Not sure what to do for my goals

jedibeau82

So here is where I am at. 5'7", 182 pounds. My goal is to be muscular and fit looking. I assume about 170 pounds would be a healthy goal. Not so concerned with a 6 pack or super low fat %. I would like to not have excess fat for obvious health/vanity reasons however. I would think maybe a 12-15% body fat would be a good target?

I have been eating in a calorie deficit for 2 pounds/week weight loss and have lost 14 pounds (was 196 pounds) since December 10th. I am happy with progress so far. I have also been strength training 5 days a week including 1 full body workout, 2 HIIT days and the other days I focus on isolation and abs. I always try to eat back exercise calories.

I have read that you can't really build muscle in a deficit but by doing weights while in a deficit you can encourage your body to hold onto current muscle as much as possible so you don't lose too much muscle mass.

I guess my question is, would it be better to eat for muscle growth or just continue along my current plan until I have reached my goal weight and then work on building muscle. Cut then bulk sort of thing. I don't want to be skinny fat. Would it be more efficient to build muscle to increase my calorie burning engine first?

Curious to hear from someone who has experience in something like this.

nowine4me

My 2 cents.....reduce your deficit to 1# a month and start a formal progressive overload training program (i.e. Stronglifts). Forget the isolation and abs. Continue HIIT. You will likely gain some muscle, definitely add strength and lose fat. Google "recomp" if you are not familiar with the term. Once you hit your body fat goal, continue strength training program and up calories to maintenance and see how that goes.

jedibeau82

Thanks for you input. I am curious about a couple points. Why do you suggest I move onto a Stronglifts style program? I currently include barbell squats, deadlifts and bench press in various forms (barbell, dumbbell and dumbbell incline) a couple times per week. Generally on more focused days I do arms/back and usually include a few compound moves and then isolate. For barbell squats/deadlift/bench press I do 5 x 5 usually but if that's all the training I did I would be done in no time and I feel like I would need more.

2nd question...why cut out abs?

Thanks again.

jemhh

How much training experience and knowledge do you have? Did you just start in December? Beginners can recover well enough that they can hit each body part 3x per week so full body programs are usually the most efficient way for them to progress. In addition, beginners do not know enough about lifting to be able to create well balanced programs. It's like a first grader creating his own curriculum for the school year.

jedibeau82

I have some gym experience and am quite active in other aspects such as hiking, mountain biking and kayaking. I wouldn't call myself a beginner...maybe intermediate. I have done plenty of HIIT and running in the past as well. This is however the first time I have really paid attention to diet and strength at the same time. Ultimately I want to lose body fat and get stronger but want to do it in an efficient way so I am not wasting time.

jemhh

jedibeau82 wrote: »

I have some gym experience and am quite active in other aspects such as hiking, mountain biking and kayaking. I wouldn't call myself a beginner...maybe intermediate. I have done plenty of HIIT and running in the past as well. This is however the first time I have really paid attention to diet and strength at the same time. Ultimately I want to lose body fat and get stronger but want to do it in an efficient way so I am not wasting time.

I should have phrased my question differently. By training, I meant how long have you been lifting? It sounds like since December. I would suggest a solid beginner program. SL5x5 is good but isn't the only beginner program. If you want one with a bit more variety, you might like Fierce 5 or A Workout Routine's beginner program (v2.)

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=159678631

http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-beginner-weight-training-workout-routine/

jedibeau82

I have done a program similar to Stronglifts a few years back but stopped due to non related injury. I have been lifting since December. I already have a pretty muscular body because I work a physical job. I have been pretty happy with my current routine that works my whole body and am definitely getting stronger. I think my main question remains as to what the best diet would be for fat loss. I already eat clean but at a deficit. To continue to make gains I feel like I should eat more but am mainly concerned with gaining fat at the same time. Which is why I was planning on working on "bulking" once I have lost the body fat. I just don't know if this is the best way to go about it or not.

jemhh

Post a picture for better advice on that. You likely need to cut enough fat that is should be your first priority at your height and 182. But a picture would help.

jedibeau82

Had a chat with a PT at the gym this morning and went over my workout. He suggested keeping going if I am progressing and if I stall then to consider changing things up. He also suggested upping my calories by a bit just to make sure I am not starving muscles. I changed my settings to reflect his advice. Thanks again to everyone who chimed in.