Im F*ckin Fading away

[joeblstrn]

I am 5'4 male I started at 158 at 23% BF...I workout 5 - 6 days a week and lift heavy. I eat 1600 - 1700 calories a day and do IF. I am now 127.5 and 14% BF... How far do I need to go? This is crazy.

[CommitmentRulz]

I am 5'4 male I started at 158 at 23% BF...I workout 5 - 6 days a week and lift heavy. I eat 1600 - 1700 calories a day and do IF. I am now 127.5 and 14% BF... How far do I need to go? This is crazy.

Post a picture. How are you determining body fat %? You may have too little muscle to cut more...

What weight routine are you following? What do you bench, squat, deadlift?

[Serpentarius]

Post a pic, depending on ethnicity you are either half a foot shorter than average or average. 127 isnt light for 5'4, especially if you are starting out. Dont mistake masculinity as a reflection of your weight number, which is what 99% of men do.

Post a pic (you can).

[joeblstrn]

I am doing BODY beast from beach body on round 2. I use a scale to determine body fat and muscle mass. Muscle mass is at 40% and body fat is around 14.9... when I do calipers it is slightly less

[joeblstrn]

Post a pic, depending on ethnicity you are either half a foot shorter than average or average. 127 isnt light for 5'4, especially if you are starting out. Dont mistake masculinity as a reflection of your weight number, which is what 99% of men do.

Post a pic (you can).

I think I attached the pic... I am 46 yrs old and doing this since february doing IF maybe a month now. I also eat 1 gram protein per 1lb of weight

[xsquid99]

What exactly are you trying to achieve, because it looks to me like its time to start lifting heavy and bulking.

[joeblstrn]

What exactly are you trying to achieve, because it looks to me like its time to start lifting heavy and bulking.

The goal is to get as lean as possible 10% or less so when I bulk I dont have to do 6 months of cutting

[SuffolkPunch]

10% may not be a good look if you don't have the underlying muscle to have decent definition / aesthetics. You are too light already IMO - do a nice long slow mass gain phase.

There is no reason to pile fat on when "bulking" - a better term would be "lean mass gain phase". Small but consistent calorie surplus and plenty of protein.

[xsquid99]

The goal is to get as lean as possible 10% or less so when I bulk I dont have to do 6 months of cutting

You're not going to be able to achieve 10%, you don't have enough muscle mass.

And nobody says you have to do "6 months of cutting". I got down to 14% and then bulked for 10 months and added 25 lbs, I only had to cut for 12 weeks after that.

[spradish]

Isn't Body Beast circuit training? It's not strength training.

I think it's time to eat more and switch to a heavy lifting program.

[joeblstrn]

Beats body is good... Heavy lifts, drop sets, supersets etc... I gained muscle mass on it and lost plenty of fat... It took me almost 6 months to get where I am ... trying to avoid yo yoing.

[xsquid99]

Cutting and bulking is by its very nature "yo-yoing", except if you do it right its slower and much more controlled.

Again, you lack the muscle mass to achieve 10%, you can't put on mass when you're in a deficit. You need a long, slow, lean-mass gaining phase.

[davisj3537]

Beats body is good... Heavy lifts, drop sets, supersets etc... I gained muscle mass on it and lost plenty of fat... It took me almost 6 months to get where I am ... trying to avoid yo yoing.

You gained mass because you're a beginner and it doesn't take a very efficient approach to attain those initial results. To CONTINUE seeing size results you need progressive overload and that isn't something DVD workouts can accomplish. So again, get on an actual weight lifting program and start eating. You don't have the muscle base to get to 10% and look anything but anorexic. No offense mate, I'm just trying to shoot you straight. You can't lift a few months and drop down to 10%.

[Tommy W.]

Start adding muscle and get in a slight surplus. You have nothing to keep cutting down to.

[EjnarKolinkar]

The goal is to get as lean as possible 10% or less so when I bulk I dont have to do 6 months of cutting

I don't know why you think you have to get fat and cut for 6 months just because you start a serious weights program and eat in a small to moderate surplus? Nothing happens fast for natural male lifters. Postpone more serious training and you delay what already is a long road to significant progress.

Getting fat as hell and eating like a pig does not make you strong. Dieting until you are a javelin won't make you immune to fat gain either, no really It won't. Nutrient partitioning is primarily driven by genetics and training baby. Strength and size come from years of hard training with proper nutritional support.

People get fat because they eat too much, too fast. That happens all the same if you do it at 10% BF.

[DC4907]

Like many have said. Take some time to get yourself up from your current calorie intake. Not having a high level of lean mass. You will eventually find your Metabolism stalling out. It leads me to ask what is your underlying "WHY" ? Why are you doing this? Why achieve 10% at your current level. It is probably time to start a "refeeding or reverse diet" for 3-5 months and stabilize your body. Then do a clean bulk for an additional 3-4 months. Then an option of reducing your calories from your new Bulk point.

The biggest mistake is knowing your Why? I know the struggle I was stuck at 14% for over a year because of what I mentioned above. Now 6 months later now pushing 10% with a large amount of mass gains.

I am 5'4 male I started at 158 at 23% BF...I workout 5 - 6 days a week and lift heavy. I eat 1600 - 1700 calories a day and do IF. I am now 127.5 and 14% BF... How far do I need to go? This is crazy.

[ironwill2008]

I am 5'4 male I started at 158 at 23% BF...I workout 5 - 6 days a week and lift heavy. I eat 1600 - 1700 calories a day and do IF. I am now 127.5 and 14% BF... How far do I need to go? This is crazy.

Geez, dude; quit starving yourself; you need to add significant muscle mass---now.

Start eating at a moderate calorie surplus, join a gym, and get under a barbell.

[anonymous]

Don't cut. Don't bulk. Eat normally and lift weights.

[Tommy W.]

It is probably time to start a "refeeding or reverse diet" for 3-5 months and stabilize your body. Then do a clean bulk for an additional 3-4 months.

Can go directly into a "clean builk" now. No reason to wait 3-5 months

[getbigordie18]

I am 5'4 male I started at 158 at 23% BF...I workout 5 - 6 days a week and lift heavy. I eat 1600 - 1700 calories a day and do IF. I am now 127.5 and 14% BF... How far do I need to go? This is crazy.

Dude i would recommend to bulk man you seem light for your height. It depends on the goal but I would say10-20% body fat is healthy. If you want abs you will have to cut more but you seem in a good place to try to gain some muscle mass.