Hey guys, so im finally about to be at a point where I can train hard again. My original plan was to do group programming ASAP. Now I think I just want to run the hypertrophy template then the 12 week strength and start doing my own programming so I can learn for myself since I’m the one run that would be best way to go about it. However I’m torn if I should loose weight first to start at a lower BF % and then gain or just start gaining now. I’m 161lbs and 5’6 and I’ve heard for powerlifting at least I should be around 181 at my height. I just don’t want to be 181 and 23%bf like I was when I came of the LP. The only reason my not still around 181 was caused of 6 week work trip where there was no gym and lots of hiking. My 1RMs are still hovering around sq-335, bp-210, and dl-415ish. I just want some honest advice. What would you guys do in my shoes? I really want to start progressing again but a 23% bf my blood pressure was like roughly 170-180 over 80-87 which is hella no bueno. Thanks for anyone’s input.
Below is a quote of what I posted on another thread earlier today High intensity + low calories = horrible? - Training Discussion - Barbell Medicine Forum.
It is not exactly answering what you are asking, which itself is not entirely clear, but the bulk or cut / maintain / bulk or cut / maintain cycle applies, with the odd cut. I know @PWard went on quite a cut and then plans to bulk for the next year, slowly. The slowly bit is the key, which in my experience no one tells you. Expectations are it will be within 12 weeks to lose bodyfat and then another 12 weeks you will be a Greek Adonis statue. Nope, not without chemical enhancement or you are a genetic freak of 18 years old with no food issues and no sleep issues. You could do the same. I don’t know what your bodyfat is now and what you want. I am circa 23% now (navy method estimate), not super happy about it, but at the moment life is not really allowing me to cut too aggressively (impromptu international travel, life stress with family members critically sick, little kiddo getting up during the night and then at level 11 all day, yadda, yadda). I plan to come back from Down Under and go on a cut and get down to circa 15%. It will take ages, but I plan on the cut/maintenance/cut/maintenance/etc cycle. Then maintain for a few weeks to end. Then I will start the bulk/maintenance/bulk/maintenance/etc cycle.
Yeah, @teddyd is correct, I did just finish a cutting phase. My last couple of years have went something like this: slowly bulk for ~9-10 months, then cut back down for 2-3 months. As a reference, on my last bulk I started ~13% body fat by visual estimations and added 13lb over a little over 9 months. I ended the bulk probably in the 17-18% range. Now I’m back where I started, only about 4-5lb heavier than I was last year at the same approximate leanness. But really your goals are what matters. Jordan has said something along the lines of, do you want to be the strongest you can possibly be… or do you want to be the strongest you an get within reason. If you just want to get strong at all costs, well look at Brian Shaw, that’s the route to go. If you want to get as strong as possible while remaining healthy and not getting fat, then you just have to be a little more responsible with the bulking phases, potentially add in some cutting phases, and accept some slower strength progress as a tradeoff. Are you comfortable with where you are at now from a body fat perspective? Could you add another 5-7lb of fat to your frame without getting anxious? If so, go for a slow bulking phase for a few months. If not, maybe it’s time to either do a cut to set the table for a good bulk, or maintain for awhile and see what you can do at the same body weight? Just some food for thought.
I’m hovering right now around 15.4-16.7% via dex. I guess cutting while on the hypertrophy template would be a good idea then slow bulk on the strength. I could go the other way tho and cut last. 15 is even kill so it’s still a gray area as to which route I should take. Dudes solid advice thank you very much! I’ll look more into it this afternoon and make a call I guess.
Thank you, solid help. I really appreciate it!
Sorry to harp on this again but I was mistaken about the scale being a dexa where go get protein at, it is. BIA scale. According to the navey method I’m around 20% still even though in I look “less fat”. My plan was to gain on the hypertrophy and 12 week, then maintain and reassess if I can gain again before finally cutting. Does this still seem reasonable? Sorry we can let this thread be after this, just wanted to clarify my mistake.
Neither of those are going to be accurate. For instance, Navy Method has me pegged in the upper 9% range right now, and there’s just no freaking way I’m that lean. In actuality, I’m probably in the 13% range. Calipers have me at 12.5% and my bio impedance scale has me at 14.5%. So who freaking knows what I really am??? I wouldn’t put too much thought into any guesstimate of your body fat percentage (even DEXA is flawed and has a high range of error). If you can look in the mirror and say that you’re comfortable with gaining where you are currently at, so long as your waist is not over 40 inches, then go ahead and gain. If you’re not comfortable gaining from where you are at then it’s ok to lean out for a bit first. I would use how you feel by looking at yourself over what number some inaccurate algorithm spits out at you. I think that those tools are a bit better at tracking relative progress over time, as opposed to estimating where you currently are at. Like for instance, if you lose 1% body fat by Navy Method, while the number it generates for you is not accurate, the fact that you lost 1% body fat is probably in the right ballpark (or at least close enough). It can give you some insight into the approximate ratio of muscle to fat you are losing in a cut, or gaining in a bulk. That’s really about all I find those tools valuable for personally.
Gotcha thanks!