I have been training for approx 1.5 years, doing the below program (With a few substitutes for the last two exercises for each training prgram). I train on Mon, Wed and Fri and rotate each program.

Training 1

Squat 3x5 
Bench 3x5 
Pendlay Rows 3x8
Reverse Flies 3x10
Calf raises 2x15/Tricep pressdowns 2x10 Superset

Training 2

Front Squat 3x5
Incline Bench 3x5 
Romanian Deadlift 3x8
Lat Pulldowns 3x8
Ab work 2x15/Curls 2x10 Superset

So today i have gone from 182lbs to around 162lbs with approx bodyfat of 23%. I would like to further reduce this, however for the last 3 months, I'm lifting the same and weight is the same. After some reading i think the next approach would be to increase my cals by another 200 and see what happens in a month. Current stats and cals:

5ft 7in
1850 cals
190 protein
70 fat
Approx 100gms carbs

What im thinking of is 

2050 cals
180 protein
85 fat
Approx 130gms carbs

This is in an attempt to build muscle and lose bodyfat (I know a lot of people say you can only do one, but considering i still have high BF it maybe possible??). I have looked at the calculator on this site but considering my original diet being high in fat and protein i am thinking of adjusting as listed above and wondered what your thoughts are? Does it seem correct? Any adjustments i should make? Im looking to do this for a month and see what results i get. I also would change the reps from 3x5 to 3x8 or 3x10.

Thanks in advance

The key to accomplishing this is actually fairly straight forward - you need to control insulin and growth hormone. The ONLY macros that affect insulin are carbs and protein. Fat has 0% affect on insulin. The only way to boost growth hormone is when insulin and blood sugar levels are very low - like when you fast or eat a low carb diet (under 50 grams).

If you keep your calories at a level where there is enough for muscle building but restrict them to mostly protein and quality fats, you will gain some muscle and lose bodyfat - however, not to the extreme that steroids provide. You need to set a realistic goal for body fat and muscle size as you are natural. If you get down to 15% from your current 23% and keep your strength, you have done very well.

To get to extremely low body fat levels, you will sacrafice size when natural. You also will need to convert to a fat-burning metabolism from a sugar-burning metabolism. Most people do extreme calorie restriction and lots of cardio to get lean. It does work and for some they have mastered the process for their body. However, to minimize (not eliminate) muscle loss while burning body fat you need to use fat as fuel - this means using a combination of ketosis and fasting to have your body use fat and spare muscle.

It is too involved a discussion for this post but in regards to your query if you keep your protein and fats as you have had before and play around with your carb levels you will find the right combo to help you lose a bit more fat while saving some muscle.

John

Thanks for that! So just to confirm my understanding, i could continue to take in 100gms of carbs, 200gms protein and rest fats in order to do a clean bulk and put muscle on? If yes i could try this for a month and see if i can lift heavier/more reps to see if it works (in turn i assume i would lose bodyfat)?

Thanks

Matching your nutrition plan to your fitness goals is all about experimenting. There are basic guidelines, as I posted earlier, but everyone is unique so you need to find the right macro counts that work. Give it a try for 6-8 weeks. 1 month may not be enough.

John

Right on @jmboiardi

@EssCee you need to be careful. You can't build muscle while in a calorie deficit and if you want to build muscle you need to have a higher bodyfat%, like between 10 - 14%. Then you can carb cycle to shred after you bulk to where you want to be.

Macros look good... if anything boost the carbs to closer to 200 on training days.

Thoughts?

Thanks @jmboiardi and @Scott_Herman

@Scott_Herman - Thanks for your advice, Im at 23% BF at present so i think this may rise? By carb cycling do you mean have higher carbs on days i workout and the days i dont, drop them below 100gms? Or do you think i dont need this bulk as i already have enough fat? I may need to experiment like jmboiardi says and see what works for me? Thanks

yeah, I would have the normal amount of carbs on workout days and on days you don't train go 100 - 150grams.

But yeah, at the end of the day it comes down to learning your body!