*** Gbrice's Cutting Progress Log v2.0 ***

[gbrice75]

Morning' all, GB here (in case that wasn't obvious by the title). I'm officially opening this thread which will serve to document my spring 2013 cut. I hope you'll follow along and take this journey with me while I attempt to get into the best shape of my life!

The cut officially starts Monday, 3/4 and will run for 12 weeks initially. At the end of 12 weeks, i'll assess my progress and decide what to do from there - but I have a very strong hunch i'll continue to cut for at least another 4 weeks.

I plan to log my daily workouts, but will probably not be logging diet on a daily basis - I just find it tedious and boring, especially since I'll be eating the same foods/quantities every day for the most part. I intend to keep this cut very clean. As such, my diet will consist of (but not be limited to):

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
Whole eggs
Liquid Egg whites (these will be a main source @ 1 quart/day equating to roughly 100g protein)
Protein Powders (sparingly, likely just PWO shake)
1% Milkfat No Salt Added cottage cheese (sparingly as I am looking to keep dairy intake to a minimum)
Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt (same as above)
95/5 lean ground beef
top sirloin
Pork Chops and tenderloin
tuna
tilapia
cod
salmon

Oats (main carb source)
Rice
Whole Grain Pasta (sparingly, no more than 2x weekly)
Quinoa
Potato/sweet potato
Whole Grain Bread (sparingly)

avacado (when possible)
Natty PB (sparingly, because i'm addicted)
Fish oil

Veggies - all kinds, most often in the form of a smoothie or juice (homemade)

Fruits will not make the 'cut'.

I will be carb cycling using a similar plan that I used last year which got me into my avy shape:

Monday - moderate carb (275/100/50) (P/C/F)
Tuesday - moderate carb (275/100/50)
Wednesday - moderate carb (275/100/50)

Thursday - no starchy carb (275/0/50) Fibrous veggies only!
Friday - no starchy carb (275/0/50) Fibrous veggies only!
Saturday - no starchy carb (275/0/50) Fibrous veggies only!

Sunday - carb refeed/high carb (275/250/50) YAY!!

Supplements:
Animal Pak (multi)
Pregnenelone
DHEA
D3
B complex
Nettle Root
Bromelaine
Betaine
Chromium Polynicotinate
Fish oil caps

Haven't decided yet whether or not i'll try a cutting stack such as Animal Cuts, but may be worth giving a shot.

I will be working out Monday-Friday, cardio only on Saturday, and a complete rest day on Sunday, my refeed. My goal, needless to say, is to blast bodyfat and maintain as much LBM as possible. I will provide up to date stats Monday morning (which will be skewed since I'm planning a weekend of food debauchery before starting this brutal cut!), but as of right now:

Current Stats
Age: 37
Height: 5'10
Weight: ~215lbs
BF%: ~17%
LBM: 179lbs
BF: 36lbs

Goal:
Weight: ~195lbs
BF%: 10% (or lower)

The above numbers are assuming I lose only bodyfat and maintain roughly 179lbs lean. We all know that's not going to happen, but I'm trying to stay as close as possible. Ideally, I won't drop below 190lbs unless I get much lower than 10%.

That's it for now guys, I hope you'll subscribe and help keep me motivated! I'm fine tuning some details over the next few days and will officially start logging Monday. Until then, i'm happy to answer any questions you may have - also open to any criticisms pertaining to my plan although you haven't yet seen it in it's entirety.

[RaginCajun]

what were your before and after numbers last go round?

food choices look the same as before, which i think will help you stay focused because it worked before

now that you are on TRT, how do you think your body will respond to this cut?

are you thinking about bumping up the TRT dosage during this cut at any time?

[gbrice75]

what were your before and after numbers last go round?

If I recall, I was about 195lbs @ ~15%, so I was quite a bit lighter and only a little bit leaner - meaning if my numbers are close to accurate, I put on quite a bit of LBM over the last year seeing as my old starting weight is more or less my new target weight!

food choices look the same as before, which i think will help you stay focused because it worked before

Yep. The only thing that will change is meal frequency. When I started this cut, I was still hanging on to old philosophies and ate 7 meals/day. It was so damn consuming, I hated it. This time around, i'll do 4, maybe 5 - but no more. Macros will be split evenly across all meals with the exception of carbs on moderate days, which will be in meals 1, 2, (pre and post workout), and 3.

now that you are on TRT, how do you think your body will respond to this cut?

Although my strength actually increased during my last cut, I did look and feel very small. I am hoping that with TRT in the mix, I'll be able to push myself harder without worrying about recovery as much, and maintain more LBM. No point in bulking/cutting if you're only gonna torch all your newly earned LBM, right? So, I have to pay strict attention to what's going on with my body on a weekly if not daily basis.

are you thinking about bumping up the TRT dosage during this cut at any time?

I'd like to, but don't feel it's necessary. My numbers are already higher than most on established TRT protocols, and if anything I'll probably lower the dosage - but not until after the cut.

[--->>405<<---]

GB u know ill be following dude! looking forward to seeing u suffer! LOL after all those damn burritos on my fasting days now its ur turn LOL...

but seriously this should be good to follow and ill be interested to watch u cut. last time i think i came in after it was over so this is something ive been waiting for..

[gbrice75]

GB u know ill be following dude! looking forward to seeing u suffer! LOL after all those damn burritos on my fasting days now its ur turn LOL...

Bahahaha, you're so right and I DO deserve to suffer after all my food antics over the past 3 months in particular! Another thing I'll be doing differently this time around though is incorporating a single cheat meal per week on my high carb day. I feel it's important in order to keep spirits lifted during a cut which can get really depressing after several weeks. However, I may hold off until I get through 4 solid weeks as I need to 'detox' and even a single cheat meal will blunt those efforts IMO.

but seriously this should be good to follow and ill be interested to watch u cut. last time i think i came in after it was over so this is something ive been waiting for..

Yea man, you've actually never seen me cut and probably never had a chance to see my original log which was getting into epic territory. Unfortunately, I had to ask Admin to can it because it was shrouded in so much negativity with some personal crap I was going through at the time (you know some of it).

This may sound corny, but I intend to use the recent passing of my best friend, my companion of nearly 15 years, my beloved dog as a motivator. Whenever I'm feeling weak, I'll turn to her for strength. She's my rock, and I won't let her or myself down.

[gbrice75]

Just posted this in the recipe section, but figured I'd post it here too in case anybody is interested:

(in my low-budget TV commercial voice) Tired of relying on protein powders? Tired of wondering if they're REALLY doing the job? Then try this:

1.5 cups liquid egg whites
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (I use chocolate)
1-2 packets Stevia
'squirt' of sugar free chocolate syrup

Tastes just like chocolate milk! It's super fast, convenient, and you'll go to sleep (figuratively) knowing you have a HIGH QUALITY protein source in you vs. suspect powders.

I'm not a huge fan of the sugar free syrup due to sugar alcohols and will probably experiment further using cacao/cocoa powder and ditching the syrup, but for now, this works.

If you want to add carbs without a bunch of fuss, dump in raw oats and chew em up. I do it all the time. This will give you a perfectly balanced meal:

36g protein
25g carbs (if using oats)
2.5g fat (5g if using oats)

You could add some fish oil caps and veggies and you'll have a wonderfully healthy meal. Enjoy!

[gbrice75]

Since i'm feeling amp'd up, i'll post what my workout will look like for the first 2 weeks (my workouts will change every 2 weeks).

Weeks 1 and 2

Monday: Chest & Back
Decline Dumbbell Press - 4x8
Flat Dumbbell Fly - 4x8

Superset:
Pullups - 3 x failure
Decline Pullovers - 3x12

Superset:
V-bar Chins - 3x8
One Arm Dumbbell Row - 3x12

Cardio - 45 mins


Tuesday: Legs
Barbell Squats - 3x20
Front Squat - 3x20
Walking Lunges - 3 x 300ft.
Superman's - 5x10
Barbell Calf Raise - 5x15

Cardio - 45 mins

Wednesday: Abs
Lying Leg Raise - 3x15
Decline Crunches - 3x15
Roman Chair Situps - 3x15
Dumbbell Swings - 100 reps

Cardio - 45 mins

Thursday: Chest and Back
Flat Dumbbell Press - 4x12
Incline Dumbbell Fly - 4x6
Deadlift - 4x6
T-Bar Row - 4 x 8-15
Chins (palms touching) - 4 x failure

Cardio - 45 mins

Friday: Shoulders, Bi's, Tri's
Shoulder Warmup:
Seated Lateral Raise - 2x15
Face pulls - 3x20

Barbell Push Press - 4x12
Upright Rows - 4 x 8-12
Seated Alternating Dumbbell Curls - 3 x 10-12
Dumbbell Preacher Curls - 3 x 8-12
One Arm Dumbbell French Press - 3x6

Cardio - 45 mins

Saturday: Cardio - 1 hour

[energizer bunny]

Good luck mate!...........good to see you motivated once again.......is this your own take on carb cycling? or are you following a certain diet set up you have read somewere else?

[baseline_9]

Good to see this log started m8

I'll see this one through with you as we're both chasing similar goals... Short term and long term I believe....


One thing I will say is this...... I used to be a believer in hitting it 100% from day one and just going for it..... But my views have changed on a lot of things....

Have u not considered reducing the amount of cardio your doing to begin with?

I think that for now you would easily be able to drop plenty of weight with no cardio at all... Just by counting ur macros...

[gbrice75]

Good luck mate!...........good to see you motivated once again.......is this your own take on carb cycling? or are you following a certain diet set up you have read somewere else?

Thanks EB!! A little of both. It's my modified version of a carb cycle that one of my mentors had me run last year.

[gbrice75]

Good to see this log started m8

I'll see this one through with you as we're both chasing similar goals... Short term and long term I believe....


One thing I will say is this...... I used to be a believer in hitting it 100% from day one and just going for it..... But my views have changed on a lot of things....

I'd like to hear more. I always enjoy and appreciate your viewpoints. I know you, much like myself, are a progressive thinker with regard to bodybuilding and nutrition.

Have u not considered reducing the amount of cardio your doing to begin with?

I think that for now you would easily be able to drop plenty of weight with no cardio at all... Just by counting ur macros...

To be honest, I haven't done a stitch of cardio in months... in fact, I can't recall the last time I did. I agree with you, I'd definitely drop weight just by sticking to my diet which will have me at a caloric deficit, and can add cardio in later when I adjust, however I do have the desire right now to go all out, and I want to capitalize on that fire while it's burning hot. Furthermore, I had such great success on a very similar plan to this one last year, and i'm a 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' kind of guy.

I am still iffy on the Saturday cardio as I'd like more time with my family, so at the very least, that may get ditched before I even start.

[austinite]

Subscribed! Great layout GB, really looking forward to your progress. Someone of your caliber will have "success" written all over this thread. Very excited my friend!

[gbrice75]

Subscribed! Great layout GB, really looking forward to your progress. Someone of your caliber will have "success" written all over this thread. Very excited my friend!

Thanks for your support brother, I really appreciate (and need) it!!

[energizer bunny]

Thanks EB!! A little of both. It's my modified version of a carb cycle that one of my mentors had me run last year.

good stuff mate!........could you please explain the reasons behind moderate carb days? carb cycling is something ive been reading about and find interesting, i understand low/high days but not moderate days..........what is the purpose of moderate days? is it just for your sanity or is there a scientific/functional reason behind them?

cheers.

[gbrice75]

good stuff mate!........could you please explain the reasons behind moderate carb days? carb cycling is something ive been reading about and find interesting, i understand low/high days but not moderate days..........what is the purpose of moderate days? is it just for your sanity or is there a scientific/functional reason behind them?

cheers.

I can only speak with regard to my specific plan, as 'moderate' is a relative term. i.e. my moderate day would be considered low for those with higher caloric requirements. I'll do my best to explain my plan as there is most definitely a functional reason behind it.

First, keep in mind that my primary focus here is to burn body fat, not to build new tissue. As such, I have my workouts designed to optimize that goal, and believe in building a carb cycle around the workout schedule/regimen. With that said, let's take a look and actually start on my high carb/rest day:

Sunday - 275/250/50 - high carb day, complete rest day - Primary goal here is to completely replenish glycogen stores to fuel the upcoming week's workouts. Secondary goal is, if possible, to build or at least help maintain muscle. Basically, this is my only 'anabolic ' day.

Monday through Wednesday - 275/100/50 - moderate carb days - built around my more intense workouts - chest, back, legs, etc. Basically, carbs are present in smaller quantity to 'top off' glycogen stores burned through during these more demanding workouts. But what about Wednesday? Abs? Certainly not a taxing workout. Very true - the logic behind this being my last moderate carb day is topping off stores which will bring me through the next 3 days where I have NO starchy carbs. I hope i'm making some sense here!

Thursday through Saturday - 275/0/50 - low/no carb days - We'll now go through 3 days of glycogen depletion. These 3 days are key to burning fat as i'll be running on empty with regard to glycogen. Workouts are still heavy and intense, but rest periods are shorter in an effort to create a 'cardio-intensive' environment. I've run this before and I can tell you that by Friday, and particularly Saturday, I feel completely drained... at this point i'll be in the early stages of ketosis.

Sunday starts this cycle all over again. High carb day completely replenishes glycogen stores and we tackle another week with full focus and intensity.

I hope this helps. Please let me know if there's anything you need clarified.

[energizer bunny]

no that covers it mate!.........cheers.

[Back In Black]

Good luck with this mate. Is you 17% a realistic reading do you think? (I'm not casting aspersions bud, just curious).

I know you're used to training on a morning so this may be a moot point for you but, I recently started lifting after meal 1 and I notice if I put carbs in my last meal of the previous day my workout is better. So that puts carbs in meals 1,2 & 5 on my 'lower' carbs days (I'm priming). Just a thought.

Anyhow, our goals are similar, I'd like to be 190-195lbs max 10% by end of May (I'm 5'11). Bet we look very different to each other with similar stats!

[gbrice75]

Good luck with this mate. Is you 17% a realistic reading do you think? (I'm not casting aspersions bud, just curious).

Pretty close. I don't think i'm any lower, but no higher than 20%.

I know you're used to training on a morning so this may be a moot point for you but, I recently started lifting after meal 1 and I notice if I put carbs in my last meal of the previous day my workout is better. So that puts carbs in meals 1,2 & 5 on my 'lower' carbs days (I'm priming). Just a thought.

Interesting, that might actually help me seeing as my least meal of the day will be around 9pm (if I choose) and i'll be working out by 6am. Food for thought... and to eat!

Anyhow, our goals are similar, I'd like to be 190-195lbs max 10% by end of May (I'm 5'11). Bet we look very different to each other with similar stats!

Glad to see people with similar stats and goals... we can motivate eachother! Remind me - what are your current stats?

[Back In Black]

185ish and 11-12%. In 2 weeks when I start I'll likely be closer to 180 and 10-11%.

I will, of course, have some assistance for 8 weeks before falling back onto TRT.

[gbrice75]

185ish and 11-12%. In 2 weeks when I start I'll likely be closer to 180 and 10-11%.

I will, of course, have some assistance for 8 weeks before falling back onto TRT.

Nice. Helluva lot better shape than me!

[Back In Black]

Nice. Helluva lot better shape than me!

No LBM though mate. Ive Not been in a great place for a couple of years, wait til I post a pic of me from May last year, if I dare.

Roll on 12 weeks time

[gbrice75]

No LBM though mate. Ive Not been in a great place for a couple of years, wait til I post a pic of me from May last year, if I dare.

Roll on 12 weeks time

I feel your pain. When I got down around 10% last year, I was sitting at 177lbs (160lbs lean). THAT'S no LBM. I'm thinking now, worst case (i.e. 20% bodyfat), I'm carrying 172lbs lean, hopefully more though, assuming i'm a bit under 20%. We shall see!

[Back In Black]

Last year, 168lbs about 7-8%. Imagine how emaciated that was on 5'11? had some physical and mental anguish and was punishing myself at the time, couldn't see it at the time though.

It helps to be in a happier place and I'm sure you are this time around (marital at least).

It's time to rock this, enjoy your 4 day feast buddy

[gbrice75]

Last year, 168lbs about 7-8%. Imagine how emaciated that was on 5'11? had some physical and mental anguish and was punishing myself at the time, couldn't see it at the time though.

It helps to be in a happier place and I'm sure you are this time around (marital at least).

It's time to rock this, enjoy your 4 day feast buddy

Funnily enough, there's a guy in my gym with nearly identical stats... yes he looks very skinny in clothes but does look damn good without a shirt. Personally, I like a 'fuller' look, but if fuller meant 15% + over 200lbs, I'd take your stats from last year.

[cj111]

Good luck,
You going to put up progress pics ?

[gbrice75]

Good luck,
You going to put up progress pics ?

Thanks bud. Definitely - but I just don't know how soon. Ideally I'd put up starting pics, but to be honest i'm a little ashamed of my current condition - I have a reputation to maintain around here, lmao!

[marcus300]

Best of luck gb, I know you want this do bad and I'm sure you'll accomplish all your goals. Looking forward to watching you change into a new you

[gbrice75]

Best of luck gb, I know you want this do bad and I'm sure you'll accomplish all your goals. Looking forward to watching you change into a new you

Thanks big man, glad to have your support... still may need that kick up the arse if you have a minute!

[Soar]

Good luck man, ill be subbed for a good read when my cut comes around haha.

[twitz]

Best of luck to you GBrice! I look forward to watching your success!

[gbrice75]

Good luck man, ill be subbed for a good read when my cut comes around haha.

lol, you know it!

Best of luck to you GBrice! I look forward to watching your success!

Thanks Twitz, appreciate your support!

[marcus300]

Thanks big man, glad to have your support... still may need that kick up the arse if you have a minute!

I couldn't kick your arse today, done legs today and can hardly walk lol

[gbrice75]

I couldn't kick your arse today, done legs today and can hardly walk lol

lol... in that case I'll make sure I show up on chest day next time I'm in need!

[gbrice75]

Motivation.... to lose the bodyfat and be able to see my bicep peaks again!

[RaginCajun]

^^^^ i remember that pic

[gbrice75]

^^^^ i remember that pic

Me too... fondly.

[Bodacious]

Good luck GB....

[gbrice75]

Good luck GB....

Thanks brother!

[CookiesNCream]

So hard to believe that you are 17% BF based on your avi. Needless to say, with your diet, cardio, and training program, that fat will drop, and fast.

I'm interested to see how your carb cycling with work. Could you post progress photo's as well? I'd be interested to see the changes in your physique from the day after your re feed to a few days later during your moderate or low carb days. Looking forward to seeing your changes GBrice

[gbrice75]

So hard to believe that you are 17% BF based on your avi. Needless to say, with your diet, cardio, and training program, that fat will drop, and fast.

I'm interested to see how your carb cycling with work. Could you post progress photo's as well? I'd be interested to see the changes in your physique from the day after your re feed to a few days later during your moderate or low carb days. Looking forward to seeing your changes GBrice

I know... sad, isn't it? I was never a fan of bulking and this is why. It works well for some but not for people like me who are genetically predisposed to greater fat storage. Oh well, I had to give it a fair shot. Cutting isn't a problem; I know I can get lean again.

Re: progress pics - yes, I'll be posting some as things move along, but changes like you're describing (i.e. pic at the end of 3 day carb depletion and then another after carb up) won't really be noticeable until I'm lean again, so I'll probably be saving those for the tail end of this thing. Stay tuned, and thanks for checking in on me!!