# Opinions on what to do,



## Mountain (Nov 17, 2015)

Having a tough time deciding what to do next, spent the last year lifting heavy and making gains but i also gained some bf, currently I am 6'2" 205lbs at 17% bf, I was hydrostatically weighed last month and thats the number the lab gave me, I'm unsure of what my bf was prior to lifting. I have a goal that I'm going to achieve I just need some advice on how to get there. I'm unsure of a realistic time frame to achieve my goal but lets just say in one year my goal is to be 210lbs at 10-12% bf, I like the physique look and thats what i'm shooting for. so my question is, should I remain on a bulking/growing plan with my diet and workouts or should I do a cutting phase for a bit to drop the bf and then pick up the bulking again later, or is there a combination of both where I can add the muscle I want while dropping bf? Keep in mind i'm not on any sort of chemical or performance substance nor do I want to be. Advice on the direction I should go in regarding training and diet would be most appreciated.

Typical day of meals this last year while trying to gain
Breakfast: 4-6 eggs, 1/4 shredded cheese, 1 cup quaker oats, 1 scoop whey protein
2nd breakfast: 1 banana, 1 cup yogurt, usually greek but not always. always nonfat plain though
lunch: turkey sandwich with cheese and avocado on wheat bread, fruit of some sort, usually pineapple
2nd lunch pre workout meal: pb&j sandwich on wheat bread, whey protein shake
Post workout meal: usually just a whey protein shake, sometimes I added a bunch of fruit and blended it all up
Dinner: chicken breast, some sort of green veggies and white or brown rice, sometimes quinoa
Before bed meal: whey protein shake

And it I changed it up sometimes, I hunt so for a little bit I was doing elk steak/burger for dinner instead of chicken, and sometimes I would have two pb&j sandwiches if i was out of lunch meat. Not a perfect diet and I definitely had days where I didn't eat any of that. Eating like this has gotten me this far, and now I feel like to get to the next level where I want to be is going to take some changes and new knowledge on my part. So to anyone who reads this please help and share your knowledge and experience. 

Thanks!


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## John Ziegler (Nov 17, 2015)

How old are you ?


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## Megatron28 (Nov 17, 2015)

What are your daily macros?

If I did my math right, you need to lose 10 lbs of fat and gain 15 lbs of lbm.  That is doable in one year.  You could bulk then cut.  Or if you don't want to get that fat before cutting you could stagger it.


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## Popeye (Nov 17, 2015)

I'm not a lot of help because I'm not big on 'diets', really. IDK, when I was around your size, I lost fat and gained muscle by eating clean and a lot of it. Never missed a work out though!

A shit load of protein! low fat, low sugars, try for lower sodium...tuna, chicken, greens, seafood, steak, beef...old fashioned rolled oats (fck quaker, look in the organic section and at nutri. facts)...almonds to snack on, fruit, low fat cottage cheese, bran or grain or whatever that shit is you can add to plain greek yogurt (I just bought some today, but, I have ZERO memory), ezekiel bread (usually in organic section freezer, I get the cinnamon/raisin). Quinoa is good (I think?), I bought it but don't think I ever made it, a SHITload of vitamin D Chocolate milk...lol. I also mixed in some 'clean' whey protein...but, I honestly hated that shit. Would mix in oats, PB, bananas...whatever. Oh...and A LOT of SPINACH! lol

I didn't eat fast food, no cheating, no garbage ass fatty food, no sugary pop/soda, no sugary jelly/jam, only natural PB (look at the label, most claim all natural but are not! The ingredients should be: peanuts.) No Ice cream...blah, blah, blah, etc., etc. A lot of protein shakes have a bunch of garbage in them too!

Like I said, I lost fat, gained muscle...didn't cheat, but, still ate all the time. 

I'm no dietitian and don't claim to be. There's the whole IIMYM or whatever (if it meets your macros), but, that's my experience some years back and that's my opinion. We have some more diety guys on here. I'm sure they'll post up.

Good Luck.


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## Tren4Life (Nov 17, 2015)

Hit up Spongy for a recomp diet. I gained 20 pounds and lost 2 inches around my waist.


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## bugman (Nov 17, 2015)

I send that...  Spongy is the man.


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## GYMBRAT (Nov 17, 2015)

calories in calories out, pretty simple logic for sure, and is what I live by. You will of course need to adjust here and there but for the most part it'll work just perfect.


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## Mountain (Nov 17, 2015)

I turn 23 in about a month, when I was working ski patrol I was aiming for 4000 calories a day, but I didn't really track protein/carbs/fats, I had an idea how how much of each I was getting but my tracking could've been better. I think I want to do a 12 week bulk next and then do a cut, but I don't want to get too fat during the bulk.


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## GYMBRAT (Nov 17, 2015)

Another easy plan to follow is to ALWAYS keep sight of your abs, even just faintly BUT keep an aye so to speak on them. Don't allow them to disappear


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## Mountain (Nov 17, 2015)

GYMBRAT said:


> Another easy plan to follow is to ALWAYS keep sight of your abs, even just faintly BUT keep an aye so to speak on them. Don't allow them to disappear



Yeah that's what I've heard and that's kind of what prompted me to make this post, over the course of this last year I started out with little to no ab definition, then about 3 months in I saw some really nice definition and maintained that  until these last two months where all I can see are my upper abs, so knowing that idk if I want to do a cut first, then get back at it or just continue bulking through the winter and cut around spring. That's kind of the direction I'm leaning towards but I wanted some input from more experienced people. Which all input is very helpful thanks you guys


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## GYMBRAT (Nov 17, 2015)

It's either gotta be one or the other. Me personally keep my abs faint but there even during my mass bulks, then I know i'm only a month'ish away from losing that unwanted flab come spring time.

Keep us posted tho bro. Always like to hear updates


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## Mountain (Nov 17, 2015)

I think with a cleaner diet, some added cardio I could do a decent bulk for awhile and then maybe around mid April maybe May start cutting. What do you guys and gals think of that plan? I just need to research and learn more about doing a clean bulk, like I said earlier my diet wasn't terrible but there was definitely room for improvement.


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## GYMBRAT (Nov 17, 2015)

Definitely the route id go, just adjust your diet accordingly with the mirror not the scale


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## rburdge84 (Nov 17, 2015)

It Is hard to do both, doing bulking and cutting if your diet and training is intense enough. It ultimately comes down to whats most important, because in my opinion if your trying to bulk as your main concern, then cutting is going to have to take a back seat. But if you are stuck on wanting to do both I would hit up spongy. Its worth it. I have been training for years and am natural as well and spongy hooked me up and I kept same weight but got leaner, so loss in bf and gained some muscle as well.


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## GYMBRAT (Nov 18, 2015)

Agreed ^^^

It's one or the other. EAT BIG/LIFT BIG/ GET BIG


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## Mountain (Nov 18, 2015)

I think this is my current plan, so as of right now I'm down with strep throat and staying out of the gym for the sake of not spreading illness. In about 3 weeks I'm getting my tonsils removed so that will put me out of the gym for a little bit. Then after that's all said and done and I'm 100% percent I'm going to try to gain as much as I can, eat clean and eat a lot. Then around late spring I will do a cut. I want to be leaner for the summer for sure, luckily I have a longer winter to bulk than most living at 10,000ft makes Summer's start late. So from right now until after my surgery I think I'll just eat and train to maintain? Idk I've never had any sort of surgery or need for down time, so the next month will be weird. What do you all think?


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