supermeatheads

[Billy.Barbados]

The real question is what do you define as a realistic goal? ^

I'd say trying to be the size of Ronnie Coleman isn't realistic, unless of course you dedicate your life to lifting.

[Phyziks]

^ yeah, and sonicvoodoo's point is not anyone can get that size regardless of how much they juice and train, and I agree. For me a realistic goal is being 9-10% BF at a decent weight. Basically having a nice amount of muscle mass and low enough body fat to have visible abs. Packing on 100+ pounds of lean muscle however, is not a realistic goal for most people.

[jhxkcd]

i've been hitting the gym pretty hard for the last several months in what you could probably call a bulking phase, and i've bulked up pretty substantially and increased the amount i could lift by a lot, but my body fat seems to be stubborn around 15% or so and in general I think I've gotten a little to big. I wanna bring both my BF% and my whole muscle mass down a bit.

I've never gone through an actual cutting routine and I don't know a whole lot about cutting or how to lower muscle mass (other than not lifting - which is probably a bad idea) without loosing it all.

tl;dr:

how to lower BF% and lower (not completely lose) muscle gains a bit, after a period of extensive lifting.

[IM SOLE CRAZY]

i've been hitting the gym pretty hard for the last several months in what you could probably call a bulking phase, and i've bulked up pretty substantially and increased the amount i could lift by a lot, but my body fat seems to be stubborn around 15% or so and in general I think I've gotten a little to big. I wanna bring both my BF% and my whole muscle mass down a bit.

I've never gone through an actual cutting routine and I don't know a whole lot about cutting or how to lower muscle mass (other than not lifting - which is probably a bad idea) without loosing it all.

tl;dr:

how to lower BF% and lower (not completely lose) muscle gains a bit, after a period of extensive lifting.

CKD, HIIT, Vince Girondas 8x8

[islandboi8204]

anyone have good suggestions or recipes for a high protein but low sodium diet?

[moondog]

I gained 25 pounds of muscle in 6 months...no juice...just veg protein and hard hard work.

watch rocky 2,4,6, vision quest, without limits, rudy, and then think of everything you hate. Now you are ready to lift and push.

[jhxkcd]

CKD, HIIT, Vince Girondas 8x8

I'm straight on HIIT and CDK but as for 8x8, from what I read it seems like this will more than likely make me bigger than I am now, not what I want.

Would it be so wrong just to decrease the amount I lift by 10 % or so?

[Phyziks]

If you're in a caloric deficit it doesn't matter how much you lift, you will lose weight. It's impossible to eat under maintenance and put any weight on, fat or muscle. Lifting while dieting is your best bet to maintain muscle while in a deficit, but you're going to lose muscle + fat on any type of cut.

[Phyziks]

Lol, I'm fucking sick today and it's supposed to be my refeed I have ate a shit load of carbs and my muscles are filling back out, but forcing everything down is getting brutal.

[IM SOLE CRAZY]

I'm straight on HIIT and CDK but as for 8x8, from what I read it seems like this will more than likely make me bigger than I am now, not what I want.

Would it be so wrong just to decrease the amount I lift by 10 % or so?

If you are doing the 8x8 properly, you shouldn't be able to lift the same amount that you normally especially if you are doing it on a CKD and HIIT.

You won't get bigger on this plan though, don't worry. Yeah you'll get a huge pump but thats it.

[Phyziks]

Well, after 1 week of cutting, I spent most of the day eating tons of sugary junk and other various carbs. Decided it would be a good idea to take some progress pictures. It's still early in my cut, so please don't be harsh, haha. I guarantee when my 3-4 weeks is up, I should look a lot better. Also, the quality of the pictures are fucking horrid...my bad.

http://scottmogg.com/progress/progress1.jpg

http://scottmogg.com/progress/progress2.jpg

http://scottmogg.com/progress/progress3.jpg

[Phyziks]

Cutting is actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. I attempted a low-carb diet last summer and I failed horribly. Right now it's working great and I'm seeing results so I'm sticking with it. The abs are coming in (you can barely see them because of the shitty pics + my bloat from carbing up), and I'm getting more vascular, which you also cannot see due to picture quality, haha.

I'm not counting calories or anything, but my diet is generally as follows:

Breakfast:

2 whole eggs

5 egg whites (I'm estimating here, I just pour a bunch in)

Chicken bacon

Snack 1:

Protein + water

Cottage cheese/almonds

Lunch:

Vegetables and tilapia or chicken breast (cooked with EVOO)

Dinner:

Vegetables and tilapia or chicken breast (cooked with EVOO)

Snack 2/Post workout:

Protein + water

Cottage cheese/almonds

I drink roughly 4L of water a day, and a couple green teas.

Supplements:

Whey Protein

Ephedrine/Caffeine stack to help energy because of low carbs

Fish oil pills

Multi-vitamins

Workout Routine:

Monday - Chest and Triceps

- 5x5 Flat bench

- 3x8 Incline bench

- 3x8 Decline bench

- 3x10 flys

- Bodyweight dips, 3 sets to failure

- 3x8 tricep pull downs

- 3xfailure bench dips

Tuesday - Shoulders and abs (all at 3x8)

- Clean and press

- Military press

- Lateral Raises

- Alternating Shoulder Press

- Weighted cable crunches

- Captains chair

- Spiderman Planks

Wednesday - off or cardio

Thursday - Back and Biceps

- Wide grip pullups 3xfailure

- Deadlifts

- Lat pulldowns

- Dumbbell row

- Bent over rows

- Preacher curls

- Forced negative curls/Concentration curls

- 21's/hammer curls

Friday - Legs and abs

- Squats

- Leg extension

- Leg curls

- Front squats

- Lunges

- Weighted cable crunches

- Captains chair

- Spiderman Planks

Just to clarify, this is basically a test run cut. I want to see what my body reacts best to, so when I have more fat to burn off I will have a set plan that I know works. I have been working out for around 7-8 months, and stopped for a month due to an injury.

[jhxkcd]

fuck, you look great IMO, if I can expect better results from that in my upcoming cut period, I'll be more than happy.

[Phyziks]

Also, I would love to hear what people think of my current routine. I know my diet seems tedious, but my stir-frys are fucking awesome; learning to cook healthy and delicious food is one unforeseen benefit of bodybuilding/working out. As of now, I don't really have a long term goal. I'm just lifting weights, eating healthy, and changing stuff up as I go. I figured since summer is coming up, now would be a good time to get cut. Weight lifting is something I'm passionate about, and it has really helped my lifestyle in more ways than I can mention.

If someone has some recipe ideas for low-carbs meal, I'd be happy to hear those as well.

[Phyziks]

fuck, you look great IMO, if I can expect better results from that in my upcoming cut period, I'll be more than happy.

Thanks a lot man! Just getting the carbs out of my system really helped the way my body looked. Within 3 days I was much leaner looking, and I was over the first stages of feeling like shit because I was so happy with the progress. If you have any questions or anything regarding your cut, I and many others here would be more than happy to help you.

[jhxkcd]

Also, I would love to hear what people think of my current routine. I know my diet seems tedious, but my stir-frys are fucking awesome; learning to cook healthy and delicious food is one unforeseen benefit of bodybuilding/working out. As of now, I don't really have a long term goal. I'm just lifting weights, eating healthy, and changing stuff up as I go. I figured since summer is coming up, now would be a good time to get cut. Weight lifting is something I'm passionate about, and it has really helped my lifestyle in more ways than I can mention.

If someone has some recipe ideas for low-carbs meal, I'd be happy to hear those as well.

I'll probably have questions when I get started. I can't now, as it would be impossible to keep my diet with the food in the school cafeteria, so when I get back for the summer I'll be able to cook.

As for the diet:

I was just planning on eating a shit ton of fish (Salmon, mackerel, tuna packed in olive oil), chicken, eggs, cheeses, and nuts. The shit I read about CKD said it shouldn't matter what type of fats you're eating, as long as you keep carbs low -- but I don't think I'll probably just stick to the healthier fatss and maybe throw in some saturated fats (beef, bacon, etc.) every once in awhile and on refeed days.

How do veggies stack up though as far as carb content? I'd love to have em but I feel like the fiber will be too many carbs.

[jayel]

Any advice on just dropping fat fast for summer with the least amount of exercise? Mainly just looking for diet help and some things to do without access to a gym.

Typical diet/exercise at the moment:

Wake up and run for 15-30mins

Breakfast (30 mins after run): Half a grapefruit

Lunch: rice, veggies, and some meat

Snack: Half a grapefruit

Snack: Bannana

Dinner: rice, veggies, and some meat

I dont cook for myself, so i dont really have control over what I eat for dinner, but lunch is free to change. Preferably something i can buy somewhere and if necessary a little time in the kitchen. The only thing i drink is water (around four bottles or more a day).

Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance!

[Phyziks]

I'll probably have questions when I get started. I can't now, as it would be impossible to keep my diet with the food in the school cafeteria, so when I get back for the summer I'll be able to cook.

As for the diet:

I was just planning on eating a shit ton of fish (Salmon, mackerel, tuna packed in olive oil), chicken, eggs, cheeses, and nuts. The shit I read about CKD said it shouldn't matter what type of fats you're eating, as long as you keep carbs low -- but I don't think I'll probably just stick to the healthier fatss and maybe throw in some saturated fats (beef, bacon, etc.) every once in awhile and on refeed days.

How do veggies stack up though as far as carb content? I'd love to have em but I feel like the fiber will be too many carbs.

Diet sounds great man. Also, never be afraid to load up on veggies. As Kunk reminded me, you subtract the amount of fiber in the vegetables from the overall carb content and you're left with a very small amount of net carbs. I highly suggest eating TONS of vegetables, specifically the green ones, because the fiber is very needed.

In terms of fats, the olive oil and fish will provide you with tons of EFAs so you're covered there. It wont kill you to have some of the bad fats too every once and a while.

Added a pic of my arms: http://scottmogg.com/progress/Progress4.jpg

Work in progress of course, lol.

[Phyziks]

Any advice on just dropping fat fast for summer with the least amount of exercise? Mainly just looking for diet help and some things to do without access to a gym.

Typical diet/exercise at the moment:

Wake up and run for 15-30mins

Breakfast (30 mins after run): Half a grapefruit

Lunch: rice, veggies, and some meat

Snack: Half a grapefruit

Snack: Bannana

Dinner: rice, veggies, and some meat

I dont cook for myself, so i dont really have control over what I eat for dinner, but lunch is free to change. Preferably something i can buy somewhere and if necessary a little time in the kitchen. The only thing i drink is water (around four bottles or more a day).

Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance!

Your diet seems clean, but it could use more protein in my opinion. Try eating some eggs/egg whites for breakfast, and incorporating cottage cheese in your diet pending the taste doesn't make you throw up. I highly suggest the use of Whey Protein because most people don't get enough protein in their diet without supplementation. You should also get some healthy fats in the form of olive oil and nuts.

Without lifting weights, I really don't know a fast way to drop fat. Running and being on a caloric deficit only works for so long. Your body will start storing more fat and burning off whatever muscle you have. If you have absolutely no choice I would generally recommend going on a small caloric deficit, eat good and don't overdo the cardio. I'm just warning you that it will take longer this way, but it will work and you won't fuck your metabolism up completely.

[jhxkcd]

Diet sounds great man. Also, never be afraid to load up on veggies. As Kunk reminded me, you subtract the amount of fiber in the vegetables from the overall carb content and you're left with a very small amount of net carbs. I highly suggest eating TONS of vegetables, specifically the green ones, because the fiber is very needed.

In terms of fats, the olive oil and fish will provide you with tons of EFAs so you're covered there. It wont kill you to have some of the bad fats too every once and a while.

Added a pic of my arms: http://scottmogg.com/progress/Progress4.jpg

Work in progress of course, lol.

Wait, so you aren't counting the fiber in the veggies? Cause if so, jesus christ I eat so many veggies as it is, but I was gonna cut 'em out on account of the fiber being a carb.

[Phyziks]

Fiber doesn't count, eat as much veggies as you possibly can

[jayel]

Without lifting weights, I really don't know a fast way to drop fat. Running and being on a caloric deficit only works for so long. Your body will start storing more fat and burning off whatever muscle you have. If you have absolutely no choice I would generally recommend going on a small caloric deficit, eat good and don't overdo the cardio. I'm just warning you that it will take longer this way, but it will work and you won't fuck your metabolism up completely.

If i did sign up for a gym, what exercises/reps/intensity would you recommend for weight and fat loss? Not looking to bulk up, but rather stay slim and in shape.

[Yardsale]

I fail at meathead concepts. I tried to do 30 pushups after not exercising in months and now the joints in my shoulders are fucked up. fml

[CUTUP]

If i did sign up for a gym, what exercises/reps/intensity would you recommend for weight and fat loss? Not looking to bulk up, but rather stay slim and in shape.

High reps with a lower weight, and the intensity level should be high without much of a break between lifts

8-12 reps should be perfect, with a main focus on contracting the muscle as opposed to lifting brutally heavy

Did you have any idea of a plan? If not I can write a basic one up for you and post it here

[sonicvoodoo]

@Phyziks

I woud do legs on Tues and shoulders on Fri.

You're doing upper body 2 days in a row and your shoulders and triceps are being used when you do chest so your shoulder workout has got to suffer by doing it immediaterly after chest.

and I know you'e not gonna want to hear this but I don't think you should be on a cut diet. You're just not big enough yet. You look good but I'm guessing you really didn't look much different before you started dieting.

I understand you don't wanna be b i g but I think you're too small to worry about cutting at this point

just my opinion NO HATE

*EDIT* IMO, you are doing too many exercises per bodypart/workout..too much redundancy. Don't do all movements every session but rather substitute exercises on different days.

[IM SOLE CRAZY]

I think you look great Phyziks.

Yeah you might not be too big and might not need to cut just yet, but still, great progress, nice to actually see some pics in this thread.

[jayel]

High reps with a lower weight, and the intensity level should be high without much of a break between lifts

8-12 reps should be perfect, with a main focus on contracting the muscle as opposed to lifting brutally heavy

Did you have any idea of a plan? If not I can write a basic one up for you and post it here

That would be great! I'm looking to just become slimmer in general especially in the leg area to make my jawnz look better. I know that you cant target weight loss, but a good work out plan would help a lot.

[Phyziks]

@Phyziks

I woud do legs on Tues and shoulders on Fri.

You're doing upper body 2 days in a row and your shoulders and triceps are being used when you do chest so your shoulder workout has got to suffer by doing it immediaterly after chest.

and I know you'e not gonna want to hear this but I don't think you should be on a cut diet. You're just not big enough yet. You look good but I'm guessing you really didn't look much different before you started dieting.

I understand you don't wanna be b i g but I think you're too small to worry about cutting at this point

just my opinion NO HATE

*EDIT* IMO, you are doing too many exercises per bodypart/workout..too much redundancy. Don't do all movements every session but rather substitute exercises on different days.

Thanks for your input, I appreciate it. Switching my shoulder day to go after my back day sounds like a great idea and I'll try that out for sure. Like I said, I don't plan on cutting and staying that way for a long time. I basically have a small amount of stubborn fat on my lower stomach and I'm using this cut just to see how it works, so when I get larger and have to cut more it will be easier (hopefully).

When in the gym I never really have that set of a plan. I go in knowing which body parts I'm doing and depending on time, energy levels, whether I have a spot or not I will do things like supersets, drop sets, negatives etc.

[cernunnos]

fat on my lower stomach and I'm using this cut just to see how it works, so when I get larger and have to cut more it will be easier (hopefully).

One important thing I may add. It's hard but it's possible to loose stubborn fat by low-carb dieting, but if after diet you start eating like mad, it will return back VERY quickly. So the advice would be: end the diet very slowly, by adding only small amount of carbs at the beginning, then some more, and some more etc. The first day after diet - try to eat a lot of shit you craved during the diet, but only for one day!

[newaesthetic]

So instead of trying to figuring things out on my own with a subject I know next to nothing about, I am going to ask you knowledgeable guys. I've been doing some light exercise the past couple months just to get in some better shape. I was "skinny fat" a year ago and so wanted to fix that. I'm doing better now, but summer is approaching and I want to knock things up a bit. 5'11", ~150lbs, and a 38" chest. I ran track throughout high school and kept up running on my own time for a few years after, so my legs aren't really a concern for me, mostly torso/upper body/arms, etc. Well, if there is an easy way to somehow slim my legs, because nearly 22" seems big for someone my build.

Anyways, I'm just doing things at home, with a very minimal amount of equipment available. Would prefer to not have to head to a gym, but with school done in a week I'm not opposed to the idea.

Monday:

3 x 50 pushups

3 x 15 incline press (75lb)

Tuesday:

3 x 8 pullups

3 x 15 lat pull downs (90lb)

Wednesday:

3 x 12 laterals (20lb)

3 x 10 front raises (20lb)

Thursday:

3 x 15 hammer curls (35lb)

3 x 15 push downs (60lb)

...I know I must be doing something very wrong since this is based off of some (probably made up) brad pitt fight club thing? I dunno. I need to add some abdominal stuff at some point. I have whey powder and general diet is down (eliminated pop unless I'm out having drinks).

Be easy on me