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Pick a goal, fat loss or muscle gain. Eating 4000calories of clean food isn’t usually the way for many people to recomp.
I, Bodybuilder is more of a method to teach CT’s ideas on repetitions and activation. I think the ideas are better used in a different set up and you should exhaust simpler methods before using that program.
[quote]tuc45234 wrote:
Are you telling me that I need to consume a good amount of calories (about 4,000) but of the right food to maintain weight but lower body fat%? Also, ‘its_just_me,’ what are your thoughts on the I, Bodybuilder workout? I did read all of if but I’m sure you have a better understanding.
Thanks to all
CJ [/quote]
Only reason for the higher recommended intake (4000 cals) is because the workouts are frequent, and set/rep volume is pretty high (so overall volume is pretty high). Keeping volume high (and intensity medium) will ensure that the calories go to all the right places. BUT, that is just a safe starting point based on my experience (I have a very fast metabolism); you will be different and will have to adjust accordingly (likely downwards if bodyfat stays the same).
It’s always better to over-estimate to start with than underestimate because like I said, food increases testosterone (which increases fat burning), and lifting does this too…if your over-all lifting volume/intensity is too low, then anabolism lowers, you will have to lower food intake in order to lose fat (which makes testosterone/metabolism lower) = not good.
If you don’t eat enough, testosterone/metabolism lowers, recovery goes down, and there’s lack of intensity/training capacity in the gym = mediocre fat loss.
So to re-iterate, always start off at the higher end first (volume high, calories high), which will keep fat burning and muscle building testosterone high, then lower volume/food accordingly…that is, according to your weekly stats like the scales and callipers.
As for the I bodybuilder program; it’s for advanced lifters who maybe have hit a brick wall - it helps to kick-start mass/strength gains again. It is for gaining phases - you would never go on a program designed for mass/strength while eating for fat loss. You specialise on bodyparts on each phase (this works better for advanced lifters because they’ve reached more of a peak on how much mass overall they can add).
Just keep your routine basic (e.g. the 3 way), and hammer away on it. I know it’s tempting but don’t get distracted…still plenty gains left for you 
Worse thing you can do is changing exercises/routines every month and not getting that strong on them. There’s nothing magical about lifting, get strong with decent set/rep volume, take care of the diet and gains will come.
For diet, keep the minimum levels of protein/carbs and reduce either fat or carbs (depending on if on a high fat or high carb diet) if fat levels have stayed the same.
Minimums:
Protein = 1.5g/lbs bodyweight
Carbs = 1g/lbs bodyweight
Fat = at least 15% of total calories
Example:
On predominantly fat diet - bodyfat still the same, so lower fat in food by 50g (450 cals)
On predominantly carb diet - bodyfat still the same, so lower carbs by 125g (500 cals)
FTW, I do a high fat diet with the above minimums for carbs/protein. Cheap food including cream and whey protein.
I wouldn’t be that concerned about fat (squishing all the fat out your meat) - you’re not preparing for a show lol
Wow…I could write for Scotland 
I’m fluctuate between 184 and 188 so my intake would be about 275g of protein/day, 185g of carbs/day? I don’t understand how I would regulate fat %. Could you explain? I’m gonna start to write up a diet and keep all the calories, protein, ect written down.
Would you suggest investing in a fat caliper? Nothing motivates more than results.
In “The Perfect Rep,” CT explains how to get the most out of every lift. Should this explosiveness be a focus of every weight lifter?
Here is the workout I’ve been doing for a couple months. Reps are between 8-12. Sets from 3-6. About 20 mins of cardio on the bike 3 days a week:
MONDAY (CHEST)
A)Barbell Floor Press
B)Dip (Forward Lean)
Incline Dumbbell Press
Cable Flys
Low X 20
Med X 20
High X 20
100 pushups
TUESDAY (ARMS)
Biceps/Triceps
A) Barbell Bicep Curl
B)Dumbbell Curl
A)Standing Dumbbell Hammer Curl
B)Cable Curl
A)Unilateral Overhead Dumbbell Extensions
B)Reverse Cable Extensions
Skull Crushers
WEDNESDAY (LEGS)
A)Front Squat
B)Dumbbell Jump Squat
A)Power Clean from Hang
B)Calf Raises
Romanian Dead lifts
THURSDAY (Shoulders)
A)Standing Push Press
B)Seated Dumbbell Military Press
A)Pin Press
B)Unilateral Dumbbell Side Raises
A)Overhead Face Pulls
B)Barbell Upright Rows
C)Unilateral Dumbbell Front
FRIDAY (Back)
A)Barbell Bent over Rows
B)Cable Rows
A)Bent over Eagle
B)Overhead Front Lat Pull-downs
Abs(Wed., Fri.)
1 min plank
Sprinter Sit ups X 20
V-ups X 15
Toe Touches X20
I go through this twice
1 min plank
Your diet depends on how you’d prefer to eat (predominantly fat or carbs). You said before that you eat predominantly carbs, so if that’s the case, then don’t worry about the minimum value for carb intake, just make sure protein and fat don’t get too low, and fill in the gap with carbs.
For simplicities sake, lets just say that on a predominantly carb diet, you’d need somewhere between at least 60-100g of fat in your diet which is around 15-20% if you ate between 3000-5000/day. This is nothing that you usually consciously need to think about since it usually works out this way unless you’re eating crap, or squeezing all the fat out your food
So assuming your fat intake would be around 80g for every 4000cals you eat, and protein is 275g, this equals 1800 (809 + 2754) which leaves 2200 left for carbs (2200/4 = 550g) to get to 4000 cals/day.
To be honest though, I wouldn’t be overly concerned about the exact ratios like that (the above ratio is something like 55%c/30%p/15%f), just keep to the minimums, and increase portion sizes when bodyweight doesn’t go up. You and your friends/family will thank me for it later
Switch to that 3 way I gave you and you’ll train bodyparts more frequently which’ll help you build more muscle compared to fat next time you bulk, and also will help you lose more fat while you ‘diet’/recomp.
Yes, like the “perfect rep”, reps should be done quickly; burst up, and controlled on the way down (not slowed down a lot, just controlled so that momentum is taken out). This is the way most bodybuilders lift.
[/quote]As for a lifting split, simply follow a good 3 way split. A 3 way split done 6 days per week will train bodyparts twice a week (which many feel is necessary for newer lifters, and/or those wanting to trim). A 3 way split could look like this:
Mon - Push
Tue - Pull
Wed - Legs
Thu - Push
Fri - Pull
Sat - Legs
Sun - Off
Do two exercises per bodypart, and split them over two days so that you’re doing one exercise per bodypart per day.
Examples;
Mon = Flat bench press (overall chest), Thu = Incline bench press (upper chest).
Tue = Row (back thickness), Fri = Wide pulldown (back width)
Mon = Triceps pushdowns (overall triceps), Thu = Hammer grip triceps extensions (long head)
Tue = Barbel curl (biceps overall), Fri = Hammer grip curl (long head)
Wed = Deadlifts and 1 small leg exercise (e.g. leg extension), Sat = Squats and 1 small leg exercise (e.g. leg curls)
The reason why you split up the exercises like this is because you don’t want too much training volume in each session since you’ll be training frequently and need to recover quickly. There is some over-lap, but because the workout volume is pretty low this shouldn’t affect performance too much.
Do 3-4 maximum effort sets per exercise. Keep the rep range within 6-12 reps, so if you “failed” at 6 reps on one set, you’d lower the load by about 10% to get 6+ reps on your next set.[/quote]
From what you said about the 3 way split, I should only have 2 exercises a day, 6 days/ week. This will call for a high calorie intake because of the high training volume. Should I implement cardio 3 or 4 days out of the week? And if there is cardio, will this up the calories?
How exactly can you regulate carb intake? I know you’ve got bread, oats, and grains. Is that what I should be aiming for? Also, just plain chicken breast for the protein stacked with Whey before/after workout?
Thanks to all (its_just_me)
CJ
[quote]tuc45234 wrote:
From what you said about the 3 way split, I should only have 2 exercises a day, 6 days/ week. This will call for a high calorie intake because of the high training volume. Should I implement cardio 3 or 4 days out of the week? And if there is cardio, will this up the calories?
How exactly can you regulate carb intake? I know you’ve got bread, oats, and grains. Is that what I should be aiming for? Also, just plain chicken breast for the protein stacked with Whey before/after workout?
Thanks to all (its_just_me)
CJ
[/quote]
Well you’d have 3-4 exercises per workout.
Example:
PUSH day (1)
-Flat bench
-Shoulder press
-Dips (for triceps)
PULL day (2)
-Barbel row
-Face pulls (rear delts)
-Barbel curl
LEG day (3)
-Squat
-Leg curl
-Stiff legged deadlift
-Calf raises
Then for the next few days (Thu-Sat) you’d do the same bodyparts but a different part of the muscle - like if you did flat bench on Mon, you’d do incline bench on Thu.
Generally, for routines this high in volume you wouldn’t need cardio as well, but this depends on your genetics. Best thing to do is just lower calories little by little each week until you’re getting leaner (without dropping too much bodyweight). It would probably be over-kill to add cardio to this amount of training volume. If you’re above 10% bodyfat, you don’t usually need too much cardio (if any) to get a good recomp (so long as you’re training/exercising over 5 hours per week).
Chances are that the calorie intake you’re on just now will allow you to lose fat on this routine. If in doubt, just eat according to your appetite. To be honest, I find the easiest time to not have to count calories as much (if at all) is when recomping…your metabolism regulates what you need to maintain your weight.
For your menu, simply find meals that you enjoy and taper them a little more for bodybuilding (likely you’d have to add protein). Most people’s favourite meals have carbs in them (potatoes/pasta/rice dishes etc) so it’s not that difficult to get a certain amount in…protein’s the hardest/most expensive one. When I used to be on a high carb diet, I used to make shakes up by blending oats/milk/whey…its pretty thick/bitty but it gets the job done.
I prefer just to use the whey peri workout. It’s quicker and cheaper. Your protein sources shouldn’t be something you agonise over, just get it in. Same with everything else, as long as it’s not too much crap (e.g. sugary rubbish).
I had gotten this diet from a friend studying for nutrition at University of Delaware (USA). It was based upon my goals and of course, weight (185 lbs). Tell me what you think of this diet:
Breakfast:
3 eggs Whites
1 Slice Whole Grain Bread
8 oz. Skim Milk
Orange
Lunch:
Tuna Salad
2 Slices Whole Grain Bread
American Cheese
Banana
Dinner:
6 oz. Chicken Breast
Rice
Lettuce
Snacks B/w the Day:
Skim Milk
White Bread
Peanut Butter
Cantaloupe
Carrots
This all adds up to about 2100 Cals. Which would supply me with 155g protein, 228g of carbs, and 71g of total fat. This all carries a hefty load of essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. This diet was configured only with my body weight in mind, not the fact that I would also have a heavy workout load also. This gives me a 500 cal window every day and will increase with optional cardio as you stated.
Looks solid.
Make sure you do actually eat at least 500 cals on top that though…like I said, these workouts will really speed up your metabolism (you don’t want to catabolise muscle).
If you find strength dropping and/or energy really bad, then lower training load/volume for about a week. If this happens like every 4 weeks or less (i.e. too often), increase calories slightly.
Every 12 weeks, take a break from dieting and eat a little over maintenance (keep bodyweight the same or slightly increase it for a month).
You should at least be able to maintain your strength while slightly leaning up - it’s only when body fat’s in the single digits that your strength is effected (mainly due to extreme calorie restrictions).
Sounds good! I’ll be starting the workouts on Monday (3 split) and I’ve already been dieting for the last 2 week and it feels like I’m down to 182 (I need a new scale)! So we’ll see what happens. I’m sure there will be more questions along the way. I’ll keep you posted on the progress. Maybe a post everyday. We’ll see.
Thanks for everything,
CJ
[quote]tuc45234 wrote:
Sounds good! I’ll be starting the workouts on Monday (3 split) and I’ve already been dieting for the last 2 week and it feels like I’m down to 182 (I need a new scale)! So we’ll see what happens. I’m sure there will be more questions along the way. I’ll keep you posted on the progress. Maybe a post everyday. We’ll see.
Thanks for everything,
CJ[/quote]
No problem
So I’ve been dieting for the last 2 weeks, and have stuck to the diet 100%. I’m starting the split workout on Monday. Even without the workouts beginning yet, I have noticed a drop in fat. Veins have been more visible (I’m not one of those genetic freaks either!), so this is a huge step. I’ve also been taking HOT-ROX for those two weeks. I can’t imagine the gains when I begin working out 6 days a week!
Next post coming soon,
CJ