Cutting for the summer...

julian0s · 05-12-2008, 07:29 PM

Summer seems to be the main focus on everyones mind at my gym... As soon as it gets to around 14,13 weeks before the summer holidays, everyone hits the cardio hard, along with the cutting supplements.

My diet becomes carbs for breakfast like oats, a pre lunch pro shake then a carb pro mix for lunch. After 2 pm no more carbs. Electrolyte drink whilst training a pro shake after then just meat n veg for dinner. Training in the gym stays the same just with an added 30 mins cardio at the end on the cross trainer...

mon: bi/tri
tues: shoulders/ abs
wed: back/bi
thur: chest/tri
fri: legs/extra cardio

( 1hr to 1h 15min sessions, 4/5 exercises per muscles, using 4 pyramid sets 12,10,8,6 plus 30min cardio)

supplements: pro shakes(45g) with low carbs(5g). L carnitine / L glutamine / amino acids.

But after all this i still only drop maybe 7 to 10 pounds... and my body fat drops from 20% to about 16%... and that just sucks for all the effort..

Any advice from the pros or someone whos uses a programme that works and other workouts and suppliments used, please post away... want to try reach 11% bodyfat and drop from 220lbs to 200lbs...

2hard2fixagain · 05-12-2008, 08:42 PM

If you have done this before and gotten those results 100% every time then why not stick with it? If you keep all your muscle while doing this then I would say its well worth the effort. Just try doing it for longer to get down to a lower % BF.

julian0s · 05-12-2008, 08:54 PM

I think the main reason im asking about this programe is because loads of my mates use this regiem as well, and see much better result than me... even though i've been training for a while, some programes seem to work better for some than others...

Im an Endomorph, my body type stores fat very easily, and finds it hard to lose the fat, but i can bulk up alot faster than others... its just cutting thats so hard cos the fat wont budge and comes back real quick if i slack...

2hard2fixagain · 05-12-2008, 09:16 PM

Have you tried adding in a fat burner?

julian0s · 05-12-2008, 09:34 PM

yer dude tried fat strippers and thermogenics... but the effects are pretty small and the thermo's gave me and some other mates heart palpitations, and thats not fun...

guna try axis ht, its a testosterone booster and its suppresses estrogen, guna see if this route can give me the edge... u tried anything like them?

2hard2fixagain · 05-12-2008, 09:52 PM

Nah I havent tried anything like that. I'm on the EC stack, but its the only thing I have actually ever tried to burn fat.

That sounds like a good approach. I don't really know what else to try, but I'm not extremely educated on fat burning supplements in the first place.

julian0s · 05-12-2008, 10:11 PM

cool thanks for your input... to carry on the thread any endomorphs used any supplement or workout programmes that works well for fat loss... post it up... cheers....

rude boy · 05-12-2008, 10:15 PM

gotta give it more time than just a crash diet type of thing for a few weeks or even months. give it at least 8-12 months of a really good fitness lifestyle and you'll start seeing more change. dont just do it for the summer.

julian0s · 05-13-2008, 09:00 AM

not a bad idea... but that involves a major change.... to be honest, i think i, most of my gym lot, including myself get caught up with the flow of the gym... bulk n cut, etc.... anyone seen or tried empty stomach training in the morning?

87lifter · 05-13-2008, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by julian0s

anyone seen or tried empty stomach training in the morning?

yah, and it SUCKS!!
certainly get in a protein shake AT LEAST but some carbs along w/ it would be better

julian0s · 05-13-2008, 09:44 AM

haha... got some mates that tried it too... they came to the gym later that day looking like they just went 10 rounds with the Hulk... we'll that ideas out the window...

Heres one... anyone tried the ''Spartan Training Workout?'' ( the one they did for the film, and some pt's have adapted it for everyday training programes )

ski23man · 05-13-2008, 10:44 AM

Have you tried eating more meals throughout the whole day at a calorie decifit, like every 2-3 hours, that totally helps me shred down... I think it might be lil longer than a few months for your body type, I can pack it on like no tomorrow as well. Some of my buds don't even have to watch as closely to what they eat. If I'm not eating clean it goes straight to my chest and lower stomach. I definately have to eat clean in order to look good, eatn like crap makes me look like crap LOL...

I basically spent the whole year of 2007 to bulk and now this year is my cutting phase, I know I'll get there but it's going to take some time.

Fat burners don't really help you unless your going below 10%, it's more appetite suppressant and caffiene energy than anything in the chemical make up of 90% of fat burners...

audioescape · 05-13-2008, 11:25 AM

hi julian,

I'm also trying to cut (goal is 9% BF). I've tried HIIT cardio on an empty stomach in the past. Big mistake. One can handle regular cardio, but... HIIT? I was killing my self. Ain't doing that anymore.

I've always felt attracted by the Spartan Workout, but... do you have all the stuff the use? (kettel balls, boxes, ropes, etc) not to mention the space needed. They seemed to workout on some sort of warehouse. Pretty cool stuff.

I'm into intense workouts. 3-4 months tops and then... switch!

What type of cardio are you performing? You seem to have a good frame to start with (no homo).

julian0s · 05-13-2008, 06:40 PM

sup man... yer i watched all the stuff on the workout... yer they were in a warehouse and they had about 10 personal trainers working along side them...

yer the only thing we have out of the list of spartan equipment is the rope, lol, few of us tried to do the 300 rep workout... i.e 30 pull ups 30 pressups etc.. for 10 excersise in the space of 35 mins and we all nearly passed out...

cardio at the mo is just 30mins on the cross trainer after a workout on the max level... can usually burn 500 to 600 cal in that time but thats it... thinking about taking up boxing or something intense for a few months... whats the intense training like...with the group of ppl i train with, its heavy weight workouts...

trying to find a way to hold onto the muscle n lose the fat is a tricky one, i thinking intense training with breakdown the muscle to much... ?

jimsmith9999 · 05-13-2008, 06:58 PM

I'd focus your weight training on primarily compound movements. Having an arm day is a waste while cutting IMHO. So are workouts loaded with isolation exercises. I usually do a 4 day split mainly squats, deadlifts, various benches, dips, pullups, lunges, ect make up most of my workouts. At the most, I'll 1 to 2 isolation exercises at the end of a workout. Compounds give you the most bang for your buck. If you want a cookie cutter plan, check out Chad Waterbury's stuff, very solid, compound based workouts. Forget these fad workouts floating around, nothing beats doing the big movements with heavy weights.

Diet - how strict are you? The stricter you are, the better your results will be. As much as it suck, counting calories can help a lot.

Muscle loss should be minimal as long as you aren't restricting calories too much, training hard, and getting your pre/post work nutrition dialed in. Check out Alan Argons sticky in the nutrition section for the real deal on pre/post workout nutrition.

Cardio, do as much as you need. If your diet is dialed in, you are following it and training consistently, and not getting the results you want, increasing the volume of cardio is very effective. By volume I mean "doing more". Either upping the intensity of your sessions, extending your sessions, or adding extra sessions.

hope that helps.

knethom · 05-13-2008, 07:29 PM

If your really interested in the Spartan Workout checkout www.crossfit.com. they incorporate many of those movements and give you a new workout everyday. gyms are opening all over the place and 3 just opened in my area. i have not joined but try and do the work out of the day in my own gym. which is cool because you do not need to be a member to do the exercises. it has become some what of the newest rage. all i know is my endurance is way up and i am losing body fat and i haven't really dove into it 100% yet. never hurts to check it out. good luck to you brother.

julian0s · 05-13-2008, 08:45 PM

jimsmith9999, thank dude... im guna try increase the amount of cardio i do, trying to cut carbs out at 2pm n then doing big workout sesions... is tough, so trying electrolytes to boost stamina....

the diet i'm still working on... its difficult sometimes to balance work, food and the gym... but general carb breakfast, carb/pro mix for lunch, then shake after gym... pro n veg sometimes with a cup or wholegrain rice for dinner.... and chewing amin acids all through the day...

knethom, thanks dude i'll check it out... the rage is starting to sweep across the pond where i am... good luck to u too..