first cutting cycle.

[ddx]

i'm 81kg(around 178lbs), 185cm(6'1'') and i think somewhere between 15-17% bodyfat. i've been seriously bulkin since february and i did put on around 28lbs(i was 68kg-150lbs). mostly was muscle, but i did gain some 6-8lbs good ol' fat :)

today i've started a cutting cycle(my first) and need some observation from you guys.

here's how it goes:
i'm following a low-carb diet(i think i wasnt disciplined and experienced enough for keto), caloric intake around 2000-2200 with 200g protein, ~150carbs and ~50 fats. i guess i got to work more on less carbs and more fats. when i was bulking i ate around 3000-3200kcals.

here are my meals for today:

8.30-cuts
9.00-8oz milk+1 scoop ultra whey pro+50gr oats+2 egg whites + pak
10.15-nitro
10.30-11.15 workout
11.20 torrent
12.20 cooked food(carrots,beans + lean beef)
14.00-cuts
14.15-14.35 HIIT session(30:30 ratio - 6 times)
14.50 - 2 scoops whey pro
16.00 - cooked food(carrots,beans + lean chicken)
19.00 - 3 scrambled eggs + 1 can of tuna + 2 tbsp of pb
22.00 - milk & egg + flex

i drink ~1 gallon


this will be my diet for 4-6 weeks(give or take some kcals).

i'll do 3 HIIT sessions + 2 slow cardio(30 min stationary bike). my workout is #3(4 days a week). my full rest day will be wednesday, and my 2nd cardio off day will be monday(when i do legs).
big question: should i do cardio first thing in the morning or should i leave it after the weights? for example, tomorrow is shoulders+triceps session and i'm wondering how is more efficient:30min morning cardio and after ~2h go hit the weights, or weights first and after to do 15-20mins some sort of cardio(incline walking, running or bike)? the same question is for hiit.

my goal is to get somewhere around 11-13% bf, the mirror is the only thing that counts.

current stack: cuts,pak,flex,nitro,ultra whey pro, milk&egg, torrent and cla.
should i leave torrent out and slip nitro pwo? i want to trim as musch as i can with my first cutting cycle(i dont think i want to do 2 cycles on animal cuts)


waiting for any suggestions, because i know i've slipped in some mistakes. i know i prolly should have left the cutting for 200lbs+ put the luv handles and gut became a constant stress for me. i had huge mood swings when i was bulking(somedays i felt ok, somedays i felt fat and bloated.)

by the way, because of my stats above, should i use only 1 pack of cuts/day?

this is my first day with cuts(new formula) and today's workout was outrageous.. the pumps where incredibile. i didnt feel so pumped and energized on animal pump :)

peace,
dragosh

[ddx]

here's what i ate today:
8:00-cuts
8:30-8oz milk +50grams oats+1 scoop ultra whey pro + 2 tbsp pb + pak
10.00-nitro
10.00-11.00 workout
11.00-11.20 fast incline walking(bpm around 150)
11.30-torrent
12.30 - cooked food(beef + beans)
13.30-cuts
15.00-1 scoop whey with water
16.00 - 150 grams lean chicken + 100grams veggies(beans + carrots)
18.00 - 100grams cottage cheese(13gr protein, 1 gr carbs, 2gr fat)
20.00 - 5 egg whites + 2 tbsp pb
22.00 - milk & egg

how does this sound ? hope you'll find time to reply to my first post as well.

by the way, this is becoming a journal, so it would be very nice to move the thread to where it belongs.

[On Letting Go]

Not trying to be a dick, but i feel like you need someone to talk some sense into you.

You are 178lbs and have a LOT more growing to do before you worry about cutting down. The whole point of cutting is to reveal musculature, but at 6'-1" and soon to be 160 if you cut... its safe to say that you wont have much musculature to speak of.

If you want an impressive physique, you need to keep eating and improving all your lifts to gain more muscle. Eat well up to and over 200lbs, build yourself a solid foundation of muscle, then worry about refining it.

YES, EATING YOUR WAY UP TO 200lbs WITHOUT BECOMING A FAT SLOB WILL TAKE TIME. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR; REFINE YOUR DIET, CUT-OFF CARBS, DO MORE CARDIO, WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO DO TO KEEP FAT GAIN TO A MINIMUM. BUT DO NOT FALL VICTIM TO THE CUTTING CYCLE BULLSHIT UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY DEVELOP THE MUSCULATURE TO WARRANT IT.

WELCOME TO BODYBUILDING.

[OklahomaMuscle]

Ok I think On Letting Go is onto something by saying you will need to add some muscle before doing a legit cut, as a tall guy like yourself I can't imagine being 160 without feeling almost sickly... one thing to think about as well. The visual difference in 15%bf and 11% bf will be slim to none, seriously. For example I recently did a contest diet and cut from 255 to 203 went from close to 16-17% bf down to about 9% and even then the visual changes as far as definition "cuts" are not that extreme(pics are on the site). In the end it's a personal choice as nobody can make the decision for you, however at your height adding some legit muscle will make you feel/look better than trying to get super lean. if you are serious about cutting there are a few dietary changes you can make, but they will not be fun, especially if you only want to diet for a few weeks...

[ddx]

i know you are both right. On Letting Go, i share your thoughts and as i said in my first post, i know i should've left the cutting for 200+, but i went this road because being lean was always a utopia for me and i never really did it, and i think now is the time. i aint doing this shit for pussy, for showing some abs at the pool or something like that, i'm only doing this for my ego and for my state of mind.

the main reason was my gut and handles which became unbearable(at my weight, i had a 34' waist) and i also have all the time in the world to work my way up to 200+. i'm only 20.

on the other hand, isnt bulking with 10-11%bf better then bulking from 16%? i think its more efficient to bulk when you dont have a good amount of fat on you because you get to see immediatly if something is going wrong and you should lower your kcals or do more cardio.

i really appreciate your critics, and keep them going. everybody's 2cents are wellcomed.


peace,
dragosh.

[Dr.Platypus]

Oh man. I don't even know where to start here. You can not cut and still drop some of that bodyfat, or hold that bodyfat pretty steady and continue to add muscle.

[Dr.Platypus]

I'm worried you're just gonna make yourself skinny and weak, which is going to make it really hard to bulk.

[OklahomaMuscle]

i know you are both right. On Letting Go, i share your thoughts and as i said in my first post, i know i should've left the cutting for 200+, but i went this road because being lean was always a utopia for me and i never really did it, and i think now is the time. i aint doing this shit for pussy, for showing some abs at the pool or something like that, i'm only doing this for my ego and for my state of mind.

So by this I'm assuming you dislike being "fat" and want to be lean and have abs and such? That's cool but as crazy as it sounds you gotta have some pretty good muscle to get the look I think you're after. You are doing this for a "look" correct? I've read nothing about goals to compete or anything...which is cool just need to know where you're trying to get



the main reason was my gut and handles which became unbearable(at my weight, i had a 34' waist) and i also have all the time in the world to work my way up to 200+. i'm only 20.

If your gut is that "unbearable" then go ahead and change up your diet but at your height weight and ESPECIALLY your age I'd still concentrate on trying to add some muscle while trimming a bit of fat. I was built very similar to you when I was your age (heavier but similar) and I always wanted that 6-pack and the works, but I now realize I needed to add some muscle as when I dieted down I only lost muscle and eventually looked even worse.



on the other hand, isnt bulking with 10-11%bf better then bulking from 16%? i think its more efficient to bulk when you don't have a good amount of fat on you because you get to see immediately if something is going wrong and you should lower your kcals or do more cardio.

Not entirely your Testosterone is typically highest at a bf level between 12-15% thus making it easier to add weight. Honestly though take it from someone whose been in that bf range recently, I can see very little difference in my physique from 15%- 11%

I hope I've addressed some of your questions, in the end YOU gotta make the final call as to who/what you want to be. If you want to keep trying to cut I'd drop the Torrent save it for bulking. I'd also lose the milk as dairy makes me hold water and junk. I'd also try and eat more protein as opposed to drinking it in a shake, those are changes I'd make personally to the plan you laid out. Most importantly you gotta figure out how your body works and what works best for you, take it slow and learn as you go...good luck

[Dr.Platypus]

OKMuscle is givin' you hell of good advice.








Go Longhorns

[Joseph V]

im 5'8..183 pounds..10% bodyfat but im just gonna say what worked for me ..


i basically ate anything that was high in protein and moderate in carbs,..and a natural supplement that really helped me was animal omega, and animal pak..

[Joseph V]

im gonna max out at 5'10 in height according to the doc,..that said and done..my weight i would like to achieve one day ( and if the doctor is right..) would be 220 of quality muscle..because personally i hate the hell out of somwbody who looks big but in reality hes holding a shit load of water under that

[violator]

.... in the end YOU gotta make the final call as to who/what you want to be.... Most importantly you gotta figure out how your body works and what works best for you, take it slow and learn as you go...good luck

quality!