21 year old looking to trim up for summer want some suggestions

[msamuel28]

Hey everyone,
My name is matt. I am a 21 year old college student, and like my title said I am looking to trim up my body for summer. I have played hockey competitively for the last 18 years of my life. The last few years I have played some decently high levels. Up until about a year ago, I was a college hockey prospect. To make a long story short, I just could not afford to pay my bills and fund my hockey career. Tough way to end a lifelong dream, but hey that’s life. Since I played these high levels, I was in the gym a ton. It didn’t take much to motivate you when you talk about playing a collegiate sport. I got to know my body pretty well and what works for me, but now I need help. The last year I have not been in the gym as much as I should be, just because I didn’t have that motivation that I did. You have to understand the last 6 years I played hockey 8 months a year, skating 6 times a week, in the gym 4 times a week, and during the summer your skating went down and your gym time went up. It was like time off? What’s that. Well I enjoyed the time off, but it has definitely thwarted me from getting back in the gym. At my peak, I was a solid 185 and pretty cut up. I’ve always wanted a six pack and had a tough time getting one, but mine was starting to come in. I have had 7 shoulder dislocations so I worked on those quite a bit to strengthen it back up. My arms were super cut, and my legs were massively strong. It’s funny how fast it takes to lose it all compared to how long it took to build it all. I now go to school full time and work for a beer company full time. Finding gym time is tough but I have been very hard on myself. I have a few questions for those of you who have any answers, and any suggestions would be awesome. Since I quit playing I definitely have lost some mass and definition. I need to lose my fat around my stomach and hips. I would also like to bulk up my entire upper body again for the summer season, as well as my abs. Can I incorporate things like trying to build up entire upper body mass wise and cut weight, or do I need to specifically trim down for that? Is there a split of some sort I can do or just one or the other? Also, when I played I could literally eat anything and everything and not have any fluctuation in my weight at all. I skated 2 and a half hours a day and lifted for 2 so I torched calories. I am eating better now, but its tough to do on a college budget. Any ideas? I am currently 201, and would like to get back to around 185-190ish. I just want to get rid of the gut and the lovehandles haha. I do work for a beer company, and that’s where a lot of the weight came from. I love craft beers, but they are loaded with extra calories. I have since switched to miller lite, only on the weekends. Should I just go no beer at all until I reach my goal? I have heard that beer takes away a week of training, but I have also heard those are myths. There’s a lot of BS out there so I am just trying to get to the facts. I’m sorry I made you read this much, if your still hear I appreciate it. Any suggestions help, from supplements to nutrition to my lifts. I take a multivitamin, fish oil, and flaxseed oil once in the morning and once at night. I have a whey protein shake the second I get out of the gym. I take jack3d before I lift, and I tried a few weeks of Lipo6 Black, but it made me feel like ****, with a lot of jittery feelings and elevated heartbeat, as well as crashes. Thanks guys I really appreciate it.

[Pok3rfac3]

I would cut the beer out, thats what I had to do in order to stay focused. I know that will probably be hard considering you work for a beer company hahah.

as for lipo6, the jittery feelings will go away once you get used to that. I just started taking a thermo again and I had to open up the pill and dump like half of it out and slowly work my way up so that I didnt feel like crap.

Its really hard to bulk up and cut down at the same time. I would pick one and stick with it. If your gonna cut, I would eat 4-5 smaller meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism up.

good luck!

[ckleckner10]

damn i know that feeling its hard to stay on yourself when you know the gym isnt gonna take you to the next level of sport anymore. I played baseball 6 days a week and worked out 4-5 days a week too. last summer hurt my shoulder so i had to stop playing. Didnt feel like going to a gym cuz it "wouldnt benefit me" and ballooned up from 195ish up to 225. Since your body is so used to extreme bouts of exercise it is a challenge to get to where you were when in sports, but not impossible. Some things you need to do are 1)No beer, whether or not the lose a week myth is true alcohol is not a friend to the body and you want your body to be giving all its effort towards building muscle right now. 2) Nutrition is 70% of the fit battle, exercise will only take you so far so you need to get alot stricter than you were as an athlete. Lots of protein and GOOD carbs and HEALTHY fats. 3) Lifting alone wont do it, you are still an athlete at heart so train like one go to a track run, sprint, jump, be explosive compete and prove to yourself you can beat out your old self. 4)Be realistic, you can lose fat and gain muscle i believe, but to an extent youll hit the point where youll have to choose one or the other but for now just lift a crap load of weight, get stronger and see some fat fall off. 5) Not a fan of thermos especially right now since your body will not need that to be shedding fat, remember 1 or 2 pounds a week is best. Also just be careful on the shoulder since youve had multiple injuries there. You know what works for your body so stick with that in the gym. Other than that Just stay motivated! Its you vs you no one else really can change you

[msamuel28]

Awesome I figured I would have to focus on one.. Thanks for the outlook and support fellas it definitely helps and it's good to hear other guys in my position too... Thanks again guys best of luck to you as well

[Fighting31irish]

Read that with baseball in place of hockey and you've got me. I'm going through the same stuff right now. Started at 197 trying to get to 175 and am currently at 189.