Not ready for anabolics - whats next?

[Deltaflaze]

This is my first time posting. Been a long time learner/stalker. I know I'm not ready for steroids , but I'm continuously pushing till I am.

I'm 25. 170lbs. 5'ft 9". I don't know my body fat. I was 200lbs when I was in HS, but it was fat. I lost 50lbs of fat by working out from 17-21 years old. The past 3 years I've been gaining it back in muscle and I've gotten up to 190lbs. Unfortunately, working night shifts killed me and brought me down to 170lbs and this is what I look like now. I'm off the night shifts - but don't know where to go from here.

I feel "skinny fat." I don't know if I should lose the fat around mid-section, or if I should bulk up. I feel like I'm just teetering back and forth. I feel like cutting makes me skinny fat. I feel like bulking makes me fat. I don't know what I should be doing to get to the point where I would use AAS, because I just don't feel like I'm ever in a good spot.

Attached is my pic. My diet IS in check. EtOH one night a month with friends.



Workout Day (5-6 days/week. Body split routines, mostly compound exercises)
6 meals a day.
40g Protein each meal = 160cals
85g Carbs each meal = 340cals.
= 500cals per meal. = 3000 cals per day.
Maintenance should be ~ 2700 cals on a workout day. So that was about ~300 calories over maintence / day to lean bulk. Foods are just brown rice, oatmeal, ground turkey, ground beef (95%/5%), eggs, salsa, and sometimes a little gaucamole, (and ON protein powder). And of course any vegetables.

Rest Day
Same, but down to about ~2000 calories. Reduced by carbs. No carbs in last two meals of day.


Recommendations? What should I do to get out of this "rut."

[Provita]

Hey man,

I would suggest you decide to do ether one or the other, cutting or bulking. Pick you goal and work towards it. Hard work and commitment does pay off.

If you lift, lift heavy. If you do cardio, ramp it up. Change program if you have to. Your body will respond if it is given the right nutrients and right training.

Some good reads for you.

http://forums.steroid.com/showthread...*#.UVjFsGQazTo

http://forums.steroid.com/showthread...g#.UVjGbmQazTo

http://forums.steroid.com/showthread...!#.UVjGsmQazTo

[Deltaflaze]

Thanks. Actually, my diet over the past year has been modeled after that first link.

[Ashop]

Thanks. Actually, my diet over the past year has been modeled after that first link.

What kind of cardio are you doing?

[MickeyKnox]

18%?

[MickeyKnox]

Head over to the Nutritional Forum to dial in your diet. Then to the Exercise forum to develop a solid routine, along with cardio, that will promote muscle gain and fat loss.


Nutritional Forum

http://forums.steroid.com/forumdispl...M#.UHNufa7X_fs

Workouts and Lifting techniques

http://forums.steroid.com/forumdispl...S#.UHnjba7X_fs

[Deltaflaze]

Been doing stepmill moderate-high intensity for 20 minutes every other workout. Burn ~150 calories. I work in health care, so I do it for my heart too. Seems to help my asthma as well. I think I also do it more when I'm doing this "teeter-totter" confusion of not being able to decide if I should bulk or cut.

[Knockout_Power]

I'd peg you around high teens bf...

the best thing to do to get yoursef ready for "the next step" is to put another solid year of really focusing on adding quality muscle. Head over to the training section and get some great training programs. It really is amazing what we can do with a slightly different approach to lifting and even diet.

Im a decade older that you and I just stumbled onto a program that is really working for me. Makes me feel like Ive been slacking off since I was 17. Making new gains now that I didnt in the past and in less gym time.

[cj111]

Cut down to 10%, then lean bulk. You said you don't eat carbs last two meals of the day? Why? Carbs wont make you fat, poor food choices will, in combination with excessive calories that you don't need.

Id say cut, then work on your diet, put together a plan to lean bulk, and then go from there..cutting is easier IMO than bulking.

[Granovich]

Not bad physique
I would lose 5 more lbs then do test p 8 weeks cycle
And solid pct.ai.hcg

[Deltaflaze]

Knockout_Power: which program may I ask? I know everyone's different and responds differently. But I'd be interested to explore that first and move from there.

cj111: only on non-workout days. I guess I don't know why. Because the first link Provita linked to said so and I read it a year ago. My join date was 3 years ago, so around then I probably read it. I'm not new around here - just new to posting.
And I don't make poor food choices. Literally, the foods listed above are all I have eaten in months. Period. So I guess, if you can explain why he posted to eat trace carbs in the last few meals and the rationale for why that's wrong I'd be happy to abide by it.

[Knockout_Power]

Knockout_Power: which program may I ask? I know everyone's different and responds differently. But I'd be interested to explore that first and move from there.
.

I built it over the last couple months going back over the last decade of on and off training. It would be hard to explain without having you train right in front of me. A good way to go about a new program would be to youtube Dorian Yates programs. I think his routines should be ran by any person wanting to break through a plateau. If you stick to what he has to say very strictly, you should see results. I would try it for 3-4 months. At that point, you can see what has worked for you and then alter it to reflect what you want your body to acheive...

A VERY knowledgable member on here is Marcus300. His training experience is second to none so I would definitely recommend looking through his posts. If you go into the Lounge area you can see his posted Diary with a lot of training tips. Guys with many years of training still ask him how to get better.

[Deltaflaze]

Sweet. Thanks so much for that advice.

[MickeyKnox]

If you're looking for a simple routine thats easy to follow, google Body For Life. Ive done several times with huge success. I highly recommend it to anyone.

Its incredibly easy to follow and the cardio plan is fantastic. The site is packed full of information and printouts for working out, cardio, and diet.

[cj111]

if you can explain why he posted to eat trace carbs in the last few meals and the rationale for why that's wrong I'd be happy to abide by it.

Theres no right or wrong way to go about something, I will eat a little bit lower carbs on off days, but I wont eliminate them. On training days I eat carbs all the way up until bedtime if I haven't eaten enough for that day.

I wasn't stating anything was wrong, I was just offering what I did, may it be right or wrong that's for you to decide.

[Deltaflaze]

Makes sense. I guess I need to know why he put it that way lol. Because you are right. Comes down to calories in vs calories out.