bodyfat estimation and critique please

[carteblanche08865]

Hey Everyone,
Haven't been posting on the boards in a while, but I constantly checkout whats going on here. I've been wanting to post some pics and finally found my camera. Looking for a bodyfat estimation and members recommendation on my lagging parts. Obviously my chest, had trouble with that until recently because of torn rotator. Anyway, thanks in advance!

http://s1176.photobucket.com/albums/x327/gnosis6/

5'11"
175 lbs
lifting 4 years

[tbody66]

Bodyfat is low, I wouldn't be concerned about that, 7% is my guess. I would want more information to answer any other questions, like what are your personal goals? What are you doing to get there, (specific diet and exercise programs)? How old are you? I admire you for posting pics and for sticking with lifting for four years. Keep on keeping on and I'll give you more of my opinion if you post more information.

[carteblanche08865]

Damn, I didn't even think I was single digits yet. I know the stomach flab kind of throws the pics off. I'll answer any questions, no problem.

My personal goal is one that I just couldn't stop until I got there and that was to get into the single digits body fat percentage. Now I came down from 280 lbs about 5 years ago I started this. I started lifting because I wanted to get rid of underarm flab so I started running 5 miles every morning and doing french presses with a dumbell a couple times weekly. The first 50 came off no problem, but the last 50 or 60 or whatever was a real mental challenge and I yo yo'd a lot trying to get there.

I knew that having loose skin was going to make me have to get leaner than I really needed to because it makes you look worse. Anyway, my goals as of now are to get leaner and see what happens with that abdominal skin. I had a consultation with a Dr. that does laser skin tightening and he was saying that as long as I don't go up dramatically in weight again that I will see alot of tightening on its own. That's been such a mental drain these last 3 years or so let me tell you. Even the biceps are tightening up slowly now and stretch marks are fading.

I know that I burned some muscle with all the running and dieting too though even though I was on a high protein diet. Thanks for the motivation too.

My stats:
27 years old
5'11
App 175 lbs now

[Dont wanna be old]

Look good !
Congratulations on a successful transformation .

[gbrice75]

Wow, reading your story... I almost felt like I was reading my own in the making. Other than your age, we have/had very similar stats and came from almost the same place. I was 255lbs and am currently down to around 192 or so. December will be 2 years in this game.

Your story is inspiring to me because i'm currently working on the exact same goal - actually, i'd be happy with 10% but lower would be great.

As for you, great job bro, you deserve much props! I don't know about 7%, but definitely single digits.

So what is your long term goal? Do you want to focus on adding some mass now? I'll definitely be following your progress!

[carteblanche08865]

Thanks for the kind words guys. It's motivating to get some feedback. I've been in my own groundhog day for so long now that it's nice to talk to others with the same goal.

I'm honestly on a very good role at the moment with the cutting so I will probably not switch over to gaining mass just yet. I am pretty much fully adjusted to feeling like crap most of the day and have learned to function with that haha. I was wondering when the fibers of the quads come out actually if anyone can answer that. I notice almost daily differences in my body at this point and the flab is tightening up so I can't stop now.

gbrice- keep up the hardwork man, thanks for the comments. You will be where you want to before you know it! Just don't look back. Thanks for following, I will post some more pics eventually as well no matter what my goals.

I do have a question, someone on another board recommended that I take bcaa's asap so I don't burn anymore muscle. I'm think breakfast and Post workout should do it right and Glutamine before bed?? Someone also recommended a low dose prop or var for the remainder of my cutting?

[Twist]

Bro i would work on staying exactly where you are for a while. If you try to cut more, you will burn through muscle. You are at the lower limits of bf and you shouldn't try to get to 6-7% because your body will eat up all your muscle. Just stay where you are and let your skin tighten up a little and get your body accustomed to not having all that fat anymore. Then, slowly up your calories and the muscle will come on.

BTW
chest, back, hams, shoulders.

[carteblanche08865]

Yea, you're right about the muscle burning. Throughout this process I just kept thinking that I just wasn't as big as I thought I was. When really I was burning some muscle along the way and kind of shrinking. Thanks for the replies.

Do most people have to be on gear to get into the lower levels without burning lbm?

[gbrice75]

Yea, you're right about the muscle burning. Throughout this process I just kept thinking that I just wasn't as big as I thought I was. When really I was burning some muscle along the way and kind of shrinking.

I'm going through this right now, and it's so effing painful. I hate seeing myself, I look so scrawny and emaciated.

[bigcwithane]

Wow. I was also in the same boat I was 16 and 236 lb lineman I dropped down to 170 and looked good but I had that extra skin on my stomach and chest. I hated it and I started way undereating to the point I dropped down to 140 and was a twig. Then I jumped back into bodybuilding eating and the fat skin came back when I hit 180. Pissed me off so now I'm just trying to cit it off but keep my calories up because I don't want to mess up again. Your pictures are inspireing to me tho once you slow add them cals back in a beef up you'll look real good. Keep it up bro

[carteblanche08865]

I appreciate all the positive comments guys. I have been lucky so far, it seems like the skin is tightening almost daily now, especially on my arms. It's been such a thorn in my side for the last couple years guys. Really messed with my head. It was bad enough to have stretch marks, but flab is killer to me. Anyway, I will let the skin keep tightening and yes I will add some mass after wards.

It's crazy that I've been dieting so long because I've never had a problem putting on muscle and I'm surprised that I resisted that for so long. It's just addicting to me to constantly see new cuts and veins all the time. Let alone new abs, who would have thought haha.

When I say that I lost muscle, I did, but I was never really all that big. I mean, my calves have been good for a while and my triceps but other than that maybe my traps were another strong point. I just think body fat hides a lot and most people don't know either how much they really have to lose or how big they aren't. Don't mean to bash anyone, but I found myself in both of these mindsets lately. I just didn't really want to use test during the cut and be tempted to gain weight when my appetite increased, you know?

[ar-gun]

like gbrice said def inspiring brother. im trying to lose about 40 lbs and reading and seeing these pics makes me want to run 5 miles a day just like you kid

[ModernLatz]

You look fantastic and let me be another to add that your an inspiration to me as well. I keep telling myself to get up and start running again but I never seem to do it. Seeing your results and wanting them for myself made your post that much more real and empowering. Thank you for sharing

[gbrice75]

OP, where are you??!! Don't abandon us now! We want to watch you continue to progress...

[bigslick7878]

Un-believable transformation.

Congrats.

Definitely around 10%, amazing work.

[tbody66]

If I may make some suggestions then, based on you providing more detailed information. Although I would like to see a specific sampling of your diet. If you do a 5 degree change in your program, play with your calories and lift for a little size, you should dramatically affect how your body responds to growing muscle while not adding fat and help the skin tighten.

[Brewster]

Good work OP

[carteblanche08865]

Hey everyone, I apologize for the late replies. I was painting the house and had everything all over the place.

Thanks for more positive comments! You guys are helping me stay focused, even though I did splurge for a couple days. I'm re focused and ready to go once again here. I notice that when I added some carbs back in my abs all disappeared almost overnight it seemed. I mean, they're still somewhat viewable, but I am holding water right now for sure.

The plan for me will be to take off a little more bodyfat and try really hard to stay there while slowly transitioning to a gain lbm phase. Keep in mind that I have never done this, I've been dieting for what seems like my entire adult life haha. I've always had other things going on, whether it was mma or running or whatever, but now I am looking forward to just trying to improve my body full time.

tbody66, diet was as follows to get me where I got. Now keep in mind that I've tried a lot of different diets and will briefly discuss them. I can expand on anything that you guys want of course.

First 50 came off like it was nothing. 280 to 230
Mostly powerbars and protein shakes really. I wanted to monitor calories to an exact number. I knew nothing of proteins, carbs, fats, etc, but started reading everyday on bodybuilding and still do today. Ran 5 miles daily, 4/5 days every morning, not so much lifting, but tons of stretching before and after running. Got annoyed with triceps flab so I started doing DB seated french presses to get that horseshoe out there.

Yo Yo dieted for what seems like a year or 2, but did drop some more bodyfat. I can't think of specific numbers right now, but I was dealing with alot of shin splints and neck problems from doing kickboxing and grappling all the time as well. I realize now that someone willing to adapt a little more than I did would make better progress. For example, I still cut calories too low and just accept that when you diet you are miserable. Am I wrong?

The last 2 years was more up and down I think. Came down from 230 or so and stayed at 190 until about 6 months or so ago. I got heavy into high protein diets and broccoli, oats, yams, and more salad than I ever thought possible, etc., typical diets pushed on the forums for cutting. I developed a habit of going to complete failure on every set and doing way too many sets per night. Upwards of 40-50 when I look at my old logs. All while being on a calorie restriction and running. I started having issues on the weekend with overeating because it was my cheat day.

That brings me to the diet that brought me from about 190 to 175ish. I was 169 on the final day before the diet kind of broke me and I couldn't starve and be so irritable like that anymore. The meals are as follows.
1)2 whole eggs on 2 pieces wheat toast, coffee (no sugar) @ 730am
2)turkey/liverwurst sandwich, coffee (no sugar) @12 lunch
3)1 egg on 2 pieces wheat toast, coffee (no sugar) pre w/o @ 430pm
Workout would be 5 exercises @ 4 sets each differing body parts that were trained ( I can lay it out more if you guys want) followed by either a run/bike or both)
4)PWO was 2 eggs on 2 pieces wheat toast, coffee (no sugar)
5) towards the end I cut out meal 5 and that made for some long nights, but I did eat a nutri grain bar if it got too hard

Now I know this only no where near enough protein for what you guys recommend. Keep in mind that I did the 200-300 grams of tuna and chicken for a couple years and it didnt give me 1/2 the results that I got with a little more carbs but less overall calories I think.

I look back on everything and I think I'm lucky for the body I have now. Considering what I put it through, harsh calorie cuts, training through injuries (c2 and c3 were dislodged grappling, knees both had nasty injuries when wrestling, rotator cuff problems from pitching when I was a kid (hence the lacking chest) etc etc) I am grateful now that I've put this all in the open, kind of stirs up some emotions. I look at myself as a machine too much sometimes I think.

Sorry for the long post guys.