Please Advise

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

6’
180 lbs
17.2% body fat.

Started back training May 6, 05 after feeling like I was dieing at my office job. I have never consistently applied a strength training prgram for longer than 10 weeks. Haven’t lifted anything in a few years. Early May I could full back squat maybe 125-135. Last Monday I did 4 sets of 8 at 165 and had my body fat checked (see above). I still have a long way to go, obviously. I am mainly interested in getting stronger, looking better a close 2nd…Powerbuilding(?). Current Goals are to squat 400-600 lbs and vertical about 35".

Current program I’m on is:
Mon - Squats, Explosive Squats (or form of), Leg Curls, Calf Raises, and Lower Back
Tue - Vary my exercises for upper body…mainly bench, dips, db bench, wg pull ups body weight and cable, close grip pull ups body weight and cable, bent over row, overhead press, lat raises.
Wed - plyometrics
Thu - rest
Fri - Split Squat, Deadlift or form of Deadlift (Romanian, use of blocks), Glute Ham Raise or Leg Curl, Calf Raise
Sat and Sun rest
(4) 4 week cycles with 4th week being some light track work and mainly rest. Reps decrease each cycle…10, 8 , 6, 4 reps generally for main exercises in cycle.

Just finished 1st cycle…moving into 2nd.

Need advice on diet. I’m trying to Zig Zag. Eat a lot on Weight Training days…and just not eating after 6pm on lighter days to cut some calories. 2 protein shakes on heavy days, 1 on light days. I haven’t started counting calories and grams of carbs/fat/protein yet. I’d estimate I’m not getting 1 gram of protein per bw yet…but exceeding 1 gram per kg of bw. Somewhere in between. I eat a lot of carbs and don’t avoid fat…don’t know total calorie intake. Probably not enough since I am the same weight as when I started in May, though I have traded muscle for body fat I am sure.

After 1st cycle I went from 180 to 184…then on week off and cutting calories I dropped to 180. I am stronger than when I started, but haven’t made any drastic visual changes…subtle differences. I can tell a difference, wife says not really. Don’t know body fat when I started.

I don’t want my body fat percentage to go higher…stay the same at the most. This time next year I’d like to be at 171 lbs at 5-8%bf or 183 lbs 5-8% bf for weight class requirements. The former obviously more feasible.
That would be about 15 lbs of muscle added total.

Well, enough rambling…
Criticisms? Advice? Questions?

Appreciate any comments

2

I’ve printed the articles from the “Are you a Beginner II” and will be reading those.

I’m just not interested in “bulking” unless its a necessity.

Thanks

3

Try to get a lot of calories from meat, veggies, and fruit. Cut out some of the grains and starches. If you can eat like that, but not short-change your body of calories, you’ll make nice gains.

Keep it up!

4

[quote]DeepSouth wrote:
I’ve printed the articles from the “Are you a Beginner II” and will be reading those.

I’m just not interested in “bulking” unless its a necessity.

Thanks[/quote]

It seems to me that if you’ve never stayed on one plan for more than 10 weeks the thing you need most is to be consistant.Go read some of Berardi’s(or all of them) nutritional articles.I’m thinking that at 17% bodyfat at 180 pounds your diet has been less than clean.You have to be conistant with diet especially if your looking to reach that 8% bodyfat mark.

You have great goals but don’t get so caught up on them that they hinder your progress.You have to understand that your basically asking for the moon in one years time,a signifigant increase in strength and muscle mass while losing a decent amount of bodyfat.Being a relative newbie this is possible just simply by eating right and getting to the gym when your supposed to,but you might wanna pick one goal at a time.

5

Being Consistent truly is not an issue. Just have always been off & on in strength training due to sport related endeavors…weight room for speed-strength only…never limit, relative, or absolute strength.

I believe inactivity (not unhealthy eating) is the reaon my body fat has gotten higher, and age. I estimate I was at 20-25% when I started back in May. I always attempt to eat healthy.

My main goal is stength, hence the squat max goal, and the training focusing on my legs. All the goals mentioned work in tandem. It’s about as basic as I can make it.