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Am I Skinny Fat?

Can't see my abs despite body fat at 11%

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sureshmv8
sureshmv8 g Suresh Veda
13 Post(s)
13 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: June 6, 2018
Posted

Getting desperate for my six pack.  I have been trying to lose fat for some time.  Started at 118 lbs in February and down to 108 lbs now.  Body fat was around 15% and has come down to 11% now.  Bit of abs is visible, but it has hit a plateau now for a month and not seeing progress.  Most guys start seeing abs at 12% body fat.  But for me it is still not showing well.  

Worried about losing more weight as I have never weighed so less.  But don't mind losing more weight and fat if I am assured of a visible six pack.  I certainly want to see my six pack before I start bulking.

Prior to May 2018, I did only the captain's chair leg raise and caloric restriction with 80 gm protein intake.  I was seeing results with belly fat going down rapidly in March and April. 

When I noticed that things were slowing down, I started strength training in the gym in May.  But despite that, progress has slowed down.  Not stopped, I see better definition every week - but not at the rate it was in March/April.  Still a long way to go in the gym as I have been training only for 3-4 weeks now.  But my main area of focus is abs, not much worried about other muscle definition.  If they grow as a side effect, great.  If not, no regrets.  

My macros per day as of now:

Proteins:  90 - 100 gms

Fats:  25 - 45 gms

Carbs: 140 - 200 gms

Total Calories:  1250 - 1380 

 

Training:

1 Inclined DB Bench Press , Once a week , 15 lbs, 8x1
2 Captain's chair Leg Lift, Every work day , 16 x 1
3 Hanging Leg Lift (Bent Knee),  Every work day,  16 x 1
4 Decline ab crunch,  Every work day,  16 x 1
5 Barbell Bench Press,  Twice a week,  54 lbs, 8 x1
6 Lat Pull down,  Thrice a week,  70 lbs , 8 x 1
7 Pull ups,  Every work day,  3 x 1
8 Chin Ups,  Every work day,  2 x 2
9 Barbell Back Squat (just bar),  Once a week,  44 lbs , 8 x 1
10 Cardio - Sprint at 12 miles an hour,  Once a week, 45s, 1 min rest, 45 s again
11 Bicep curls,  3 times a week,  15 lbs,  8 x 1
12 Trap Shrugs,  3 times a week,  15 lbs,  8 x 1
13 Leg Press,  Twice a week,  80 lbs,  8 x 1

 

Note, I was doing only 2, 3 and 4 above from March to May. 

Started rest of the training only 3-4 weeks back.  When I initially started on May 12th 2018, I couldn't lift even the barbell bar alone more than a couple of times, but have since improved to 8 reps of 1 set each.  It might look funny compared to other lifters, but for me it already feels like a major progress that I can do 8 reps with the bar.  Same thing for squats where I had a thigh cramp after attempting 3 reps with just the bar on the first day.  But with the progress, I am confident.  

 

Current body metrics:

Weight: 108 lbs

Lean Mass:  97 lbs

Fat: 11 lbs

However, the abs not showing improvement is making me lose motivation.  Now that I have spent the last few months fighting hunger for my abs - don't want lose all the good work done up till now.

Fewquestions here:

1.  If I keep reducing fat and go down to 7%, will I see my abs?  

2.  Are my macros ok for this goal?

3. Is my training ok for this goal?  

4.  If I start bulking after going to 7% body fat, can I continue to have my abs visible as I bulk?  If so, how should the bulking be handled.

 

I don't want to start bulking until my abs show.

 Please help.

 

 

sureshmv8
sureshmv8 g Suresh Veda
13 Post(s)
13 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: June 6, 2018
Posted

Couple of things to note here:

I am vegetarian and protein source is from Protein powders and cheese. I drink protein shakes through out the day and have 2 slices of cheese pizza or cheese Quesadilla for dinner. I use absorb plus shakes mixed with Whey to get proteins, vitamins and minerals:

https://shoppe.listentoyourgut.com/absorb-plus-french-vanilla-1-kg-tub/

Where the vitamin DV is not 100% from the diet, I take supplements.

I take anywhere from 8 to 20 Almonds every day to balance the macros and include Spinach twice a week to keep up Iron and Vitamin A.

William_Steinset
William_Steinset p William Steinset
1K Post(s)
1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: December 12, 1969
Posted
Posted By: sureshmv8

Getting desperate for my six pack.  I have been trying to lose fat for some time.  Started at 118 lbs in February and down to 108 lbs now.  Body fat was around 15% and has come down to 11% now.  Bit of abs is visible, but it has hit a plateau now for a month and not seeing progress.  Most guys start seeing abs at 12% body fat.  But for me it is still not showing well.  

Worried about losing more weight as I have never weighed so less.  But don't mind losing more weight and fat if I am assured of a visible six pack.  I certainly want to see my six pack before I start bulking.

Prior to May 2018, I did only the captain's chair leg raise and caloric restriction with 80 gm protein intake.  I was seeing results with belly fat going down rapidly in March and April. 

When I noticed that things were slowing down, I started strength training in the gym in May.  But despite that, progress has slowed down.  Not stopped, I see better definition every week - but not at the rate it was in March/April.  Still a long way to go in the gym as I have been training only for 3-4 weeks now.  But my main area of focus is abs, not much worried about other muscle definition.  If they grow as a side effect, great.  If not, no regrets.  

My macros per day as of now:

Proteins:  90 - 100 gms

Fats:  25 - 45 gms

Carbs: 140 - 200 gms

Total Calories:  1250 - 1380 

 

Training:

1 Inclined DB Bench Press , Once a week , 15 lbs, 8x1
2 Captain's chair Leg Lift, Every work day , 16 x 1
3 Hanging Leg Lift (Bent Knee),  Every work day,  16 x 1
4 Decline ab crunch,  Every work day,  16 x 1
5 Barbell Bench Press,  Twice a week,  54 lbs, 8 x1
6 Lat Pull down,  Thrice a week,  70 lbs , 8 x 1
7 Pull ups,  Every work day,  3 x 1
8 Chin Ups,  Every work day,  2 x 2
9 Barbell Back Squat (just bar),  Once a week,  44 lbs , 8 x 1
10 Cardio - Sprint at 12 miles an hour,  Once a week, 45s, 1 min rest, 45 s again
11 Bicep curls,  3 times a week,  15 lbs,  8 x 1
12 Trap Shrugs,  3 times a week,  15 lbs,  8 x 1
13 Leg Press,  Twice a week,  80 lbs,  8 x 1

 

Note, I was doing only 2, 3 and 4 above from March to May. 

Started rest of the training only 3-4 weeks back.  When I initially started on May 12th 2018, I couldn't lift even the barbell bar alone more than a couple of times, but have since improved to 8 reps of 1 set each.  It might look funny compared to other lifters, but for me it already feels like a major progress that I can do 8 reps with the bar.  Same thing for squats where I had a thigh cramp after attempting 3 reps with just the bar on the first day.  But with the progress, I am confident.  

 

Current body metrics:

Weight: 108 lbs

Lean Mass:  97 lbs

Fat: 11 lbs

However, the abs not showing improvement is making me lose motivation.  Now that I have spent the last few months fighting hunger for my abs - don't want lose all the good work done up till now.

Fewquestions here:

1.  If I keep reducing fat and go down to 7%, will I see my abs?  

2.  Are my macros ok for this goal?

3. Is my training ok for this goal?  

4.  If I start bulking after going to 7% body fat, can I continue to have my abs visible as I bulk?  If so, how should the bulking be handled.

 

I don't want to start bulking until my abs show.

 Please help.

 

 

Hello !

 

If you are only 108 lbs you most likely should not lose more weight. You should rather focus on strenghtening your abs to make the muscles bigger and stronger. This way the abs will become more visable. You mention that you are starving yourself to get abs, that is not the way to go. Abs are muscles like anyother muscle and need protein and energy to survive. If you are only eating 1250 calories you are not supporting your body well enough.

 

Proteins:  90 - 100 gms

Fats:  25 - 45 gms

Carbs: 140 - 200 gms

Total Calories:  1250 - 1380 

 

You need more protein to support growth for abs and every other muscle. You need more carbs to give your muscle energy. You also should eat more fat to support long lasting workouts.

 

It is Incredibly unhealthy to eat such a low amount of calories that you do.

 

Compare it to me for instance. I eat 3200 calories a day and I have visable abs and weigh 175 lbs. You need to support your body and make sure you are feeding it properly.

 

You may also benefit from seeing a doctor or a nutritionist to aid you a bit in this. I would defenently see someone professional in this case to make sure you are damaging your body further.

 

Hope it helps !

 

 

 

1.  If I keep reducing fat and go down to 7%, will I see my abs?  

2.  Are my macros ok for this goal?

3. Is my training ok for this goal?  

4.  If I start bulking after going to 7% body fat, can I continue to have my abs visible as I bulk?  If so, how should the bulking be handled.

 

1. No, you are starved, you need to balance your diet more.

2. No, they are way to low and will likely damage your body in the long run.

3. I dont really see anything wrong with your routine as long as you train every muscle and do your cardio.

4. Yes if you do whats called "lean bulking"

MS Athelete / Super Hermanite / SHF
sureshmv8
sureshmv8 g Suresh Veda
13 Post(s)
13 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: June 6, 2018
Posted

I picked up the 1350 calorie recommendation from the calculator: https://muscularstrength.com/mealplan

In fact, initally I was losing my waist size and weight even with 1600 calories every day. But as months rolled along, I had to keep reducing to see results.

Prior to January, I was having upwards of 1800 - 2000 calories, but wasn't calculating macros. So, diet was not balanced and no training, hence no muscle definition.

After using the calculator's recommendation from Jan/Feb, I saw progress. Should I have continued at 1800-2000 calories with higher protein content in the food?

 

During the early days of cutting calories, I felt a bit tired. But off late, my energy levels are great, feel really good in fact. I am puzzled about your concern on damaging the body, because I feel my fitness level has gotten much better too. I am able to do so much more every day than what I used to last year. The gym work out ensures that I sleep within minutes of hitting the bed through the night and feel very fresh every morning. I feel great overall, only bummer is the abs not coming through.

William_Steinset
William_Steinset p William Steinset
1K Post(s)
1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: December 12, 1969
Posted
Posted By: sureshmv8

I picked up the 1350 calorie recommendation from the calculator: https://muscularstrength.com/mealplan

In fact, initally I was losing my waist size and weight even with 1600 calories every day. But as months rolled along, I had to keep reducing to see results.

Prior to January, I was having upwards of 1800 - 2000 calories, but wasn't calculating macros. So, diet was not balanced and no training, hence no muscle definition.

After using the calculator's recommendation from Jan/Feb, I saw progress. Should I have continued at 1800-2000 calories with higher protein content in the food?

 

During the early days of cutting calories, I felt a bit tired. But off late, my energy levels are great, feel really good in fact. I am puzzled about your concern on damaging the body, because I feel my fitness level has gotten much better too. I am able to do so much more every day than what I used to last year. The gym work out ensures that I sleep within minutes of hitting the bed through the night and feel very fresh every morning. I feel great overall, only bummer is the abs not coming through.

Hello again !

 

I am concerned because the male standard for maintaining weight is 2500 calories and eating severly below that has its health risk. It can mean that you will contract a disease because your body doesnt have what it needs in the end to do its internal procsesses correctly. Cutting should be done at a deficit at 100-600 calories done over a longer period of time.

 

In my opinion yes you should have continued at 1800 to 2000 calories.

 

I understand that you can feel good right now, but in the long run you most likely will not. Not fueling your body sufficently will effect you in the long run.

 

Hope it help !

MS Athelete / Super Hermanite / SHF
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: sureshmv8

Getting desperate for my six pack.  I have been trying to lose fat for some time.  Started at 118 lbs in February and down to 108 lbs now.  Body fat was around 15% and has come down to 11% now.  Bit of abs is visible, but it has hit a plateau now for a month and not seeing progress.  Most guys start seeing abs at 12% body fat.  But for me it is still not showing well.  

Worried about losing more weight as I have never weighed so less.  But don't mind losing more weight and fat if I am assured of a visible six pack.  I certainly want to see my six pack before I start bulking.

Prior to May 2018, I did only the captain's chair leg raise and caloric restriction with 80 gm protein intake.  I was seeing results with belly fat going down rapidly in March and April. 

When I noticed that things were slowing down, I started strength training in the gym in May.  But despite that, progress has slowed down.  Not stopped, I see better definition every week - but not at the rate it was in March/April.  Still a long way to go in the gym as I have been training only for 3-4 weeks now.  But my main area of focus is abs, not much worried about other muscle definition.  If they grow as a side effect, great.  If not, no regrets.  

My macros per day as of now:

Proteins:  90 - 100 gms

Fats:  25 - 45 gms

Carbs: 140 - 200 gms

Total Calories:  1250 - 1380 

 

Training:

1 Inclined DB Bench Press , Once a week , 15 lbs, 8x1
2 Captain's chair Leg Lift, Every work day , 16 x 1
3 Hanging Leg Lift (Bent Knee),  Every work day,  16 x 1
4 Decline ab crunch,  Every work day,  16 x 1
5 Barbell Bench Press,  Twice a week,  54 lbs, 8 x1
6 Lat Pull down,  Thrice a week,  70 lbs , 8 x 1
7 Pull ups,  Every work day,  3 x 1
8 Chin Ups,  Every work day,  2 x 2
9 Barbell Back Squat (just bar),  Once a week,  44 lbs , 8 x 1
10 Cardio - Sprint at 12 miles an hour,  Once a week, 45s, 1 min rest, 45 s again
11 Bicep curls,  3 times a week,  15 lbs,  8 x 1
12 Trap Shrugs,  3 times a week,  15 lbs,  8 x 1
13 Leg Press,  Twice a week,  80 lbs,  8 x 1

 

Note, I was doing only 2, 3 and 4 above from March to May. 

Started rest of the training only 3-4 weeks back.  When I initially started on May 12th 2018, I couldn't lift even the barbell bar alone more than a couple of times, but have since improved to 8 reps of 1 set each.  It might look funny compared to other lifters, but for me it already feels like a major progress that I can do 8 reps with the bar.  Same thing for squats where I had a thigh cramp after attempting 3 reps with just the bar on the first day.  But with the progress, I am confident.  

 

Current body metrics:

Weight: 108 lbs

Lean Mass:  97 lbs

Fat: 11 lbs

However, the abs not showing improvement is making me lose motivation.  Now that I have spent the last few months fighting hunger for my abs - don't want lose all the good work done up till now.

Fewquestions here:

1.  If I keep reducing fat and go down to 7%, will I see my abs?  

2.  Are my macros ok for this goal?

3. Is my training ok for this goal?  

4.  If I start bulking after going to 7% body fat, can I continue to have my abs visible as I bulk?  If so, how should the bulking be handled.

 

I don't want to start bulking until my abs show.

 Please help.

 

 

Hey Suresh.

 

William has given you some really good, really useful information here!

 

I would have to agree. 1300 calories seems far too low. Even for a cut. Are you sure you actually went 250-500 calories below your BMR in motion?

 

Anyway, that is kind of besides the point. I see your profile photo on your profile board. I would say you are kind of in the skinny fat category. Looks like most of the fat you are holding is in that lower ab area, which is why the abs aren't coming out yet.

 

You definitely are lean, but as William has said, you are probably starving yourself to a point, and your body is just holding onto what little fat it has left because it doesn't think it's getting enough food. Especially protein, so any weight you are losing could very well be muscle.

 

I think going back to 1800-2000 calories is a great idea to get back on track, and actually start adding more muscle mass. That will help your situation a lot. But don't go straight back to 1800-2000 calories in one day. Try hitting about 1500-1600 for 4-5 days, and then increase that to 1700-1800 for 4-5 days, then go to around the 2000 mark.

 

As a vegetarian.. what sources of protein can you eat? Can you eat eggs and any dairy? Or specific dairy items like cheese only?

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sureshmv8
sureshmv8 g Suresh Veda
13 Post(s)
13 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: June 6, 2018
Posted

 I can include egg whites and dairy in my diet and have been doing so for sometime. Over the last couple of weeks, I have bumped the proteins to 100g. And yes, I can stay at around 1300 calories per day without an issue. It is just that I seem to be dropping weight and not fat. The waist size is reducing very slowly, while other parts of the body are losing muscle faster. This despite keeping the protein up.

I thought if we did strength training in gym and ate sufficient protein with calorie deficit, there will be predominantly fat loss. This seems to defy logic.

As I said, my main goal is to get the abs to show. It would be a huge motivation for pursuing this effort. And as I bulk after that, continue to keep the abs showing. That is the intent.

If I bump up the calories, I would lose even the little bit of abs that is showing. That I feel would severly demotivate me. It was an enjoyable exercise so far seeing improvement every week, except the last 3 weeks when it has slowed down drastically. To be honest, I am scared of increasing calories at this time.

William_Steinset
William_Steinset p William Steinset
1K Post(s)
1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: December 12, 1969
Posted
Posted By: sureshmv8

 I can include egg whites and dairy in my diet and have been doing so for sometime. Over the last couple of weeks, I have bumped the proteins to 100g. And yes, I can stay at around 1300 calories per day without an issue. It is just that I seem to be dropping weight and not fat. The waist size is reducing very slowly, while other parts of the body are losing muscle faster. This despite keeping the protein up.

I thought if we did strength training in gym and ate sufficient protein with calorie deficit, there will be predominantly fat loss. This seems to defy logic.

As I said, my main goal is to get the abs to show. It would be a huge motivation for pursuing this effort. And as I bulk after that, continue to keep the abs showing. That is the intent.

If I bump up the calories, I would lose even the little bit of abs that is showing. That I feel would severly demotivate me. It was an enjoyable exercise so far seeing improvement every week, except the last 3 weeks when it has slowed down drastically. To be honest, I am scared of increasing calories at this time.

Hi !

 

If you think it defies logic you are probably doing something wrong. I understand you are afraid of increasing calories but as both me and Scott stated the low amount of calories you are eating is not healthy for you. I also hear you when you say you can eat like this no problem. But like I stated, yes, you may feel good right now, BUT in the long run, a few years down the line, things may not be as good.

 

And as you say you are dropping weight, but not fat. That means you are loosing... MUSCLE. Because 100 grams of protein is very low for a male.

 

"I thought if we did strength training in gym and ate sufficient protein with calorie deficit, there will be predominantly fat loss." - YES, but you are not eating sufficent protein.

 

Again, I would see an expert with this so you can get guidance in person.

MS Athelete / Super Hermanite / SHF
sureshmv8
sureshmv8 g Suresh Veda
13 Post(s)
13 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: June 6, 2018
Posted

@William, I don't think standard rules apply in my case. Few exceptions to keep in mind - I am in my thirties, I am only 5'6'' and have never been over 130 lbs in my life. Infact, I evaluated the maintenance calories for me and noted that it is between 1600-1700 calories. So, I am not way off the maintenance. If I punch in the numbers in to the meal plan calculator it shows that I should be having about 1300 calories to lose fat. My lean body weight is around 100 lbs. So, 100g protein seems enough. Infact, the calculator suggests 97g of protein for me. I don't mind increasing the protein intake, if we think that is the issue. If I can get my abs showing in the next few weeks, I will likely go back to bulking. So, not worried about long term implications.

 

@Scott, I am big fan of yours - love your youtube videos. Your assesment is spot on - the stubborn lower belly fat is the one I am having trouble with.

I signed up for the forum to get below questions answered:

1. If I increase protein intake and stay on calorie deficit - will my abs eventually show? Perhaps since my muscle definition is poor, I might need to cut down more for the abs to show? In your experience have you seen these kind of cases? Do I need to cut down further for the abs to show?

2. Is there anything in terms of gym training that I should change to get better results? Below is my photo from today. Compared to the one from last month, I see better definition, but still a long way to go.

 

3. If the suggestion is to increase the calories, what is the plan? Once I start having about 1800 calories, my weight will start going up. How far should I go? When should I start cutting? When will my abs show? If we are talking about years of wait time - it is likely I might give up.

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: sureshmv8

@William, I don't think standard rules apply in my case. Few exceptions to keep in mind - I am in my thirties, I am only 5'6'' and have never been over 130 lbs in my life. Infact, I evaluated the maintenance calories for me and noted that it is between 1600-1700 calories. So, I am not way off the maintenance. If I punch in the numbers in to the meal plan calculator it shows that I should be having about 1300 calories to lose fat. My lean body weight is around 100 lbs. So, 100g protein seems enough. Infact, the calculator suggests 97g of protein for me. I don't mind increasing the protein intake, if we think that is the issue. If I can get my abs showing in the next few weeks, I will likely go back to bulking. So, not worried about long term implications.

 

@Scott, I am big fan of yours - love your youtube videos. Your assesment is spot on - the stubborn lower belly fat is the one I am having trouble with.

I signed up for the forum to get below questions answered:

1. If I increase protein intake and stay on calorie deficit - will my abs eventually show? Perhaps since my muscle definition is poor, I might need to cut down more for the abs to show? In your experience have you seen these kind of cases? Do I need to cut down further for the abs to show?

2. Is there anything in terms of gym training that I should change to get better results? Below is my photo from today. Compared to the one from last month, I see better definition, but still a long way to go.

 

3. If the suggestion is to increase the calories, what is the plan? Once I start having about 1800 calories, my weight will start going up. How far should I go? When should I start cutting? When will my abs show? If we are talking about years of wait time - it is likely I might give up.

1. Well, having enough protein to build muscle is crucial as William already said. But protein alone won't get the abs to show. It's probably a case of actually building your abs more. Everyone has abs, but depending on how well built they are will determine how easy they are too see, and how low your body fat has to be in order to really get them showing.

 

I think that if you actually build the ab muscles out more, while maintaining the fat levels you have now, they will show. Which would mean yes, get more protein to make sure you have a sufficient amount to build muscle, but you will also need to be in a slight calorie surplus to build muscle as well.

 

2. Obviously you are mainly concerned about abs, so for what your goals are, your training looks OK (although it might be better to have a bit more structure, and training more with your compound movements like bench, squat, deadlift and overhead press will help your core development as well). So still keep doing your regular ab training, but if you have access to a gym, try progressing and doing weighted ab movements to help build your abs out more. I'll link a video below for some exercise ideas.

 

3. Just go to a point where you feel comfortable. Chances are you will gain some fat while bulking, but not a huge amount. If you start to notice that you are gaining more fat than muscle, you'll have to re-visit your macros. You'll be able to get your abs in months, not years. Don't give up man - you just have to work hard, stay consistent, and the results will come!

 

What are the macros the @mealplan calculator gives you if you choose lean gains?

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sureshmv8
sureshmv8 g Suresh Veda
13 Post(s)
13 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: June 6, 2018
Posted

Thanks Scott. Can you plesae share the video link you mentioned above?

Also, this is what the meal plan calculator gives for lean gain:

 

But when I say fat loss, it gives me 1350 calories total.

sureshmv8
sureshmv8 g Suresh Veda
13 Post(s)
13 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: June 6, 2018
Posted

Adding the screenshots again, as the clarity of previous one is not good.

 

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: sureshmv8

Adding the screenshots again, as the clarity of previous one is not good.

 

Oh sorry I did forget to link the video haha. It will be at the bottom of this post 😊 

 

OK I can see why the calculator is low now, because of your little training choice, which I guess makes sense given your routine you posted. And if you're not interested in doing more, then that's probably what you should stick with.

 

So aiming for 1800 calories is good. Theoretically it will have you in that surplus to build muscle. I'm guessing you are worried about gaining fat, so while the carbs aren't high at 235g, you could maybe cut them back to more like 200g, and increase protein to 100g (ideally maybe try 110g so you are getting 1g per pound of bodyweight) and increase fats to about 60g-65g (depending on how high you go with protein).

 

What do you think?

 

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sureshmv8
sureshmv8 g Suresh Veda
13 Post(s)
13 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: June 6, 2018
Posted

Thank you so much for the video.

I want to understand something. If I reduce carbs and increase fat, is it not easier for the body to just store it as fat? At least with carbs it has convert it to fat, but if I increase fat and eat a slight surplus - my thought is it would just readily get stored into my belly. Is that not the case? Not doubting your recommendation - understand you are an expert in this area. Just that I want to get an understanding of this. 1800 calories is ok for me, but I also want to increase my work out routine, so I can be sure that the surplus is certainly being used for muscle building. 

 

Secondly, how much should I work out to be considered in the "Light Exercise or Sport 1 - 3 days a week" category. Is there a work out routine recommendation for that? I don't mind spending more time in the gym.

 

Finally, I increased the weight in my barbell bench press today to 20 lbs. When I was attempting the 5th rep, I felt a sharp pain in the right upper chest area. I had to reduce the weight to 10 lbs for the rest of the reps and remaining sets. Subsequently, when I tried pull ups, I couldn't complete even a couple of reps as the chest was hurting. Even now, when I push down on chest area, I feel pain radiating from chest to under the arm. Is this an injury? How long does this kind of injury take to heal? I am just worried about losing effective gym time because of this.

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: sureshmv8

Thank you so much for the video.

I want to understand something. If I reduce carbs and increase fat, is it not easier for the body to just store it as fat? At least with carbs it has convert it to fat, but if I increase fat and eat a slight surplus - my thought is it would just readily get stored into my belly. Is that not the case? Not doubting your recommendation - understand you are an expert in this area. Just that I want to get an understanding of this. 1800 calories is ok for me, but I also want to increase my work out routine, so I can be sure that the surplus is certainly being used for muscle building. 

 

Secondly, how much should I work out to be considered in the "Light Exercise or Sport 1 - 3 days a week" category. Is there a work out routine recommendation for that? I don't mind spending more time in the gym.

 

Finally, I increased the weight in my barbell bench press today to 20 lbs. When I was attempting the 5th rep, I felt a sharp pain in the right upper chest area. I had to reduce the weight to 10 lbs for the rest of the reps and remaining sets. Subsequently, when I tried pull ups, I couldn't complete even a couple of reps as the chest was hurting. Even now, when I push down on chest area, I feel pain radiating from chest to under the arm. Is this an injury? How long does this kind of injury take to heal? I am just worried about losing effective gym time because of this.

No that's not the case - fat doesn't make you fat. That's a misconception. Too many excess calories makes you fat.

 

If you want to increase your workout routine, that's great! But if you start doing more excercise, you will burn more calories, and you'll then have to eat more food to stay in a surplus - that's not a bad thing, I just wanted to let you know.

 

Well if you'd like, you could do the HOME PROGRAM which is actually 6 days a week, but it's all circuit training that you will only need 5lb or 10lb dumbbells for. If you want to focus on bodyweight, there is a full BODYWEIGHT ONLY program you can use if you still class yourself as pretty much a total beginner.

 

If you wanted to try something even more intense, and you have access to a gym, you could go with the PPL program and just cycle through MONTH 1 to only workout 3 days per week.

 

I think for you the HOME PROGRAM would be a good starting point for your goals and for where you are in your training experience!

 

Is it your chest.. or your shoulder that's sore? You say upper chest area.. so I'm guessing it could be near the front delt? It's hard for me to say what it might be online, but that would be my though. If it's actually your chest, you could have strained it and might just need to rest it for a bit. Any bruising around the area?

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sureshmv8
sureshmv8 g Suresh Veda
13 Post(s)
13 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: June 6, 2018
Posted

I watched the HOME PROGRAM upper body video Scott. I like it. Seems a good fit for me, as I struggle with heavier weights at this time. I agree with you this would be a good start. I can't believe we can do so much with dumbbells. I have access to a gym, but I think I can start with the HOME PROGRAM and graduate to the heavier work outs in the gym. I think, I am still a beginner even though I have been doing some strength training for a few weeks.

 

Some questions on the HOME PROGRAM:

 

1. Do I need to increase the calorie intake with this program or continue with 1800 as recommended?

2. Do I continue the ab exercises (leg raise, ab crunch and as of yesterday, I have started weighted leg raises as well) or the HOME PROGRAM is all I would need?

 

Btw, on the HOME PROGRAM page, I noticed that the calendar xls link is broken. I get a 0 byte file when downloading. Below is the link: https://muscularstrength.com/download.php?folder=documents%2Fextra_sheets%2F&fileID=35&dbTable=SHFexercise_extra

 

Wrt the injury, the soreness is in the pectoralis major area. I feel sore when I push down in that area, but otherwise I am ok. Today is my rest day - so hopefully will heal by tomorrow. No visible bruising around the area though.

 

 

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