Analyzing The Past Years Results:

[AssToGrass]

6' 1" 220 BF 18%
Age 34
Male
Pants - was an easy 34 now back to about a 35.5 Grrrr.
Meso frame - beginning with no muscle mass and a huge gut.
Started off with 6 days long duration, high intensity cardio, 1600 cals and no weights for couple months and went from 225+ to 195 at 22% BF. Lost a lot of muscle mass doing that. Very beginning BF close to 25% or more. Lost almost 20 pounds of lean with that misadventure.

I've done the following in order this last year:

MAX-OT - 5 days
Duration: 8 week cycle and then 6 week cycle.
Diet: Cutting 4-6 meals below maint. 2000 calories. 40,40,20
Cardio: 2xweek exercise bike 30 minutes if I had the energy. Usually not.
Results: Best strength gains. Burned a good amount of fat. Burned out quick though. By week 6/8 was really dragging ass and starting to get sick. Weight at start: 195 BF: 22%
Weight at end: 205 BF: 17%
Lean Gain: 18.05
Fat Loss: -8.05

Abbreviated Training 2xWeek Upper Lower - 2x8-10 reps per bodypart
Duration: 2 Cycles of 6 weeks.
Diet: Cutting 4-6 meals below maint. 2000 calories. 40,40,20
Cardio: 2xweek exercise bike 30 minutes
Results: Did not get burnt out. Body comp went well. Again noob results I suspect.
Weight at start: 205 BF: 17%
Weight at end: 210 BF: 14-15%
Lean Gain: 11.5
Fat Loss: -4.4

5x5 - Did 5x5 on one exercise and then 2 additional exercises for same part 2X 8-10 reps. 4 day split.
Duration: 6 weeks.
Diet: 4-6 meals at maint. 2400 calories. 50,30,20
Cardio: 3xweek exercise bike 30 minutes
Results: Good strength gains. Started to see some size changes in some spots. Some of the same problems as MAX-OT by the end of cycle was really dragging ass. This was a strange cycle for me. Got fatter, seemed to get some muscle size increase but actually lost muscle mass. Hmmm....
Weight at start: 210 BF: 14-15%
Weight at end: 215 BF: 16%+
Lean Lost: -1.05
Fat Gain: 3.95

Abbreviated 4 days a week - Traditional split with abbreviated number of sets - 2x8-10 per bodypart.
Duration: 6 weeks.
Diet: 4-6 meals 400-600 calories above maintenance. 50,30,20
Cardio: 5-6 days a week exercise bike for 30 minutes.
Results: Nothing much except fatness. I blame the diet.
Weight at start: 215 BF: 16%
Weight at end: 220 BF: 18%
Lean Loss: -.2
Fat Gain: 5.2

So in the last year I went from:

Size 40 pants, 225 pounds and 25%+ BF
Size 35.5 pants, 220 pounds and 18% BF

Start Lean 168.75
Start Fat 56.25

End Lean 180.4
End Fat 39.6

Total Annual Lean Increase 11.65
Total Annual Fat Decrease 16.65

Conclusions:

My noob lifting gains are done and were done by the time of my 5x5 program.
When I increased my calories I increased my fat mass.

I did not lose much fat all year but changed my body comp by lean mass gains [muscle, bone, water, etc.] I don't think it was all muscle though.

I'm kind of shocked by the initial lean mass gains but there it is. I know some of you will say bull**** but let's just say within a margin of +5/-5 that's what happened. I'm equally shocked by how much time I've wasted with the last few lifting cycles by screwing up my diet. I'm not sure how by eating more I was not gaining any muscle other than my body was returning to a fat setpoint and decided to put the calories back around my gut.

Considering the lean loss of 20 pounds with my initial diet and cardio foolishness I have essentially reparied that damage and added an additional 11.65 pounds of lean over and above from where I was before any kind of exercise or diet. Just think how far along I would be if I had known better. Oh well. Live and learn.

Taking my initial cardio and diet misadveture out of the picture and just going from when I started with weights I have achieved the following:

Lean Gain: 28.3
Fat Loss: 3.3

Again I have not lost a lot of fat here but have changed my body composition by lean mass gain. The appearance difference between 195 at 22% and 220 at 18% is significant in how I carry it on my frame.

GOING FORWARD:

My goal is to aggressively target fat loss. 220 pounds is not an uncomfortable weight for me but 200-ish would feel better. 18% BF is too high however and I am shooting for 12% by the end of May with no lean mass loss. So I will need to do the following:

Start: 220 18% 180.4 Lean, 39.6
Goal: 205 12% 180.4 Lean, 24.6
Fat Loss: 15 pounds.

This will be a significant challenge for me as it will require my body to do what it has not wanted to do all year and that is drop fat mass. It was OK with putting on lean but it really wants to hang onto the fat. Not to mention that I'm looking to lose as much fat mass in the next 8 weeks as I have lost over the entire last year! Can it be done? I hope so.

In order to achieve this I think I have learned the following lessons in regards to me. Hopefully I am seeing things clearly. Please do chime in if you think I am drawing the wrong conclusions.

1. Cardio is not king for me. Diet is. Even with 6 day a week cardio during that one cycle eating above maint. calories resulted in fat gain and a little muscle loss. You cannot do enough cardio to compensate for eating too much. Not possible. Enregy in -Energy Out. Duh on me. "Gee I'll eat more to build muscle and then kill the fat with lots of cardio." Wrong.

2. 50,30,20 is no good for me. 40,40,20 is good for me. My maint and cutting calories are probably too high. I think that those John Beardi articles that say to eat like 3600 cals as maintenance are full of ****. Yes even the article with the cals based on your current weight and BF%. I think maintenace for most guys over 30 who work in an office all day is 2000-2200 cals a day. No I have no science to back that up. Just a hunch.

3. Moderate Volume and High Intensity burns me out. Low Volume with High Intensity is no problem. The controlled periodized intensity of the 5x5 did not seem to bother me too bad until the end.

4. It's very hard for me to interpret which lifting program was best. I felt I was getting somewhere with 5x5 but the results say not. I consider MAX-OT and the first abbreviated program all noob gains. I could have done any kind of program and gotten results. I chalk up the last cycle's results to too much cardio and too many calories.

5. I respond as is typical to certain rep ranges. 4-6 gives me strength and 8-10 was starting to put some size to the muscle bellies or so I thought. Very hard for me to say for sure on that one other than going by appearance.

PROGRAM

For diet I am going with 10X bodyweight 40/40/20.
I will have to closely monitor BF% to make sure I am not having a repeat of the lose lean and gain fat syndrome. I'm also going to stop taking so much whey and eat more real food. I was getting close to 800 of my cals from shakes - no good.

Weights: Abbreviated Program M,T-TH,F Chest-Tri, Legs : Back-Bi. Shoulder, Abs I'm also going to decrease rest intervals from 3 minutes to 1 minute. I will have to check the ego and drop the weights quite a bit at the beginning.

Cardio: 3 times a week - going to try jumping rope for 4-6 3 minute rounds.
I have become totally resistant to the exercise bike. I have to be in the 85%-90% zone for 15 minutes to get a sweat going.

The key to this fat loss will be diet, diet and diet. Cardio will help general health and will burn some cals, the weights will hopefully be enough to keep my lean mass stable without burning me out.

If you read this far God bless you. Feel free to share your thoughts. Thanks.

[GameDayDog]

Actually, I read the entyre thyng.. what scares me - is that I understood it...

What confused me was that you gained a lot of muscle & weight whyle u were cutting... Even for newbie gains...

MAX-OT - 5 days
Duration: 8 week cycle and then 6 week cycle.
Diet: Cutting 4-6 meals below maint. 2000 calories. 40,40,20
Weight at start: 195 BF: 22%
Weight at end: 205 BF: 17%
Lean Gain: 18.05
Fat Loss: -8.05

In fact, you went from 195 back up to 220 whyle you were cutting the entyre tyme??? I guess you really lost a lot of muscle doing that initial cardio.. but I'm not really a numbers person...

Where's The Pics!!!!

Peace..~G

[Most Muscular]

6' 1" 220 BF 18%

For diet I am going with 10X bodyweight 40/40/20.

The big error I see is your 10x bodyweight diet. That is wayyyyy to low.... no wonder you found yourself dragging. With an increase in calories and some cardio you should be able to build some muscle and maintain a lean physique at the same time. Don't starve yourself.

[Fluff]

[fitnessman]

The big error I see is your 10x bodyweight diet. That is wayyyyy to low.... no wonder you found yourself dragging. With an increase in calories and some cardio you should be able to build some muscle and maintain a lean physique at the same time. Don't starve yourself.

10 times total BW is pretty standard for cutting. You will get weak and drag and gain little muscle, but such is cutting.

If you drag too much an increase to 12 may be in order.

[A.FreeRadical]

Hi AssytoGrass,

I agree with your analysis and your approach. Diet is very important. I think the key is to find out what your real maintenance caloric input level is. To do that may take 2-3 weeks. Take the time and make small adjustments until you find that spot. My maintenance level turned out to be 12 x my body weight. That is including 6 workouts and 3 x cardio per week. You can eat at 10 x your body weight for starters and see if you lose and how much. Then adjust. I can't overstate how important this step is.

Yes, it is diet of calories in and calories out. Don't underestimate the importance of the quality of your diet. If you are serious about your goal, you have to eat very clean. 5-7 meals per day, drink plenty of water. protein in every meal. Carb up around your works (before and after). Get essential fatty acids. Don't be afraid of eating fats, just watch the bad fats.
(Are you pre-diebetic?)

I think, given your resistance to drop fat, your May deadline is a pipe-dream. I am about the same point as you are. I have transformed my body and the noobe gains are over. I got to about 10%bf and my body refused to give up any more fat. Every recent attempt effected muscle loss, not fat loss. I am bulking now to try to raise my metabolic rate (and to do some serious muscle building). The only way you could get to 205 with no muscle loss by the end of May is to lose 2 lbs of fat per week, every week. I think you will spend 2 0r 3 of the weeks just finding your sweet spot and you will be lucky to average 1 lb loss per week. I may be way off base. I hope can prove me wrong. Don't go into this with expectations that end in frustration. It took you a long time to put on those extra 16 lbs of body fat. Allow yourself all necessary time to get rid of it.

If you know Max OT, that would be good program for you. You could modify it to 6-8 reps if that works better for you. I do that from time to time to shake things up. The principles are sound. Weight training is not going to put on much muscle during this cut. It will help you maintain the muscle you have.

I got most of my fat loss by good diet and brisk walking every day. Until last November, I walked at least an hour every day. Some weeks, I walked 30 miles. High intensity cardio is good for the heart, but it hasn't helped me lose any fat. I am going back to walking since the weather is getting nice again.

That is what I have for starters.

*
aA.FreeRadical a
Visit my plan for 8% bf http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=382697

[Most Muscular]

10 times total BW is pretty standard for cutting.

Maybe in your world 10 times total BW is pretty standard but I still think it is way too low especially if a person is also doing cardio. In all of my diets I have never approached that level... I would think you'd lose weight, but a lot of it would be muscle mass.

[fitnessman]

My world and about everyone else. 10 no more than 12 for a cutting diet. But hey if you can get away with more great!

You may search this site and find many people who agree. There is wanting to get lean, and getting lean. A big difference.

[Intenceman]

Being over 40 or more and different bodytypes have to be factored in. I gain on about 10x BW- but my offseason was 240 -255 so that was 2400-2550 cals which makes it fairly high. I am - have been cutting on 1700 daily average- and even with cardio in the mix its taken over 12 weeks jus to hit the point I'm getting cut. Ectos- mesos and endos- TOTALLY different in their calorie srequirments- unlike muscle growth stimulation which is about the same

Peace,
James

[fitnessman]

Being over 40 or more and different bodytypes have to be factored in. I gain on about 10x BW- but my offseason was 240 -255 so that was 2400-2550 cals which makes it fairly high. I am - have been cutting on 1700 daily average- and even with cardio in the mix its taken over 12 weeks jus to hit the point I'm getting cut. Ectos- mesos and endos- TOTALLY different in their calorie srequirments- unlike muscle growth stimulation which is about the same

Peace,
James

James...WOW....You gain on 10 cals? Amazing bro

[Intenceman]

James...WOW....You gain on 10 cals? Amazing bro

mind you thats a slow steady gain- like 1-2 lbs a month. I dont get fat til I get up close to 2800-3000 average for a . I rarely go over 3000.
peace,
James