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EssCee
EssCee g Ess Cee
62 Post(s)
62 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: May 5, 2015
Posted

Been training for 2 years with the following 3 times a week (I use 1 day a week to catch up on areas i find im lacking in but dont do the same exercise, so you can say i train 4 days a week :-)).

 

Training 1

Squat Bench

Pendlay Rows

Reverse Flies

Calf raises /Tricep pressdowns Superset

 

Training 2

Front Squat

Incline Bench

Romanian Deadlift

Lat Pulldowns Ab work /Curls Superset

 

When i was at 165lbs I Was consuming 1800 calories, 1gm protein per lb, 80 grams fats and carbs never went above 70 gms.

 

Last year i decided to do a mini bulk using the above figures, (increased my calories to 2100) and followed a bulking routine (that is high reps in ranges of 5 sets and 8 reps). I managed to put on 1lb per week and stopped at 176lbs.

 

When i decided to cut again earlier this year, i couldnt reach 165 lbs after dropping around 300 calories or lose any body fat I did some cardio but not a great deal.

 

Anyway i decided to restart everything again and have a fresh start but stick to the above program - it would be 5 sets between 5-12 reps in a pyramid format (first set 5 of the max weight, 2nd set 6 of max i can lift and so forth until the fifth set with around 30 second-60 second rest) and maybe to continue this trend when it comes to cutting (or happy to do a slow bulk where i lose body fat).

 

Looking at http://muscularstrength.com/mealplan

 

I need to take 2584 calories to add muscle (im currently taking 1900 calories, so i wanted to mention this).

 

Im approx 22% body fat.

 

I think i fall into a Mesomorph body type so, Will continue to take 1gm of protein (175 gms), approximately 160gms carbs and 60gms of fat (the rest i will share between protein and fats and ensure i take no more than 160gms carbs).

 

I know the link above says to take more carbs BUT i dont know how far to follow it as i know everyone differs.

 

Does this sound correct (in terms of calories, macros)? As when it comes to cutting im hoping to reach around 16% but i dont want to add anymore fat if i can help it during this bulk (i have read this is inevitable, but can be controlled by eating clean??).

 

Should i even think about doing a bulk at this stage especially with 22 fat percentage?

 

Some articles i read, state that i was on far to low on calories for my cut which means the body was storing fat instead as i wasnt "feeding the muscle", which is what made me consider redoing this bulk. I even considered "Recomping" but this seems more complex for me to understand what i need/shouldnt do. When i change the ratio on the same webpage to Fat loss, it states i should eat 2010 cal (or similar) but im on 1900 and not losing any fat!

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: EssCee

Been training for 2 years with the following 3 times a week (I use 1 day a week to catch up on areas i find im lacking in but dont do the same exercise, so you can say i train 4 days a week :-)).

 

Training 1

Squat Bench

Pendlay Rows

Reverse Flies

Calf raises /Tricep pressdowns Superset

 

Training 2

Front Squat

Incline Bench

Romanian Deadlift

Lat Pulldowns Ab work /Curls Superset

 

When i was at 165lbs I Was consuming 1800 calories, 1gm protein per lb, 80 grams fats and carbs never went above 70 gms.

 

Last year i decided to do a mini bulk using the above figures, (increased my calories to 2100) and followed a bulking routine (that is high reps in ranges of 5 sets and 8 reps). I managed to put on 1lb per week and stopped at 176lbs.

 

When i decided to cut again earlier this year, i couldnt reach 165 lbs after dropping around 300 calories or lose any body fat I did some cardio but not a great deal.

 

Anyway i decided to restart everything again and have a fresh start but stick to the above program - it would be 5 sets between 5-12 reps in a pyramid format (first set 5 of the max weight, 2nd set 6 of max i can lift and so forth until the fifth set with around 30 second-60 second rest) and maybe to continue this trend when it comes to cutting (or happy to do a slow bulk where i lose body fat).

 

Looking at http://muscularstrength.com/mealplan

 

I need to take 2584 calories to add muscle (im currently taking 1900 calories, so i wanted to mention this).

 

Im approx 22% body fat.

 

I think i fall into a Mesomorph body type so, Will continue to take 1gm of protein (175 gms), approximately 160gms carbs and 60gms of fat (the rest i will share between protein and fats and ensure i take no more than 160gms carbs).

 

I know the link above says to take more carbs BUT i dont know how far to follow it as i know everyone differs.

 

Does this sound correct (in terms of calories, macros)? As when it comes to cutting im hoping to reach around 16% but i dont want to add anymore fat if i can help it during this bulk (i have read this is inevitable, but can be controlled by eating clean??).

 

Should i even think about doing a bulk at this stage especially with 22 fat percentage?

 

Some articles i read, state that i was on far to low on calories for my cut which means the body was storing fat instead as i wasnt "feeding the muscle", which is what made me consider redoing this bulk. I even considered "Recomping" but this seems more complex for me to understand what i need/shouldnt do. When i change the ratio on the same webpage to Fat loss, it states i should eat 2010 cal (or similar) but im on 1900 and not losing any fat!

Hey @EssCee. First off I would suggest you try to get your body fat % down a little bit before going into a bulk. If you get down to closer to 15% then you'll likely have an easier time building muscle because your testosterone levels will likely be higher at that lower body fat %.

 

So for your calories, if you were maintaining for a while on 1800 calories, it actually seems normal that 1900 calories would still give you a hard time when it coems to losing weight - you're a bit heavier now so your maintenance number is probably around 1900-2000 calories. This number does seem awfully low to being a cut on - this would be probably the last resort you wanted at the end of a cut, not the beginning. I think we should try a little bit of macro manipulation as well as more cardio to stick to. For your macros, how about...

 

Protein: 205g

Carbs: 120g

Fat: 90g

 

Total Calories = 2110

 

Even though this will have you eating MORE calories, we've dropped the carbs down and eventually we can try dropping those to 100g if you see no progress, or once progress stalls. Along with this make sure you do cardio 3-4 times a week, with at least 2-3 of those being HIIT sessions for 15-20 minutes, and one could be more like a long distance run - say 30-40 minutes.

 

What do you think?

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EssCee
EssCee g Ess Cee
62 Post(s)
62 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: May 5, 2015
Posted

Sounds good to me if i can eat more :-). At present with it being autumn/winter i dont mind doing a slow bulk (if its recommended) as i could potentially play around a little more and perhaps in March/April next year go back to a cut? Sounds to me im bulking if going to 2110? Or is this just trial and error to see what happens?

 

I was considering more carbs but what i dont want to do is add unnecessary fat if i can help it, but i know ive been on low carbs for a long time too so happy to try what your suggesting?

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: EssCee

Sounds good to me if i can eat more :-). At present with it being autumn/winter i dont mind doing a slow bulk (if its recommended) as i could potentially play around a little more and perhaps in March/April next year go back to a cut? Sounds to me im bulking if going to 2110? Or is this just trial and error to see what happens?

 

I was considering more carbs but what i dont want to do is add unnecessary fat if i can help it, but i know ive been on low carbs for a long time too so happy to try what your suggesting?

Eating 2110 calories per day shouldn't result in too much fat gain, if any at all. We've kept the carbs low and if you stick to the cardio 3-4 times a week that will help you burn more calories to keep you running in a slight deficit.

 

It's really up to you.. personally I would suggest you get down to a minimum of 18% body fat before you go back into bulk mode.. if you keep bulking now you might get up towards 25% or higher before your cut.. which is pretty much just pointless. Remember that it's actually generally easier to build muscle when your bf% is around 12% - 18%.

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EssCee
EssCee g Ess Cee
62 Post(s)
62 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: May 5, 2015
Posted
Thanks Scott, so just to clarify if I consume 2110 cals, is this considered a bulk, cut or maintenance?
Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: EssCee
Thanks Scott, so just to clarify if I consume 2110 cals, is this considered a bulk, cut or maintenance?

This will actually be a cut. Just to get that bodyfat % down a bit. See how it goes for a week or two and then if things aren't progressing how they should be, we can re-visit your macros and change anything that needs changing :-)

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EssCee
EssCee g Ess Cee
62 Post(s)
62 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: May 5, 2015
Posted
I started this at 2000 calories as I knew I was going to feel really full which I am. Is this due to my body getting used to the new calorie amount? I will increase by another 110 in a couple of weeks but I noticed I feel bigger even around the stomach. I know I need to give it time :-) thanks @scott_herman
Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: EssCee
I started this at 2000 calories as I knew I was going to feel really full which I am. Is this due to my body getting used to the new calorie amount? I will increase by another 110 in a couple of weeks but I noticed I feel bigger even around the stomach. I know I need to give it time :-) thanks @scott_herman

It will be a mixture of eating more calories and more fat that is making you feel full. But that's OK, your body will get used to it, just like it gets used to eating less food while on a cut. And you may feel bigger around the stomach simply because of eating more food.. probably more bloating that anything else 😊 

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EssCee
EssCee g Ess Cee
62 Post(s)
62 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: May 5, 2015
Posted

Just wanted to post an update.  So I was on approx 1800 cals around a month ago and now I'm on 2110 cals (since almost 3 weeks ago)

My weight has gone up by 3 pounds since.

Carbs fluctuate between 100-130 daily, protein has been around 200gms.

Does this all sound on point? Or do I need any adjustments?

Thanks in advance

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: EssCee

Just wanted to post an update.  So I was on approx 1800 cals around a month ago and now I'm on 2110 cals (since almost 3 weeks ago)

My weight has gone up by 3 pounds since.

Carbs fluctuate between 100-130 daily, protein has been around 200gms.

Does this all sound on point? Or do I need any adjustments?

Thanks in advance

Not necessarilly bad.. how is your body fat looking/feeling? Do you think you have leaned out a little bit?

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EssCee
EssCee g Ess Cee
62 Post(s)
62 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: May 5, 2015
Posted

I think I'm seeing some more definition in the morning but by the evening it's gone lol.

 

That said the 3 pounds i put on cane of this morning.

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: EssCee

I think I'm seeing some more definition in the morning but by the evening it's gone lol.

 

That said the 3 pounds i put on cane of this morning.

Best to judge by the morning weight/physique. Obviously by the end of the day there could be a number of changes depending on how much you ate and how much water you drank (possible bloating etc).

 

If you feel leaner first thing in the morning, that is probably a good sign, and you should start to notice that even if you aren't AS LEAN at the end of the day, you are still leaner than previous night time physiques.

 

Hope that makes sense!

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EssCee
EssCee g Ess Cee
62 Post(s)
62 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: May 5, 2015
Posted

Does tensing yourself count towards how lean you are becoming?

 

I'm assuming will continue what I'm doing for another month and see from there? Thx

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: EssCee

Does tensing yourself count towards how lean you are becoming?

 

I'm assuming will continue what I'm doing for another month and see from there? Thx

Yeah tensing and lfexing is OK but check yourself standing relaxed too. Everything should look different (flexing, relaxed etc) if everything is going to plan.

 

So yes I would continue doing what you're doing bro! Sounds like you are on track! 💪 

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