How Does This Look For a Mild Cut?

So some brief background before I get into my planned routine. As my profile states, I play sprint football for Cornell University. Sprint football is full contact football, 11 on 11, and so on just with a 172 lb weight limit. In season, in order to play in a given week, I must make two weigh ins, which occur four and two days before the game.

In the offseason I can do whatever I want, and I had decided to clean bulk to 185 and then start a cut in late June/July, given that I have reached this target weight by then. I am currently 185 at a reasonable bodyfat (pictures are in profile for reference) and preparing to cut. I was hoping I could get some feedback on my workout routine and carb cycling so as to maximize my ability to maintain and possibly even gain muscle as I lose fat.

My current stats are:

Height 5’11"
Weight 185

Deadlift: 350x5
Bench: 235x3
Squat: 315x4
Clean: 210x3

All lifts are unbelted, unstrapped, etc etc…

For my routine, I decided to use the fat loss strategy CT suggests in this article: Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION, with some minor adjustments. As of now, it looks like so:

Monday: Heavy Lift (Deadlift 4x4, then a Bench/Fly Pullup/Straight Arm Pulldown circuit, in which I do Bench, fly, rest 2 minutes, Row, SAPD, rest…then repeat this circuit four times) and Alactic training

Tuesday: Complex A from Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION and HIIT

Wednesday: Active Recovery

Thursday: Heavy lift (Squat 4x4, then a circuit of Incline Bench/Cables and Rows/Shrugs) and Alactic training

Friday: Off

Saturday: Complex C from Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION and HIIT

Sunday: Off

For my diet, I am planning on following the carb cycling technique outlined by CT in the following article: Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION. I have created a listing of every food I eat on a daily basis, as well as those I will likely consume more of during my diet to fulfill the given macro requirements, as calculated using my BMR and activity multiplier along with the suggested 10% decrease in caloric intake for an ectomorph attempting to lose weight. My high carb days will be the heavy days, moderate carb days will be the complex days, and low carb days will be my off days.

Any feedback about my program is greatly appreciated, I am very open to advice. After this program I hope to be around my target weight and then start a program heavy on olympic style lifts and plyometrics to prepare me for the upcoming season by making me as explosive as possible.

Let me just say that I realize that in the world of lifting cutting from 185 to a target weight of 176 at 5’11" is not a popular decision, and rest assured, it is not one I would have made was it not for the requirements of my sport. This is not about hawt abz or any crap like that: I could give a rat’s ass about all that. It’s about my sport and that is all.

I think my brain just exploded.

This would have to be the most complicated workout routine I have ever seen.

You are pretty lean, so losing fat and gaining muscle seems a little far fetched, especially when your trying to make weight limits. Unless you want to hang around 6% bf in a full contact sport. Not sure how that would be.

That’s actually the plan right now. I don’t know where I stand body fat wise as of now, but like you said, I’m pretty lean already, so to get down to 176, I’m going to have to be at around 6% or so…

Btw, your avatar is awesome…

Man, if you go to Cornell forget this sprint football nonsense and join an A cappella group. Your School has a rich tradition, take advantage of it.

[quote]WS4JB wrote:
Man, if you go to Cornell forget this sprint football nonsense and join an A cappella group. Your School has a rich tradition, take advantage of it.[/quote]

I would love to and actually my roommate next year is going to be trying out for the Hangovers if you’ve ever heard of them…

The only problem is that I sadly sound like a cow getting a colonoscopy with a rusty metal pole when I sing, which kind of prevents me from doing the whole a cappella unfortunately haha…

[quote]CornSprint wrote:
WS4JB wrote:
Man, if you go to Cornell forget this sprint football nonsense and join an A cappella group. Your School has a rich tradition, take advantage of it.

I would love to and actually my roommate next year is going to be trying out for the Hangovers if you’ve ever heard of them…

The only problem is that I sadly sound like a cow getting a colonoscopy with a rusty metal pole when I sing, which kind of prevents me from doing the whole a cappella unfortunately haha…[/quote]

The Nard-dog would be proud.

[quote]WS4JB wrote:
CornSprint wrote:
WS4JB wrote:
Man, if you go to Cornell forget this sprint football nonsense and join an A cappella group. Your School has a rich tradition, take advantage of it.

I would love to and actually my roommate next year is going to be trying out for the Hangovers if you’ve ever heard of them…

The only problem is that I sadly sound like a cow getting a colonoscopy with a rusty metal pole when I sing, which kind of prevents me from doing the whole a cappella unfortunately haha…

The Nard-dog would be proud.
[/quote]

+1 to me for actually getting the reference

You’ve done your homework. Plan sounds good to me except I slightly prefer the setup CT wrote for FA: http://figureathlete.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/bodybuilding/getting_hypermetabolic

I’ve gotten my best fat loss results with that routine, and friends I put on it have done great.

Carb cycling is also my preferred diet plan, but be sure to make adjustments to the calories if the results aren’t in line with what you expect. Substitute your current maintenance cals if you know it. The Harris-Benedict is just a ballpark estimate to get you started if you otherwise have no idea.

Did some one just get nard dogged on a T-Nation forum?

[quote]andersons wrote:
You’ve done your homework. Plan sounds good to me except I slightly prefer the setup CT wrote for FA: http://figureathlete.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/bodybuilding/getting_hypermetabolic

I’ve gotten my best fat loss results with that routine, and friends I put on it have done great.

Carb cycling is also my preferred diet plan, but be sure to make adjustments to the calories if the results aren’t in line with what you expect. Substitute your current maintenance cals if you know it. The Harris-Benedict is just a ballpark estimate to get you started if you otherwise have no idea.[/quote]

I actually have a pretty good idea of what maintenance is for me right now, and it’s actually right around where my BMR x activity multiplier is, which is kinda convenient. I took a look at that article and will definitely try and incorporate some of the ideas in it, thanks!