what should I aim for with 4 weeks of cutting

[abrocketsfan]

Hi all...

I've been bulking for about 3 months now, although I only picked up the calories about 1.5 months ago. I've been consuming about 4200 calories lately, 280 g pro, 450 carb, 110-120 fat.

I'm 5'7", 19, male. In about 7 weeks I will start a 4 week cutting phase. Ramadan is coming, so I won't be able to eat as much and therefore won't be able to do high weights, so I figured it's as good a time as any to do a cutting phase.

I checked my bf with a caliper (7 point), and it said 10.6%...the internet calculation says 10.5%, and some Futrex optical sensor at work says 12.6%, although that may not be accurate due to water retention and what not(that's what some people tell me).

The point is I'm at 141 lbs and 11-12% bf. By the time I start cutting, I'll be around 146 lbs and prolly the same bf. I want to bring down the bf to as low as 8%.

Is this practical? I am willing to eat a strict diet, CKD or whatever. Please tell me what diet (CKD, etc.) will allow me to reach this goal. I am willing to do cardio as I always do.

I don't want any dangerous drugs (T3, etc.), and please keep in mind I won't be able eat OR DRINK from 6am to pm, meaning my water levels should be pretty depleted by midday. Any help will be much appreciated.

Also, even though I've been bulking and getting gains (around 12 lbs since starting) , I'm still not that big since i started as a weakling, so I can't afford to lose much muscle. My main concern is to get to about 8% bf or lower so that my abs show. Right now, you can see a hazy outline of the top 4.

Thanks a lot.

PS. I know some may say "use the search", so i wanna say that i prolly use the search as much as anyone, but cutting during Ramadan is not something you will find in the archives anywhere on the net or in a book That's why I am asking for your help. thanks

 

[abrocketsfan]

come on guys, I'm just asking for opinions and recommendations here. Please help me out.

Also, when I say I've been bulking for 3 months, the first 1.5 months was around 3100 or so calories (22 times my weight) and after that I went to 4200 calories and I'm gaining very little fat.

 

[Enock]

wow 7 weeks away and already planning.

Only thing I can reccomend at this point is, don't plan on cutting out the weights during that time. I know you won't be able to eat as much, but when calories are restricted its crucial to hit the weights as a stimulus for your body to not break down the muscle for fuel which it would prefer to do so over fat.

 

[abrocketsfan]

man, you guys are avoiding this thread like the plague

I just don't want to waste 4 weeks of doing cutting that gets me little results becuase I like to focus on bulking, so I'm asking for some help.

What do you guys do go back down to 8% from 11% after bulking?

 

[blown93302]

why do you want to cut now?? fall/winter is a time for bulking, and seeing your only 145lbs i would say continue bulking till march or april. thats when the shirt comes off and the six pack shows just stick w/your high cals now then cut later.

 

[abrocketsfan]

blown,

ideally that's what i'd like to do, but with Ramdan coming it's just not possible. With 12 straight hours of no food or water, i cannot have 1+ hour high intensity workouts. I can only mix in 30 minutes a day doing moderate to light weigts adn some cardio, which is ironically ideal for cutting. Also, I can't eat 4200 calories if the 12 main hours of eating pass by with no food. thus, i felt it's better to do a power cutting routine rather than a lackluster bulking routine.

Also, taking a break from teh bulking routine should be good so that my body doesn't get used to the high weight training and the high volume of food...a little variation i figure can help me avoid plateaus and such.

Although I do agree, ideally I would continue to bulk until I reached 155 or 160

 

[omanaman]

it might be hard to cut from 11% to 8% in only four weeks. . .

The no food for 12 hours is not good for the metabolism, but if its your religion, you'll have to work with it. I would suggest cutting your calorie intake in half (2100) and picking up about 20 min. of cardio about 4-5 times a week. Try to spread out the 2100 calories as much as possible. Don't consume it all at once.

DON'T cut out the lifting. I would stick to the same routine you've been on. The whole "higher reps while cutting" is a bunch of bs. Keep lifting heavy.

Also, when ramadan is over, keep on the cutting cycle until you get the results you want. Try splitting up the 2100 calories into 5-6 meals. One eaten every 3 hours or so. Or, start your cutting cyle before Ramadan. That way you can ease your metabolism into the diet.

I hope this helps . . .

 

[abrocketsfan]

thanks omanaman, that helps.

i know I can get get 4-5 meals in even considering that I won't eat from 6 to 6....i'm even considering waking up in the middle of the night to get a shake if that's what it takes.

As far as the 12 hours of fasting hurting my results, that's why I was hoping some of you could recommend a diet that would be minimally affected by this. I mean, I know how to cut and i know about the different diets, but I need a recommendation as to what diet to follow cuz this 12 hour fast for 4 weeks really skews everthing.