalks for a week.

3. Weigh training - as much as u like, I train 10 days sometimes, depends on how I feel, if tired then will have a day rest or just some power naps before gym. Intense workouts, so 10-12 reps range with heavy weights works for me but I am not power-lifter so something else may work for u as long as it is intense and after workout u look like u have just pushed the ****ing train for few miles.

4. TestP/Tren/Mast/T3/ECA/Winstrol/Clen or simply Test/Var/Winny - if u dont want to train assisted just throw in some caffeine but I strongly recommend AAS, otherwise it is hard as hell to get ripped and keep all ur muscles and achieving walking bonner/dick skin look (ugly but still truth).

5. When progress stalks and u already on low carbs then switch to carb rotation low/medium/high - that is little bit more complicated but remember that somewhere on the forum is great article about that.

That is how I do it, some ppl do it differently, as long as it works for them awesome


----------



## Bobby1413 (Dec 29, 2011)

Mince Pies said:


> You're doing pretty much the same as me. Same macros diet training etc. I'm 5 8", 200lbs at about 16% bf. If your training fasted then get a good pre workout to keep the energy up, some bcaa helps. I do cardio before and after 4 times a week, 25 mins total, 10 before to warm up and 15 after. I mix it up so it's not too boring. I wouldn't eat any extra on training days just have one cheat meal a week with the deficit. Don't go mad though and ruin the losses.


You must be well built to be 200lbs at 5ft 8 and only 16%bf - very impressive.

Yea I do take a pre-workout every time I train, mixed with BCAA, L-Glutamine and Creatine.

Thanks for the advice.



ImmortalTech said:


> Post-workout shake should do the trick for the extra energy expenditure on lifting days.
> 
> Alcohol is the biggest enemy when it comes to muscle/strength. You can't process food for energy while your body is fighting to get rid of alcohol, so anything you eat gets turned to bodyfat. It hinders muscle recovery for up to 60 hours after consumption, and in excess this is something you will feel. It flushes out stored minerals, vitamins and a ton of water too.
> 
> Avoid alcohol at all costs mate.


Yea, Alcohol is a killer for me, and I've realised over several years that it really doesn't mix with bodybuilding/weight lifting.



TommyBananas said:


> Plenty of people drink and do just fine. Just limit yourself.


I can't limit myself, that's part of the issue. Makes me sound like an alcoholic but I just mean I binge drink. So if I've had a really tough day at work, stressed out, ****ed off and get home. If I start on the beers, I will keep drinking as I really enjoy it.

I'm the same with other things, can't just have one bit of chocolate, etc..

I just stay ultra strict and don't touch the beer.



GPRIM said:


> Some great advice on here.
> 
> I would add what has worked for me as I was doing Powerlifting and Strongman last year. Ended up at about 124kg last August and was about 25-30% BF. I'm currently sitting at 102kg at 15-18% BF and pushing to get leaner for the next 5 weeks.
> 
> Basically I hit it in 6 week block, 500 calorie deficit, fasted cardio and 4-5 intense weight sessions. I then had a week off the diet and then hit it again for another 6 weeks. It keeps me sane knowing I only have 6 week blocks and mentally it was so much easier. The week off the diet I ate and drank what I wanted. Gained 5lbs each time but most of it was water. Always back to the weight I was before the week off a week after. Might help.


That's actually a very interesting idea and I think that'd work for me.

Cheat days have had mixed success for me, but I think a good 6 week block, with an entire week (7 whole days) to do whatever I wanted would really give me something to aim for and enjoy.

Great suggestion - for me at least.



DaveW3000 said:


> I like a drink too so when i'm cutting I tend to cut down on the beer/ wine etc (not essential but I prefer to eat those cals) I try and stick to spirits with coke zero or sugar free lemonade. I think a shot of whisky is around 50cals or so, so its easy to allow it in without sabotaging the diet or sacrificing food.
> 
> I find this more that covers my desire for a little drink at the weekends.
> 
> ...


I have rice cakes in the house however will sometimes go through a whole tube of them! I also have some small bottles of single malt whiskey - the taster ones but not had any (yet!)



gradziol said:


> Some great advices here but I would like to add mine, dont want to confuse anyone, just saying how I do it and that is something many lads I know follow (most of them compete with great results) but it is little hardcore.
> 
> As my aproach is work ur ass of and I rly love what I do I never look for excuses like enjoy life in the meantime, do not over train etc So:
> 
> ...


Interesting, although for me I think it's a bit over complicated with the whole eating fat on only first and last meals, no carbs on the last meal. I'm sure it may help however I'd rather just eat a balanced diet which fits the macros and calories.

Thanks for your input


----------



## Bobby1413 (Dec 29, 2011)

*Booked my holiday today - going on 16th May. *

That is 70 days away, 10 weeks.

I'm going to try to stick to my calories/macros throughout this period with limited exceptions - i.e. maybe if me and GF go out for anniversary meal. However, I will aim to drop 10lbs in this time, to get to 170lbs, maybe even less depending on my BF%.

I can already tell I'm leaner, probably the lower carbs is helping with that as I'm only having 150g per day.

The cardio is going well and did another 35 minutes cycling today after doing a lightish leg session (squats, leg extension, etc...).


----------



## DrZaius (Jul 23, 2014)

Bobby1413 said:


> I did consider going down a boxing gym and trying some boxing on the bags as I've heard that's amazing cardio


That would be a great thing to try- I started training a martial art 6 months or so back (kickboxing 2 times a week) and it's great for getting in some high intensity cardio. It also helps develop explosive power and stamina which has really helped with my lifting.


----------

