getting ready 12 weeks

[gio86]

im 12 weeks out and i would like the opinion from all the members here.
im 5'8 180-183 and about 8-10% bf...
i want to keep as much muscle as possible so i dont know how soon i should start cutting. my diet is already very clean. lots of food but carbs and fats are separated, 8 meals a day and sleep is good as well. my supplements right now are animal pak, whey protein and finishing up with a Superdrol cycle (thats something that im concernd) will the pct affect me at all. this is not my first time using sd and i have all the things covered for pct.

thanx alot

[bigsd67]

Well if you are 8-10% you should definitely be seeing some good cuts and abs and vascularity. If you dont see that, then you are not that lean just yet. You should shoot for a .5% weekly loss in bodyfat. So assuming you are 10% you would be down to 4% if you lose every week. If I were you I would have started cutting about 2-4 weeks ago just to give yourself extra time. I used SD during contest prep and the PCT had no negative effects, but everyone is different. Usually pct dries a person up though.

[gio86]

hey thanx alot man...i guess im gonna start to cut right away. im actually at work now and im gonna have my bf taken so depending on that i guess i will cut starting today

[MrMent1on]

What would be helpful is a picture of you. the biggest mistakes guys make is GUESSING their BF% just like BigSD said at 8 to 10% BF you have a full 6 pack and vascularity. Is this your first competition? if so then prepare yourself to grasp that you might be weighing in about 156lbs which is light weight. I know your not trying to hear me but I've been there abd done that, just be realistic bro and go have fun, thats how it starts, then add some size each year. if you have a picture please post so we can help you out better.

[bigsd67]

What would be helpful is a picture of you. the biggest mistakes guys make is GUESSING their BF% just like BigSD said at 8 to 10% BF you have a full 6 pack and vascularity. Is this your first competition? if so then prepare yourself to grasp that you might be weighing in about 156lbs which is light weight. I know your not trying to hear me but I've been there abd done that, just be realistic bro and go have fun, thats how it starts, then add some size each year. if you have a picture please post so we can help you out better.

Agreed, I did my first show after 16 weeks of dieting. I started at 185 and figured 165 was going to be my weight...yea right. 154 on stage, shredded though and won 4th place in two classes out of 10 competitors. Anyway, be prepared to drop some serious body fat. Check out Ment's photos from his conest prep to see what 8-10% looks like.

[gio86]

ok so i just took my bf and it was 8% on the dot. vascularity on my arms and chest to traps is good when i flex...my abs can be alot better and lower back/sides can improve . even when i cut before (by the way this is actually my 2nd competition and my first i was about 175 and on stage i was 160) i feel that im leaner now and for my first show i cut only for 4 weeks.

[gio86]

what i ment to say is that my abs even when i was lean as hell werent so good unless i flexed them..they just dont "pop out".

[MrMent1on]

ok so i just took my bf and it was 8% on the dot. vascularity on my arms and chest to traps is good when i flex...my abs can be alot better and lower back/sides can improve . even when i cut before (by the way this is actually my 2nd competition and my first i was about 175 and on stage i was 160) i feel that im leaner now and for my first show i cut only for 4 weeks.

How did you measure your BF%?

[gio86]

I got it done by another trainer who is not just any certified guy, he actually knows his stuff i guess i can say

[gio86]

bf was done with calipers in 6 diffrent parts

[gio86]

bf was done with calipers in 6 diffrent parts

[hardgainer12]

when i got the caliper test done it said i was 6.9%! hahaha ya right!! im not even close! prob like 12-15.

[gio86]

no i know for sure im not more than 10% bf

[MrMent1on]

The only true measurement is Hydrostatic which is hard to come by, yo ucan get it done at a university and not all colleges are equipted.

[gio86]

ok well saying that im 8% 5'8 and 182 lb....should i just start my cardio and not really changing to much of my diet (which by the way is very clean)
or what would you suggest

[MrMent1on]

OK lets do a little math. Assuming your 8% Bf. you need to get down to at least 4% thats close to 8 lbs of fat. which is not much. the trick question is how well your body respond to burning fat. some are slow some are fast, I diet for 12 weeks and do cardio only the last 4 weeks. quite honestly I would not want to lead you astray by tell you one thing and you should have done another. this is where you come in, where you learn your body over time and know what to expect. to wrap it up .. if I was doing this blind, meaning not knowing what to expect, i'd take precaution and start everything from now. better to be ahead than behind. sorry for any confusion.

[gio86]

thanx alot bro that did help me alot and if you dont mind i will be contacting you for a lil more help if needed. and yes i do react good to diet. meaning that i do burn fat preaty easy but like you said better be ahead than behind.
even though i looked preaty lean last comp. i know i could of looked better. but im also doing it a lil diffrent now from all the things i have learned here. for example stoping creatine or protein powder a week from the show. also im gonna do the shit load aproach this time which i didnt last time. so thanx alot MrMent1on and again if you dont mind i will be cantacting you if needed aswell as other brother in this place that like to help.
thanx again

[bigsd67]

post up some pics...

[gio86]

i will as soon as i can..that will defently give people a better idea of what should i do

[gio86]

today i cut dary...and my meals are gonna be based on tuna/chicken/oatmeal/broccoli..flax seed oil for my fats and 2 protein shakes one in the morning with oat meal and my pwo with dextrose. i plan on cutting the protein powder a week from the show and just stick to my oats

[MrMent1on]

thanx alot bro that did help me alot and if you dont mind i will be contacting you for a lil more help if needed. and yes i do react good to diet. meaning that i do burn fat preaty easy but like you said better be ahead than behind.
even though i looked preaty lean last comp. i know i could of looked better. but im also doing it a lil diffrent now from all the things i have learned here. for example stoping creatine or protein powder a week from the show. also im gonna do the shit load aproach this time which i didnt last time. so thanx alot MrMent1on and again if you dont mind i will be cantacting you if needed aswell as other brother in this place that like to help.
thanx again

Sure no problem bro.

[gio86]

ok so heres how my diet im working on it right now. but this is preatty much it.

meal 1: cut Oatmeal and cup of egg whites (54 carbs about 26 protein)

meal2: Can of tuna and veggies (about 32.5g of protein)

meal 3: Chicken breast and 1/2 cup of oatmeal (23g protein 27g of carbs)

meal 4: same as meal 2

meal 5: (after the gym) 2 scoops of whey 46g protein and 100g dextrose

meal 6: chicken breast 1/2 cup of oatmeal (23g protein 27g carbs)

meal 7: cup of egg whites (about 26g protein)


now I think that my protein should be higher. my carbs are at around 210g and my protein is about 209 im planing on bumping it up to 250-300 what do you guys think. my show is Nov 4 and again...im about 180 5'8 at 8% bf....this is a tested show

[gio86]

also what should i do for my last week??? deplet carbs and then shit load the morning of my show??? thanx alot

[MIKE_XXL]

What would be helpful is a picture of you. the biggest mistakes guys make is GUESSING their BF% just like BigSD said at 8 to 10% BF you have a full 6 pack and vascularity. Is this your first competition? if so then prepare yourself to grasp that you might be weighing in about 156lbs which is light weight. I know your not trying to hear me but I've been there abd done that, just be realistic bro and go have fun, thats how it starts, then add some size each year. if you have a picture please post so we can help you out better.

Ditto, thank you with you around i don't have to type....LOL...

[MIKE_XXL]

also what should i do for my last week??? deplet carbs and then shit load the morning of my show??? thanx alot

Yes, i would not over deplete so 150gm of carb or so...XXL

[MIKE_XXL]

ok so heres how my diet im working on it right now. but this is preatty much it.

meal 1: cut Oatmeal and cup of egg whites (54 carbs about 26 protein)

meal2: Can of tuna and veggies (about 32.5g of protein)

meal 3: Chicken breast and 1/2 cup of oatmeal (23g protein 27g of carbs)

meal 4: same as meal 2

meal 5: (after the gym) 2 scoops of whey 46g protein and 100g dextrose

meal 6: chicken breast 1/2 cup of oatmeal (23g protein 27g carbs)

meal 7: cup of egg whites (about 26g protein)


now I think that my protein should be higher. my carbs are at around 210g and my protein is about 209 im planing on bumping it up to 250-300 what do you guys think. my show is Nov 4 and again...im about 180 5'8 at 8% bf....this is a tested show

Where is the fat at in your diet??? you need some EFAs in there and Mono&Poly unsaturated fats...any meal with no carbs should have some fat in it...XXL

[gio86]

i wasnt sure if putting in fats in my diet. i know they are important...im alot more succefull in doing bulking/clean diets than cutting lol but i guess i can put in some flax seed oil or natural penut butter which i love

[gio86]

ok so i will work on my diet as far as adding protein like i said and adding my good fats. but how much fat should i have??? sorry about the pic thing...i just took some but my computer is beigng really stupid. im gonna keep trying to post one up

[MIKE_XXL]

I would go with meal 2 & 4 having 20gm of fat each Flax oil and last meal # 7 5gm...XXL

[gio86]

im going crazy with this diet...I cant seem to get it perfect and ether way jus for he few days i was eating like this i've already gotten harder and visually more lean.

Im not even sure if what im doing is right...i know MIKE XXL told me to get 20gm of flax in meal 2 and 4 and meal 7 have another 5gm. but i also added another meal to get to 250gm or so wih my protein.

Im also not sure if what the mesurements on oatmeal are supose to be cooked or uncooked. cause the one i buy its 27gm of carbs per 1/2 cup....

[MIKE_XXL]

If you added justthe shake add some flaxseed oil to it 15-20gm of fat...mesurment of oatmeal is uncooked...XXL

[gio86]

Hey Mike i dont have a problem at all adding a shake...but will it make me look soft??? I was using mostly solid foods because i want to look as hard as i can..and some Guy i work with who has competed ever since he was 19 and now he is 40 told me that suppleentes like a shake will make me look softer and also said to me that the body does not burn it as well as regular food. what do you think? also is 190 carb a day while cutting to little???....

[gio86]

By The Way Bro Thanx For All The Help.

[MIKE_XXL]

Hey Mike i dont have a problem at all adding a shake...but will it make me look soft??? I was using mostly solid foods because i want to look as hard as i can..and some Guy i work with who has competed ever since he was 19 and now he is 40 told me that suppleentes like a shake will make me look softer and also said to me that the body does not burn it as well as regular food. what do you think? also is 190 carb a day while cutting to little???....

NO offence but your friend is an "oldtimer" (and i mean this in a nicest way possible ) there is nothing wrong with the shakes, i usually cut them out 1 week from the show...back 21 years ago any shake would have given you gas and proly diarhea, back then i would not have recomend it either, now it's a convenient way to add a meal to your regiment...BBing and nutrition field is ever evolving, for exemple most of the workout done by Arnold are so out dated and ineffective, that anyone doing them is spining their wheels and waisting their time in my opinion....XXL

[gio86]

you have no idea how good that makes me feel. deffently adding a shake in there now. and by the way bro. since he is such an oldtimer how do you feel about keeping my carbs in the 190grm im keeping my fats now how you said and my protein about 250-300..im not sure about the carbs what do you think?

[MIKE_XXL]

With all those added fats i would drop the carbs to 150gm, what is the exact break down of the micronutrient...
Carb - grams
Prot - grams
Fat - grams
Where do you work, what kind of a job is it? I am thinking you should be eating around 2000-2200calories per day, make sure all your micros add up to that...XXL

[gio86]

yea thats about right how much i eat. i will give you a more detail report abou it. but i work as a trainer iand well thats some walking and also just hanging out preaty much when not busy. but remember doing all the breakdown of my food and it was about 2000 maybe a lil more my carbs where 208 and protein was about 250...i guess now im gonna drop carbs to the 150 tho.
it will look something like this:

1: shake/ 1/4 cup oats 13.5g
2:can tuna/2 tbs of flax 16g
3:chicken/ 1/4 cup oats 13.5g
4:can tuna/2 tbs of flax 16g
5:chicken/ 1/4 cup oats13.5g
work out
6:shake 50g pro and dextrose 100g
7:can of tuna/ 1/4 cup of oats 13.5g
8: 8 egg white (about a cup) and 1tbs of flax 7.5 g

thats total of 154g of carbs

[gio86]

and thats about 300g of protein
and the fats are about 39g of flax plus w/e fat comes from chicken tuna and the shake (which is very little)

putting that in order is about 2176 calories..give a little more.

hows that??

[gio86]

by the way bro..this is a natural show so i dont know that plays something diffrent in my diet. im thinking it dosnt but just to be safe i ask. hope that diet looks good and got it on lock finaly lol...ether way just eating like i have has lean me out already ether water or fat but defently visually. thanx

[gio86]

bump