Stats
1: 41 years old
2: 5’ 10.5”
3: 158lbs now (170 at bulk, 149 at cut)
4: 22%-30% BF (via DEXA scan)
5: Goal: 1) Muscle Gain 2) Strength Gain
6: Exercising for 3+ years
7: 1400 or lower on a cut, not sure on a bulk. (Gain .75lbs/week on a bulk. Lose 2.2lbs/week on a cut)
8: 150+grams of Protein per day. I do not count Fat/Carb but I eat a good diet and good variety of food with fat and carbs
9: No Injuries
Short background
*Adolescence
As a child I was very thin. As my friends all aged into our teens we joined football, worked out, and got active in sports. Some of my friends naturally got huge. I stayed pretty low-muscle despite working out as much (or more) as them. (All of our diets and routine were crap.) I graduated High School weighing 125lbs and benching 138lbs.
*20 years after High School
I stopped exercising after High School.
Over the next 20 years I got quite skinny fat. I lost muscle and wound up at 175lbs.
I looked like a pregnant man.
I had a bad back, and bad wrists. I hesitated to carry 50lb bags of rice or dog food, and even sprained my wrists lifting a gallon of milk too fast.
*It Begins
At 37 years old I discovered the keto diet technique and gave it a try. I dropped from 175lbs to 150lbs over 3+ months. I was no longer very skinny fat I was now just … really skinny and weak.
For 6 months a buddy ran me through a lovely “bro” routine with elastic bands and simple resistance exercises. This was a nice starter and got my ligaments and tendons strengthened.
For another 6 months I had a case of fuck-around-itis and tried some PPL with low success.
*Olympic Lifting
One day I saw someone doing snatches at the gym. I was hooked. I signed up for 6 months of Olympic lifting coaching. Being very limber and light, I got pretty decent at snatches and cleans. Weighing 150lbs I could snatch 100lbs and clean over 135lbs. But I was still pretty weak with low power.
*Power Lifting
I then got hooked on powerlifting for the next few years.
Brought my Bench/Squat/Deadlift to 175/225/350.
I follow strict routines such as the nSUNS AMRAP program (6 day a week cyclical powerlifting routine with as-many-as-possible finishing sets).
I am very strict. I never miss a day. I never miss a set or rep. I work out hard.
I got great success, but then plateaued. Recently I tried switching to Ben Pollacks UnF**K Your Program basic powerlifting routine.
I had moderate success. I stayed at very similar numbers.
*Diet
Over the past 3+ years I have cut and bulked many times. At first I bulked too hard and didn’t count calories. I am much better at it now.
Today my routine is this:
Rules for a Cut: Count and log all calories. Count and log all protein. Get 150g+ g of protein per day. Lose 2.2lbs per week. Get lots of different veggies. I don’t track fat/carbs, but I eat a balanced diet.
Typical lunch: Talapia (simple pan fry), 2 eggs, Brussel sprouts. Or a Salmon burger patty on a bed of greens.
Typical Dinner foods: Homemade chicken soup, simple chicken, Salmon, pork loin, greens, etc.
Snacks: Epic Bars, Goat cheese, beets, hummus, salami, etc.
No simple sugars. No crappy snacks.
On a bulk: Similar type of food/macros. Eat more carbs. Aim to gain under .75 lbs per week.
Bottom line: Gain .75lbs / week on a bulk. Lose 2.2lbs per week on a Cut. Eat a variety of good food. Get 150g/day of protein.
*Supplements
Creatine, Leucine, Protein Shakes when needed.
*My Problem*
1: Despite my low powerlifting numbers B/S/D 175/225/350 @ 145 I have plateaued. I just don’t seem to hit impressive numbers. I wanted 225/310/410 or even 200/260/380. But I just can’t progress. I just don’t add much muscle anymore. Am I reaching my limits?
I follow a proven lifting routine for 2 months, gaining weight slowly along the way and I have little to show.
2: I cut down to really low body weights like 149lbs or even 145lbs, but I’m still skinny fat! I can deadlift 350lbs, weighing 145lbs but I look undefined. Honestly, I think I look similar to before I even started working out!
But under the skin and fat I see my strong oblique’s and abs. My back is kinda sexy and literally has gained inches of muscle. I know that muscle is there all over.
*Body Fat
I get DEXA scans periodically. They always come back shockingly high. After a bulk I hit 175lbs and I was 30.4%. Jesus Christ! I was powerlifting, and you could see my ribs but I was over 30% BF at 175lbs!
I just don’t get it. Look at this commonly used avatar showing what a LEANER guy at 30-32% BF looks like compared to me!
Later I cut down to 155 and came in at 22.2% BF! I was skinny AF. I was hard into my lifting routine. You could count my ribs, and I could deadlift 350, but I was still a fatty.
*Today*
I’m sick of cutting down to 145lbs and having no definition and a 2” layer of fat covering my belly.
Last week I started the MS Bodybuilding program and I have started my cut.
Ideally I’d weigh 175lbs and be 15% BF but after years of trying to add muscle I don’t think packing on 30lbs of muscle is in the cards.
I intend to cut down to 135lbs. It sounds stupid-low, but my calculations show that only then will I get near 12% BF.
What do you think?