New Here

[9PM]

Hey everyone,
I started my training a few years ago and since then, I have made a lot of progress in terms of building muscle, losing fat (mostly losing fat) I think I was about 220 at 5'9 about 4 years ago. I'm 27 now, and about 158, Still pretty unhappy though, still have love handles and can only see top 4 abs so I'm thinking of just bulking from here. I think at my height with that body composition I just don't have enough muscle on my frame although I gym pretty much 5-6 days a week. I've always enjoyed beign part of fringe online communities and have been lurking for a while so figured "Hey why not introduce myself at least".

 

[Andrewgen_Receptors]

That's quite a lot of progress, you should be proud.

Consider logging your training to help with compliance and real-time feedback to steer you in the right direction.

Welcome to UGBB.

 

[turkey_sandwich]

welcome to the UG

 

[9PM]

That's quite a lot of progress, you should be proud.

Consider logging your training to help with compliance and real-time feedback to steer you in the right direction.

Welcome to UGBB.

Thanks! When you say logging my training what do you mean? I have a pretty standard PPL routine

 

[Andrewgen_Receptors]

When you say logging my training what do you mean?

Lots of guys here have training logs; its where they actually document their exercises, weights, and reps (along with anything else seemingly important). It helps to know what you did last time so you know how much more you need to this time AKA "beating the logbook".

Mine is here as an example.

have a pretty standard PPL routine

It sounds like this isn't working so well for you anymore, right? Have you considered failure based training approaches like DoggCrapp, Fortitude or Jordan Peters? Lots of gains have been made on those programs (every big guy i know trains similarly to these methods).

 

[Rickt]

That's quite a lot of progress, you should be proud.

Consider logging your training to help with compliance and real-time feedback to steer you in the right direction.

Welcome to UGBB.

Andrew is right. You seem overly hard on yourself. Andrew is very xperienced with training and nutrition. Perhaps ask if he will evaluate yours to help you get to your goals. I don't know anyone here that I would trust above him. I don't think bulking will help anything except get your protine into the correct zone. Don't Chang a thing till others have evaluated where you are at. A small tweek can double your returns. Andrew usually accepts pm. Send a short message with your stats and a pic. He takes kindly if you don't wear trunks. He's into balls and all I hear.

 

[Andrewgen_Receptors]

Andrew is very xperienced with training and nutrition. Perhaps ask if he will evaluate yours to help you get to your goals. I don't know anyone here that I would trust above him.

Do you owe me money? People usually only talk about me like this when they owe me money.
Joking, your making me blush

@9PM you're welcome to message me directly, but open conversation is more beneficial for others and keeps me honest, compared to you trusting the private words of an internet stranger.

 

[Rickt]

Andrew is right. You seem overly hard on yourself. Andrew is very xperienced with training and nutrition. Perhaps ask if he will evaluate yours to help you get to your goals. I don't know anyone here that I would trust above him. I don't think bulking will help anything except get your protine into the correct zone. Don't Chang a thing till others have evaluated where you are at. A small tweek can double your returns. Andrew usually accepts pm. Send a short message with your stats and a pic. He takes kindly if you don't wear trunks. He's into balls and all I hear.

Can't pm u myself. I meet somany guys here who need your help Andrew. Have you considered starting a website and charging for your knowledge. If you already do have one. Slip it through to me. Send you a pic of my arse that will have u wetting your g-string.cant stop touching it myself. If it had nipples it would be the perfect dd cup.

 

[Andrewgen_Receptors]

Have you considered starting a website and charging for your knowledge. If you already do have one. Slip it through to me.

I really don't think I'm the most knowledgeable here, I just know what works for me and a lot of other guys... most of my advice is just parroted through what I've seen of those who are bigger/better looking than I, and I try to use that advice myself.
No, I don't have a website or clients or anything - I don't know if I'm exactly qualified to be charging folks money for my advice either.

I came here looking for advice from others because I needed a bigger (larger number AND literally 'bigger') pool to bounce ideas off, and I got that with some folks here already. I'm no @RiR0, and even he only has a few clients... I just don't think I'm at that level tbh.

Anyways, thanks for the offer to see cheeks - but it isn't needed. Post questions and I'll answer to what I can. Thank you for the (not needed) ego inflation, sincerely.

 

[9PM]

Do you owe me money? People usually only talk about me like this when they owe me money.
Joking, your making me blush

@9PM you're welcome to message me directly, but open conversation is more beneficial for others and keeps me honest, compared to you trusting the private words of an internet stranger.

Since I've already gotten a lot of insight reading the forums I'll keep it a public convo for future readers haha. Well I think for me there's a few issues, I'm at a pretty light weight for my height at least to my understanding, and I'm still pretty "fat" in the sense that I still have love handles. For my PPL, after cutting for so long I didn't have much progressive overload. I also cut pretty hard in the past couple months, ignored everything I know about nutrition and just ate very little. Maybe about 1500 - 1600 cals while hitting protein macros. I tracked most of this through the cronometer app.

I don't have much experience with DoggCrapp, Fortitude or Jordan Peters, thought I did some cursory research. Before I wade into unfamiliar waters, I'll start with a basic question. Is there a program/routine of these focused on aesthetics and is an aesthetics routine even a thing?

 

[Andrewgen_Receptors]

Is there a program/routine of these focused on aesthetics and is an aesthetics routine even a thing?

If by "aesthetic", you mean "building more muscle than you have" - then yes. All 3 would work fine (probably better than anything else I could recommend).

I'm at a pretty light weight for my height at least to my understanding

Yes. For reference - you and I are the same height, I weigh 210lbs (my profile picture is current). You should be looking to add size; cutting is not going to help you a ton here, at least not yet.

ignored everything I know about nutrition and just ate very little. Maybe about 1500 - 1600 cals while hitting protein macros.

I don't necessarily see this as a problem tbh. Protein at 1g/lb BW minimum, carbs at 0.3g/lb BW (not under, not over), and carbs to fill the rest is ideal - but meeting protein goals is mandatory and you did that. Good job.

 

[9PM]

Thanks for that last part about the macros. I see such high numbers for calories but it must be people that are 6'4 with a ton of muscle or something. You carry that 210 really well always thought that'd be too much at my height but looks good on you. I was thinking around 170 or so. I'll look into those three programs and I assume just follow the adage of about 300 calls of maintenance?

 

[Andrewgen_Receptors]

I see such high numbers for calories but it must be people that are 6'4 with a ton of muscle or something.

My maintenance is about 3200cals/day and I have a sedentary job (less than 10k steps unless I go out of my way for them). It has a lot to do with activity level and weight, but muscle burns more calories than fat as well, so that helps.

I assume just follow the adage of about 300 calls of maintenance?

You can, but most go with 500 above maintenance knowing about half will turn to fat, the other half will turn to muscle. You did a great job losing the weight that you did, so I wouldn't be too worried about gaining back a little fat if it got more muscle on your frame - you're clearly able to lose it again. I guess I'm of the opinion that it's more worthwhile to add muscle faster with a little more fat gain at 500cal surplus than slow-rolling your gains with a 300cal surplus.

Bulk 3 months
Cut 3 months (or less, if you can lean out faster)
Bulk 3 months
Cut 3 months (or less...)

This system usually also implies a 10-15% BF range, which you may be a bit off of - I wouldn't worry too much about that for now, just don't let yourself get 'too fat'.

Protein at 1g/lb BW minimum, carbs at 0.3g/lb BW (not under, not over), and carbs to fill the rest

You can follow this advice and simply adjust carbs up and down accordingly.

I'm assuming that your long term goal is to put on as much muscle as you can before sacrificing health, and being 6-pack lean year round. Is this accurate?

 

[Rickt]

My maintenance is about 3200cals/day and I have a sedentary job (less than 10k steps unless I go out of my way for them). It has a lot to do with activity level and weight, but muscle burns more calories than fat as well, so that helps.

You can, but most go with 500 above maintenance knowing about half will turn to fat, the other half will turn to muscle. You did a great job losing the weight that you did, so I wouldn't be too worried about gaining back a little fat if it got more muscle on your frame - you're clearly able to lose it again. I guess I'm of the opinion that it's more worthwhile to add muscle faster with a little more fat gain at 500cal surplus than slow-rolling your gains with a 300cal surplus.

Bulk 3 months
Cut 3 months (or less, if you can lean out faster)
Bulk 3 months
Cut 3 months (or less...)

This system usually also implies a 10-15% BF range, which you may be a bit off of - I wouldn't worry too much about that for now, just don't let yourself get 'too fat'.

You can follow this advice and simply adjust carbs up and down accordingly.

I'm assuming that your long term goal is to put on as much muscle as you can before sacrificing health, and being 6-pack lean year round. Is this accurate?

Told you he knows his shit. But you can't judge his pics so off the cuff. Supermodels in vogue don't get as much photoshop work as Andrew in his selfie. I happen to have the pre photo shop pic.

 

[Andrewgen_Receptors]

Can you at least blurr my face out? Jeez

 

[Rickt]

Maybe blurr them titties.

 

[roidmedangerfield]

Welcome to the site. You got some great input already in just this thread alone.