Judge My Current Plan

Beginners
#1

I am new to the forums here and if this is the incorrect posting method, my bad.

I have been lifting regularly for about 3 years (at least 3 days a week), and just in the last 2 years I have been working on my very amateur periodization. I wanted to post my current diet and workout plan to see what I should change or what looks good. I was in the military and when I got out I had my test levels checked and they were very low 236 ng/dl. I started trt 3 weeks ago currently on 140mg Test Cyp weekly (2 injections on my own). I plan to do a blast (400mg / Anavar) before the end of this year depending on my body’s response to the current protocol
Size:
6’5" 306lbs approximately 25-30% BF 26 years old

Goals:
“Powerbuilding” I don’t mind being a little fluffy but would like to be about 16-18% BF. Build muscle mass and strength

Diet:

I ran a 18 week deficit (too long i know) of about 500-700 calories and lost about 15 lbs. No strength lost during this time.

ATM I am eating 3600 k/cal daily

Macros F-20 %/ C-40 %/ P-40 %

I eat about 260-280g of Protein mostly wholefoods, I find it really difficult and expensive to eat about 15lbs of chicken a week. I am very strict but my mistakes usually come from not eating enough.

Current Lifts:

Bench- 350
Squat-430
Deadlift- 600

Workout Plan:

My schedule is centered around muscle group / compound movement associated with that group

Sunday:
Chest

Bench: 5x5 80% / 4x12 60% (I just started swapping the 4x12 with Dumbells)
Smith Machine Pec Flys: 4x12
Incline BB: 4x12 70%
Dips: 4x8-10
Cables

Cardio (Boxing) HR 160-170 5x with 2min rest

Monday:
Back

BO Row: 5x5 80% / 4x12 60%
Lat Pulldown: 4x12 / Superset 3 pull-ups (more if i can have a spotter to hold legs)
T-Bar: 4x12
Smith Machine Lat Pulldown: 4x12
Seated Row: 4x12
Back Extensions: 4x12 bodyweight, 25lbs, 45lbsx2

Tuesday:
Shoulders

OVH Press: 5x5 80%
Lateral Raises: 4x12-15/ Superset with shrugs
Seated DB Shoulder Press: 4x12
“Bushwhackers”: 4x12
Reverse Smith Machine Fly: 4x12
Shoulder Smith Machine raises: 4x12

Wednesday:
Legs

Squat: 5x5 80-85% / 4x12 60%
RDL: 4x12 70%
Bulgarian SplitSquats: 4x12
Leg-Extensions: 4x12

Cardio (Boxing) Heart rate 160-170 for 60 seconds 5x 2min rest

Thursday:
Chest 2

Incline BB: 5x5 80% / 4x12 60%
Machine Pec Fly: 4x15-20
Flat DB Press: 4x12
Decline BB: 4x12
Cable Flys

Friday:
Back Heavy

Deadlifts 5x5 85%
FrontSquat 5x5 85%

Biceps

Saturday Rest

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#2

please start a training log. with before pictures. this is going to be fun to watch. Welcome to T Nation

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#3

I just started a log about 4 weeks ago. I’m still learning but Im getting there

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#4

I’m gonna be fair - there is a lot of volume in there. I’m very much a 1 big set them a bit of fluff sort of guy.

If I did 5x5 bench is maybe do incline bench after, flies and one set of cable extensions. That’s it.

This is a great place to start. It’s body building specific. But my advice would be 16 weeks of getting bigger. 16 weeks of getting stronger. And keep alternating.
Or focus your primary lift of these workouts towards lower reps higher weight.
Just make sure you read “Clay Hyght’s 11 principals of bodybuilding” first. So you know how to fit it all together.

#5

Just to pick at one part, if you’re still over 20% bodyfat, I don’t personally think an 18-week deficit is too long; you’ve got enough cushion, so to speak.

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#7

Even at 6’5 thats no bueno i would get down to say ‘only’ 275 and then evaluate

keep the main lift /strength progression the same as thats clearly working and then do something like the assistance work here for the second half of workout


At your age and on TRT you will lose zero muscle and strength, prob put some on even

wouldnt hurt to clean up diet a bit also

#9

It gets frustrating for sure, but you’re nowhere near lean enough that you really have to stress about all the potential negative effects of dieting.

I haven’t looked at your pictures, because I find that forum weird, so this is just a generalization: a 3lbs per inch bodybuilder is freaking jacked; you’d need to lose 75lbs even if we assumed you had achieved a lifetime of muscle gain.

The good news is that you’re already doing all that needs to be done: it’s just lifting, cardio, and good eating habits. The devil is not in the details, it’s in the consistency; I think if you stay the course and check in with us next spring, you’ll blow minds.

Having that kind of timeline expectation should also help from the “extreme” attitude we all tend to get. It does you no good to starve yourself today, because you know you’ll still be at it in October; just string a bunch of good, realistic days together.

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#10

:clap::clap::clap:

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#11

So I’m going to start on monday with this diet and maintain my current lifting plan:

3000 total calories:

300g Protein
300g Carbs
65g Fat

#12

Sounds good! You’ll have to adjust as you go anyway.

I’m certainly no expert, but if it were me, I’d be pretty confident taking my protein down to 225g so my fat could come up to 100g. I think that will make you feel better and give you a broader menu, which becomes important over the long haul.

Edit: also @carlbm pointed out those are low calories. I’m not really opining on that, because I don’t know where you are now. I would consider maybe a little higher calorie and adding in daily walks if you aren’t doing that already; that’s likely to help get things moving.

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#13

You’ll tank and struggle.

Using this info - you need 4500 a day to live. If you eat 3000 you are on 2/3 of your basic needs. you will struggle.
I will suggest 2 option:

  1. Aim for 3500-4000 a day and see where you end up.

  2. Don’t count calories. But do stop eating the crap.

No one is 306lb (138kg) and eating clean. Ditch the fast food, the junk food the sugary drinks. I eat 6 eggs, 500g (1lb) of mince and then another meat dish each day. With my only carbs being bread at breakfast and then rice or potatoes. I’m 5kg (12lb) down in little over a month.
You know how to do it.

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#14

I agree with your general point, but I do think the specific numbers go out the window a bit at higher body weights. In my opinion, and supported by nothing, I think there are some absolute caloric needs that don’t change as one gets heavier, so the relative formulae start overestimating.

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#15

Agree that 15 calories per lb is not so useful after a point.

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#16

When i was on the previous cut that last approximately 16-18weeks I lost 15-20 lbs and was eating 3000-3200 daily. For the last 5 weeks I have been eating 3600 a day and gained about 5 lbs, i weigh every morning before food. I have no reason to lie about this lol.

I eat a very bland diet and that is fine with me. it usually looks like this

Morning:
Black Coffee
Egg Whites 100g
Steak / Chicken 8oz
Cup of Hashbrowns

brunch:
Chicken breast 8oz
cup of rice

Post-Workout
16oz protein shake 250calories 50g protien

Lunch/ Dinnerr:
Breast 8oz
sweet potato / only butter (10g)
Veggie of some kind 1-2cups

Dinner:
Breast / steak 8oz
veggies
rice / rice cakes / premixed pasta 300calories a cup
7 dark chocolate pretzels = 180-190 calories

Protein Shake before bed MRE Lite 2 1/2 scoops
250-280 calories 65g protein 8 carbs

on days that im struggling with my inner fat kid, ill have some Cheetos Rice Puffs 32 ct= 300 calories instead of rice

i only season with a tablespoon of avocado oil for the chicken with some kind of rub or some premixed seasoning

Im also in school and walk about two miles a day (large campus state university) on top of my current workout schedule

#17

So i was eating 225g which was approximately 1g protein to 1lbs of FFM but i am always being told to eat more protein.

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#18

There’s a billion ways to skin the cat. I’m just throwing you my preference. I can’t imagine what that much protein is going to do for you.

It sounds like you already have data on you. If you were losing at 3200, no reason to go lower than that right now - especially since you’re now 5 lbs heavier. Don’t mess with success and all that

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#19

thanks for your response man. I appreciate the input

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#20

Whilst I believe you - it is because so far you have been nothing but polite and respectful. History has taught me:
Having no reason to lie does not mean not lying.
Lots of people THINK they are telling the truth. But are not.

So apologies for this:

As either you have not tanked. Or you are managing the struggle well.

And I would agree that if you know 3000-3200 get you what you want stick to that. There is a theory (one of the million way to skin a cat) that says you should eat as much food as you can - that still lets you lose weight. It looks like 3200 calories is this threshold for you. Keep going.

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#21

thanks for your input. Im going to post a before and after with my training log so I can check it out and you guys can look it over later on. thanks again

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#22

Can i just add, by the way, i’m loving the attitude you’re bringing.

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