I am 28 6'2", currently 184lbs. I was not athletic as a teen but I've been trying to be more athletic this past year so I took up crossfit in September 2014. I did become stronger and I got abs underneath a belly fat layer. After a while I think I hadn't been seeing any results from crossfit for some reason so I decided I should try to gain muscle mass in order to shred that belly fat. I started doing Stronglifts 5x5 and it has now been 4 months. I tried to bulk but not consistently, so I have only gained 6lbs... I definitely think I've gained some muscle mass but I recently hit plateaus in my workouts and I don't think I'm getting the results I'd like to be getting and I believe I'm doing something wrong.
The weight I'm lifting for StrongLifts right now is:
Squats: 200lbs
Overhead Press: 95lbs
Deadlift: 245lbs
Bench Press: 145lbs
Barbell Row: 145lbs
Should I be eating more? I'm currently eating clean, mostly protein with some carbs which is usually quinoa or brown rice. I also recently started taking ~3grams of creatine per day.
Should I switch from a strength building program like Stronglifts to a program with less weight and more reps more geared up towards sarcoplasmic hypertrophy?
Should I start cutting and then bulk again?
I almost feel like I'm genetically predisposed to never have 6 pack abs which right now I am starting to become obsessed with. Please help me, I am not happy with the way I look and I'll try hard if I know I'm on the right track.
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11-26-2015, 03:54 AM #1
Should I bulk or cut? hate that belly fat!
Last edited by aiolos87; 11-26-2015 at 04:05 AM.
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11-26-2015, 04:11 AM #2
- Join Date: Jun 2012
- Location: New Jersey, United States
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- Rep Power: 119069
I'd cut down to 170 or so and bulk from there.
You don't add muscle to lose belly fat. You lose fat to lose belly fat.You can't help the hopeless.
Fat Girl Gets Fit: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=168690083&page=1
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11-26-2015, 04:22 AM #3
Your body fat isn't *that* high, but still not the ideal place to be bulking from. I agree with PR that you should cut down before going on a long slow bulk.
And yes give higher rep range work a try (ie bro-split or similar). For me strength programs never worked, but everyone is different so you won't know until you give both methods a fair shot.*CEO crew*
*Married with kids crew*
*Life starts at 29 crew*
*Still misc crew*
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11-26-2015, 06:02 AM #4
First, set your goal( probably seeing abs), find your TDEE on a site, eat 500-700 cal. below maintenance to lose 1-2 pounds/week if done properly , get a macro tracker app and track everything you put in your mouth. Believe me, it's the best way to burn that fat. Stop cutting when you think you're lean enough and reverse diet. Good luck man !
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11-26-2015, 07:25 AM #5
Good advice above.
Too many people are afraid of cutting as they tend to think its a waste of time because you can't build muscle in a caloric deficit.
Well beginners can.
Go ahead cut your calories as alexlaroche1 said above and lift hard!
Your body will shape itself in time.★ISSA Certified Personal Trainer★
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