Need some advice from the cutting pros!

[krishna]

I'm currently on test/tren and have been trying to cut up and lean down. At first, I got some strength gains and good pumps, but recently, my strength has plateaued and I've lost 5 pounds. Started @ 218, 10% bf, now I'm at 213, 9% bf. I'm still eating about 2500-3000 cals a day. Does this sound right to you guys? I'm not used to losing weight while being on and it worries me. I've been tinkering with carb cycling a bit, but would like to know how to do it right if anyone has any info. I'm 6 foot if that matters. I have visible abs, but they're not ripped like I want them to be. Should I just not worry about losing strength at this point? Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[johnny g]

I'm currently on test/tren and have been trying to cut up and lean down. At first, I got some strength gains and good pumps, but recently, my strength has plateaued and I've lost 5 pounds. Started @ 218, 10% bf, now I'm at 213, 9% bf. I'm still eating about 2500-3000 cals a day. Does this sound right to you guys? I'm not used to losing weight while being on and it worries me. I've been tinkering with carb cycling a bit, but would like to know how to do it right if anyone has any info. I'm 6 foot if that matters. I have visible abs, but they're not ripped like I want them to be. Should I just not worry about losing strength at this point? Any help would be much appreciated!

Losing strength and size can come from your diet. You mentioned carb cycling, check out www.mmsfitness.com, Mr.X has a whole article on Carb cycling. You can compare and see what and if your doing wrong. You haven't mentioned how long your were on either. Your strength will plateu at one point. Keep that in mind.

 

[krishna]

I will be starting my fourth week tomorrow. Have lost 5 pounds since I started the cycle.

 

[bigrand]

Well, your in a cutting cycle, so fuck it and cut! The AS you are using will keep your muscle and strength, so lower the cals and hit the cardio and the fat should come off nice (carb cycle is a good idea). NOTHING has helped me shed fat like AS and cardio and big cal cuts. In a cutting cycle, i wouldnt expect to see weight gain (although it would be nice to loose fat and gain more muscle=weight increase).

 

[monkey arms]

I wouldn't worry too much bro. We are almost exactly the same size and in the same week of the same cycle. I've lost about 5 lbs as well, but try not to get fixated on the scale....(I know it's hard) I try to stick to measurements. As long as I'm loosing inches on the waist and not in the arms I know I'm doing it right.

 

[krishna]

I wouldn't worry too much bro. We are almost exactly the same size and in the same week of the same cycle. I've lost about 5 lbs as well, but try not to get fixated on the scale....(I know it's hard) I try to stick to measurements. As long as I'm loosing inches on the waist and not in the arms I know I'm doing it right.

Thanks! And looking good bro. What's your bf%? Do you carb cycle? We have similar builds too. Our measurements are probably pretty close. You're probably a tad bit more vascular though. What's your diet like?

 

[monkey arms]

Not the greatest pict, but you get the idea. Abs are better than this pict. Not sure what bf% is but I want to go lower. I'm eating around 2500 a day. I've been doing it for quite a while so my diet is pretty automatic. Don't think about it much, but I'd bet its 50% Carb 40% Protein 10% fat.

Measurements 6/22/05
Arms 17.75
Chest 49
Waist 32
Quads 28
Calves 17

 

[krishna]

I'd say you're around 7% which is leaner than me @ 9%. My diet is about like yours too. I'm not sure if I want to screw with carb cycling anymore. Do you take any fat burners.

 

[Fukkenshredded]

Lower your calories and work out harder. When I want to get REALLY ripped I just eat only fish and brocolli for about six weeks and PRESTO! No more fat.

Getting ripped is about understanding that you will get skinnier and not worrying about that part at all. Teh primary limiting factor that I have witnessed is people panicking that they are losing too much muscle, when in reality they did not have a true reckoning of their muscle content to begin with.

I recommend lifting to failure every time. I can attest to the fact that this will increase the density of the muscle and give you that striated look. I still have striated delts at eight percent or so, mainly from doing push-ups in the hundreds every day.

In the end its about eating less and moving more until you lose the fat you want to lose. If you find you are too thin, simply add protien and AAS. Muscle will appear in short order.

 

[lilleole]

how about some pics, fcknshrdd?

 

[Fukkenshredded]

^^^No digital camera, and no scanner.^^^

I don't look anything special. 5'11 (grew an inch...hehe), 190 - ish at maybe seven, eight percent. Top heavy (from push-ups I imagine). I look a bit pinheaded so I'm going down to about 180 and sub six.

 

[lilleole]

if you gimme willpower to eat..8 times a day..

i'll give you a digital camera.

 

[Fukkenshredded]

You now have the power.

 

[krishna]

Ya I agree with you shredded. It's just not as easy to lift harder with lower cals and struggling to keep from losing strength.

 

[monkey arms]

Lower your calories and work out harder. When I want to get REALLY ripped I just eat only fish and brocolli for about six weeks and PRESTO! No more fat.

Getting ripped is about understanding that you will get skinnier and not worrying about that part at all. Teh primary limiting factor that I have witnessed is people panicking that they are losing too much muscle, when in reality they did not have a true reckoning of their muscle content to begin with.

I recommend lifting to failure every time. I can attest to the fact that this will increase the density of the muscle and give you that striated look. I still have striated delts at eight percent or so, mainly from doing push-ups in the hundreds every day.

In the end its about eating less and moving more until you lose the fat you want to lose. If you find you are too thin, simply add protien and AAS. Muscle will appear in short order.

Couldn't agree with you more on all points. The problem is how long can you stay at 5-6%? For me not long until I get sick (literally). Went to 4 once, looked awsome, but could barely get out of bed. I'm pretty content holding a little fat but still feeling great.

Krish: Right now I'm cycling Trex 2 weeks/ ECA 2 weeks/ clen 2weeks/ I'll do this three times. I have a pretty high stress job (at times) and use very low doses, on all of these (so I don't feel like I'm going to die). I rarely do cardio anymore (on purpose) but I have a very active life.

 

[bigrand]

Thats what im sayin.......your on AAS so take advantage.
You can really cut cals and up the cardio without loosing much if any muscle (thanks AAS) and burn the fuck out of your fat.

 

[Fukkenshredded]

Well, I stayed at about six percent for two years straight, going down to between four and five percent for shoots. I felt okay and used pretty much just winstrol and fina for cycles.

However, I agree with what was said about sub six. At four percent I was sick all the time and could not last in the gym. I thought I looked good, but in reality my face was a grinning skull and the only thing that looked good was my muscle separation. even that is a matter of debate, as most fo the girls I knew said I looked freakish. Wo deluded was I that I took those comments as compliments, rather than what they were -- observations that I looked unnatural and sickly.

At six to seven percent, I feel and look better. I find that a dehydrated six perent is every bit as detailed as four percent, the only difference being that onion skin look, which with proper lighting can be achieved in any event at true six percent bodyfat. And for people doing photo shoots this is a very important thing to understand. Get yourself to a true genuine six percent and then manage your water properly on the photo day (which in and of itself is no joke) and you will look just as lean as any bodybuilder in your photos if your photographer knows his shit.

I won't ever intentionally go below five percent bodyfat again.