ok in the faq, a guy says he is 24% bf and marion tells him to cut his bf more before he tries the 5x5 workout. my question is that im in the same boat around 24% bf, and i was just wondering if this workout will benefit my bf loss,bc im really not all that big weight wise(6’0 200lbs), so obviously i need to pack on some strength and muscle to get my bf lower. i was thinking 5x5 for a month then straight into hypertrophy for a month. just wondering what you all think, me personally i believe i need to pack on some strength to get my bf lower.
speaking from experience, I think you need to read another Joel Marion Article. Cheater’s Diet/EDT in the t-forums. He lays out the plan, all you do is implement and watch the fat melt off and the muscle grow. I finished CD last weekend, and am taking a couple weeks off going with a Tdawg Diet and 5x5 (the new Ripped Rugged and Dense) and in about a month, will go back to CD. if you are that high, CD will do wonders.
the only hook is that you have to use an androgen (mag-10).
I’ve mentioned this on the forum before, but I’ll say it again. Although that is what the original article said, please realize that anyone at any body fat percentage can benefit from strength training while dieting (it is the method i use for individuals at all body fat percentages). Just be aware that the increased muscle “tone” (both neurogenic and myogenic) will only be visible when you reach a lower body fat percentage. Also, if you were going to do a program like Meltdown, I would only recommend it conducting it when you are at a higher bf% >12%. It works well for some people, but that is the only time I would do it.
Sometimes you wish you could go back and change articles after they have been published; unfortunatly, that is not the case.
Joel
Your body fat reads at 24% so clearly you need to lean down.
Joel Marion’s program is not THE BEST for leaning down quicly. Its intended purpose is for those who are already relatively lean (< 12%), to increase their myogenic tone by targeting fast twitch muscle fibers.
Also, realize that you may feel small at 200 lbs, but the true measure of wether you need to lean down or bulk up (according to your goals) is your body fat %, not your body weight.
?dditionally, research has shown clearly that mass gain in individuals whose body fat levels are already high (>15%), will consist of much greater percentages of fat. At 24%, your fat gain might even exceed 50% of your mass gains. Hence, the recommendation that you lean down before pursuing mass gain.
In the end its all up to you. Is your goal strictly strength gain? Than do the 5x5. However, if it is to lean down, Meltdown is much better indicated to lean down to bf levels of 12%, before switching over to Marion’s program.
You seem to believe that if you get stronger you will also lean down:
“me personally i believe i need to pack on some strength to get my bf lower.”
Nothing could be further from the truth. You could get much stronger than you are now and not lose any noticeable ammounts of fat.
In fact, GAINING noticeable strength while leaning down is rather hard to do.
Just make your priorities: Gain strength or lean down?
wouldn’t it be easier to lean down though once i have more strength??? or am i wrong there, bc obviously with my high bf% i lack alot of muscle. i’ve already tried “fat to fire”…meltdown is a possibility i assume. eventhough im not a huge fan of circuit type training.
I think the point you are missing is that more strength does not equal greater muscle mass. You have to eat above maintenance calories to gain muscle mass.