Critique my plan please. Want to drop from 18% BF to 7-8% while preserving/adding muscle.

misnomer1

I am 30 yr old male, 5'11 and 84kg currently with 18% BF. Want to drop to 74kg ie. 7-8% BF. I started the plan a week back. Ideally, i want to add muscle as well (i know its a contentious topic - muscle addition while on deficit). Heres my plan.

1. Net calories at 1700 kcal a day. TDEE is 2200kcal a day, Basal metabolic rate is 1800-1900 kcal a day. MFP says i will lose 0.8kg a week. But some other sites say my maintenance rate is 2500kcal a day.

2. Macro ratio at 45%/35%/25% carbs/protein/fat. Protein adds upto 1.1gram per pound of lean body weight.

3. 7 days a week - jumping rope for 15-30 minutes daily burning 250-400 kcal a day. I eat all of these back.

4. Weight training at home 4 times a week. Heavy progressive weights till failure, 3 sets of 10-12 reps - benchpress, squats, deadlifts, military shoulder press, pullups, upright rows for lats. I dont do more than 2 exercises for each muscle group. ie only 10-15 mins a day of weight training. I work smaller muscles on rest of days - biceps, triceps, abs, forearms, etc.

Questions:

1. Is the deficit too drastic? should I increase my intake?
2. Should i cut back on cardio from 7 days a week?
3. Should I change weight training routine?
4. any other suggestions

TavistockToad

zulashish wrote: »

I am 30 yr old male, 5'11 and 84kg currently with 18% BF. Want to drop to 74kg ie. 7-8% BF. I started the plan a week back. Ideally, i want to add muscle as well (i know its a contentious topic - muscle addition while on deficit). Heres my plan.

1. Net calories at 1700 kcal a day. TDEE is 2200kcal a day, Basal metabolic rate is 1800-1900 kcal a day. MFP says i will lose 0.8kg a week. But some other sites say my maintenance rate is 2500kcal a day.

2. Macro ratio at 45%/35%/25% carbs/protein/fat. Protein adds upto 1.1gram per pound of lean body weight.

3. 7 days a week - jumping rope for 15-30 minutes daily burning 250-400 kcal a day. I eat all of these back.

4. Weight training at home 4 times a week. Heavy progressive weights till failure, 3 sets of 10-12 reps - benchpress, squats, deadlifts, military shoulder press, pullups, upright rows for lats. I dont do more than 2 exercises for each muscle group. ie only 10-15 mins a day of weight training. I work smaller muscles on rest of days - biceps, triceps, abs, forearms, etc.

Questions:

1. Is the deficit too drastic? should I increase my intake?
2. Should i cut back on cardio from 7 days a week?
3. Should I change weight training routine?
4. any other suggestions

1) yes
2) yes
3) yes
4) use an proper lifting programme instead of making your own up.

misnomer1

TavistockToad wrote: »

zulashish wrote: »

I am 30 yr old male, 5'11 and 84kg currently with 18% BF. Want to drop to 74kg ie. 7-8% BF. I started the plan a week back. Ideally, i want to add muscle as well (i know its a contentious topic - muscle addition while on deficit). Heres my plan.

1. Net calories at 1700 kcal a day. TDEE is 2200kcal a day, Basal metabolic rate is 1800-1900 kcal a day. MFP says i will lose 0.8kg a week. But some other sites say my maintenance rate is 2500kcal a day.

2. Macro ratio at 45%/35%/25% carbs/protein/fat. Protein adds upto 1.1gram per pound of lean body weight.

3. 7 days a week - jumping rope for 15-30 minutes daily burning 250-400 kcal a day. I eat all of these back.

4. Weight training at home 4 times a week. Heavy progressive weights till failure, 3 sets of 10-12 reps - benchpress, squats, deadlifts, military shoulder press, pullups, upright rows for lats. I dont do more than 2 exercises for each muscle group. ie only 10-15 mins a day of weight training. I work smaller muscles on rest of days - biceps, triceps, abs, forearms, etc.

Questions:

1. Is the deficit too drastic? should I increase my intake?
2. Should i cut back on cardio from 7 days a week?
3. Should I change weight training routine?
4. any other suggestions

1) yes
2) yes
3) yes
4) use an proper lifting programme instead of making your own up.

Thanks. Any suggestions for a lifting programme?

TavistockToad

zulashish wrote: »

TavistockToad wrote: »

zulashish wrote: »

I am 30 yr old male, 5'11 and 84kg currently with 18% BF. Want to drop to 74kg ie. 7-8% BF. I started the plan a week back. Ideally, i want to add muscle as well (i know its a contentious topic - muscle addition while on deficit). Heres my plan.

1. Net calories at 1700 kcal a day. TDEE is 2200kcal a day, Basal metabolic rate is 1800-1900 kcal a day. MFP says i will lose 0.8kg a week. But some other sites say my maintenance rate is 2500kcal a day.

2. Macro ratio at 45%/35%/25% carbs/protein/fat. Protein adds upto 1.1gram per pound of lean body weight.

3. 7 days a week - jumping rope for 15-30 minutes daily burning 250-400 kcal a day. I eat all of these back.

4. Weight training at home 4 times a week. Heavy progressive weights till failure, 3 sets of 10-12 reps - benchpress, squats, deadlifts, military shoulder press, pullups, upright rows for lats. I dont do more than 2 exercises for each muscle group. ie only 10-15 mins a day of weight training. I work smaller muscles on rest of days - biceps, triceps, abs, forearms, etc.

Questions:

1. Is the deficit too drastic? should I increase my intake?
2. Should i cut back on cardio from 7 days a week?
3. Should I change weight training routine?
4. any other suggestions

1) yes
2) yes
3) yes
4) use an proper lifting programme instead of making your own up.

Thanks. Any suggestions for a lifting programme?

There's a stickie somewhere with a list of programmes you can choose from.

JeromeBarry1

Here's a goody/oldie http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/928199/weightlifting-programs

misnomer1

JeromeBarry1 wrote: »

Here's a goody/oldie http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/928199/weightlifting-programs

Thanks. think ill try stronglifts 5x5 on 10% cal deficit for 4 weeks & see where it leads. Hopefully i get newbie muscle gains and fat loss together.

watts6151

Why do you want to cut to 7-8% bf?
For most people it's not sustainable and
Is going to start messing with your hormones if you stay at that bf

taziarj

Won't any deficit get you to that MF% given enough time? I guess it is adding the muscle at the same time that is the challenge? Really the jumping rope and cardio is unnecessary as long as you maintain the deficit.

misnomer1

watts6151 wrote: »

Why do you want to cut to 7-8% bf?
For most people it's not sustainable and
Is going to start messing with your hormones if you stay at that bf

essentially, im skinny fat now, and stuck at the dilemma of whether to cut, or bulk first.
ive been on a cutting diet for a week. but now im thinking that i need more muscle to look good at lower bf anyway. so ive decided to be at 10% deficit for a month and started stronglifts 5x5 programme today. ill lose 5 pounds and then decide, whether to maintain or bulk.

misnomer1

taziarj wrote: »

Won't any deficit get you to that MF% given enough time? I guess it is adding the muscle at the same time that is the challenge? Really the jumping rope and cardio is unnecessary as long as you maintain the deficit.

This past week since i started the cut i could not keep intake below 1900 so need the jump rope to take it lower than 1700.

sgt1372

watts6151 wrote: »

Why do you want to cut to 7-8% bf. For most people it's not sustainable and Is going to start messing with your hormones if you stay at that bf

This is NOT necessarily true.

The essential BF level for men is at 4-6%.

I'm at 8 7% BF % at 158# and my hormones are not all "messed up."

Health and energy levels are fine and no problems under the covers w/my GF, even at age 66.

sgt1372

zulashish wrote: »

Questions:

1. Is the deficit too drastic? should I increase my intake?
2. Should i cut back on cardio from 7 days a week?
3. Should I change weight training routine?
4.Any other suggestions

1. Not initially but you will probably need to reduce the deficit as you lose weight.

2. Not if your net cals meet you daily cal goal. Yes, if you drop too low or start to fail to lift propey because you are too tired.

3. If you want to build strength and maintain and increase LBM, sets/reps of 4x6 or 5x5 with heavy (for you) weight at up to 80-90% of your calculated 1RM max is good enough.

While sets of 8-10 reps should induce hypertrophy, it tends more towards endurance than strength.

Also rather than doing straight sets at the same wt strsight across, I find that pyramiding the sets from low to high starting at about 60% up to 80-90% of your calcated 1RM.

4. Diet is just as important as exercise.

I think your macros are fine. Don't let others convince you otherwise.

I lost 38# in 5 months and dropped my BF from +20% down to 8.7% while maintaining at 158# (+/- 5#) over the last 8 months w/a macro of 40P/40C/20F on 1599 to 2100 cals per month over the entire 13 month period.

Highly recommend that you eliminate ALL refined sugar and flour from your diet and try to eat mainly low GI carbs to increase fat metabolism and restrict fat production.

Good luck!

misnomer1

thank you all for the advice.