Need suggestion on which way to go

[MrDeflation]

I am 34 years old, 6ft tall

I am currently 225lbs @18% bodyfat,

My goal is 225lbs @ 6-8% bodyfat.

I have in the past at this weight tried to cut and gave up as I felt too damn skinny. I have also tried to bulk from this weight and my waist gets too large too fast no matter diet macros and calorie adjustments.
----------------------------------

would you cut down to 6-8% bodyfat first, then take it slow and get to the target weight and cut back down to 225? -- (I hate being under 200lbs as I feel like crap, look skinny in clothes and feel like the wind could blow me over)

would you just try and keep body fat % the same and slowly bulk to target weight and slowly cut back down to 225? (I hate feeling like a fat ass and having a huge waist as this is where I tend to store most of my fat)


what would the target weight be in both scenarios before cutting back to 225lbs? (ex: get to 250lbs to cut to 225? 260lbs-225?)


I am stumped as to which to attempt as I cannot stand either choice. Basically I am just looking for opinions on which route to take here...


Thanks in advance for any suggestions

 

[terrorizer2]

You can't really have the best of both worlds bro.Personally i would lose some fat first then increase the calories slowly.You need to find your maintence level of calories.Don't try to get lean,just get you fat level nearer 10 to 12% then think about putting on some muscle but don't overeat to the point of getting fat again.Once you are happier with your muscle size you could do a cutting cycle so could lean up some without losing too much size.I am sure some other bro's will have some opinions as well.

 

[BigBoyJ]

I had your exact same problem about a year and a half ago. I decided to just eat all I wanted, but eat clean. I did cardio 4 times per week for 20 minutes...very high intensity. I also did 200 mg test and 400 mg eq/week along with 150 mcg clen and 10 mg nolva per day. It worked great for me. My weight didn't change much at all but my body composition improved drastically and I never felt like I was hungry or depriving myself, which for me is a must.

 

[MrDeflation]

I had your exact same problem about a year and a half ago. I decided to just eat all I wanted, but eat clean. I did cardio 4 times per week for 20 minutes...very high intensity. I also did 200 mg test and 400 mg eq/week along with 150 mcg clen and 10 mg nolva per day. It worked great for me. My weight didn't change much at all but my body composition improved drastically and I never felt like I was hungry or depriving myself, which for me is a must.

Thanks.

Was there a particular time you did cardio? AM empty stomach? Post workout?

Did you count calories or just protein? Did you follow a particular Macro percentage?

How long did you stay on the diet,gear and supplements to get where you are now?



Good to hear it worked for you

 

[BigBoyJ]

It was a 20 week cycle. I try to eat that way all the time now. But lately I've getting insane at buffets. The clen was two weeks on two off. I tried to get about 40-50 grams of protein six times per day, but I didn't count anything else. My cardio was all post workout. I think people make all this stuff waaaay too complicated, whether it's gaining muscle or losing fat. And yes, I now believe that you can do both simultaneously.

 

[MrDeflation]

It was a 20 week cycle. I try to eat that way all the time now. But lately I've getting insane at buffets. The clen was two weeks on two off. I tried to get about 40-50 grams of protein six times per day, but I didn't count anything else. My cardio was all post workout. I think people make all this stuff waaaay too complicated, whether it's gaining muscle or losing fat. And yes, I now believe that you can do both simultaneously.

Thanks again I really appreciate all your great info

 

[vitor]

Diet has to be Key, Test, Fina, and Arimdex as well. Just lift hard, cardio 3-5 days per week, eat tons of protein, cut the crap, and let the lifting/cardio/drug take over. I prefer a High Protein, Low Carb( say 60grams twice after lifting), then use healthy fats...

 

[MrDeflation]

Diet has to be Key, Test, Fina, and Arimdex as well. Just lift hard, cardio 3-5 days per week, eat tons of protein, cut the crap, and let the lifting/cardio/drug take over. I prefer a High Protein, Low Carb( say 60grams twice after lifting), then use healthy fats...

do you really think Fina at such a high body fat % would even make a noticable difference over say a test/eq cycle?

I was thinking of using eq or deca for my aching joints....

 

[vitor]

FIna just changes your body, I find it will add muscle and lean you out very well. My buddy Biggie 6'2 298 lbs real fat ass did eth and fina, and nearly dropped 40lbs over 4 months put on a ton of muslce.

It does wonders for me...

 

[MrDeflation]

FIna just changes your body, I find it will add muscle and lean you out very well. My buddy Biggie 6'2 298 lbs real fat ass did eth and fina, and nearly dropped 40lbs over 4 months put on a ton of muslce.

It does wonders for me...

thanks for the info

 

[Paddy2]

200mg deca works wonders for ( i am 41) and have the joint problems. eating the majority of your carbs several hours prior to your work out will give you the energy to work as hard as you can. several years ago after breaking my back (L5) I used a carb timing approach to effectively go from 27% BF to 9% BF in 8 months. Of course I used all of the available chemistry I could; but diet always has profound affects.

 

[MrDeflation]

200mg deca works wonders for ( i am 41) and have the joint problems. eating the majority of your carbs several hours prior to your work out will give you the energy to work as hard as you can. several years ago after breaking my back (L5) I used a carb timing approach to effectively go from 27% BF to 9% BF in 8 months. Of course I used all of the available chemistry I could; but diet always has profound affects.

awesome to hear it worked for you!!

I am also recovering from a l4-l5 microdiscectomy..

 

[MrDeflation]

Any input on this diet:

Non Workout day
-------------------
Meal#1- 50gwhey, 1/4cup almonds

Meal #2- chicken w/green veggies

Meal#3- 50gWhey, 3tbls MCToil (9gFat),celery

Meal#4- chicken w/green veggies

Meal #5- 50gWhey, 3tbls MCToil,celery

Meal #6 - 2cans Tuna w/1 tbls full fat mayo, 1/2 avocado

WORK OUT DAYS
-------------------

Meal#1- 50gwhey, 1/4cup almonds

Meal #2- chicken w/ 1 cup brown rice

Meal#3- 50gWhey, 3tbls MCToil (9gFat),celery

Preworkout : 1 cup organic yogurt w/ 1 cup berries

--Workout + 20mins HIIT cardio

Meal#4- chicken w/1 cup brown rice

Meal #5- 50gWhey, 3tbls MCToil,celery

Meal #6 - 2cans Tuna w/1 tbls full fat mayo, 1/2 avocado

=============================================

any comments????

thanks

I want to nail the diet before I add any meds

 

[Paddy2]

What is the total number of carbs consumed pre-workout?

Remember you need to feed the fire to have the best workout possible each and everytime. To reduce carb intake to the point of not reaching your maximum effort each workout session IMO is self-defeating.

Go with a plan and if it needs tweeked or tuned in to reach your goals then that is a positive progression. Process improvement is the key to success. The elements are there to constitute an end result, meaning that if you are able to achieve your individual desired results with that diet plan the go for it. If not, then adjust and compansate where needed, try it and see how you feel listen to how your body responds to the change in the caloric intake weighted against the level of activity.

Personally I found it easier to increase actual muscle mass which in turn increases your basic metabolic rate. Then after gaining the strength required to lift more and sustain a higher level of prolonged activity, then reduce caloric (carb) intake while sustaining the high level of effort throughout my workout plan without negative affects.

Although the negative affect that I did notive was that I physically got larger when what I wanted intially was to get leaner; but, it is important to understand what you want and what part perception has to acheiving those goals.

I had to get heavier, larger and feel fat ( for lack of a better word) for a short time to acheive my end goal of big and leaner.

Just some thoughts...hope I didnt ramble on...

 

[MrDeflation]

What is the total number of carbs consumed pre-workout?

Remember you need to feed the fire to have the best workout possible each and everytime. To reduce carb intake to the point of not reaching your maximum effort each workout session IMO is self-defeating.

Go with a plan and if it needs tweeked or tuned in to reach your goals then that is a positive progression. Process improvement is the key to success. The elements are there to constitute an end result, meaning that if you are able to achieve your individual desired results with that diet plan the go for it. If not, then adjust and compansate where needed, try it and see how you feel listen to how your body responds to the change in the caloric intake weighted against the level of activity.

Personally I found it easier to increase actual muscle mass which in turn increases your basic metabolic rate. Then after gaining the strength required to lift more and sustain a higher level of prolonged activity, then reduce caloric (carb) intake while sustaining the high level of effort throughout my workout plan without negative affects.

Although the negative affect that I did notive was that I physically got larger when what I wanted intially was to get leaner; but, it is important to understand what you want and what part perception has to acheiving those goals.

I had to get heavier, larger and feel fat ( for lack of a better word) for a short time to acheive my end goal of big and leaner.

Just some thoughts...hope I didnt ramble on...

thanks much for your info