Critique for my Training and Nutrition

First off, I’d like to express my sincere gratitude. I joined on June 6, 2007. T-Nation was the best thing that has ever happened to me.

I am looking for advice regarding my nutrition plan and my next training plan.
I am extremely dedicated. Nothing has higher priority in my life at this point.

My history in a nutshell:

  • Until a few years ago, obese - then ran and starved myself to lose 50 pounds
  • “Trained” for about 1/2 year half-ass
  • Found T-Nation and have been training seriously for 13 months now.
    Programs I tried: TBT, QD, BBB, Refined physique transformation, 10-10, TBT again, WM, WM on the Velocity Diet, another cycle wm, WSB, and I just finished Bill Starr’s 5x5 (which I liked a lot).

I just finished Bill Star’s 5x5 program yesterday and re-tested my 1RMs.
Back squat - 275 (slightly below parallel)
Bench press - 195
Bent-over row - 180
Deadlift - 405
Standing press - 135
Chin-ups - 72.5 pound dumbbell

25 years old and 5"7
Current weight: 168.4
Approx body fat: 21% (digital scale)

Off-day Menu:
Meal #1: 4 egg whites, 4 cups 1% milk, banana, 2 slices whole wheat toast
Meal #2: 2 scoops Metabolic Drive, 2 pieces of fruit
Meal #3: 8 oz extra lean ground beef, 4 spoons natural pb, 8oz vegetables
Meal #4: 2 scoops Metabolic Drive, 2 pieces of fruit
Meal #5: 4 whole eggs, can tuna, 8oz vegetables, 1 spoon natural pb
Meal #6: scoop Metabolic Drive, spoon natural pb, 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese

Training-day Menu:
Meal #1: 4 egg whites, 4 cups 1% milk, banana, 2 slices whole wheat toast
Meal #2: 2 scoops Metabolic Drive, 2 pieces of fruit
Meal #3: 8 oz extra lean ground beef, 4 spoons natural pb, 8oz vegetables
Meal #4: 2/3 serving Surge during, full serving Surge after w/ 5g creatine
Meal #5: package brown whole grain rice, 4 cups 1% milk, can tuna, banana
Meal #6: scoop Metabolic Drive, spoon natural pb, 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese

I’m looking for some advice - as far as my nutrition plan,
and what program I should do next. I was thinking of
repeating Bill Starr’s 5x5 again, or doing something to lose
the fat first before continuing. Opinions… ideas?
Looking for a bit of guidance here as far as my next moves. My main goal is strength.

Wow. Still no answer. I guess I’ll weigh in.

  1. Stop using the scale to measure your BF%. It’s wrong. Instead, use a tape measure to measure the circumference around your hips at your belly-button. This won’t give you a number, but it will allow you to track your progress.

  2. You’ve tried enough programs to know what works for you. 5x5 and WS4SB are common to increasing strength, and would be what I recommend. Really though, you probably already know what you want to do.

  3. I would focus on increasing my lifts, especially squat, if I were you. Cutting is faster the more muscle mass you have. I say this not because you should look to gain, but because if your gut reaction to that statement is, ‘yeah, but I want to cut’, then you should get off the fence, drop your calories, and do Waterbury’s Summer Project (8 week cutting program).

  4. If you’re not cutting, eat more. Your diet looks amazingly clean. I would advise more of the same.