T Nation

Not Sure What Direction to Go

Bodybuilding
#1

Ok I dont have pics but I am 18, 6’1 190 about 12-14%bf. Need some suggestions I am looking way later down the road to compete some day and I want to make sure I am heading the right way now!! Should I cut down to 8-9%bf then start a clean bulk? Or just do a clean bulk now and let it come off that way?

If anyone has any suggestions on a diet to help loose some weight it would be wonderful!! I got some ideas from a lot of different post on diets but still looking around so if you can send any links or any tips please feel free to help I am willing to take in anything I can I want to learn now so I am headed down the right path.

#2

[quote]Bigr0ss07 wrote:
Ok I dont have pics but I am 18, 6’1 190 about 12-14%bf. Need some suggestions I am looking way later down the road to compete some day and I want to make sure I am heading the right way now!! Should I cut down to 8-9%bf then start a clean bulk? Or just do a clean bulk now and let it come off that way?
[/quote]
Do you want mass in 10 years or 2? The answer is all over this site.

[quote]

If anyone has any suggestions on a diet to help loose some weight it would be wonderful!! I got some ideas from a lot of different post on diets but still looking around so if you can send any links or any tips please feel free to help I am willing to take in anything I can I want to learn now so I am headed down the right path. [/quote]

You are 18. Just eat sensible and do it 6 times a day. You don’t need to eat “clean” until you see yourself carrying more fat than you want, which you probably won’t.

I bulked for 2 freaking years at 34 and was able to drop the extra fat in a matter of weeks. Had I tried a “Clean” bulk, I’d be 150 lbs still.

#3

Well as of right now I would like to cut a little more off my stomach getting down leaner so my abs can be seen with out flexing :frowning:

#4

[quote]Bigr0ss07 wrote:
Well as of right now I would like to cut a little more off my stomach getting down leaner so my abs can be seen with out flexing :([/quote]

I can’t help you then.

#5

[quote]Bigr0ss07 wrote:
Well as of right now I would like to cut a little more off my stomach getting down leaner so my abs can be seen with out flexing :([/quote]

You want to “compete”? At what?

#6

No idea yet really. Kind of want to see how big I can get in a few years and see from there.

#7

eat, lift, eat, grow, sleep,… eat, lift, eat, grow, sleep… repeat.

#8

[quote]Bigr0ss07 wrote:
No idea yet really. Kind of want to see how big I can get in a few years and see from there.[/quote]

Doing this and seeing your abs with a smiley face don’t really work together. Come back when you have a serious question and a serious gosl.

And before anyone blasts that he’s only 18, I would agree–except he asked.

#9

Screw you man. Forgive me for trying to learn. Glad to see not all of you are like this guy. Your right asking to down to a lesser bodyfat % and then bulking up makes no sense. I was seeing if that would be a better to work with. And your right i went from a fat 240 to a 190 in 5-6 months I have no goals. Do me a favor dont post on my thread thanks!

#10

[quote]Bigr0ss07 wrote:
Screw you man. Forgive me for trying to learn. Glad to see not all of you are like this guy. Your right asking to down to a lesser bodyfat % and then bulking up makes no sense. I was seeing if that would be a better to work with. And your right i went from a fat 240 to a 190 in 5-6 months I have no goals. Do me a favor dont post on my thread thanks![/quote]

You’re not trying to learn anything. The answer to your question is all over this site. Rockscar gave you a very sensible answer and then you replied about abs with a smiley face.

You don’t have to like me, but my advice stands. Do some reading. Understand a little about what it takes to reach the goal you want to achieve. Then come back with some sensible and useful questions:(

#11

[quote]Bigr0ss07 wrote:
Screw you man. Forgive me for trying to learn. Glad to see not all of you are like this guy. Your right asking to down to a lesser bodyfat % and then bulking up makes no sense. I was seeing if that would be a better to work with. And your right i went from a fat 240 to a 190 in 5-6 months I have no goals. Do me a favor dont post on my thread thanks![/quote]

Now I’ll address the edit:

I didn’t say your question was without merit in and of itself–BUT, combined with your answer to Rock it turned silly. Your weight loss is admirable. But it has nothing to do with your question or your response. You weigh 180-190lbs and I think it said you were over 6’. That is not competition ready unless you are going against Monica Brandt in the Fitness O. To get big, you have to eat and lift and sleep big. Then worry about shaving off the fat.

#12

Don’t delay trying to gain muscle. I like Cosgrove’s analogy of lifting weights being akin to investing in a high yield fund, and doing cardio as being akin to hiding money under your mattress. The same comparison can be drawn between looking to gain muscle and looking to drop fat. You’ll look better 1 month from now if you cut fat. This is almost always the case. You’ll look better 5, 10, 15, 20 years from now if you gain muscle. This is ALWAYS the case. Packing on muscle is harder, slower and more complicated than dumping bodyfat, especially once you’ve already added a good bit. But like most things that are difficult, it is worthwhile.

Don’t think of it as ‘bulking’…you don’t have to add a ton of fat to grow, especially at your age. Whatever excess fat gain you are uncomfortable with can be mitigated with low-intensity cardio, carb control, nutrient timing, etc…i.e., it’s not a big deal, and it’s easy to prevent/deal with. But adding muscle is hard…it takes tenacity, discipline, and patience. You have to eat when you don’t want to, train harder than is comfortable, and be meticulous about recovery.

Don’t waste your most productive muscle-building years by cutting. If you stay in the iron game for any length of time, you will regret the wasted opportunity down the road. I promise you.

All the best.

#13

[quote]Ramo wrote:
Don’t waste your most productive muscle-building years by cutting. If you stay in the iron game for any length of time, you will regret the wasted opportunity down the road. I promise you.

All the best.[/quote]

I promise you too. The clock is chasing us all and I would give anything to have your years back. You saw how willingly the fat you’ve already dumped went away. For God’s sake man build some muscle.

–Tiribulus->

#14

Will do and yes ur right the fat does just come off. I will keep ujp my diet i am doing now eating lots of carbs and protien thanks for the help!

#15

A recent article on this site that might help to give you some direction.

http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1268956

#16

I did read that and thats what made me think I should cut before the bulk. After seeing the pics of “Da Freak”

#17

I would suggest reading Berardi’s stuff. Packing carbs when your body does not need them won’t help you much. Eating them when your body does (after a workout) makes some sense.

Please do read. Read a lot. Start here:
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=640350

And also, make sure you’re doing the basic lifts - don’t know what you are doing - but you seem to be a beginner. Squats, lunges, deadlifts, bench, row, pull up (or lat pulldown) military press. Do the compounds at the beginning of the workout and do them hard. Never sacrifice the effort you use on your compounds because you want to save energy for an isolation later.

(Only exceptions to the isolation rule may be postural stuff (shoulders: external rotations, abduction, cap pushups, posterior delt and lower trap work; lower body: glute activation, abdominal stabilization, etc))

#18

I think “Da Freak” was just used as an example of what how cutting can make you look larger - but if the muscle isn’t there, you’re not going to get that effect.

Just recognize that I don’t disagree with the author - there is no point in taking in more food/protein than your weight training routine actually can use. Keep that in mind and don’t “bulk” by binging.

Still, focus on building the muscle first, so you’re not trying to build in a calorie or protein deficit.

#19

[quote]bgl500 wrote:
A recent article on this site that might help to give you some direction.

http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1268956[/quote]

For his age and goals, in my opinion, CT’s latest isn’t probably what he needs at this point. If he gets some sort of decent training routine going I doubt he’ll have a very easy time gaining too much fat back. Geez look how it fell off him already. He’ll have NO problem cutting once he puts a buncha meat bones.

[quote]Bigr0ss07:
Will do and yes ur right the fat does just come off. I will keep ujp my diet i am doing now eating lots of carbs and protien thanks for the help![/quote]

Cut back on the carbs and start eating some fat from sources like meat, chicken and eggs as well as fish oils and extra virgin olive oil. Look I know what it’s like to be fat and slovenly.

I understand you’ve lost all this flab and you’re terrified of gaining it back, but without enough fat your muscle gains will be hindered and you may be shocked to find out once your body figures out you’re starving it of fat how it hangs on to what’s left.

Youthful enthusiasm, especially in the wake of having just seen yourself lean up pretty quick, has a grip on you. If you can just harness that to some intelligent training principles you have nothing, but success ahead of you for years. Slow down, take a deep breath and learn.

-Tiribulus->

#20

My diet I have been doing for the last 5 months has been this

Meal 1: 1 cup oat meal 2 scoops Whey
Meal 2: Salad, Boneless Chicken Breast
Gym 2 scoops whey
Meal 3: 1 cup rice chicken breast 1 cup green beans
Meal 4: 1-2 cans tuna
Meal 5: 2 scoops whey (dinner)

Really I should be adding something more shouldnt I? Got any ideas? More rice, or any type of carb?