Hoping Someone Helps Me Assess My Body Comp


Hello everyone I’ve recently joined the site and I’m very pleased with the info found in here. Basically I’m looking to any experienced lifters, bodybuilders that can assess and guide me a little about how I look. This is a summary of my story.

I started lifting regularly and seriously about a year ago, two years ago I was 290 lbs at 5’ 8" and 22 years old bf% unknown, and I classify myself as an endo. Currently I am 158lbs at 5’ 8" 24 years old. The first year of my diet was very inconsistent and I lacked good knowledge about dieting and exercise and I just crashed diet with very low calorie diets (around 1200-1400 range) I didn’t know anything about consuming more protein or lowering carbs and much less knew anything about nutrient cycling or insulin sensitivity.

A year ago as I said I started going to the gym 4-6 times a week I started a “cutting” diet, meaning more protein and less carbs, worked for a bit but then I read I needed to eat more to bulk a little so I did that last summer between July-October something like that (can’t remember well). So I gain around 7 lbs (from 159 to 166) in 8 weeks but I got a little paranoid because I was gaining a little around the waist. My diet by then was around 2800 cals with most of the cals coming from carbs (around 300g) and protein (240g) and minimal fat (45-50g) that was my bulk then.

Around Christmas 2010 and still doing it am cutting using the destroying fat routine from Christian Thibadeau and macrocycling and carb cycling. Am using more carbs during the day and routine, and less by noon and night (high days up to 220g and low days around 100-110g). Still doing around 250g of protein and depending if it’s a low or high day, I up or cut down fats (between 35g and 50g).

So in conclusion, during these 2 years t has been a great ride to lose all the weight that was affecting my health greatly, when I started researching bodybuilding I knew I wanted to commit to it 100% as a hobby, cause well I’m a pharmacy doctorate student, but luckily I’ve found the time to dedicate 100%. Unfortunately during this massive weight loss I acquire what I think is some loose skin, so please if you can help me assess that, thanks. Also, during this current cutting diet I haven’t had any cheating days. In the past I did have a one each week.

My current supplements:

Dicana (feeling that it works…I think)
WHey
Fish oil
Hemo Rage
Bcaa/glutamine
Super Cissus (knee joint hurting a little)
Casein (during the night)
Multi-vitamin
Sometimes I use 1/2- 1 scoop of Up your Mass for flavor during breakfast/preworkout
During a big carb meal I take some Slin Sane

My measurements: the only one I know is arms which is 15" I’ll try to get the other ones if you request it.

My nutrition in a nutshell:

Carbs for breakfast: usually oatmeal and/or Fiber One cereal with whey and 1/2 scoop of weight gainer ( I do this for flavor, and I use weight gainers with minimal carbs and sugar and fat)

Prewo: Hemo rage

Post: 2 scoops of whey with bcaa and glutamine

Lunch: Carbs like beans and whole grain, sometimes rice. with chiken breast or turkey hamburguers.

Mid-Snack: Turkey hamburguer or chicken breast with some fish oil and green beans or broccoli.

Dinner: Again more chicken with vegetables and some fish oil

Night: Casein and 1oz of nuts or almonds.

My workout routine currently is in the article by CT: War room Strategies for Fat loss
i took away the alactic workout though, but added another cardio session,when I can since sometimes I only do weights due to my busy student schedule.

I’m hoping to continue to cut until Feb 21 and I’ll start another carb cyling diet but with more emphasis on muscle mass, increasing cals up to 3000, cycling with 2300 and 2500 in days with low activity (currently between 1800-2250). I’m thinking about doing the 5 x 5 workout for 6 weeks and then cahnge to a higher volume routine like OVT or GVT.

Also, please try to help me estimate my bf% (sorry for any misspellings, english is not my first language)

Please I hope my post is fine by the rules. I’ll keep posting my pics,above is the first from june 2010 so you can see my progression.

Here’s another from Aug 2010 starting my first clean bulk

Here is another pic from today after training, currently 158 lbs. The next few pics are from today.

This is my most muscular post, sorry for the whole lot of pics I’m about to post. Im trying to follow the rules

This is a right shoulder side view


Left shoulder


Triceps (right one). I’ll post 3 more and if anymore are needed please advice me to do so.


Here is Lat Spread


Here is Back double bi


If any more Leg pics are needed tell me, please. My camera is not that good so this is the best I could get. This is the last one, for now. Please help me assess bf% or if should I bulk or keep cutting. Again I’m a t 158lbs and I’m 5’8, routine and diet are posted in the OP. Really needing help with what I think is loose skin, please give your opinion. Advices are welcomed.

Lifts: (I’m not that strong that’s why I’m considering 5 x 5 for my next cycle around 4 weeks from today)

Deadlift: 185 x 5
Bench: 155 x 5
Squat: 155 x 10 ( I can do more but trying not to go that far due to my sore right knee)

Bump

good job on the weight loss.

and your legs have good shape.

I think you should begin to add muscle. Youre lean based on the apperance of your arms and legs. Your torso is deceiving because of the loose skin. The loose skin will be a problem for a long time, but its not the sort of problem you should dwell on. Accept it, realize that its not a flaw you can realistically deal with in the short term.

Thanks, BONEZ217. I’ve really tried to get over the loose skin, losing 135 lbs is a sure way to get loose skin, it looks. So bf% should be around 15% ?? for what I’ve estimated by my waist size, but I think that’s really inaccurate. So, a routine for mass gain…should I choose high volume like OVT or GVT or something like 5 x 5 to increase my lifts?

any other advice would be very appreciated, thanks

bump

I have to agree with BONEZ217 on everything. You have done a significant job with the weight loss and you must add some muscle to your frame. The loose skin is unfortunate and some of it could tighten up (not sure) if you do add some muscle. It certainly isn’t going to hurt. As far as a program goes, I would just pick one that looks like you would enjoy it for AT LEAST 8 weeks and give it a shot. The biggest problem you will have to overcome with probably be psychological with the amount of food that you will have to eat to see good gains. It is going to take a lot of calories to get your body to grow (correctly) and it might be something you are not used to, or even possibly scared of becoming fat again. Keep a food log and pay more attention to what goes on in the mirror/pics than what it says on the scale.
You have done a great job so far, keep at it. Keep learning and you will succeed bro.

Thanks for those words, Icarus, they certainly help fuel the motivation. I’ll try to put myself into a serious clean bulk and trying not to feel like I’m getting fat, more like a rebirth for a new body.

[quote]demonianray wrote:
Thanks, BONEZ217. I’ve really tried to get over the loose skin, losing 135 lbs is a sure way to get loose skin, it looks. So bf% should be around 15% ?? for what I’ve estimated by my waist size, but I think that’s really inaccurate. So, a routine for mass gain…should I choose high volume like OVT or GVT or something like 5 x 5 to increase my lifts?[/quote]

I’m no expert but i would say if you’re just starting out try 5x5 or something similar to it like this Who Wants to Be a Novice? You Do.

although i wouldn’t follow the nutrition advice in that article because it might set you up for more fat gain and if your main concern is just staying lean and ripped and you don’t really care about how much muscle you gain then choose whichever workout you want

You should be very proud of yourself. Keep up the hard work!

I agree with all before me in saying that you have done a tremendous job of getting your health back on track by losing all that weight.

As for recommendations I think Icarus hit the nail on the head by recommending you try a program for 8 weeks and if it doesn’t give you the results you want try a new routine. With only a year of lifting under your belt you should still be making some significant gains in strength and size so don’t write out your routines weeks in advance you might surprise yourself and become stronger than estimated. At your level of training I would push to lift heavy (5x5) and try to add a little more each week until you stall out.

As for goals you need to decide if you even want mass. Some men look at a XXL shirt as a challenge/trophy they achieved through years of lifting. Others might see a XXL shirt as something they wore when they were someone they don’t ever want to become again. If you have hangups about eating to gain mass or going up in clothing sizes then I would recommend a more fitness based routine.