Tidus, how far do you think you need to cut down before you begin building muscle? If you plan on taking it into the single digits you will be at a point where you can't gain muscle very well because your bf% is too low. At that point trying to get some lean mass without gaining any fat will just frustrate you after a certain point. So you'll HAVE to gain fat. Which will again frustrate you. Then, though, you have CUT your bf so low that your body is PRIMED to do what it has always done....put on fat. So while you try to gain just enough fat to realize some lean mass gains you will have a hard time controlling it since your body is in that fat gain mode.
Right now it looks like most of your fat is in your gut. So if you cut too much more to get rid of the gut the reality may be that you have reached too low a bf%...and you start that pendulum rocking I just described. That is what I was trying to tell you before. Do not get sucked into this bulking/cutting mentality. For someone who has had problems with lots of fat that is a recipe for frustration. Slow and steady wins the race. Unless you want to check out the anobolic section... |
Wow, that put things into perspective. Hmph, but right now, wouldn't you say I'm in the mid teens - in respect to body fat %?
I think if I hit the lower double digits, I'd see abs and lose the gut and, I really want abs before my Gyne surgery (Mar. 26th, 2008) I was under the impression I could attain that abs physique and maintain it for a while before I start bulking. Once I start bulking, I'd do a super-clean bulk. I'd do it slowly, so I don't get frustrated with fat levels. Thing is, the abs thing is a mental block I've developed. A kind of goal I've set for myself. I think I'm really close to over-coming it, too. Plus, I wouldn't be abandoning weight training and I'd still be taking protein and glutamine to make sure I don't lose any muscle. Eric and everyone else, if I posted a program I plan to start this Monday, would you mind taking a look at it and critiquing it? |
Tidus, absolutely post that routine. Lots of people post routines up here, me and probably plenty of others would love to take a look at it.
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Thanks Cradler. For cardio, I'll be going about three or four times a week. Twice on those days.
So it would look something like this. Monday / Wednesday / Friday and Saturday Cardio -: Before school / around 30 minutes of cardio at 6:30 in the morning on an empty stomach. Later on, I'd go 45 minutes in the PM. After 4pm. The weight training program is called PRRS. It's an abbreviated form of Power / Rep-Range and Shock. I found it at bodybuilding.com forums, everyone using it has declared it effective, I thought I'd give it a try, since I've barley stuck to a program before, and this one seems diverse enough to keep my interest. Here goes... Quote:
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Yeah, I think I'll cut until I hit the 10ish BF%. How's the plan look?
I'll keep everyone posted, too. Thanks for all the help so far guys, it means a lot! :biglaugh: |
The plan looks overcomplicated for a beginner, at first glance. There are no days listed, btw, just muscle groups.
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Sorry about unlisted days ; I was thinking along the lines of ... Tuesday - Chest / Triceps , Thursday - Back / Biceps, Saturday - Legs / Shoulders. On my cardio days (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) I'd do abdominals, too. |
The most important thing to keep in mind for any trainee looking to just put on muscle mass (bulk) is that you can't do it with isolation exercises. Having a 'shoulders' day is no good - same goes for triceps, biceps days, as well as having legs and back on different days. The problem with that kind of programming is that it prevents you from using exercises that overlap - the compound ones, the good ones for packing on powerful mass. For instance, a bench press can work your chest, triceps, and shoulders, all in one movement. What day would you put that on, really?
For a beginner, you don't need too much stuff involving supersets, dropsets, etc. You've got a lot of volume there but it does seem like a lot to do - overcomplicated is right. Check out the info here: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224 And look into that program (I think it's in the 3rd post or so that they actually list the program itself). It focuses on just the basic compound movements, with only a very small bit of assistance work. I can say from experience that it works really, really well for beginner-level stuff. |
Decided to simplify things, took Eric's suggestion. I was helped in designing an upper and lower body split, so I could concentrate on my diet and cardio for cutting.
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Whaddya you guys think? |
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