T Nation

Summer Cutting

Rate My Physique Photos
#1


I got a BIG Vegas trip coming up in mid July for a buds birthday which promises a lot of poolside action, so my (short term) goal is to be as big as possible with the lowest body fat % possible by mid-July (for this goal, a low body fat % will be more important if one is to be compromised due to time).

I have been on a bulk since December and plan to continue until it’s time to transition into a cutting phase-this is where you guys come in.

For this cutting phase I definitely want to follow “The Waterbury Summer Project” (8 weeks long), and probably a shortened 2-week version of the Velocity Diet as well in order to maximize my results. If this is the route I end up taking, should the Velocity Diet come before or after Waterbury Summer Project?

Since I have never really trained like this (bulk+cut), I have little experience with how long this cutting phase should be and I’m uncertain if this combo will even have what it takes to achieve the results I am looking for.

I am fueled by some friendly competition between my friends to show up in top shape, so I’m completely motivated and disciplined, but lacking the confidence in the blueprints. I’m trying to get this plan on paper to keep me on track and my timing on point so any ideas, advice, suggestions, and comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a ton.

I’ve included some pics to give you guys a better idea of my body type and size. I am currently 21 y.o., 5’9", and 178 lbs.

#2


Legs

#3

Back

#4

Good luck, if you really want to cut then that is your thing. However, to me it looks like you need more mass first.

#5

[quote]Jay-B wrote:
Good luck, if you really want to cut then that is your thing. However, to me it looks like you need more mass first.[/quote]

Thanks for the feedback Jay-
I agree, in a perfect world I would definitely like to add A LOT more mass, but summer is closing in and ultimately I need to be in “bathing suit” shape (I know this sort of idea goes against the “T-Nation” philosophy). But I do have about ~7 weeks, depending on how I decide to cut, left to put on as much meat as possible. The way I look at it, I will have a great base to start the hypertrophy training come fall.

#6

I don’t think you have much fat to cut anyways, I’d just continue bulking

#7

[quote]bmitch wrote:
I don’t think you have much fat to cut anyways, I’d just continue bulking[/quote]

i was just going to say that.

You wanna see fat, check my pics… I need to ‘cut’

#8

[quote]bmitch wrote:
I don’t think you have much fat to cut anyways, I’d just continue bulking[/quote]

Thanks for the feedback.
I don’t think I have ton’s of fat either but I’m not cutting just for the sake of cutting. If I was going to be MIA all summer, this post would not exist. I know I need more mass, thats why I’m going to continue bulking until it’s time to cut.

I’m looking for feed back on my cutting phase, so I know how much time I have left to bulk. Will the 8-week Waterbury Summer Project and a 2 week V-diet going to get me to single digit BF?..

#9

[quote]imasri wrote:
bmitch wrote:
I don’t think you have much fat to cut anyways, I’d just continue bulking

i was just going to say that.

You wanna see fat, check my pics… I need to ‘cut’[/quote]

imsri-
NOW THAT’S A BULK! Your going to be much bigger than your earlier pictures once you lean down. Great job.

#10

I feel you on the time crunch, I’m heading to Cancun for our Honeymoon in 4 weeks. Have fun in Vegas!

#11

I’ve never been a fan of the “gain as much weight as you possible can bulk.”

I would suggest you continue for a while with a clean bulk. Check out JB’s massive eating.

As far as the physique. Your legs and back do not look like they are up to par with your arms. More squats and deadlifts.

I don’t think you really need to cut, but I can understand wanting to be pretty lean for vegas. You don’t have that much bf, I think 10 weeks of cutting will be plenty. I don’t think you need to go on the velocity diet. My advice would be to simply eat at a maintenance level for these 10 weeks, following JB’s rules on P+C and P+F meals and eating a very clean diet. Throw in some HIIT 2-3 times per week to help lose the fat.

#12

[quote]rjay2510 wrote:
imasri wrote:
bmitch wrote:
I don’t think you have much fat to cut anyways, I’d just continue bulking

i was just going to say that.

You wanna see fat, check my pics… I need to ‘cut’

imsri-
NOW THAT’S A BULK! Your going to be much bigger than your earlier pictures once you lean down. Great job.
[/quote]

I wasn’t fishing for compliments or anything, i just wanted to show you wat my definition of ‘bulk’ was… You’re pretty lean and even on vacation, i would stay where are. You’re at the stage where you can take off your shirt without issues. I say preserve what you have worked for (keep it as it is for now) and go have fun. In the end, what all matters is what makes you comfortable and not what other T-Nationers tell you.

But thanks for the compliment.

#13

[quote]tedro wrote:
“gain as much weight as you possible can bulk.”[/quote]

That’s not the point of a bulk.
The point of a bulk is to be in a caloric surplus so your muscles can be guarranteed proper resources.

#14

[quote]tedro wrote:
I’ve never been a fan of the “gain as much weight as you possible can bulk.”

I would suggest you continue for a while with a clean bulk. Check out JB’s massive eating.

As far as the physique. Your legs and back do not look like they are up to par with your arms. More squats and deadlifts.

I don’t think you really need to cut, but I can understand wanting to be pretty lean for vegas. You don’t have that much bf, I think 10 weeks of cutting will be plenty. I don’t think you need to go on the velocity diet. My advice would be to simply eat at a maintenance level for these 10 weeks, following JB’s rules on P+C and P+F meals and eating a very clean diet. Throw in some HIIT 2-3 times per week to help lose the fat.[/quote]

Tedro-
Thanks for advice on the cutting routine, thats the kind of advice I’m looking for. I’ll check out JB principles on protein+fat/carb. Since I’ve started lifting I’ve mainly fueled my body with healthy foods. It wasn’t until I discovered T-Nation that I’m beginning to learn the complexities that make up nutrition. Furthermore, I usually train for strength and lean muscle gains so eating clean is wired in me.

I would call this bulk I’m on right now 90% clean. It’s a nice change from the usual low-carb diet although I’m finding it VERY DIFFICULT to reach my calorie goal on a “clean bulk”.

#15

[quote]imasri wrote:
rjay2510 wrote:
imasri wrote:
bmitch wrote:
I don’t think you have much fat to cut anyways, I’d just continue bulking

i was just going to say that.

You wanna see fat, check my pics… I need to ‘cut’

imsri-
NOW THAT’S A BULK! Your going to be much bigger than your earlier pictures once you lean down. Great job.

I wasn’t fishing for compliments or anything, i just wanted to show you wat my definition of ‘bulk’ was… You’re pretty lean and even on vacation, i would stay where are. You’re at the stage where you can take off your shirt without issues. I say preserve what you have worked for (keep it as it is for now) and go have fun. In the end, what all matters is what makes you comfortable and not what other T-Nationers tell you.

But thanks for the compliment.[/quote]

imsri-
Oh I know. I had followed your earlier post of your progress pics of your lean muscle gains, and was amazed at how much size you’ve put on. Keep it up and thanks again for the advice.

#16

You could try carb cycling, lost a bit of fat and gain a bit of muscle

#17

[quote]bmitch wrote:
You could try carb cycling, lost a bit of fat and gain a bit of muscle[/quote]

Thanks. I’ll take a look at that article tomorrow.

#18

Listen to the others when they talk about putting on mass at least until the start of June. You’ve got time to add weight and lose fat along the way - don’t be overly concerned with cutting. If you do it over the course of months you will fall short of your goals. Watch your friends ‘master’ the sit-up, think there’s room for slacking, and excessively justify the junk food! Putting it off and holding yourself accountable with T-Nation means you will treat your conditioning with the intensity it’ll take!

By the time mid June rolls around, I think that you should be doing HITT 3-4 times a week. As far as lifting goes:
Chin-ups
Dips
Inverted row
Benching
Push press or military press

Do these movements 2-3 times per week while you’re doing HITT.
I promise you that if you treat those movements like it’s a numbers game and you’re trying to put up big stats each session you’ll be okay!!

  • for those movements, maximum time under tension and you want to focus on speed!
  • Good luck!!
#19

[quote]VON_Ballack wrote:
Do these movements 2-3 times per week while you’re doing HITT.
I promise you that if you treat those movements like it’s a numbers game and you’re trying to put up big stats each session you’ll be okay!!

  • for those movements, maximum time under tension and you want to focus on speed!
  • Good luck!![/quote]

That doesn’t even make sense. It sounds like you regurgitated what 3-4 different people have said in the past.

#20

That doesn’t even make sense. It sounds like you regurgitated what 3-4 different people have said in the past.

Someone else mentioned HITT, yes. And it should be a staple in anybody’s training if they want to keep lean muscle mass while dropping fat when working towards a deadline.

As for the movements I recommended, not only will the OP find them useful but they’re important ones to train.

Now, are you going to be useful for the OP and maybe ‘make sense’ of anything I haven’t cleared up, or maybe suggest some ideas of your own?