[Pics] Need overall thoughts on everything and where to go next.

[Prequod]

Stats:

- 30yo
- 5'10"
- 190lb

For the last 10 years have been between 175-195lb or so.

Have always had current body fat %. Looked mostly the same at 175; somewhat more muscular now.

Pictures:

https://imgur.com/a/dJ1Ka

Goals:

- Top priority: more muscular arms/shoulders. Currently 13.5" bicep (12 hours after workout)

- Better chest. I need opinions on this. Lose fat? More muscle? idk. Let me know. I don't especially like my chest, but also don't know what to do.

- Lose 10 lbs. I have never done a purposeful/scientific cut before. Just an arbitrary thing to do in the new year + attempt to cut. Will eat at a deficit. More? Less? Let me know. Will adjust via advice ITT.

- Overall seek to lose bodyfat %, maybe? I'd overall be ok with the "bear" look if I was more muscular. It's not really a goal to have a six-pack. Or do you think I should be concentrating on fat loss rather than muscle building?

- Might be nice for my morale to increase some PRs. Hitting 225 bench, etc.

Program History:

- Circa 2012 attempted Starting Strength program + did SS-like work at the gym. Great for the first couple weeks, then the weights would quickly get way too heavy for me. Felt like arms got very little work. Probably was not eating enough. Failed for many of the same reasons that SS seems to now be out of favor? Bounced around with deloads and such but never really made any gains that I cared about. Avoided "gym bro" stuff like curls due to the prevailing advice to just squat.

- Circa 2014 did Crossfit for 2 years. Enjoyed it but made near zero progress in aesthetics. Never really became strong enough to use RX weights in most workouts. The cardio would leave me in a puddle of sweat on the floor, but never really lost weight either. IDK.

- 2017 Started doing All-Pro based on the thread here. This has been great. Now 6+ months in. My arms are visibly more muscular. The weights I'm lifting are reasonable to do week after week and safe without a spotter. Increases are manageable on the next cycle. Failing at a weight one cycle, then hitting it the next cycle. Have been dedicated, rarely missed a day. Feeling good! This is easily the best/only results I've ever seen from a program.

- Next: I'll either stay with All-Pro, or change to something else based on advice.

Current All-Pro weights (last completed cycle):

Bench 12x150 x2
Rows 12x130x2
OHP 12x90x2
Stiff-Leg Deadlifts 12x150x2
Curls 12x60x2

Diet:

I generally eat home-cooked meats and vegetable.

Working now on getting portions right. Not to say that I binge on things or really over-eat, but I probably have a warped American sense of a "serving". Started weighing things recently. Cut out most alcohol recently.

Since the new year have been tracking calories, although without a set goal yet. Will adjust according to advice ITT.

Currently the tracking app is saying I'm eating 1300 calories or so. Not sure if that is accurate.


Questions:

- Bulk? Cut? Wtf should I be doing for my diet?

- Need a program. Stick with All-Pro? Move to something else?

- Overall aesthetic goals that you think I should attempt.

- Any advice appreciated.

[nightanole]

Id relook into your diet a little. I find it hard to believe you are 175lbs and almost maintaining, at 1300 calories. Thats literally just a chipolte lunch with chips and guac once a day.

Based on your pics you are 18-20%. so using that math, you have a lean body mass of 141.8 LBS. So you are spot on to drop 10lbs to get to 13%. That can be done in 8 weeks without even trying. That will be alot more motivating afterwards, due being able to see muscle size changes, vs your meat tubes getting thicker or thinner.

[aryonoco]

Stats:


Currently the tracking app is saying I'm eating 1300 calories or so. Not sure if that is accurate.

I find it very hard to believe that a 190 lbs man is maintaining on 1300 calories.

I'm 5'11", currently 190 lb, and I'm eating 2300 calories, doing Allpro and some cardio, and I'm losing about 2 lbs a week.

If you're maintaining at 1300, either your metabolism is very damaged, or you are counting incorrectly. More likely the latter.

How are you counting? Are you weighting everything with a scale?

[Prequod]

To be clear the 1300 thing is what I've been doing for the last 3 weeks or so. I was not counting prior to that.

I'm weighing everything with a scale or using full package/barcode.

I'm not positive the 1300 is correct, but I am losing weight.

Jan 03 197 lb

Jan 19 192 lb

Guess I was a bit heavier than the 190 I listed above. (pics were at about 192/193)

[Prequod]

I also missed fairly hard today on many lifts for my 10 Rep All Pro set.

Missed Bench 160x10 set 2 with 7 reps.

Rows 145x10 were extremely heavy, went down after a couple reps due to form.

Got about 5 reps of OHP 100x10 set 2.

I guess that's expected on a deficit? Also a bunch of manual home improvement type stuff this weekend so maybe that played a part.

[aryonoco]

I also missed fairly hard today on many lifts for my 10 Rep All Pro set.

If you are missing the 10 rep week on allpro, you are cutting too hard and losing muscle.

Set a goal for yourself. If you are cutting, set a mid term goal, and then try and lose no more than 1% of your bodyweight a week (0.5% of bodyweight per week is ideal IMO). Up your calories to hit that goal.

[Prequod]

190.0lb this morning

The second day of lifting this week felt much better. Will try again next week for the 10 reps and see how I do.

[SuffolkPunch]

You are trying to lose weight too fast. You don't win a marathon by sprinting off the line.

Try 2300 calories and run that for 2 weeks before deciding if it needs adjusting or not.

Also, you need to check your protein intake. If it's below about 150g a day, that only amplifies the risk of losing muscle.

[Prequod]

Down to 185 this morning

[Prequod]

Down to 178.6 this morning.

[Prequod]

Down to 175; bit of a hard month due to travel. Back at it.

[Fitness0101]

all calories are not equal.

200 calories from a soda or processed sugar junk is NOT the same as
200 calories from broccоli and beef.

The former WILL cause you to gain weight and lose health.
The latter will not.

[CommitmentRulz]

all calories are not equal.

200 calories from a soda or processed sugar junk is NOT the same as
200 calories from broccоli and beef.

The former WILL cause you to gain weight and lose health.
The latter will not.

Not if it is part of a well-balanced diet that is not in excess of their TDEE.

[Prequod]

Down to 168 this morning O_O

I'll post another set of pics tomorrow.

1 week through the Kris Gethin trainer, which I've quite liked.
https://www.bodybuilding.com/workout...th-kris-gethin

I've just done the workouts this week, with a moderately similar diet to what he's using. None of the supplements.

Going to do 2 weeks of these workouts, then be out of town for 10 days. When I get back I'll do the full 12 week program with better nutrition + (off-brand) supplements.

The set workouts + videos in the app are great. Really like this approach to training.

[Prequod]

Update.

This is at ~175lb.

I've lost 20lb over the year since the OP.

https://imgur.com/a/5QDcoah

I'm seeing some encouraging progress in the mirror. Muscles getting bigger. A bit slimmer. Feeling good. Liking the Gethin program I'm in the middle of.

But this is what I mean when I say I've looked approximately the same for the entire past 10 years, 160-200 lbs, weight lifting or not.

I seem to be nowhere near hitting the 13% bodyfat mentioned above if I lost 10lbs.

How low am I going to need to go to see some bodyfat progress? What should my goals be aesthetically and for a program?

Any thoughts very appreciated!

[Prequod]

169lb 5'10"

lost ~25 lb over 2018.

Happy with arms and shoulders. PPL has seemed really good for this. Face looking slimmer. That's great!

Frustratingly though, my overall look / body fat remains relatively the same. Kind of what I was mentioning in the OP. How low do I have to go before I see a change here?

thoughts very appreciated!

running the Reddit PPL for the last 4 months or so https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/com...l_program_for/