Keep it up bud! What weight are you aiming for, or you just gunning for a certain BF%?
I’ve changed is my fat intake recently, 90-95g per day down to around 70-75 and I feel so much more energetic, and just generally less sleepy!
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@andypee when I started out I figured 15% would be achievable: not exactly lean, but nowhere near fluffy. Admittedly, I thought I was in the low 20s when I was in fact at just 25+, so that was a surprise. Now, I’ve realised I have an image of what I want to look like and I suspect it’s below 15%, and I’m committed to the process so I think if at 15% I’m not where I want to be I’ll keep going.
Worrying fact: I’m leaner now than I’ve ever been.
It’s a funny thing I get reminded of periodically about my personality: I value most what I have to work hardest for. I’ve got a Bachelor of Science with what in the UK would be an upper second which I couldn’t give two shits about because I pretty much coasted through it. My total, my rep PRs, my job all mean a lot to me because I had to work hard to get them. My leanness will be the same thing.
That’s probably one major reason why I love PL and getting stronger: it will never, ever be easy. Ever.
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I think thats where I want to get to eventually, like 13-15%, I’ve got no idea where I am now… probably around 18% or so, I just seem to carry it all around my stomach / chest 
Well said, and I feel the same way. I strive to be successful in the 3 main areas of my life: family, career, and powerlifting. I’ve learned through training to work hard at the things that need to be improved, and commit myself fully to something I care about.
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Long reply coming, tl;dr at the bottom.
I think you’re going to have to prioritize your goals. For one thing, I think at 15% you’re going to look a lot better than you think. Here’s the maths.
At 211 and 22% you have about 164 pounds of lean body mass. If you keep all of that mass, not likely, and drop to 15%, you will weigh 194 pounds.
This is a pic of me at 188 and 14. (BIA scale).
So that’s 162 pounds of LBM, at 53 years old. You’re going to look much better than that.
So, priorities. I know you have a wedding coming down the pike, and you want to rock it, but, you also compete. Are you going to be as strong at 194 as you are now?
I also suspect you have an eye at competing at 198, which isn’t that far from 194. I would suggest that you target 197 at 15% - you’ll look great, compete at the weight you want and be stronger. You will probably wear a thirty four inch pair of slacks, a forty four jacket, look phenomenal in a suit, and damn impressive on the beach, and still be strong AF.
You are doing this so well, so slowly, and so intelligently, that your body will make this homeostasis pretty easily. Fifteen percent is pretty easy to maintain, so you will totally adjust to fifteen percent very quickly. Don’t let the doubt gremlins creep into your head. You got this bro.
Don’t forget, you can cycle calories. I got this from @EyeDentist - he didn’t like being hungry all of the time, so he cycled calories. If you’re at 2500 daily, that’s 17,500 per week. Eat 3000 per day on training days (4) and 1850 on off days - you’ll only be hungry three days per week rather than seven.
Yeah, this is powerful shit. Don’t get sucked into it too much. I get obsessed with getting skinny - keep your eye on the prize. I think you are much more balanced than I and this won’t be an issue, but…
Yeah, you’re very smart. Keep it up. Also, realize, your body’s ability to handle a particular macro ratio can change as your body composition changes. I think you can handle more carbs as you get leaner, but you have to find this out. Don’t get complacent.
It’s fun watching you win Bro. Keep it up.
TL;DR Keep your goals in mind, composition versus strength. Consider cycling calories. Know that macros may change as body comp changes. Keep being Markko.
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@The_Myth thanks for taking the time to reply in so much detail. Means a lot.
Having read your notes and seen the picture, I think you’re probably right. That picture is pretty much as lean as I want to be. So much the better for me.
I honestly don’t know. So far, I’ve kept getting stronger but I don’t know how long that’ll last. The plan is to do this slowly enough that it lasts.
Pretty much. I’ve got about 13 lbs to go to 198 lbs which I’m thinking at this rate will take about four months, maybe five. That’d give me time to set a qualifying total for nationals at 198 lbs (I’m qualified for 220 lbs).
Thanks mate. I wasn’t worrying about that, more an indictment of how crappy my nutrition/effort yes been until now.
I actually don’t mind being hungry. I kind of like it, it’s a reminder that what I’m doing is working. Silly, I know. If I find that I’m struggling in training though, I’ll go the calorie cycling route.
I won’t, but thanks for the reminder.
Most of your reply has been a warm bath for my ego, which is generally pretty happy anyway.
This I have already found out. Makes life much easier.
My biggest fear. I’ll do everything I can for that never to happen.
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Just now realised I forgot to log my Plazma before I ate dinner. Result: 2700 calories today. If I hadn’t left it all at the squat bar I’d be way more annoyed than I am. As it is, mistakes happen, you just make sure they don’t repeat.
Today’s training
Agile 8 plus shoulders
Squat
10 strap fatman pull-ups between first three warm-ups
5x357 lbs, 6 RPE - felt slow
3x407 lbs, under 6 RPE - set up and moved with intent and it made a difference
9x451 lbs, 10 RPE - tried 10, got stapled. It just wasn’t there. Disappointed, but not majorly. Still a three rep PR at this weight.
Oly shoes go on
3x5x357 lbs, 8 to 9 RPE including a funny noise that escaped during the last set
50x132 lbs hack squats, feet forward which works it seems
Kroc rows
100 lbs 17 per side, no juice by this time
Supersetted 308 lbs BB shrugs/110 lbs calf raises
3x10/50, grip the limiter
20 back raises against a heavy band
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@The_Myth you look AMAZING 
WOW!!!
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Feeling beat all over. Hardly surprising, that’s three weeks in a row I’ve pushed myself right to the edge every Friday. Glad it’s deload week.
I think, come January (or after cycle 10, which starts early December) I’m going to do two or three cycles where I sub out my DL for snatch grip and my squats for front squats. It’ll be a nice change, and I don’t see how it could hurt my DL and squat in the long term.
I wrote out the cycle, and it looks kind of cool. I’d go FSL for everything, and back to 531 for DL. Add in SSB squats after pulling to keep my normal squat groove and I think I’m going to be fine.
I’ll use it as a reward for squatting 10x440+ lbs, which I think I’ll get next cycle. Plus, I’d like a 400+ lbs front squat and a 500 lbs or close SGDL. I cannot see a situation where having either or both will do anything but help my squat and DL.
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On reflection, however, all that front squat/SGDL speculation is just that: speculation. I would be stupid to stray from what has worked excellently so far. When things stop working, then it’ll be time for change.
Basically, I’d miss squats. I’ve come to love them.
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I feel this running a conjugate program since 99% of my compound lifts are special exercises, not competition lifts. What you could do is work up to a top set of 6 in your comp squat after your working sets instead of FSL for your front squats (for example). Sets of 6 is recommended because generally that keeps you below 90% avoiding too much CNS stress or accomodation. You could also just do your FSL sets for your competition squat. Just a suggestion!
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That 9x451 squat set was a mans set!! Good work!
I was shaking my head starting around rep 3. The fact you got to and attempted rep # 10 is crazy.
I felt your pain lol
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@max13 that’s a great suggestion. Overnight I came at it from the opposite direction and thought of doing front squats for FSL. Between the two I should be able to find a happy medium. Or just keep squatting. Either works. Yours makes more sense though.
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Thanks @IronOne I was pretty much doing the same by rep three. Got greedy after nine, I’ll get it next time.
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Come to think of it, front squats probably are better suited for FSL. If you were to push front squats during your PR sets it would inevitably be your back giving out first.
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That’s another concern I had. Swapping out squats for front squats was one of those good on paper ideas, but there’s a reason front squats don’t quite cut it for overall strength and development if you can squat. Awesome accessory though.
I have noticed my lower back taking a beating on Fridays though, so I may start doing front squats for FSL this coming cycle. I’d probably do cross grip for those though, clean grip for over three isn’t fun and my elbows would hate me.
Gives me an excuse to hit some heavy front squats during my deload (gasp) to get a training max.
Sounds like a plan! I always cross grip front squats when I do them. I don’t have the flexibility to do snatch grip comfortably. The only downside is it punishes my front delts with the bar.
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I’ve recently tried that thing with the lifting straps. Takes a bit of getting used to but feels way better for your upper back
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