Hello everyone. I will try to be brief about it even though its too much for me, so basically i seem to not be able to achieve my goals whatsoever, ive tried a lot of things, ive been working out more serious for the past 2-3 years, with ups and downs, but i still cant seem to get lean enough, ive tried literally everything i got on my mind and in the books, internet etc.
I tried low carb, fasted cardio, i tried 2700 calories, 2500, 2300, 2000, 1800, and currently ive been at 1700-1900 calories (depending on training days etc).
So 2 months ago i was 96,6 kg, then i started going on 1700 calories, and fasted walking + working out, now i am 90 kg, i am aware that probably big portion of it was the carbs and holding onto water etc.
1 year and half ago i was on “cut” because i wanted to be “lean” so what i did was - PPL + cardio at the end of the workout going for 4 times a week cardio, 6 times a week strength training, so then i managed to get myself to 77 kg but with terrible result - i had lost muscle, for sure, also got an injury from deadlift and had to stop for month and half - i was with a calorie deficit during that injury period without training (stupid yeah i know), so when i came back i continued with the cut, i saw some fat loss indeed, my waist got smaller, chest was more defined, etc, but i looked… dry, exhausted and weak.
So then i started “bulking” and i was on 3000+ calories each day, started gaining my weight back up with Layne Norton’s PHUL, and then i got to 94 kg, and i got way bigger waist, i mean everything was bigger, and i started feeling like its time to “cut again” so i started doing it but got stuck at 90 kg, then i tried for few months different approaches, like lower calories, lower fat, lower carbs, HIIT, LISS, whatnot, and still stuck at 90 kg, so then i decided i wanted to go see a doc, so went to a GP and then to endocrinologist, and well did tests and all and they told me nothing is wrong with my body and metabolism, told me to be more active, eat balanced diet and so on, and now i’m still at 90 kg, 2 months = 6 kg lost, which i consider okay but was hoping for more (excluding the carbs cause i lowered them)
So basically my stats are : Male, 30 years old, 90 kg, 180 cm;
My current calories are : 1800 (average), 160-170 protein, 130-150 carbs, 60 fats
As for food choices : Chicken breast, pork, sweet potatoes and potatoes in general, any kinds of beans, almost all vegetables and fruits (trying to eat at least 2-3 fruits and at least 1-2 cups of veggies a day), milk, skyr, yoghurt, oatmeal (not consuming too much of it due to carbs), nuts, as for bread only the low carb, high protein ones so basically thats it, im not eating any sweets, pizzas, burgers and all that crap;
My last attempt was to implement HIIT on fasted state in the same day when my strength workout was and have 6-7 hours of separation (for example i did in the morning HIIT and then evening strength workout) and i felt really bad, my workouts were pretty challenging and i felt exhausted, before implementing HIIT i was feeling way better with these calories, so i did this for 2 weeks and i started feeling my legs ache, my knees more tensed and in general fatigue, so i decided to drop that, and that makes me feel pretty miserable, i even started having thoughts on giving up on that idea of getting lean, and in general bodybuilding, perhaps im just not made for it or im missing something out or im just not educated enough for it, ive followed a Full Body Routine for these last 2 months and i enjoyed it a lot, i thought Full Body Routine would be more fitting into that situation, but im really confused on what to do from now on, i’d appreciate anyone for tips and corrections, i’m open for criticism and learning about it all, because the way i see it is i dont do enough or enough of what is right, i’m sorry if it got too long
TLDR: I’m unable to get lean and that demotivates me, i need advice on what to do on my mistakes and correction;
Your post has much to cover. There many suggestions that I have. Right now I am trying to figure out where to start.
How old are you?
How tall are you?
Do you workout out at a gym where there are some lifters who show success in their bodybuilding efforts? It is good to see how successful people lift even though you might not have the genetics to achieve the level of development to do their workout.
You posted no pics and did not mention your strength on any compound lift. Like:
- Bench Press
- Overhead Press
- Squat
- Deadlift
- Pullups
This is a simple starting place. Just to be on the safe side, drop all bread products.
I would drop milk too. Make up the protein with something else.
OP what are your end goal?
Be fit?
Be Competitive on a stage ?
Just achieving a body image goal?
30 years old, 180 cm, 90 kg. As far as my strength on the compound movements are :
Bench press - 100 kg - 2 reps/ 85 kg - 8 reps
Overhead press - 65 kg - 2 reps/ 45 kg - 10 reps
Squat - 120 kg - 2 reps/ 100 kg - 8 reps
Deadlift (after the injury im doing it way lighter) - 80 kg usually 8-12 reps
Pullups - I can do usually 10-12 reps
Im not trying to be competitve on a stage, more like achieve a body image goal, and nope i made a home gym few months ago, so i stopped going to the gym, i did for 3 years, i liked the freedom of having a home gym, so im mostly doing it at home, i only lack machines, everything else i have it.
You need consistent effort over a long period of time.
This is the routine i found on the net, believing to be good
Full Body - Mon,Wed, Fri
Mon
Squat - 4x10-12
Bench Press - 3x10-12
Bb row - 3x10-12
Shoulder press - 3x10-12
RDL - 2x10-12
Triceps exercise - 2x10-12
Biceps exercise - 2x10-12
Wed
Deadlift - 3x10-12
Incline bench press - 3x10-12
Pullups - 3x10-12
Bulgarian split squat - 3x10-12
Good morning - 2x10-12
DB shoulder press - 3x10-12
Triceps exercise - 2x10-12
Biceps exercise - 2x10-12
Fri
Front squat - 3x10-12
Lunges - 2x10-12
Flies - 3x10-12
DB rows - 3x10-12
Stiff leg Deadlift - 3x10-12
Laterals - 3x10-12
Triceps exercise - 3x10-12
Biceps exercise - 3x10-12
Should i keep doing cardio (honestly im getting sick of it now), or just doing the steps for the day, usually 10k steps? I also have access to great place where i can run (still cardio…) or just increase the deficit? I dont think its good idea to try to “build muscle” at this point because i’d gain more fat so should i keep with trying to get weight and waist smaller?
200p
140c
50f
with the carbs around your training sessions
He is 5’11, 198 lbs. eating 1800 calories. That is way too low for someone who is training full body 3xs a week and was doing HIIT fasted.
It would probably be better to switch to an Upper/Lower split, “Cardio” is not needed. Getting in a step count is a good start.
Increase your caloric intake.
That is a 20kg range. You are all over the place.
Quit trying to either gain weight or lose weight. Most people don’t have the genetics to make progress that method. Find a weight that you feel has you feeling “normal” and start a program to gradually get stronger. Forget the very low rep ranges to check your strength. If you must have a strength test, make it something like 5 rep max. If you maintain that weight and are getting stronger you are making positive progress.
I think I understand what you mean, but this just read a little confusing for me. Statistically, most people need to lose quite a bit of weight. Are you talking more about the wild swings of “bulk and cut” cycles vs a more measured approach?
I completely disagree. Most people do not have the patience for this method to work, but it is the ideal way.
“Bulking” for 2-3 months and then “cutting” is never going to work. You want to be in a surplus for 9-12 months at a time. “Cut” for 3-4 months and repeat. If you prefer a short diet break at around the 6-month mark that can work to.
Ideally, you do this 2-3 times, and you will max out your natural gains. Today’s kids don’t want to be in a surplus or lose their abs for that long.
Though I know that is correct, there is no way OP can achieve the look he is wanting with those weight swings.
Regardless, IMO, he needs to function without body weight swings as a variable, whether he is too fat or too skinny. High weight fluctuations do little more than move the scale, while your muscle is paying the price, AKA, “Yo-Yo” dieting. This is as wrong as you can get for building muscle.
I would rather deal with a fat guy getting stronger, than try to help a guy with no chance of building permanent muscle with what he gains will likely be eaten away the next few months, while he chases a moving target.
Though I did that every year for three decades. But then I competed two different time frames every year, sometimes two contests per “cut”. My “bulking” was the winter months, competing late spring and fall. And quite likely AAS played a role, but in the 1970’s, by today’s standard, I wasn’t on AAS.
So, you were on. It does not matter by what standards, you were assisted.
Naturally it is not happening. You will make progress as a beginner but, you will not max out your potential.
My comment was to OP, who seemed to be chasing a look, by either bulking or cutting, and then bulking; never seeming to make any progress. Just pick a weight and run a good diet. Quit chasing a look and work on building muscle.
IMO, for muscle gains, genetics plays a much bigger role than AAS.
Thanks everyone for the replies, so i will go back at Upper-Lower, but what scares me a bit is increasing the calories cause i still have a lot of fat to lose from the lower back and chest, im sick of these areas, so i was hoping i could lose weight and cut some more fat, but the more i indulge into that the more i see my muscles dont get really defined even for example biceps - getting more flat, wouldnt increasing my calories stray me away from my goal even if i build some muscle? For me as it seems its pretty easy to gain weight and that concerns me.
My advice to OP, is that you get on a clean diet and stay on it for at least 6 months, not thinking about “bulking” or “cutting”, but focus on getting stronger which will add muscles. That means ABSOLUTELY NO SIMPLE SUGARS.
In your case, for the next 6 months, no fructose. That means fruit. You might be one of those who tends to store fructose like simple sugars. It is only 6 months. In the last 10 weeks before a contest I ate no fruit.
You are going to need to read the labels on everything you put in your mouth. Look under “carbohydrates” and check how many are sugars. The sugars are your enemies. Within that 6 months, I would bet that you lose some fat. But you cannot cheat. I don’t want you being hungry, but you must never cheat. You must quit chasing a look, and work on building a foundation of strength. Right now you need more muscle.
It seems to me that you know just enough about bodybuilding to be your own worst enemy. This whole muscle building thing is fairly simple.
This seriously needs to be a linked post. Like something that is just automatically posted anytime a new trainee asks about bulking or cutting. Well done.
No, you do not.
You go from 1700 to 3000+ calories, what do you expect is going to happen?
The issue is that you are yo-yo dieting, inconsistent, and more than likely are not training with any intensity.
Get on a simple program with about 6 sets per body part weekly taken to failure and a diet that is easy to stick to. No need to cut out whole food groups.
You are 5’11,198 lbs. and untrained with little muscle.