Why is it better to get lean before bulking?

[LittleHelp]

Re: Re: Re: fatass

He's right: the NUMBER of fat-cells can INCREASE but can NEVER decrease, only lose size and shrink. So, the less you have the better.

p.s. by never I'm discounting lypo and PGF2a

Mr.X

Exactly right. The # of fat cells you have is largely dependant on genetics and adolescence. When u diet what u are doing is decreasing the size of your fat cells. When you get fatter these cells increase in size but eventually they can only expand to a certain size and at that point the actual # of fat cells also increases. The more you have, the easier you will put on fat. The only way to lose the actual # of fat cells, like Mr. X said is lipo and the even painful PGF2.

Whether u should bulk or cut first all depends on where you're at. If you're above 12 or 13% BF I think dieting may be in order first.

 

[Mr.X]

i think u dont like me for whatever reason.....

maybe i should bump up a post from a few weaks ago or maybe you can edit that one aswell for your own sake

I provide a FREE service that I do not get paid for, I do not pretend to sit here behind the computer and act like GOD. However, if you INSULT people I will edit your posts, if you do it again I will ask for you to be banned. I do NOT make the rules, they are ALREADY MADE by George. Please do not come out w/ attitude towards anything I do, I don't care for it. If you don't like this board or what I do here, you can just go somewhere else, this is a free country no body is making you stay.

Mr.X

 

[SteR]

ah crud. I understand I'll lose a bit of muscle when cutting but I just want to know if I can actually get to say as low as 5% bodyfat. Last summer I managed to cut to about 12% and I lost a fair bit of muscle however I didn't really take it as seriously as I am now. This year I'm pretty much trying everything I can to reduce muscle loss and I'm now taking ZMA, ECA, 30g glutamine a day and trying to take 1.5g protein per lb bodyweight. So far I'm 3 weeks into cutting and I haven't noticed any muscle loss, heck I seem to have gained a bit on some lifts. Anyway I have 9 weeks left and I REALLY want to get sub 10% this time, I just need to know it's possible with the way I'm cutting. I posted my cutting diet a few weeks ago and I've now scrapped the running pre-breakfast for 1 hour of fast-paced walking to reduce muscle loss. Is there anything else I can do to get lean other than resorting to drugs? (which I'll never do). Oh yea, another thing that bothers me is because I was obese for a year or two I have stretched skin around my stomach. It's not like hanging off me but I'm concerned that if i do get lean I will have a fair bit of lose skin which may appear to make me look fat. What can I do about that? Sorry I seem to have gone on a bit but it's REALLY important to me that I get lean this summer, I promised myself I would do it and I've given up alcohol and sugar etc etc which is excrutiatingly hard considering I'm in my first year at university AAAAAAAH!l;kasjdfl;a .

 

[Tagio]

I'm in almost the same boat, SteR. I was up to 35-ish bodyfat in my early teens. lots of exercise in the summer before college and the summer after 1st year, got me down to 10-15% (no caliper access) with nasty fat distribution, and a kind of gross lower stomach.

now I'm at the cutting again, using a cycle of 4 days low-calorie, low-carb, and 1 day (controlled) refeed, which is also lifting day. also using a topical yohimbine product, on the lower stomach.

the good news is that that area is definitely shrinking.

I think my body is acting like I'm at a lower bf%, however. I need to refeed after 4 days, I absolutely can't hold out any longer. except for my abs/ lower back, I look like I'm at 7% or something. my arms, upper torso, neck, face, legs all look really really lean.

the topical yohimbine seems to be helping a lot, but any other suggestions about this type of situation would be cool. Is it possible that I developed larger-than-normal estrogenic fat deposits from being obese in the past?

 

[DanielBishop]

I'd say it's just your natural fat patterns.... your body gains fat on your mid-section first, and loses it last.

Me personally, I gain fat on my ass first.... I can gain quite a bit of weight (fat) and still have definition in my abs.... I just tend to thicken up around my obliques and lower back while packing it onto my ass. Then all of a sudden, my lower abs gain it all.

I don't know about the larger-than-normal cells, but if you're lean everywhere else.... you're probably facing the same problem that we all do: Your body is fighting you to keep those last few pounds of fat. The last few are always most difficult.

 

[Kid Dynamite]

I'm in almost the same boat, SteR. I was up to 35-ish bodyfat in my early teens. lots of exercise in the summer before college and the summer after 1st year, got me down to 10-15% (no caliper access) with nasty fat distribution, and a kind of gross lower stomach.

now I'm at the cutting again, using a cycle of 4 days low-calorie, low-carb, and 1 day (controlled) refeed, which is also lifting day. also using a topical yohimbine product, on the lower stomach.

the good news is that that area is definitely shrinking.

I think my body is acting like I'm at a lower bf%, however. I need to refeed after 4 days, I absolutely can't hold out any longer. except for my abs/ lower back, I look like I'm at 7% or something. my arms, upper torso, neck, face, legs all look really really lean.

the topical yohimbine seems to be helping a lot, but any other suggestions about this type of situation would be cool. Is it possible that I developed larger-than-normal estrogenic fat deposits from being obese in the past?

I'm similar. I was at 7 or 8% with measurements of like 5mm - 8mm everywhere but my stomach, which was 14mm. The only chub I had left was on my lower stomach and on my lower back. I HATE THAT FUCKIN' FAT! Oh well, I can get rid of it eventually. But not now. I'm trying to gain weight, and it's going good.

 

[MS]

The loose skin MAY go away over time as long as you don't put the fat back on. Some people are luckier than others with this. Since you're still young, you've got a better chance at tightening up that loose skin than us older folks that lose a lot of weight.

Anyway SteR, it sounds like you're on the right track this time, though you might want to make your cutting goal a little less harsh. Why not aim for ~8% bf instead of 5%?? You will still look pretty good, plus most of the muscle you lose will be in getting from 8% down to 5%. Is it really worth that last 3% to screw up your metabolism, lose all that muscle and feel like death for a body that can't be maintained at that level for very long?