'Cutting' Right the First Time

Bigger Stronger Leaner Beginners
1

Alright, this will be the first time EVER that I’ll be cutting the right way.

Age: 18
Height: 5’11
Weight: 240

“Stats” (each as of last week)
Back Squat: 300lbs.
Benchpress: 230lbs.
Deadlift (as of a month ago): 315lbs.

Have already done Starting Strength, bought practical programming for a little help on figuring out how to make my own program etc.

As background info I am pretty sure I have elbow tendonitis (BB benchpress and BB back squat kill my elbows, so I do not do them anymore)

I will not ever be competing, I lift for health and to not be a fat ass anymore. I have been lifting for exactly 1 year now.

Diet will basically be 25oz. of lean meats (be it pork, chicken breast, cube steak), along with veggies and fruit that I can fit with in 2100-2400kcal.

I lost thirty pounds two years ago (went from 235 to 200lbs. in about a month and a half) but I did not lift during that time.

I have NEVER been able to see my abs, so I’m pretty excited to do this (get “ripped”).

Any experiences with cutting or help would be great, and I can provide a link to what my program is in a few minutes when the mods give it the “ok”.

Glad to be a part of T-Nation! Also, I’ll be posting a pic soon enough (with in an hour or two)

2

How many calories do you eat now? You should track your calories without changing anything for at least a month before you start picking out numbers.

3

[quote]K-Man32 wrote:
How many calories do you eat now? You should track your calories without changing anything for at least a month before you start picking out numbers.[/quote]

Well when I was strength training I’d eat about 4000 a day, since that was when parents ruled the roost and we ate a bunch of shit (got MAYBE 120g of protein a day, if that)

I’m choosing 2400 as the rate to go by now, and to get used to eating less I ate 1500kcal this past saturday and sunday.

I went down from 4000 a day to 3000 or so a day, and still have yet to really “lose” weight, although I have yet to gain any either. (been doing this for about a month)

2400 may still be a little high, but that’s the number I’ll be aiming for now.

Sorry, I’m not used to discussing diet (hence why I posted it), so if I missed the point of your post, I apologize haha.

4

I think starting at 2400 would be low to be honest, you don’t wanna play all your cards at once ya know?

Do you track your calories everyday?

5

Yeah, don’t take it down too fast. If you drop cals by more than 15% the body thinks its going through famine and test production will decrease. Take it down about 500 cals every week or every two weeks.

6

I would agree with the other posts on the thread. Slow progress is progress. Make small adjustments to diet (ie: 250 - 500 cal changes) and track progress, modify as required. Good luck.

7

so then from 3000 to 2500?

Also, I’m basically going from fast food everyday (literally) to veggies, fruits, and lean meats with milk. (don’t drink soda).

“Slow progress is progress.”

There’s a reason I test my max weekly and base my worksets off that number :wink:

But alright, alright. I tend to plunge deep into things too early anyways. Just excited, ya know?

Also; Yes I track my calories every day, and they average around 2600-3200, depending on how sparingly I eat with what was laying around the house.

8

I just wanted to point this out… since so very few people seem to bring this up and I think it leads to quite a few people cutting unhappily…

Your lifts are very low relative to your body weight… You may find yourself yo-yo-ing… just something to keep in mind (that you may want to stay at this weight and improve your lifts relative to this weight - a re-comp if you will - to ensure that your strength is where it needs to be for the ensuing cut)

9

[quote]MickyGee wrote:
I just wanted to point this out… since so very few people seem to bring this up and I think it leads to quite a few people cutting unhappily…

Your lifts are very low relative to your body weight… You may find yourself yo-yo-ing… just something to keep in mind (that you may want to stay at this weight and improve your lifts relative to this weight - a re-comp if you will - to ensure that your strength is where it needs to be for the ensuing cut)[/quote]

couple of buddies (well into collegiate studies and years at universities for kinesiology and such) told me that if I ate enough (more than enough) protein, STRENGTH could be gained.

A side note, obviously I do not expect to put on “muscle mass” while cutting.

Also, I’m used to being weak, I’ve been pretty weak regardless of how much I ate. I yo yo almost everyday, but I guess I just don’t see a point in being a fat ass, and then being a STRONGER fat ass.

Again, if there’s some error in my thinking, point it out, just giving my train of though.

I ALSO know that it is easier to lose weight when you move more, and a “re-comp” and getting your strength up THEN cutting is a good idea.

But, I’ve been “getting my strength up” for a year solid. I started losing my strength on bench from back squats (BB irritated elbows, just thought it was a natural thing until about a week ago) and BB benchpress didn’t help the problem. haha.

I am sort of thinking of doing “SS” over again, except this time with DB benchpress and either front squat or leg press, just to get the lifts I care about up and strong along with my back.

Help on this would be wonderful as well.

10

Good luck with the cut my man, I hope it goes well for you.

I’m at 6’1 205, around 17-18% body fat I would guess, and only started to see the faintest outline of abs a couple of weeks ago. My goal is to bring them out for real by the end of July, which also would be the first time in my life.

You definitely have your work cut out for you starting from 240, but I think you’re making the right choice. I definitely look and lift a lot better now that I’m getting rid of that gut.

From my own limited experience doing what you’re doing as a beginner, carb cycling on the starting strength program works phenomenally well and allows for a fare degree of freedom in the diet on lifting days. As a relative beginner I was able to drop fat and increase strength simultaneously for about a month doing this.

The Pulse Fast is also an amazing tool, especially if you want to go to sleep the night of the fast and wake up visibly leaner the next day, which is REALLY fucking cool.

11

Hmmmm, interesting stuff furyguy. This will be the first time eating clean consistantly EVER IN MY LIFE, not including when I was an infant.

And yeah, idk, i don’t care about chicks or what I lift right now. Even when I was six or seven and not “fat” I couldn’t see my abs. Was always just that “bulky” kid haha.

Yeah, goin down from 240 is going to be hell in a hogcart, but I’ve done it before, and this time I’ll be lifting while I do it. hahaha.