STATS/GOAL:I’m approximately 170lb at 17%BF standing at 5’9". I’m looking to cut down to about 12%BF. Now I know there’s a lot of diets/training progs on here, but I can’t make up my mind :0) Once, I have tried Fat Fast, but I couldn’t handle it.
DIET/TRAINING:
One thing I’m pretty sure about is that I’d like to do about 60mins of cardio every day. I’m thinking probably doing the Cheater’s diet, and Meltdown Training. I would compensate for cardio calorie deficit by adding calories to the recommended diet, so that I don’t end up losing muscle.
SUPPLEMENTATION:
I’m not really keen on supplements. The few that I have available and willing to use currently are Creatine, L-Glutamine, and Bulgarian Tribulus Extract. I would take recommended dosages, so 5-6g of Creatine, 5-6g of Glutamine, and 1500mg of Tribulus, per day.
This is the plan I will start putting into action within a few days. Any comments are welcome.
I am not an expert on Creatine, but I don’t think most people use it on a cutting cycle. When I used it I put on 5lbs. and I had a bloated look. I don’t think you want to use it for your current goals, but again I am not an expert.
I don’t really “trust” that weight lifting alone can make me lose weight. I know, I know, it does. But consider that exercise increases your fat lost/lean mass lost ratio. So if I did 40min cardio/day, I feel I could decrease my fat levels while keeping my muscle intact. Also, this would allow me to eat more, as I disdain restrictive diets.
Harkonnen, I tried Meltdown also, but would advise against it with what you are currently doing. Instead, I would follow Joel’s 5x5 method (I thinks it’s the RRD article, but I digress). I have been doing 5x5 with the cheater’s diet, and a twice daily Mag-10 dose, and 50mg winstrol ed to help lean out. The pump is incredible, AND, I have gone from 250# @18% bf to 256# @15% bf. I gained roughly 12 pounds of muscle in 2 weeks, and lost about 6 lbs of fat. Not too shabby!! I have been doing spinning as my primary cardio for the past two weeks, slamming half a surge, and then hitting the weights. Last tuesday, after an hour of spinning, I started my set of deads. Warmed up with 135, then 185, did 5x5 with 225, then did 3x3 with 275, did 2 singles with 315, a single at 335, and attempted 360, but didn’t quite have the gas to get more than 4 inches off the ground. If you decide to try this method, the winstrol isn’t too necessary, but I had it and decided to try it. Now, I’m on methoxy7, tribex, and arimidex for the next 2 weeks. If you have Mag-10, I suggest the same pattern, sans winstrol and arimidex. -The Starkdog
Weight training increases your post workout metabolism. In other words, if your resting rate is 1700 calories, on Meltdown you could be burning 2900 calories (or more most likely) per day. You eat under that, you burn fat. Why would you have a problem with that? Post workout metabolism has been discussed in the first Meltdown article, a few other t-mag articles, and posts in this forum.
Harkonnen, why don’t you do a search on cardio on this sight. I LOVE cardio and did way too much. It seems that for a man (women are different and can handle slightly more) up to about 30 or 45 minutes enhances fat loss. Beyond that you become overly catabolic and are burning muscle. Read up on it and make an informed decision. Good luck!!!
Around the 60min mark of exercise, the body becomes much more catabolic. IF you’re going to do cardio every day, then do it at a different time than you do your weightlifting. I followed the protocol of 40min cardio in the morning and RRD in the evening. I would suggest avoiding energy givers in the evening, I found that while dieting I couldn’t heal the damage from an assisted workout very well.