Cutting to Bulking
Tsartele
Posts: 683 Member
So I have been in a cutting phase since Feb and have lost 56lbs.. I know eventually I am going to have to switch from cutting fat to building muscle. While I have made tremendous progress I still have some stubborn areas around my waist and chest.. I am 5'11 and 186lbs (down from 242). I figure that I will need to lose an additional 15-20 lbs to hit my target of 12-15% body fat. I want to be totally cut and ripped.. think beach body. Home scale says 18% but I think its a tad bit off... did a body pod test that says I was 29% but I think that's probably off as well.. I think I am somewhere in the middle 21-22%.
My routine looks like this
2 days a week I do 60 min of Cardio on the Elliptical and burn 650-700 cals
3 days a week I lift weights in the gym. chest, upper body, legs.
For cutting I have been doing a low cal and logging everything.. I have an average weight loss of 2 lbs a week for the last 7.5 months.
I have been trying to keep my protein intake to around 100-125 grams a day.. to keep from losing muscle while cutting..
SO my question is at what point do I switch over.. and get my cal intake up to a level that will build muscle ??
My routine looks like this
2 days a week I do 60 min of Cardio on the Elliptical and burn 650-700 cals
3 days a week I lift weights in the gym. chest, upper body, legs.
For cutting I have been doing a low cal and logging everything.. I have an average weight loss of 2 lbs a week for the last 7.5 months.
I have been trying to keep my protein intake to around 100-125 grams a day.. to keep from losing muscle while cutting..
SO my question is at what point do I switch over.. and get my cal intake up to a level that will build muscle ??
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Replies
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Based on your goals, the point when you reach an acceptable body fat %.
I've been in the same boat- cutting. Now reverse dieting to maintenance and then a surplus for bulking. I hit the "aesthetic" I wanted, which is about 8-9% BF.0 -
Honestly, with dropping two lbs a week for so long, I would take a break for a month or so. Eat at maintenance and lift.3
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Honestly, with dropping two lbs a week for so long, I would take a break for a month or so. Eat at maintenance and lift.
That's what I plan on doing.
OP, we have eerily similar stats. I'm 5'11" and 188 right now and figure I'd have to drop another 10-15 lbs to get to 12-15% bf. I've also been cutting for a while but at a slower loss and I didn't start as high as you.
I plan on maintenance for a month starting in Oct. Need the break mentally. I might just hold that at maintenance for an extra month.
I've done this now the past couple of years slowly getting leaner each time I cut (although its madly slow).
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So I have been in a cutting phase since Feb and have lost 56lbs.. I know eventually I am going to have to switch from cutting fat to building muscle. While I have made tremendous progress I still have some stubborn areas around my waist and chest.. I am 5'11 and 186lbs (down from 242). I figure that I will need to lose an additional 15-20 lbs to hit my target of 12-15% body fat. I want to be totally cut and ripped.. think beach body. Home scale says 18% but I think its a tad bit off... did a body pod test that says I was 29% but I think that's probably off as well.. I think I am somewhere in the middle 21-22%.
My routine looks like this
2 days a week I do 60 min of Cardio on the Elliptical and burn 650-700 cals
3 days a week I lift weights in the gym. chest, upper body, legs.
For cutting I have been doing a low cal and logging everything.. I have an average weight loss of 2 lbs a week for the last 7.5 months.
I have been trying to keep my protein intake to around 100-125 grams a day.. to keep from losing muscle while cutting..
SO my question is at what point do I switch over.. and get my cal intake up to a level that will build muscle ??
While cutting, you should be eating around .8 to 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass. And considering you have an aggressive deficit, i suspect you lost some muscle.
I would agree that it might be beneficial to go to maintenance or just below it and lift.
Also, on your lifting program, do you do one each day or do all three on the same day?0 -
I'd say run a little experiment.
Consistently losing 2lbs a week means you're averaging a daily caloric deficit of 1000cal. Adding another 500cal a day would still keep you shedding 1lbs of fat a week while contributing some extra macros to boost your muscle gains - and your morale.
And by morale a means two things: 1) you should get an energy boost from the extra nutrients and calories, which will help you workout even harder for more gains; 2) you will be pleased to see how you can still shed fat even after eating an extra 500 daily calories.
Having said this, since you still want to shed another 15-20 lbs of fat, maybe test it out with an extra 250 daily calories. A cup of nonfat, plain greek yogurt gives you 23g of protein and 10g of carbs at 100 calories. Since the protein in greek yogurt is mostly casein (slow digestion), a cup before bed will keep your body nicely fed while it builds up during your sleep. Throw a small handful of dry-roasted almonds (under a 1/4 cup) with the yogurt and you have your 250 calories, with an extra 30g of protein, around 15g of carbs (mostly fiber, not sugar), and some 15g of healthy fats.
This is my first time cutting and bulking, and I like to take things slow, see how the body responds, and then adjust accordingly. Though we do have very good research these days, there's still a lot of anecdotal evidence out there that may just not apply to you or me. Seeing how your own body reacts is probably still the best way to make sure a big shift in your nutrition is also a smart shift.0 -
I would recommend switching up your 60 minute cardio sessions to 3 x HIT sessions in the week
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ive lost 75lbs over the last 14 months, a few months ago I started to lift more weight and cut back on cardio purely to tone up . im struggling mentally with putting on 3lb last month. I need to shift another 5-8% body fat. back on logging food so hoping this will help me put things in perspective.1
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So I have been in a cutting phase since Feb and have lost 56lbs.. I know eventually I am going to have to switch from cutting fat to building muscle. While I have made tremendous progress I still have some stubborn areas around my waist and chest.. I am 5'11 and 186lbs (down from 242). I figure that I will need to lose an additional 15-20 lbs to hit my target of 12-15% body fat. I want to be totally cut and ripped.. think beach body. Home scale says 18% but I think its a tad bit off... did a body pod test that says I was 29% but I think that's probably off as well.. I think I am somewhere in the middle 21-22%.
My routine looks like this
2 days a week I do 60 min of Cardio on the Elliptical and burn 650-700 cals
3 days a week I lift weights in the gym. chest, upper body, legs.
For cutting I have been doing a low cal and logging everything.. I have an average weight loss of 2 lbs a week for the last 7.5 months.
I have been trying to keep my protein intake to around 100-125 grams a day.. to keep from losing muscle while cutting..
SO my question is at what point do I switch over.. and get my cal intake up to a level that will build muscle ??
While cutting, you should be eating around .8 to 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass. And considering you have an aggressive deficit, i suspect you lost some muscle.
I would agree that it might be beneficial to go to maintenance or just below it and lift.
Also, on your lifting program, do you do one each day or do all three on the same day?
I do one each day..0 -
are you following a structured lifting program OP? Or did you design it on your own?0
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are you following a structured lifting program OP? Or did you design it on your own?
Honestly my lifting program could use some guidance.. I have a chest day where I do bench and machines for flies, press, and tri's. On my leg day I do dead lifts and try to do squats.. I say try because I have some knee trouble that prevents me for really getting in a good squat workout.. I also do calf raises and machine leg presses. On the 3 day I do back and bi's and some shoulders.0 -
are you following a structured lifting program OP? Or did you design it on your own?
Honestly my lifting program could use some guidance.. I have a chest day where I do bench and machines for flies, press, and tri's. On my leg day I do dead lifts and try to do squats.. I say try because I have some knee trouble that prevents me for really getting in a good squat workout.. I also do calf raises and machine leg presses. On the 3 day I do back and bi's and some shoulders.
You seem to be covering all of your bases hitting all the big muscle groups. That's great.
Are you logging your lifts - sets, reps, weights - so that you can progressively overload your muscles? Do you have a routine you follow, or you more or less wander toward the machines that happen to be available? I'm asking this because, especially in the beginning stages, you should focus on doing an apples-to-apples comparison of your workout load from session to session.
There's a good amount of neuromuscular adaptation when you start lifting that gets you up and running. But after a month, maybe two, you're going to need to consciously push yourself past whichever limits you were working with previously - be it weight, number of reps, number of sets, amount of rest in between sets, so on and so forth.
Going into a program, such as 5x5, or 5/3/1, helps you by pushing you through the motions of executing specific lifts. Still, even with such guides in hand, you'll need to track you workouts and ensure that you're progressing methodically, whichever the metric may be.
I find that taking the guesswork out of the equation is a big help. It's great to hit the ground running at the gym, knowing exactly how much you benched last time, for how may reps, and already with a plan to add 5lbs, 10lbs extra pounds to those last two sets.
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Ah... the good ol' Cut/Bulk dilemma. It always feels like a delicate juggling act...lol
There's some great advice here already. I would consider increasing your protein intake to 130+ gms every day. I would also switch up your lifting routine.
Chest\Upper Body\Legs is perhaps ok for maintenance. But if your looking to "build" that's not going to cut it. There's no way you can do back/shoulders/bicept/traps/tricepts in a single sitting and make many gains. You're either going to burn out and not lift as you should or you'll over-train. If you're lifting longer than 90 min your body will release cortisol and you'll be wasting your time. Contrary to popular belief, I've personally have seen many ppl, especially newer lifters make significant gains whilst cutting. As long as your macros and Protein intake is sufficient and energy levels are good.
As @dreamsignals pointed out a 5x5 is great place to start. I personally am currently doing this split. ( I switch it up every 6 weeks) Mon.\Chest - Tues\Back - Wed\Shoulder & Traps - Thurs\Legs - Fri.\Bi-Tri - Sat and Sun are rest days. I run 5k 3-4 a wk and Ride a bike or Elliptical the off days.
As other pointed out, you need to "over-load" the Muscles if you want them to grow.
Good Luck.0 -
Because of the afterburn effect of HIT compared to LISS. With those 60 minute treadmill sessions you may be burning fat for a few hours after your workout but with HIT and metabolic conditioning training you're going to burn fat for up to 38 hours post. The OP still has body fat to lose.. This is the most effeicient way, and it's fun2 -
Because of the afterburn effect of HIT compared to LISS. With those 60 minute treadmill sessions you may be burning fat for a few hours after your workout but with HIT and metabolic conditioning training you're going to burn fat for up to 38 hours post. The OP still has body fat to lose.. This is the most effeicient way, and it's fun
EPOC is highly overstated and only accounts for 6 to 15% of total calories burned. Also, if they are bulking that will already be taken that into consideration and adjusting accordingly. Meaning whether they do HIIT or LISS, the target surplus will be 250 or 10% over tdee.2 -
Op -http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
Pick one of those programs.1 -
its eating the right carbs with fiber and protein and fat before and after the workout that maximizes the resultsof your workout and the timeing of your workout and the timing after the workout that helps boost protein synthesis and helps you recover faster and better that helps with your goals and I eat a high fiber diet
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and also some supplements can help maximize results like whey protein or creatine or casein protein
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even though I havent used casein just whey protein and used creatine before
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GregStone2 wrote: »its eating the right carbs with fiber and protein and fat before and after the workout that maximizes the resultsof your workout and the timeing of your workout and the timing after the workout that helps boost protein synthesis and helps you recover faster and better that helps with your goals and I eat a high fiber diet
The timing of nutrients dont have huge impacts, at least not in some more recent studies. The current window suggest that if yoi have some carbs and protein pre - or post - workout within a 2 hour window you be good.
There are three things that drive protein synthesis; mechanical stress (exercise), hormomes (insulin particularly) and leucine.1 -
Because of the afterburn effect of HIT compared to LISS. With those 60 minute treadmill sessions you may be burning fat for a few hours after your workout but with HIT and metabolic conditioning training you're going to burn fat for up to 38 hours post. The OP still has body fat to lose.. This is the most effeicient way, and it's fun
EPOC is highly overstated and only accounts for 6 to 15% of total calories burned. Also, if they are bulking that will already be taken that into consideration and adjusting accordingly. Meaning whether they do HIIT or LISS, the target surplus will be 250 or 10% over tdee.
HIIT is superior for metabolic conditioning/ fat loss when trying to gain muscle. Yes, he wants to bulk but he has specifically stated he has fat to lose. Also, HIIT is going to improve your actual FITNESS 10 folds over LISS, which IMO has no impact on your fitness levels. I personally want to train like a beast whether it be cardio or weights, and my HIIT sessions definitely meet that requirement ;-) BUT if your goal is to be aesthetic with no actual fitness then yeah go for LISS, each to their own! I personally have dropped 10% bf and gained 6kg lean mass in the past 8 months without doing a bulk/cut because I incorporate HIIT. Prior to this I was lifting and doing 4 sessions of LISS for YEARS. Personally, I think most lifters are scared of HIIT... https://www.biolayne.com/articles/training/guest-post-the-science-of-hiit-cardio-by-chris-eric-martinez-the-dynamic-duo/1 -
Because of the afterburn effect of HIT compared to LISS. With those 60 minute treadmill sessions you may be burning fat for a few hours after your workout but with HIT and metabolic conditioning training you're going to burn fat for up to 38 hours post. The OP still has body fat to lose.. This is the most effeicient way, and it's fun
I don't disagree that HIIT is a good thing for lifting because it avoids the issues of interference with muscle building that LISS cardio can but as a weight loss vehicle it's highly overstated. Of course, fun is a matter of taste but I've done Tabatas the way they were meant to be done and "fun" would probably be the last thing I would call them lol.2 -
Because of the afterburn effect of HIT compared to LISS. With those 60 minute treadmill sessions you may be burning fat for a few hours after your workout but with HIT and metabolic conditioning training you're going to burn fat for up to 38 hours post. The OP still has body fat to lose.. This is the most effeicient way, and it's fun
EPOC is highly overstated and only accounts for 6 to 15% of total calories burned. Also, if they are bulking that will already be taken that into consideration and adjusting accordingly. Meaning whether they do HIIT or LISS, the target surplus will be 250 or 10% over tdee.
HIIT is superior for metabolic conditioning/ fat loss when trying to gain muscle. Yes, he wants to bulk but he has specifically stated he has fat to lose. Also, HIIT is going to improve your actual FITNESS 10 folds over LISS, which IMO has no impact on your fitness levels. I personally want to train like a beast whether it be cardio or weights, and my HIIT sessions definitely meet that requirement ;-) BUT if your goal is to be aesthetic with no actual fitness then yeah go for LISS, each to their own! I personally have dropped 10% bf and gained 6kg lean mass in the past 8 months without doing a bulk/cut because I incorporate HIIT. Prior to this I was lifting and doing 4 sessions of LISS for YEARS. Personally, I think most lifters are scared of HIIT... https://www.biolayne.com/articles/training/guest-post-the-science-of-hiit-cardio-by-chris-eric-martinez-the-dynamic-duo/
The biggest problem with that research is that the LISS is not the way you should be training cardio anyway. If you want to drop weight and train endurance then you need to have a good training programming in running, cycling, skiing or whatever you are interested in. Doing LISS the way they researchers do it in the HIIT vs LISS studies is like going in to the gym and picking up a couple light dumbbells and doing half-hearted movements then saying that weight training doesn't do anything for you.
BTW congrats to both you and the OP for you achievements and keep up the good work!3 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »
Because of the afterburn effect of HIT compared to LISS. With those 60 minute treadmill sessions you may be burning fat for a few hours after your workout but with HIT and metabolic conditioning training you're going to burn fat for up to 38 hours post. The OP still has body fat to lose.. This is the most effeicient way, and it's fun
EPOC is highly overstated and only accounts for 6 to 15% of total calories burned. Also, if they are bulking that will already be taken that into consideration and adjusting accordingly. Meaning whether they do HIIT or LISS, the target surplus will be 250 or 10% over tdee.
HIIT is superior for metabolic conditioning/ fat loss when trying to gain muscle. Yes, he wants to bulk but he has specifically stated he has fat to lose. Also, HIIT is going to improve your actual FITNESS 10 folds over LISS, which IMO has no impact on your fitness levels. I personally want to train like a beast whether it be cardio or weights, and my HIIT sessions definitely meet that requirement ;-) BUT if your goal is to be aesthetic with no actual fitness then yeah go for LISS, each to their own! I personally have dropped 10% bf and gained 6kg lean mass in the past 8 months without doing a bulk/cut because I incorporate HIIT. Prior to this I was lifting and doing 4 sessions of LISS for YEARS. Personally, I think most lifters are scared of HIIT... https://www.biolayne.com/articles/training/guest-post-the-science-of-hiit-cardio-by-chris-eric-martinez-the-dynamic-duo/
The biggest problem with that research is that the LISS is not the way you should be training cardio anyway. If you want to drop weight and train endurance then you need to have a good training programming in running, cycling, skiing or whatever you are interested in. Doing LISS the way they researchers do it in the HIIT vs LISS studies is like going in to the gym and picking up a couple light dumbbells and doing half-hearted movements then saying that weight training doesn't do anything for you.
BTW congrats to both you and the OP for you achievements and keep up the good work!
Totally agree that you should be doing what you enjoy, it does drive me mad though when I hear people who aren't willing to put any more effort in than LISS but complain they plateau.. thanks :-) it's been slow and steady and I am happy with that!!1 -
GregStone2 wrote: »its eating the right carbs with fiber and protein and fat before and after the workout that maximizes the resultsof your workout and the timeing of your workout and the timing after the workout that helps boost protein synthesis and helps you recover faster and better that helps with your goals and I eat a high fiber diet
This is typical bro-science!
Caloric Surplus > Macronutrients > Meal timing2 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »
Because of the afterburn effect of HIT compared to LISS. With those 60 minute treadmill sessions you may be burning fat for a few hours after your workout but with HIT and metabolic conditioning training you're going to burn fat for up to 38 hours post. The OP still has body fat to lose.. This is the most effeicient way, and it's fun
EPOC is highly overstated and only accounts for 6 to 15% of total calories burned. Also, if they are bulking that will already be taken that into consideration and adjusting accordingly. Meaning whether they do HIIT or LISS, the target surplus will be 250 or 10% over tdee.
HIIT is superior for metabolic conditioning/ fat loss when trying to gain muscle. Yes, he wants to bulk but he has specifically stated he has fat to lose. Also, HIIT is going to improve your actual FITNESS 10 folds over LISS, which IMO has no impact on your fitness levels. I personally want to train like a beast whether it be cardio or weights, and my HIIT sessions definitely meet that requirement ;-) BUT if your goal is to be aesthetic with no actual fitness then yeah go for LISS, each to their own! I personally have dropped 10% bf and gained 6kg lean mass in the past 8 months without doing a bulk/cut because I incorporate HIIT. Prior to this I was lifting and doing 4 sessions of LISS for YEARS. Personally, I think most lifters are scared of HIIT... https://www.biolayne.com/articles/training/guest-post-the-science-of-hiit-cardio-by-chris-eric-martinez-the-dynamic-duo/
The biggest problem with that research is that the LISS is not the way you should be training cardio anyway. If you want to drop weight and train endurance then you need to have a good training programming in running, cycling, skiing or whatever you are interested in. Doing LISS the way they researchers do it in the HIIT vs LISS studies is like going in to the gym and picking up a couple light dumbbells and doing half-hearted movements then saying that weight training doesn't do anything for you.
BTW congrats to both you and the OP for you achievements and keep up the good work!
Totally agree that you should be doing what you enjoy, it does drive me mad though when I hear people who aren't willing to put any more effort in than LISS but complain they plateau.. thanks :-) it's been slow and steady and I am happy with that!!
It has nothing to do with effort, but rather goals and enjoyment. I only do HIIT because I can't stand cardio, but if you are a cyclist or a long distance runner, HIIT is not going to be a priority. And adding HIIT may or may not be effective for someone based on their ability to recover, especially if you are already doing a very leg intensive program. Cardio some compliment your lifting, not take away from it. It's like the debate if you should do squat and DL on the same day or do 3 full body vs splits? It comes down to how your body responses to the stimuli.2 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »
Because of the afterburn effect of HIT compared to LISS. With those 60 minute treadmill sessions you may be burning fat for a few hours after your workout but with HIT and metabolic conditioning training you're going to burn fat for up to 38 hours post. The OP still has body fat to lose.. This is the most effeicient way, and it's fun
EPOC is highly overstated and only accounts for 6 to 15% of total calories burned. Also, if they are bulking that will already be taken that into consideration and adjusting accordingly. Meaning whether they do HIIT or LISS, the target surplus will be 250 or 10% over tdee.
HIIT is superior for metabolic conditioning/ fat loss when trying to gain muscle. Yes, he wants to bulk but he has specifically stated he has fat to lose. Also, HIIT is going to improve your actual FITNESS 10 folds over LISS, which IMO has no impact on your fitness levels. I personally want to train like a beast whether it be cardio or weights, and my HIIT sessions definitely meet that requirement ;-) BUT if your goal is to be aesthetic with no actual fitness then yeah go for LISS, each to their own! I personally have dropped 10% bf and gained 6kg lean mass in the past 8 months without doing a bulk/cut because I incorporate HIIT. Prior to this I was lifting and doing 4 sessions of LISS for YEARS. Personally, I think most lifters are scared of HIIT... https://www.biolayne.com/articles/training/guest-post-the-science-of-hiit-cardio-by-chris-eric-martinez-the-dynamic-duo/
The biggest problem with that research is that the LISS is not the way you should be training cardio anyway. If you want to drop weight and train endurance then you need to have a good training programming in running, cycling, skiing or whatever you are interested in. Doing LISS the way they researchers do it in the HIIT vs LISS studies is like going in to the gym and picking up a couple light dumbbells and doing half-hearted movements then saying that weight training doesn't do anything for you.
BTW congrats to both you and the OP for you achievements and keep up the good work!
Totally agree that you should be doing what you enjoy, it does drive me mad though when I hear people who aren't willing to put any more effort in than LISS but complain they plateau.. thanks :-) it's been slow and steady and I am happy with that!!
It has nothing to do with effort, but rather goals and enjoyment. I only do HIIT because I can't stand cardio, but if you are a cyclist or a long distance runner, HIIT is not going to be a priority. And adding HIIT may or may not be effective for someone based on their ability to recover, especially if you are already doing a very leg intensive program. Cardio some compliment your lifting, not take away from it. It's like the debate if you should do squat and DL on the same day or do 3 full body vs splits? It comes down to how your body responses to the stimuli.
I didn't really come here to debate as you say, came to give my advice on dropping bf as that is what the OP asked for re his challenges... but there is always someone who wants to disagree and today that someone is you
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Wheelhouse15 wrote: »
Because of the afterburn effect of HIT compared to LISS. With those 60 minute treadmill sessions you may be burning fat for a few hours after your workout but with HIT and metabolic conditioning training you're going to burn fat for up to 38 hours post. The OP still has body fat to lose.. This is the most effeicient way, and it's fun
EPOC is highly overstated and only accounts for 6 to 15% of total calories burned. Also, if they are bulking that will already be taken that into consideration and adjusting accordingly. Meaning whether they do HIIT or LISS, the target surplus will be 250 or 10% over tdee.
HIIT is superior for metabolic conditioning/ fat loss when trying to gain muscle. Yes, he wants to bulk but he has specifically stated he has fat to lose. Also, HIIT is going to improve your actual FITNESS 10 folds over LISS, which IMO has no impact on your fitness levels. I personally want to train like a beast whether it be cardio or weights, and my HIIT sessions definitely meet that requirement ;-) BUT if your goal is to be aesthetic with no actual fitness then yeah go for LISS, each to their own! I personally have dropped 10% bf and gained 6kg lean mass in the past 8 months without doing a bulk/cut because I incorporate HIIT. Prior to this I was lifting and doing 4 sessions of LISS for YEARS. Personally, I think most lifters are scared of HIIT... https://www.biolayne.com/articles/training/guest-post-the-science-of-hiit-cardio-by-chris-eric-martinez-the-dynamic-duo/
The biggest problem with that research is that the LISS is not the way you should be training cardio anyway. If you want to drop weight and train endurance then you need to have a good training programming in running, cycling, skiing or whatever you are interested in. Doing LISS the way they researchers do it in the HIIT vs LISS studies is like going in to the gym and picking up a couple light dumbbells and doing half-hearted movements then saying that weight training doesn't do anything for you.
BTW congrats to both you and the OP for you achievements and keep up the good work!
Totally agree that you should be doing what you enjoy, it does drive me mad though when I hear people who aren't willing to put any more effort in than LISS but complain they plateau.. thanks :-) it's been slow and steady and I am happy with that!!
It has nothing to do with effort, but rather goals and enjoyment. I only do HIIT because I can't stand cardio, but if you are a cyclist or a long distance runner, HIIT is not going to be a priority. And adding HIIT may or may not be effective for someone based on their ability to recover, especially if you are already doing a very leg intensive program. Cardio some compliment your lifting, not take away from it. It's like the debate if you should do squat and DL on the same day or do 3 full body vs splits? It comes down to how your body responses to the stimuli.
I didn't really come here to debate as you say, came to give my advice on dropping bf as that is what the OP asked for re his challenges... but there is always someone who wants to disagree and today that someone is you
I am not debating. I am letting you know there is more to the equation.1 -
Thanks everyone for the great discussion. I appreciate everyone's input as I think that everyone here has made some valid points. I really don't believe that there is one set path to reach your fitness goals as each person needs to find what works best for them. I can glean bits of wisdom from each person here.
I started walking on the treadmill to get myself used to doing some kind of cardio activity but that quickly morphed into the Elliptical and I have steadily increased my endurance and intensity. I have knee problems from an injury sustained while in the Air Force so I can no longer run like I used too but I found the elliptical to be a low impact and intense workout. When I started I was exhausted after only 5 min now my typical workout is 45-60 with a 10 min treadmill warm up and 5 min cool down.
I set a goal for myself to lose another 20-25lbs and be 160 by the first of the year... this would be on track with my average weight loss of 8lbs a month Hopefully that will be enough to get the cut body I am looking for like in my avatar.. Below is where I started and where I am at now.. as you can see I have made great gains but still have the annoying pudge around my stomach and on my chest..
2 -
Awesome job @Tsartele!
Keep checking in with updates.
If I were to leave a suggestion, reassess after you've shed the next 10lbs of fat. From the pictures and your avatar goal, it looks like you could be ready for a legit bulk at that point.
All the best.1
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