How to drop down to sub 10% bodyfat - Help wanted.

CaseRat

You're not going to reduce bodyfat eating at a surplus as that's going add both LBM and fat regardless of how you sceme your nutrient timing. Bulking followed by a cut is a different story and that's fine to do but you need to evaluate how much lean mass you have. If you feel like you've got enough now, to cut straight to 10, then I wouldn't bulk yet.


I would take a week at maintenance as a diet break for mental reasons (any physiological related benefits re: leptin/hormonal issues are a bonus) then resume your deficit and continue.

Have your lifts stalled yet or are you still getting stronger?

Yeah, there seems to be a lot of hype to do with that, and everything I've ever read that's been backed up by science just scraps it out the window.
I feel I've got enough to be content at the moment. Not saying I'm big by any means, but I've got enough that I'll have a solid foundation at 10. I've got a good frame and my proportions are right so that I look bigger than what I am, if that makes any sense. Thin waist, wide shoulders.

The 1 week at maintenance is seeming like a great idea after a bit of research, definitely going to go ahead with that.

Still getting stronger thankfully. Only marginally stronger, but stronger nonetheless.

WendyTerry420

For the person above looking for advice for women, avoid that site like the plague unless you have very thick skin. He hates dealing with women when it comes to diet and training, insults them at every opportunity for their emotional attachments to various foods, etc.

What an *kitten*! Emotional attachment to food? Hardly! (at least not me) I just like my chocolate candy too much! :laugh:

SideSteel

You're not going to reduce bodyfat eating at a surplus as that's going add both LBM and fat regardless of how you sceme your nutrient timing. Bulking followed by a cut is a different story and that's fine to do but you need to evaluate how much lean mass you have. If you feel like you've got enough now, to cut straight to 10, then I wouldn't bulk yet.


I would take a week at maintenance as a diet break for mental reasons (any physiological related benefits re: leptin/hormonal issues are a bonus) then resume your deficit and continue.

Have your lifts stalled yet or are you still getting stronger?

Yeah, there seems to be a lot of hype to do with that, and everything I've ever read that's been backed up by science just scraps it out the window.
I feel I've got enough to be content at the moment. Not saying I'm big by any means, but I've got enough that I'll have a solid foundation at 10. I've got a good frame and my proportions are right so that I look bigger than what I am, if that makes any sense. Thin waist, wide shoulders.

The 1 week at maintenance is seeming like a great idea after a bit of research, definitely going to go ahead with that.

Still getting stronger thankfully. Only marginally stronger, but stronger nonetheless.

Based on everything you are telling in this post, it just sounds to me like you might be mentally fried. You're getting leaner, your pants are getting smaller, you are not losing any abnormal amount of LBM per mirror/measurements, and your lifts are increasing.

You are doing things right. Diet break + keep grinding and I bet you see things differently in~4-6 weeks.

Chief_Rocka

You don't have the amount of lean mass that is required to look good at 8% bodyfat. You can drop down that low if you want to, but I doubt you're going to have that "ripped" look that you think you're going to have. Your best course of action is to do a bulk of a significant duration before you need to think about cutting again.

CaseRat

You're not going to reduce bodyfat eating at a surplus as that's going add both LBM and fat regardless of how you sceme your nutrient timing. Bulking followed by a cut is a different story and that's fine to do but you need to evaluate how much lean mass you have. If you feel like you've got enough now, to cut straight to 10, then I wouldn't bulk yet.


I would take a week at maintenance as a diet break for mental reasons (any physiological related benefits re: leptin/hormonal issues are a bonus) then resume your deficit and continue.

Have your lifts stalled yet or are you still getting stronger?

Yeah, there seems to be a lot of hype to do with that, and everything I've ever read that's been backed up by science just scraps it out the window.
I feel I've got enough to be content at the moment. Not saying I'm big by any means, but I've got enough that I'll have a solid foundation at 10. I've got a good frame and my proportions are right so that I look bigger than what I am, if that makes any sense. Thin waist, wide shoulders.

The 1 week at maintenance is seeming like a great idea after a bit of research, definitely going to go ahead with that.

Still getting stronger thankfully. Only marginally stronger, but stronger nonetheless.

Based on everything you are telling in this post, it just sounds to me like you might be mentally fried. You're getting leaner, your pants are getting smaller, you are not losing any abnormal amount of LBM per mirror/measurements, and your lifts are increasing.

You are doing things right. Diet break + keep grinding and I bet you see things differently in~4-6 weeks.

Mm, thanks for putting it nicely that I'm f***ed in the head right now haha. I think I just needed some outsider input to make sure I'm on the right track, or some different opinions as to what might work best.

Break and grind it is. Thanks SS.

CaseRat

You don't have the amount of lean mass that is required to look good at 8% bodyfat. You can drop down that low if you want to, but I doubt you're going to have that "ripped" look that you think you're going to have. Your best course of action is to do a bulk of a significant duration before you need to think about cutting again.

Thanks bruski, funny that you say that when all you can see in my picture is my torso, not even including my arms or legs.

That being said, I'll be bulking for 9-10 months after I can get it down a little bit more; I know I'm not that large. It's not only for aesthetic reasons, it's also that I want to know I can get that low. Because if I can do it now, I'll know for future references what it takes to do it again.

SideSteel

You don't have the amount of lean mass that is required to look good at 8% bodyfat. You can drop down that low if you want to, but I doubt you're going to have that "ripped" look that you think you're going to have. Your best course of action is to do a bulk of a significant duration before you need to think about cutting again.

Thanks bruski, funny that you say that when all you can see in my picture is my torso, not even including my arms or legs.

That being said, I'll be bulking for 9-10 months after I can get it down a little bit more; I know I'm not that large. It's not only for aesthetic reasons, it's also that I want to know I can get that low. Because if I can do it now, I'll know for future references what it takes to do it again.

I just wanted to add: You should take a moment to consider Fire_Rock's advice as it's always solid. My advice in this thread is that "IF" you believe you have enough lean mass to cut down to the ~10% mark then I'd do as I listed, but that "IF" is important.

I just can't assess that based on your .avi. Also depends on how lean you want to get. 10% and 8% aren't the same thing, etc.

Topsking2010

Bump

CaseRat

You don't have the amount of lean mass that is required to look good at 8% bodyfat. You can drop down that low if you want to, but I doubt you're going to have that "ripped" look that you think you're going to have. Your best course of action is to do a bulk of a significant duration before you need to think about cutting again.

Thanks bruski, funny that you say that when all you can see in my picture is my torso, not even including my arms or legs.

That being said, I'll be bulking for 9-10 months after I can get it down a little bit more; I know I'm not that large. It's not only for aesthetic reasons, it's also that I want to know I can get that low. Because if I can do it now, I'll know for future references what it takes to do it again.

I just wanted to add: You should take a moment to consider Fire_Rock's advice as it's always solid. My advice in this thread is that "IF" you believe you have enough lean mass to cut down to the ~10% mark then I'd do as I listed, but that "IF" is important.

I just can't assess that based on your .avi. Also depends on how lean you want to get. 10% and 8% aren't the same thing, etc.

I believe I do. Just. I'm not denying his opinion at all; I'm considerably smaller than a lot of blokes out there. But I'm also 18 and have a long time to grow. Therefore I'm happy enough, and that's all that really matters in this little world we live in, isn't it?

10% is the goal, or near enough.

YoYo1951

bump to read later

mellabyte

bump for later reading. ^_^

Espressocycle

Yuck, why?

doggiesnot

bump to read later

SideSteel

Yuck, why?

9-10% can look incredibly aesthetic. Not sure why you'd put a "yuck" on that.

chrisdavey

I was at 9% with regular IIFYM style cut with -500 per day average. Did Lyle McDonald's RFL to get to 7%. I don't think it's easily sustainable though.

I agree with SS though. Diet break and back into it sounds like the go.

GlutesthatSalute

BUMP

SideSteel

I was at 9% with regular IIFYM style cut with -500 per day average. Did Lyle McDonald's RFL to get to 7%. I don't think it's easily sustainable though.

I agree with SS though. Diet break and back into it sounds like the go.

I would like to point out that after thorough review of his training log, we have reasonable evidence to suggest that ChrisDavey is actually a cyborg.

samhigh

After 12 weeks of cutting a diet break is definitely in order. Just relax for a week, dont count calories... but dont go nuts either. Just eat like a normal person for 7 days.

It's October right now, why cut going in to winter? Agree with others you should try to add some more lean mass before starting your cut. No matter how well you cut, you are still going to sacrifice some lean mass.

Would recommend the following:
1) Take a diet break for a week
2) During this week, do your regular strength training, but at ~2/3 the weight. Sets should be easy, just go through the motions.
3) Start a slow bulk, take measurements and ideally get a bf% reading to establish a baseline.
4) During the bulk, eat at 20% over caloric expenditure on training days, and try to eat at exercise adjusted maintenance calories (ie if you play basketball eat some more calories to not run a deficit.
5) Around January, check your progress. You should be getting stronger and subsequently adding some decent lean mass. Maybe a little fat as well, but that is unavoidable.
6) In January, take another week break, and then decide whether to pursue a body recomp or cut. If you recomp, you can continue making strength gains. I would recommend recomp over cut at this point.
7) Around March, check your progress. Hopefully at this point you gained some decent muscle during the bulk, and then maintained/slightly grew your LBM during the recomp.
8) You are now ready to start a 3 month cut going in to summer.

Check out leangains.com and rippedbody.jp. Between these two sites you can dial in an exercise/nutrition approach that will allow you to be successful.

All of the above is irrelevant if you don't train like a beast. You have to kill it in the gym.

Good luck!

robpetrov

It's approaching summer in Oz.

chrisdavey

I was at 9% with regular IIFYM style cut with -500 per day average. Did Lyle McDonald's RFL to get to 7%. I don't think it's easily sustainable though.

I agree with SS though. Diet break and back into it sounds like the go.

I would like to point out that after thorough review of his training log, we have reasonable evidence to suggest that ChrisDavey is actually a cyborg.

A unicycling, pole dancing cyborg

Thanks mate train hard, eat clean lol