Can’t get below 12% bf

[mitchieb123]

Hey guys, first time poster.
Not really an active user at all, but do read as many relative threads as possible.

Straight to the point, I have been training for 2 years now and have hit a confusing stage.
Originally when I first started training, I did a mini bulk at around 15% bf and the shredded down under a friends nutritional advice.
Macro and calorie counting and everything.
I managed to make it to 10% at 69kg 175 cm and was ready to lean bulk.
Unfortunately a lot of things got in the way including a shoulder dislocation, and severe sickness.
I lost EVERYTHING I had worked for.
Whilst recovering, I put on a significant amount of weight, and have fully recovered.
I managed to shred down the weight again, and am sitting at around 12% bf (Caliper 3 point reading) at 73kg or about 160lbs

I am no longer friends with said nutritionist, and have been trying to figure it all out for myself.
I thought i’d gotten along fairly well, but have hit a massive plateau.
My best guess is that my diet is waaaaay off.

Currently carb cycling only high and low days (low days being rest days x 2 )
Of a high day at 2100 cals 184p/184c/70f
And low day of 1600 cals 179p/40c/80f

I honestly have no idea where to go from here as I cannot for the life of me figure out my dilemma.
I am doing cardio, but not too much.
And am doing hiit 2 times weekly.
Trying to preserve what little muscle I do have, so that I can finally pack on some lean gains without a significant amount of fat gain.
I find I’m halfway between an endomorph and mesomorph, more so learning towards endomorph.

Looking for some pointers if possible?

[emergency]

head here https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=173439001 you should be taking in the same amount on a training day or an off day.

[mitchieb123]

Because...?

My body responds well to carb cycling.
Whenever I eat a consistent amount of calories, I plateau through the roof, and find I have less strength.
I got down to 10% last time by carb cycling.
I don’t see why or how that would make a dramatic difference.

[Tellme718]

intermittent fasting. fasted cardio. Stop eating meals. Instead snack many times a day. Srs.

[johnnybutler93]

Do a low carb diet. i did a no carb diet for like 1 month before it was hell but i was shredded and i was also weak AF cause i had no energy. Also man unless you got a dexiscan machine you have no clue what your BF% is. And its also hard to stay shredded year round almost impossible in fact for a natty. just lower your carbs and calories and raise your healthy fats.

[rhadam]

And not a single good piece of advice was seen that day.

[mitchieb123]

Care to partake Rhadam?

[Anthony21]

The question is why are you wanting to get below 12% body fat? Are you competing in some physique competition or bodybuilding show? If not I really see no purpose in getting below 12% personally.

[mitchieb123]

My body is extra sensitive when bulking.

The last time I did a mini bulk, I did it ridiculously clean, and managed to stack on so much body fat, that when I shredded down I had next to no lean gains.
I’m trying to lean right out so I can lean bulk without hitting like 21% body fat so my next shred isn’t as difficult, as I find losing weight to be extremely difficult without losing gains with it.

[SkyFlight23]

Honestly, it'd be a lot easier to stick to a set of calories/macros.
Weigh yourself consistently, average it out, determine if you need to lower your calories/macros in order to drop weight.
If cutting food is not an option, increase your activity level while keeping other factors constant.

[mitchieb123]

Refer to the thread post.
Have been doing so, and have altered macros and calories, but am struggling to break the current plateau.
I’m doing cardio, consisting of 2 hiit sessions a week, and about 3 20 minute steady state sessions a week.
I’m doing 1-2 fasted days a week with a refeed day (basically my cheat day)
My diet consists of wholesome nutritious carbohydrates and lean meats as well as ensuring I hit my micro’s (not tracking, but eating plenty of fresh coloured veg and fibrous greens but obviously not overdoing them)
Only having small amounts of processed sugars at a time as I am aware they’re more likely to be stored as fat than slow burning carbohydrates.
Barely drink, and when I do it’s only one or two beers or wines a week, if that.
Not relying on scales as I’m aware lots of weight changes can be water weight, and lean muscle.

I should of said... I can get below 12%, but only by tarnishing lots of muscle with it to which I do NOT want to do as I don’t have a lot of lean muscle as is.

[mitchieb123]

Is it worth just upping cals and building some more muscle first before trying to cut down to at least 10% first?
Or is there something i’m definitely missing?

[rhadam]

My body is extra sensitive when bulking.

The last time I did a mini bulk, I did it ridiculously clean, and managed to stack on so much body fat, that when I shredded down I had next to no lean gains.
I’m trying to lean right out so I can lean bulk without hitting like 21% body fat so my next shred isn’t as difficult, as I find losing weight to be extremely difficult without losing gains with it.

You aren't "sensitive" to bulking. You didn't eat clean and gain a ton of fat. Really, your entire knowledge of nutrition and physiology is incorrect. Bulking and cutting is simple. There's no such thing as clean or dirty foods. There is simply caloric excess, and caloric deficiency.

Find your TDEE, plan your diet accordingly. Minimums of: .8g-1g of protein per lb of body weight, .45g of fat per lb of body weight. Distribute the rest of your calories as you see fit. Use this simple concept for bulking and cutting. Keep your protein around 1g per lb of body weight and a calorie deficit of 500 calories and you will minimize muscle loss during a cutting phase. Go slow. Same for bulking, 500 calorie surplus.

[bencarpenter]

Hey guys, first time poster.
Not really an active user at all, but do read as many relative threads as possible.

Straight to the point, I have been training for 2 years now and have hit a confusing stage.
Originally when I first started training, I did a mini bulk at around 15% bf and the shredded down under a friends nutritional advice.
Macro and calorie counting and everything.
I managed to make it to 10% at 69kg 175 cm and was ready to lean bulk.
Unfortunately a lot of things got in the way including a shoulder dislocation, and severe sickness.
I lost EVERYTHING I had worked for.
Whilst recovering, I put on a significant amount of weight, and have fully recovered.
I managed to shred down the weight again, and am sitting at around 12% bf (Caliper 3 point reading) at 73kg or about 160lbs

I am no longer friends with said nutritionist, and have been trying to figure it all out for myself.
I thought i’d gotten along fairly well, but have hit a massive plateau.
My best guess is that my diet is waaaaay off.

Currently carb cycling only high and low days (low days being rest days x 2 )
Of a high day at 2100 cals 184p/184c/70f
And low day of 1600 cals 179p/40c/80f

I honestly have no idea where to go from here as I cannot for the life of me figure out my dilemma.
I am doing cardio, but not too much.
And am doing hiit 2 times weekly.
Trying to preserve what little muscle I do have, so that I can finally pack on some lean gains without a significant amount of fat gain.
I find I’m halfway between an endomorph and mesomorph, more so learning towards endomorph.

Looking for some pointers if possible?

Here is my general advice;

- If you aren't losing weight, you are consuming too many calories relative to your expenditure. This may not necessarily be on a daily basis but on a weekly basis, for example if your hypercaloric days are too extreme.
- As you lose weight, the amount of calories you require will decrease. This is potentially compounded by adaptive thermogenesis and decreased NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis). Essentially this means when you weigh less you require less calories, you will burn less calories as a lighter human and you may subconsciously decrease the amount you move outside of the gym e.g. lying on the sofa and watching TV versus standing up and walking about.
- Calipers have a huge margin of error for many reason. Human error is just one of them (I am guessing you aren't someone who has taken thousands of these) and a three point test definitely isn't reliable. The assumption of being 12% body fat may be incorrect. In general people often tend to under report their body fat percentages.
- The aforementioned intermittent fasting and low carb diets should be viewed as tools to control your caloric intake and not necessarily superior. Research on them outperforming traditional caloric restriction and alternative macronutrient ratios is weak. If you find keto diets or IF plans easier to stick to then go for it but I wouldn't recommend striving to be on them under the impression they will significantly improve your results.

Good luck.