posted Sun, 06/29/2025 - 08:37
515
BF % and calories after cycle
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My smart scale claims accuracy within 3-5% of DEXA scans and reads 22% BF / 74% muscle. How accurate do you think that is?
I'm currently 6"1' and 205lbs. I have pronounced striations on my shoulders, clear separation on my chest, and abs are visible. I hold some fluff on my hips, back, and upper arms.
Finishing my first cycle down 20lbs, having added 40lbs to my bench and even more to my squat and deadlift. I was feeling pretty good about myself until I bought this damn scale. Here's my before and after photo.
I don't want to lose my gains as I come off, but I also want to aim for 8-12% BF. Do I continue my calorie deficit as I switch to a cruise or up them a bit closer to maintenance?
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You've had very good muscle recomposition. You should continue with your daily routine, especially with exercises, to maintain strength compared to weight training. Continue with your deficit diet and reduce your calories every two weeks until you reach your desired percentage. But remember, you can maintain your muscle tone, but you'll lose fat and water, which you sometimes gain through bulking.
You didn’t just lose fat by the looks of it, you gained some muscle too. That you really should maintain for a bit since you’re going off cycle. I’d bring diet up to maintenance for a few months. Work on maintaining the size and strength. Use some cardio to get you into a minor deficit, like however many calories you burn in whatever your current cardio routine is. I wouldn’t go beyond 250 though. If you find you’re losing size then up your calories by the amount youre burning through cardio so you actually are at maintenance. I wouldn’t taper either, just drop to cruise dose. You’ve been on wau too long for your first cycle. Time to come off and take a good 7-8 months off.
Were you on TRT before this? If you weren’t, what were your pre cycle test levels? If you don’t know think long and hard if you want to commit to weekly injections for the rest of your life and all the potential complications that can come from TRT. If your test levels were fine, or you don’t know what they were but you felt fine it’s probably worth running PCt and trying to recover. Your bio says you’re not a bodybuilder but in this for athletic performance, so no reason at all to put yourself on TRT, unless you actually had low T.
Appreciate the thoughtful and thorough response btw
Test was at 400 before cycle. My reason for starting this personal science experiment is a long story. Fitness level went to shit for no reason, life sucked, and the docs couldn't figure it out or fix it. I was hoping this cycle would let me train and get fit again and it did. I have no problem waking up and pinning everyday. I don't want to go through PCT. If I can feel good and live well half the year that's better than nothing, but I'm hopeful I can maintain most of that between cycles.
15-16% BF ya. I mean you have enough muscle to keep cutting though, it's still summer, just commit to the cut and keep your deficit going. Extend your PED's and see how close to 10% BF you can get to. Take a full body pic in good lighting and attach the image in ChatGPT and ask: "What is my bodyfat percentage?" It's amazing how accurate AI nails it. It's actually impressive, it's always right on par with my body scans bf%.
Never thought of using AI for bf%. I use grok all the time. It built a supplement stack for me for based off my bloodwork and cycle and gave me links quality sources at good prices too. Also helped me get my cholesterol in check.
I'm mostly worried about my transition coming off cycle. I've probably extended a little too long already... Last pin is gonna be week 24 lol. Bloods looking better than when I started though.
I would start by slowly tapering down your doses over 3-4 weeks to your cruise/trt dose. At the same time slowly start increasing your calories maybe 200 cals a week, I would keep eating clean and just increase the volume until your at maintenance calories then if you wanna start building muscle again you can slowly ramp up the gear when you're ready and slowly ramp up the calories a couple hundred to get the scale moving
You’re way lower than 22%. That scale is not accurate at all. None of them are. I’d say you’re around 14-16%.
anvilYou are lower than 22% maybe like 16% . You will have dig deep to get down to 12% and lower. Get harder the lower. Continue deficit if you are wanting to get that low.