Cutting to 175

[miked8c]

As many of gou know I weigh approx. 202lbs. For reasons I don't feel like explaining I have come to the conclusion that I need to cut. I am planning on cutting down on my eating and job 2 miles, 3 times a week.

My only question is, how should I be lifting?

Should I continue going to the gym 4 times a week, or should I cut it down to three? Should I continue following my 5/3/1 program as long as my strength allows me to?

 

[ExtraMile]

am I right in thinking your one of the guys who told me I shouldnt diet down and cut weight lol and "cutting" and "bulking" is bad (I agree with this for most people) you should do neither and just eat clean?

 

[miked8c]

Heres what I said: Theres no reason to bulk and cut in order to build a good body, just semi clean eating and lifting heavy weights will do all you need. I thought you were cutting so you could bulk back up again, and do that whole deal with the bulking and cutting cycles. I didn't know you wanted to cut weight because of other reasons. I read your reasons and they are somewhat similiar to mine.

175 here I come. I'll post pics every week.

Ok, I hope your ready for this... Let me just let me throw on my coveralls and fire suit seeing as I'm about to get flamed.




Unless you compete there is no need to bulk and cut, unless your a complete hardgainer just eat good, hardy meals and lift heavy ass weight. I know I am oversimplifying but instead of drastically changing weight every season to bulk and cut just eat like a pro and your body will grow. From an evolutionary point of view why would you need to eat unhealthily gigantic portions of food to build muscle, just constantly supply your self with large amounts of food and you can continue to put on muscle without hav ing to overeat so much. Eat big and grow, there is no need to be cutting and bulking.

In your situation just work your way up from 180lbs. dont bulk and eat excessive quantities of food just eat like an athlete, high Protein meals 5 times a day. Yes it is somewhat of a fine line but lifters are always going for extremes, try to walk down the middle and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Typed this up in 5 minutes, don't be overly critical.

Ok, I hope your ready for this... Let me just let me throw on my coveralls and fire suit seeing as I'm about to get flamed.




Unless you compete there is no need to bulk and cut, unless your a complete hardgainer just eat good, hardy meals and lift heavy ass weight. I know I am oversimplifying but instead of drastically changing weight every season to bulk and cut just eat like a pro and your body will grow. From an evolutionary point of view why would you need to eat unhealthily gigantic portions of food to build muscle, just constantly supply your self with large amounts of food and you can continue to put on muscle without hav ing to overeat so much. Eat big and grow, there is no need to be cutting and bulking.

In your situation just work your way up from 180lbs. dont bulk and eat excessive quantities of food just eat like an athlete, high Protein meals 5 times a day. Yes it is somewhat of a fine line but lifters are always going for extremes, try to walk down the middle and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Typed this up in 5 minutes, don't be overly critical.

 

[Tblock1]

am I right in thinking your one of the guys who told me I shouldnt diet down and cut weight lol and "cutting" and "bulking" is bad (I agree with this for most people) you should do neither and just eat clean?

lol indeed he was. I still think cutting is not a great idea but best of luck to ya both

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

You're gonna be a shrimp at 175.

BUT, it's your choice and if you'd be happier being that small than do what you got to do.

I have been 10% bodyfat before at 170lbs and I had a nice 4 pack and looked good. I was weak as fuck, but I looked good.

After awhile I realized I like being bigger and stronger more than being lean and that the only reason I gave 2 shits about being lean was to impress girls.

I stopped caring about that and honestly I haven't noticed any difference in the way girls respond to me probably for 2 reasons:

1. I'm happier being bigger and stronger
2. This plus not caring whether I look toned in a tight t-shirt correlates to having a decent self confidence level which trumps looks in almost every way.

That's my theory at least.

I'm not saying this is why I think you're cutting. This is just my view on the whole lean image look people are so fascinated with nowadays. I'm not saying I endorse being fat, but that a reasonable level of bodyfat for "your" build is alright, but again that's my opinion.

Good luck.

 

[miked8c]

Thanks alot guys, it's mainly for health. I have no reason to be walking around at 5'8 205, its stressful on my organs and I don't play sports so its just unneccesary. I think insatead of cutting to 175 I'll incorporate 3 days of HIIT, reduce my diet and see where that takes me. 185 seems more realistic.

I'm not after the whole tight tee shirt deal, its just that for my build 180 lbs. would be prime, just judging by my wrist and foot size I can tell my body not is meant to be rocking 205 lbs.

Worst comes to worst I won't end up liking it, and can just bulk back up. Easier the second time because of muscle memory.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Ya, if you ever change your mind you will be able to bulk back easily.

180lbs solid at 5'8 is a good size. If it's mostly muscle then you can present a good image of size and muscularity.

It really boils down to the % bodyfat at any given size.

5'8", 180lbs and 10% is quite solid imo. 200+ at the same bodyfat % and height is approaching "jacked" territory imho.

Good luck man. I rather enjoy being bulky, but I'd be lying if I said when I get big enough and strong enough that I won't try to lean it out.

 

[ExtraMile]

As for training, if the cutting isn't extreme you may be able to carry on with 5/3/1 and make small rep pr's every so often... Depends what dieting route you take

 

[miked8c]

Yeah I figured 5'8 180lbs. is still on the stocky side, I have no experience with cutting though. I'll just not eat everything and sight and actually watch what I eat, and maybe throw in some HIIT.

But since my recovery may be hindered should only be lifting three, ass opposed to four, days a week.

 

[ExtraMile]

Thanks alot guys, it's mainly for health. I have no reason to be walking around at 5'8 205, its stressful on my organs and I don't play sports so its just unneccesary. I think insatead of cutting to 175 I'll incorporate 3 days of HIIT, reduce my diet and see where that takes me. 185 seems more realistic.

I'm not after the whole tight tee shirt deal, its just that for my build 180 lbs. would be prime, just judging by my wrist and foot size I can tell my body not is meant to be rocking 205 lbs.

dude your body is not meant to be 180 either. As far as your body is concerned in an ideal world it would probably be more like 150. Adding any extra muscle than you naturally carry from everyday tasks is extra weight for your body. Bodybuilding and powerlifting is not what your body wants to do. 205 @ 5'8 I doubt will really give you any bad health risks (although Im not a trained medical professional). The only person on here who I know that had serious health risks was joe d. This is an extreme but what Im saying is if the main reason for cutting weight is that your worried about your health, then before you take the plunge I would go and see a doc and see what they think about how much your health is being damaged by being 205, I may be wrong and they might say you should loose weight.

but if your doing it for aesthetic reasons then I totally understand because Im in the same boat

 

[Tblock1]

Dude....150 lbs is fine in an ideal world if you want to be skinny and weak or a cross country runner (those kind of go together haha) but many people are made to naturally carry more muscle mass, even without weightlifting. I just did an "ideal weight calculator" and it said I should be 6'1 168 lbs. Thats fine but I want to be strong, an 190 lbs at my height is still skinny and lean

 

[uamaverick]

I was in the same boat as you are. I was 5'8" @ 195 back in June, and I hated it. I couldn't run very well at all, had crappy stamina, got out of breath often. The only benefit was being stronger. I was about 12% BF. I cut down to 175 @ 8% BF, and that's where I'm at now. If you're scared about getting weak, don't be. I'm a lot more proportional now than I was @ 195. I can run now, do athletic things, and I look better. I don't wear tight shirts and all that crap, either. I, too, have very tiny wrists, but my feet are big, go figure.

 

[miked8c]

205 is a hell of alot heavier than 180. There is a very noticable difference, its unneccesary pressure on my joints and organs. What are you trying to say man? Yeah my body may be meant to carry 150lbs. I am sure everyone on this board has a body that is supposed to function at a lower weight, seeing as lifting weights is unnatural for our bodies , as is consuming superfluous amounts of protein and calories. 180 would be a huge improvement, and I would be lieing if I said I didn't care about getting more cut, but that is not the reason I want to lose weight.

Losing 25lbs. would definitely be a good change, and I don't think I am taking a plunge by any means. I can put the weight right back on if I need to, relatively speaking of course.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

One thing to consider is that 205 at your height is not bad "IF" it's predominantly muscle. Even though you weight more and your joints take more weight your muscles are also alot stronger too.

With my new job I have been finding out how important cardio is. My heart rate routinely gets jacked up while doing it and I often have to do little sprints to catch things. It's really strengthening my heart which is great because of my weight at my height.

I do think you can be big at a given height and healthy IF your diet is decent and your heart is strong enough to support that size.

In the end it's all about what you are happy with. If you'd be happier at a lighter weight regardless than that's what you should do.

 

[ExtraMile]

205 is a hell of alot heavier than 180. There is a very noticable difference, its unneccesary pressure on my joints and organs. What are you trying to say man? Yeah my body may be meant to carry 150lbs. I am sure everyone on this board has a body that is supposed to function at a lower weight, seeing as lifting weights is unnatural for our bodies , as is consuming superfluous amounts of protein and calories. 180 would be a huge improvement, and I would be lieing if I said I didn't care about getting more cut, but that is not the reason I want to lose weight.

Losing 25lbs. would definitely be a good change, and I don't think I am taking a plunge by any means. I can put the weight right back on if I need to, relatively speaking of course.

fair enough, good luck.

 

[flex123]

I am 5'8" 178lbs, and would not consider myself stocky.

Anyways, at your weight and height if your BF is around 15%, I think you would benefit from cutting with John Berardi's "Good to Great" routine. Basic stuff, reduce calories and up your cardio. He suggests backing down weight lifting to few weight light routines and upping your cardio, getting in 9 hours of weight lifting and cardio in per week for 30 days. Good it and check it out.

 

[SPEKTOR-AAA]

Id shoot for 185...just my opinion you will still have plenty of muscle and be lighter...you will probably look better all around

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

LOL, I'm all about the chocolate ice cream when "on" and bulking.

 

[the.gladiator1987]

I think good training would be 5/3/1 with complexes and sprints as cardio...

take a fat burner as well

I think 185-190lbs should be your goal weight, but at a low body fat percentage.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

I have a hard time even imagining what I would feel like now at 175lbs. Right when I started lifting again I was around 206 and I felt pretty light then.

It's all in the frame.

I've got mesomorph shoulders, back and legs. My arms are a mix of ecto-meso and my hips are meso/endo.

Holding 205lbs at 5.8.5" is a joke to me.

You guys are all babies though. Give it another 5-10 years and I guarantee that you will be anywhere from 15-20lbs heavier and not necessarily being fat or training muscle weight. You thicken up as you hit your mid to late 20's. Imo it's hitting full physical maturity.

 

[the.gladiator1987]

I cant wait to thicken up and just have more of a mans body, maybe a little extra fat but somethin about that seems better, i dont wanna look fake lol but i still want a 6 pack