Having difficulty reaching my bf% goals w/ pics

[andybb23]

I'm M, 25, 6'0, 160 lbs and I've spent most of the last year trying to get into shape and look good, but I've been increasingly frustrated because I'm spending so much time not knowing if what I'm doing is right. I'm not trying to be a bodybuilder or anything, I'm just trying to put on some muscle and look decent.

About 7 months ago, I had to make the decision between bulking or cutting and I ended up deciding to cut first. My goal for the last 6 months was to cut to 15% bf so then I would be able to start bulking. I started at 23% bf and have since cut to 17%, which I'm happy about. But at this point I'm just becoming really skinny. I've read that 4 lbs = 1% bf, so if I wanted to cut to 13%, that would require me to lose 16 more lbs down to 144 lbs? This seems really low especially for my height.

I've been tracking my calories and macros following a strict 1600 cal/day diet, which is 500 below my TDEE, and going to the gym 5 days a week. I'm eating 1g protein/lb of bodyweight. I'm pretty sure the workout themselves aren't the problem since I've posted my workout on here before and people supported it.

Now, I wasn't expecting to gain muscle over this period in a deficit, but I was expecting to be at a point where my bf% would be lower and I'd be ready to start bulking. The first place fat goes is to my face unfortunately, so any gain in weight will be pretty noticeable which is why I wanted to cut first. If I start bulking/eating more, will my bf% go down since I'd be gaining more muscle mass?

Is it even worth dropping to 144 or should I just start bulking now? I've read so much about whether to bulk/cut online and I've been trying to follow it to the best of my ability, but I've been trying and failing at this for so long I'm considering going to a personal trainer. I'm really just unsure of what to do at this point. I've attached pictures here for reference of where I was 6 months ago vs now.

Pics: imgur.com/a/zYmtg1m

Any advice or help would be great. Thanks guys.

[AdamWW]

I'm M, 25, 6'0, 160 lbs and I've spent most of the last year trying to get into shape and look good, but I've been increasingly frustrated because I'm spending so much time not knowing if what I'm doing is right. I'm not trying to be a bodybuilder or anything, I'm just trying to put on some muscle and look decent.

About 7 months ago, I had to make the decision between bulking or cutting and I ended up deciding to cut first. My goal for the last 6 months was to cut to 15% bf so then I would be able to start bulking. I started at 23% bf and have since cut to 17%, which I'm happy about. But at this point I'm just becoming really skinny. I've read that 4 lbs = 1% bf, so if I wanted to cut to 13%, that would require me to lose 16 more lbs down to 144 lbs? This seems really low especially for my height.

I've been tracking my calories and macros following a strict 1600 cal/day diet, which is 500 below my TDEE, and going to the gym 5 days a week. I'm eating 1g protein/lb of bodyweight. I'm pretty sure the workout themselves aren't the problem since I've posted my workout on here before and people supported it.

Now, I wasn't expecting to gain muscle over this period in a deficit, but I was expecting to be at a point where my bf% would be lower and I'd be ready to start bulking. The first place fat goes is to my face unfortunately, so any gain in weight will be pretty noticeable which is why I wanted to cut first. If I start bulking/eating more, will my bf% go down since I'd be gaining more muscle mass?

Is it even worth dropping to 144 or should I just start bulking now? I've read so much about whether to bulk/cut online and I've been trying to follow it to the best of my ability, but I've been trying and failing at this for so long I'm considering going to a personal trainer. I'm really just unsure of what to do at this point. I've attached pictures here for reference of where I was 6 months ago vs now.

Pics: imgur.com/a/zYmtg1m

Any advice or help would be great. Thanks guys.

That's very odd... honestly, you look not much different between the two pictures form that angle.

Im a bit concerned tho, because you're 6 feet tall and you're barely even eating.

For comparison, im 6 feet tall, only weigh 150, and my daily TDEE is like 3000 calories.

For you to have a TDEE of 2100 calories would mean you basically don't move all day... I think you're over-dieting... something is off here.



ZERO chance you should get to 144... you'd lose a ton of muscle and feel like garbage.

WHat is your training and lifestyle like in terms of cardio, steps... what program are you following?

[Luclin999]

From the pictures that you posted, it looks like you have lost as much lean mass as you have fat making you just look like a smaller version of your heavier self.

So whatever you are doing for weight training it doesn't look to be helping you retain muscle while dieting.

[xsquid99]

There is no way your TDEE is only 2100 calories, at your size and age it should well over 2500 calories a day AT LEAST, probably closer to 3000.

Are you following a lifting program? What are you lifting for your major compound lifts? What have your lifts done since you started dieting?

I agree with Luclin above that it actually appears that you've lost muscle while dieting.

[Tommy W.]

5-11 and 160 and trying to lose fat.
Just no

[andybb23]

Thanks for the replies. It seems like in order to get to my desired bf%, I would actually need to eat more? I have an office job so I don't really move around too much during the day, but I go to the gym 5 days a week for about 1 hour, followed by 10 minutes of cardio each day, so I marked my TDEE activity as light.

For full transparency, here's my diet and workout routine if this helps. I'm really just trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong here.

Breakfast: 324 cal
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 whole wheat English muffin

Lunch: 540 cal
Smoothie -
2 scoops (50g) whey protein
1 cup frozen berries
2 tbsp PB2
1 banana
1 cup almond milk

Snacks: 300 cal
Greek yogurt
Protein Bar

Dinner: ~600 cal
1 Chicken breast/salmon filet/steak
Side of carbs (rice/quinoa)
Side of salad

Total: ~1760 calories
Carbs: 50%, Fat: 20%, Protein: 30%

WORKOUT

MWF:
Bench Press - 3x8
Incline Dumbbell Press - 3x8
High Cable Crossover - 3x8
Low Cable Crossover - 3x8

Dumbbell Shoulder Press - 3x8
Lateral Raises - 3x8
Overhead Barbell Press - 3x8

Tricep Rope Pulldown - 3x8
Skullcrushers - 3x8
Tricep Dumbbell Kickbacks - 3x8

Abs - 10 min
Cardio - Elliptical 10 min

TR:
Lat Pulldown - 3x8
Cable Rows - 3x8
Deadlift - 3x8

Incline Dumbbell Curls - 3x8
Hammer Curls - 3x8
Barbell Curls - 3x8

Leg Press - 3x8
Leg Extension - 3x8
Leg Curl - 3x8

Abs - 10 min
Cardio - Elliptical 10 min

[TolerantLactose]

That routine is... unbalanced. I would suggest changing to a program that pays more attention to your back and lower body.

[xtechnoirx]

im 6ft and at the start of my cut i was eating 2800 cals at 230 lbs and i thought that was strict , im now 196lbs and eating 2600 cals , 1600 feels like starvation if u ask me.

However im in a similar place i know ive lost muscle mass but i hardly see any changes from 230 to 196, my problem is i seem to get thin but not shredded !

[gesten]

Did ur lifts stay the same?

[AdamWW]

Did ur lifts stay the same?

This

[andybb23]

This

For the most part they all increased ~ 10 lbs.

Do I just need to be eating more then? Last time I tried bulking I gained 15 lbs in 4 months, and then ended up looking fat so I’m really trying to avoid that.

[TolerantLactose]

For the most part they all increased ~ 10 lbs.

From what weights to what weights over what period of time?

[AdamWW]

For the most part they all increased ~ 10 lbs.

Do I just need to be eating more then? Last time I tried bulking I gained 15 lbs in 4 months, and then ended up looking fat so I’m really trying to avoid that.

Uhhh...

So you’ve been lifting for a year, and you only added 10lbs on your lifts?

Problem solved...

You don’t build muscle by not getting stronger... and depending on how your intensity changed, you may have lost muscle..

You need to consistently increase the weights you lift

It’s time to stop randomly moving weights and get on a progression plan. How do you expect your body to change if you don’t give it a reason to grow?

[andybb23]

From what weights to what weights over what period of time?

I went from 135 to 155 on bench over the course of 6 months.

But then again, I knew that I was in a defecit and wasn’t necessarily trying to gain muscle. I was just trying to cut fat to lower my bf%

[Ghawk21]

I went from 135 to 155 on bench over the course of 6 months.

But then again, I knew that I was in a defecit and wasn’t necessarily trying to gain muscle. I was just trying to cut fat to lower my bf%

A beginner should go from 135 to 155 in ~ 1month/4weeks(+5/week) not half a year. Your training program is without a doubt the problem.

[TolerantLactose]

I went from 135 to 155 on bench over the course of 6 months.

But then again, I knew that I was in a defecit and wasn’t necessarily trying to gain muscle. I was just trying to cut fat to lower my bf%

At the beginner stages, being in a deficit doesn't matter too much to progress. Your training (based on what you posted above) is quite a bit from optimal for where you are. Too much volume (which impacts intensity) and poor balance.

[AdamWW]

At the beginner stages, being in a deficit doesn't matter too much to progress. Your training (based on what you posted above) is quite a bit from optimal for where you are. Too much volume (which impacts intensity) and poor balance.

While I completely agree, something still seems off... the BF% should have changed somewhat... even if he didn’t get much stronger...

[andybb23]

Uhhh...

So you’ve been lifting for a year, and you only added 10lbs on your lifts?

Problem solved...

You don’t build muscle by not getting stronger... and depending on how your intensity changed, you may have lost muscle..

You need to consistently increase the weights you lift

It’s time to stop randomly moving weights and get on a progression plan. How do you expect your body to change if you don’t give it a reason to grow?

I’ve been focused on progression, but I’m not really getting any stronger to a point where I can increase the weight any higher.

So this seems to be an issue with the training and not so much on nutrition/diet?

Any recommendations for workout plans? I tried SS a few years ago, but ended up going with something else after.

[AdamWW]

I’ve been focused on progression, but I’m not really getting any stronger to a point where I can increase the weight any higher.

So this seems to be an issue with the training and not so much on nutrition/diet?

Any recommendations for workout plans? I tried SS a few years ago, but ended up going with something else after.

Wait... so you're NOT new to lifting?

We need more context about all of this... why did you stop SS?

What is your total lifting history?

[Luclin999]

I went from 135 to 155 on bench over the course of 6 months.

But then again, I knew that I was in a defecit and wasn’t necessarily trying to gain muscle. I was just trying to cut fat to lower my bf%

Benching only 155 pounds at 6' tall and 160 pounds and stalling at that for months even in a deficit indicates that you aren't training properly... At All.

You probably aren't pushing yourself hard enough and/or failing to develop the CMS (mind/muscle) connection needed in the lifts to allow you to push to the point of actual failure.

You need to start (again) on a beginner's program and follow it correctly.

[AdamWW]

Benching only 155 pounds at 6' tall and 160 pounds and stalling at that for months even in a deficit indicates that you aren't training properly... At All.

You probably aren't pushing yourself hard enough and/or failing to develop the CMS (mind/muscle) connection needed in the lifts to allow you to push to the point of actual failure.

You need to start (again) on a beginner's program and follow it correctly.

Yeah, when I was 160 earlier on, I was benching around 200 for 5-6 reps... when I was 170 or so... I think i was able to get 225 for 5



I get the feeling he may just not be pushing hard.

[andybb23]

Wait... so you're NOT new to lifting?

We need more context about all of this... why did you stop SS?

What is your total lifting history?

No, I’ve been lifting 3/days week since about 2015, but have recently increased to 5 days/week since June 2020.

I don’t remember why I stopped SS, I think I wanted more variation. But even so, I just haven’t been able to increase my weight significantly. The heaviest I was able to bench was 165 back when I was 180 lbs last year.

[AdamWW]

No, I’ve been lifting 3/days week since about 2015, but have recently increased to 5 days/week since June 2020.

I don’t remember why I stopped SS, I think I wanted more variation. But even so, I just haven’t been able to increase my weight significantly. The heaviest I was able to bench was 165 back when I was 180 lbs last year.

Yeah something is off here...

What exactly stops you from adding weight?

Are you literally failing? Are you following planned/scheduled progression patterns?


Linear progression shouldn’t top out this quickly.

[andybb23]

Yeah something is off here...

What exactly stops you from adding weight?

Are you literally failing? Are you following planned/scheduled progression patterns?


Linear progression shouldn’t top out this quickly.

I’ve been recording my progression and I mean of course it’s gotten better over the years but just not significantly.

It’s not failing to a point where the weight is falling on top of me, but some days I can lift a heavier weight for a less amount of reps, and other days I can’t match what I did before.

For example, I could probably do 2 reps of 175, but 2 reps doesn’t seem to do much, so I usually revert to something more manageable that I can complete the full 8 reps with.

[Luclin999]

I’ve been recording my progression and I mean of course it’s gotten better over the years but just not significantly.

It’s not failing to a point where the weight is falling on top of me, but some days I can lift a heavier weight for a less amount of reps, and other days I can’t match what I did before.

For example, I could probably do 2 reps of 175, but 2 reps doesn’t seem to do much, so I usually revert to something more manageable that I can complete the full 8 reps with.

Are you stopping because you are hitting a specific number of reps or when your muscles are burning so badly that they feel like they are on fire?

Because the phrase, "no pain, no gains" is a fairly accurate one regarding building muscle past the "beginner" stages (where you seem to have been stuck for over five years now....)

[andybb23]

Are you stopping because you are hitting a specific number of reps or when your muscles are burning so badly that they feel like they are on fire?

Because the phrase, "no pain, no gains" is a fairly accurate one regarding building muscle past the "beginner" stages (where you seem to have been stuck for over five years now....)

It really depends on which exercises I’m doing. So when I was squatting today, I stopped because I noticed my heart rate was pretty high and I felt kinda dizzy/lightheaded.

But on bench, its usually because I just can’t lift the weight for the full amount of reps, so I usually just cut it short.

[Ghawk21]

It really depends on which exercises I’m doing. So when I was squatting today, I stopped because I noticed my heart rate was pretty high and I felt kinda dizzy/lightheaded.

But on bench, its usually because I just can’t lift the weight for the full amount of reps, so I usually just cut it short.

You need to get on a proper program with a progression scheme built in. Take Fierce 5 for example. Detailed progression AND a deload protocol to bust plateaus when you fail lifts. My dude you've been spinning your wheels for years, time to change.

[andybb23]

You need to get on a proper program with a progression scheme built in. Take Fierce 5 for example. Detailed progression AND a deload protocol to bust plateaus when you fail lifts. My dude you've been spinning your wheels for years, time to change.

Does anyone think my lack of progression a result of diet though, and not gaining enough muscle to successfully progress? Or would I be okay with continuing with my 1600 cal diet using a new program?

It just seems like it’s so easy for other people my age to gain muscle. I think a lot of it has to do with me not playing sports growing up and not being conditioned like that, but it’s frustrating.

[AdamWW]

Does anyone think my lack of progression a result of diet though, and not gaining enough muscle to successfully progress? Or would I be okay with continuing with my 1600 cal diet using a new program?

It just seems like it’s so easy for other people my age to gain muscle. I think a lot of it has to do with me not playing sports growing up and not being conditioned like that, but it’s frustrating.

Why would you WANT to eat that little?

And if anything, growing up playing sports would probably make it EASIER to gain.

[Luclin999]

But on bench, its usually because I just can’t lift the weight for the full amount of reps, so I usually just cut it short.

So...no pain, no gains.

If you are just "failing to lift" the weight without feeling any pain in the muscles involved then that typically means that you aren't putting enough effort into it.

Essentially, your "mind/muscle" connection is lacking so you are not able to push the muscles in question to the point of true failure. Overall, you aren't developing the focus needed and probably your form is lacking (allowing ancillary muscles to contribute too much to your lifts).

You really need to just start over with a beginner plan, as frankly five years or not, you are still a beginner as far as your lifts and progress are concerned.

Seriously, I am more than twice your age and yet when I was down at 158 pounds after 5+ months in a deficit I was still benching 190 for 10-12 reps, squatting 250 for 10+ reps and Dead lifting 310 for 8-10 reps.

Now at 165 pounds I am benching 210# again (Squats and DL I am re-building ATM due to a torn tendon back in November.)