Dropping Fat before cycle?
As some know I am prepping for my first cycle and a question just came to my mind. My body is not where I want it (obviously since I'm doing this for some help). I'm not as muscular as I'd like to be, I'm not as lean as I'd like to be but appearance wise, I don't really want to get any skinnier if that makes sense.
I carry fat mainly around my stomach and chest. Needless to say, I hate that. My cycle was intended to bulk and then try to drop fat on a cut cycle. Am I just being counter productive? I've read people actually dropping fat and getting more LBM so I guess if I can achieve that it would be great. What if I start and get that complex like I'm getting fat? Do I just adjust my calories by a couple hundred and keep going and not do anything drastic and start dropping calories. Basically, finish what I started? Keep the plan (with the exception of no more than 300 caloric drop and adjust more after the cycle?
What is the best way to transition from bulk to cut without losing any mass I will have hopefully gained. I'm not being too confident but I feel good about the likelyhood I will put on mass. I know my workout ethic, due to back injury and shoulder injury I will not be able to give it my 100% on certain excersizes but I can still go hard. I just don't want to be counter productive, gain mass and then it all goes away because I don't have rippling abs unflexed. Although that is my long term goal. I've said it before, if this cycle goes well I would certainly be open to another. Whether it be to help burn fat and lean up or to add some more meat to deez bones
Thanks everyone and sorry for the long post. Millions of questions and thoughts run through my mind.
BTW, stats:
5'-10" (and half to be exact. lol)
182 approx 14% BF (maybe 13, I'm holding some water right now I think)
workout 4 days a week. Cardio maybe on the 5th day but sometimes I mix it in with one of my 4 days. I've cut back on cardio the past couple weeks though. I'd post a pic but still trying to figure that out. lol
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Here are the pics, I figured it out:
http://www.eroids.com/pics/pre-full-blown-bulk#comment-536872
I'm honestly confused, even by my own post after re-reading it. My goal is to get bigger with less fat. My understanding is I can't do both at the same time. I'd have to bulk, then cut. Or cut then bulk and if I put fat, cut again. I was 210 lbs at 25% BF, I cut down to 173 lbs to approx 12% bf. I was way to skinny. Not enough lean body mass. I didn't look or feel healthy. So I slowly brought my weight up to 180 and held it here consistantly for a while now. That tells me I am in tune with my diet, or maybe not because I'm not growing. Maybe I forgot to mention, I'm 37.. lol. Not ancient by any means but it's not as easy as it once was. Anyway....
As far as my diet goes, I'd say it's pretty clean. I posted it in the gaining weight forum already. I've been shooting for a 40/40/20 with my macro's. I've already started my bulk diet to have time to tweak it as needed. I'm watching my weight, using the calipers. The mirror tells me my back, arms and chest have developed but I still have fat...Maybe I should reduce the carbs a little bit now or wait until the cycle ends?
What I meant by my shoulder and back is I have a chronic back condition, sometimes it just goes out on me. It will never be 100% but I avoid going all out on squats for example. Same goes for my shoulder. I have a slight labrum tear, been through rehab. Feels good now, no pain. Strength has returned to about 90% but I have to be very careful. Tears don't heal but you can certainly continue doing everything you did before without pain. I'm not going to slap extra weight on there and hurt myself. I focus on form and found that with the proper form, I'm using the correct muscles and lesser weight becomes more. It's about building muscle, not pushing the max weight on every attempt. That's just asking for injury. I'm not in it for the brag factor.
I am planning on using the AAS as an aid to get to my goal, def not the solution. I know my diet is going to be the key. My mind messes with me. I feel my belly fat, I want it gone, it immediately sends me into "I should cut" mode. I am comitting, I'm just worried about the "what next" and how to approach it.
Remember, I want to get bigger, not smaller. I just don't know how to make the transition from bulk to cut once I reach that point without ruining everything I just worked for. I don't want to lose muscle, I want to lost fat once I have more lean body mass! Now how the frig do I post a picture? lol
I've been cutting out my clean carbs (sweet potato, brown rice) by 2pm and substitute it with steamed broccoli to finish off my 5-6 meals a day. I also do 40 mins of cardio everyday whether its an off day or not. On days your work out make sure you do the cardio after your lifts. I've cut off 20lbs in 4 weeks by doing this.
Thats not good, 5lbs a week is way to much. 1-2lbs max a week, unless ur obese but then u should not be on this site
I never seen the sign "NO FAT PEOPLE ALLOWED"..... just sayin
Do you ser a sign at the mall that said "dont shoot people" its common sense. A fatty would have no use for aas.
what do you mean by your shoulder and back are not 100%? if you still have a nagging injury i would say to hold off on the cycle until its 100%. as far as diet, thats trial and error on macro amounts and timing. its about matching it to your body type, metabolism, and workout structure
x2 Also hold off a little on the cycle. Diet down for a little while. Do 500 calories below maitnence and you should loose about a pound a week while minimizing muscle losses. You will enjoy your first cycle more if you are leaner then go into a bulk.
brother, the issue I see here is that you seem to be looking at AAS to solve the problem. It sounds to me like you may want to dedicate some time dialing in the diet and at the gym and put some work in BEFOREHAND. AAS is not best utilized as a quick fix
Just eat clean! Complex carbs...no cheap sugars, no beer etc. Good meats n veggies. Cardio for 20mins eod. Every cycle is either cutter or bulker based on FOOD. FOOD is your steering wheel...your control. Unless you hit a wet bulker like deca/dbol of course. Test e first cycle is versatile. Muscle is your goal. Lean is your goal. Low fat clean meats, veggies, complex carbs and no junk food. You are what you eat. Compkex carbs dont spike insulin...keeps energy level. Talj to a food guru on here for dietary goals...they will help.
If u want to cut do a miantenance caloric intake lower carbs and cut them out by 6 pm most days or two pm if ur not seeing results. Carbs are what really make ur body store fat.