Stagnation of Training Results!

Bigger Stronger Leaner Beginners
#1

Hey guys, I’m relatively new to the forums here although have been reading articles/forum discussions and dabbling in the training regimes put forth by the pros. I’m having trouble shedding excess BF, currently I’m 24, 6’3, 201 lbs and 18% bf. This has generally been 23-25% for my entire life, fluctuating depending on my training. I have been training on and off for 5 years, gathering alot of knowledge and have been at it consistently for the past year, barring time off when workload is too much. During that year I have lost 6% BF and 30 lbs, but to be honest that is mostly in the last 3-4 months. My problem is the following: I cannot seem to shed anymore fat and don’t want to start bulking until I’m relatively lean.

Current lifts:
Bench DB 40kg x6
Deadlift 165 x4
Squat 105 x 6
Chinups 8 x underhand, 6 overhand
Bent over row 65kg x 8

My diet is, by my standards, quite good (this must be my let down??)
Sample day would be the following

Rise 0700
Breakfast 0715 #
strong coffee (skim milk + sweetener), smoothie consisting of 2 scoops whey protein, 150 g natural yogurt (2% fat), 1/4 cup oatmeal (raw), 1/2 cup blueberries. Multivitamin and 2000 mg fish oil.

mid morning: chicken breast (med), whole green pepper, coffee, 1 or 2 oat cakes (4.6 g carb each, no gluten)

lunch: chicken breast (large) or equiv, occasionally in a wrap if it’s leg day, 1/4 avocado (or a few walnuts), steamed broccolli (1 cup)

1530 mid afternoon
protein shake (2.7 g carb, 240 cals, 48g protein), 4 whole walnuts, sometimes oat cake if extra hungry. fish oil 2000 mg.

1700 creatine (5g creatine ethyl ester)
1730 training
post training 2 scoops maximuscle progain (complex carb not simple)

2000 chicken breast/salmon/steak, lean with broccolli, kale or something similar, extra virgin olive oil dressing, multi vit, fish oil 2000 mg

I will sometimes have a protein shake before bed, with a few walnuts so it absorbs more slowly overnight. I am drinking 5 Litres of water a day.

Training is generally 45 minutes of weights, split legs, back/bis, shoulders/tris, chest/abs. Following weights I will do 12-15 minutes of high intensity interval cardio, either hill sprints, rowing sprints or eliptical manual mode. One day a week of tennis (90 mins, med intensity) and one day a week kickboxing 1 hr high intensity. One day a week of rest, sometimes 2/8 if I feel I need it. I am nowhere near lazy or uncommitted to this plan.
I estimate my diet to be about 2500 calories a day, and that should be more than enough to continue losing fat consistently. Any and all comments/advice/tips are more than welcome. On a side note, my legs are quite lean, fat is around the midsection/manboobs.

Thanks guys, I hope you can help me tailor this program so I can reach my goals!!

#2

May as well bulk now… I dropped to about 124lbs from 170lbs when I was new to training, looking for a low bodyfat and I never looked ripped no matter how much weight I dropped.

Simply you should focus on bulking, and although this may not be something you want to do if you want to look relatively ripped even with a low bodyfat you have to have a substantial amount of muscle underneath all the fat.

I understand this may not be something you want to do but this is just my 2cents.

#3

Thanks mate, I don’t really think it’s ‘ripped’ that I want to get quite at the moment, but I would like to be at about 12% bf before I start bulking really, otherwise I’ll just end up as a fridge with 24% bf and in the same boat I was a year ago.

#4

At 12% BF you’re going to look like you don’t lift weights, based on your stats.

Some simple suggestions:

  1. Figure out what you want to do - either drop your carbs (diet is high in carbs btw), or carb cycle. It’s one or the other and not both. I think my next cut I’ll cycle, but that’s just me, just because I’m an a$$hole when I’m on a no/low carb diet… Wife swore she’d divorce me if I did another cycle…

  2. Figure out your timeline for what you want to do - this will help in your decision above.

  3. Change your cardio to low intensity after weights and do it for 30 mins

  4. Set 1-2 days a week for high intensity cardio (no weights these days). In all honesty, I don’t think you’re pushing yourself hard enough, for when I do weights, I’m flat out bagged and there’s just no possible way I could do high intensity cardio for even a minute or two. I’d literally pass out dead on the floor. If you’re able to do high intensity cardio for 15 mins after weights, there’s a problem…

  5. You’re doing tennis in a skirt, Billy Blanks mu-shu pork stuff, HIIT, weights, etc. The list goes on. When you want to start bulking, this is going to be critical to your performance - you can do one thing really well and the rest worth shit, so figure out what you want to make a priority. I’d also wager this is affecting your bodyfat levels.

#5

I appreciate the input SF…I have a few questions though - How is under 100 grams of carbs a day ‘high carb’? If I have any less, I, simply put, overtrain within a matter of days. Even with proper sleep, T levels drop massively (libido goes out the window) and I barely have the energy to get out bed, nevermind work or hit the gym. It’ll take two days of eating above maintenance to get me back ‘functioning’ again after this. I’ve been fiddling with diets and exercise regimes (including 0 carbs) for years and seem to hit the wall around this level every time.

Timeline is by January/Feb I want to be at that 12%, I think I will look like I lift weights, but leanness is a priority, I can bulk afterwards. I think I read on here that a small amount of HIIT after weightlifting is the best way to lose fat, if I don’t get rest days inbetween and use them to do extra cardio (HIIT) I will overtrain again. I’m thinking I may have a hormone imbalance of some sort, without making any excuses.

#6

You could definitly be 12 % bf by January. Coming from 18 %. I think it could be easy too. You could probably do it in like two months. Look up what wrestlers do during the wrestling season. I always managed to drop down to like 7% bodyfat like that. The workouts included were pushups, situp ups,mountain climbers, up downs. Squad thrusts. Those were the main ones then you had leg lifts, sprints and various other exercises. Do a workout like that with a hoody and sweatpants on. Also restrict the food you eat. And you will lose bf. Probably also be dehydrated but whatever. I personally dont like straight cardio such as running on a treadmill. I think high intesity exercices with lots of movement are the best. But being lean has never been a problem for me. Anyways best of luck with that.