** The ASK GB ANYTHING thread (diet/nutrition related) **

[Fatburgler]

GB I have been gone as long as you I imagine hope all is well brother and glad I showed up and found you back at it cause I need some advice. 5'10 197 rolling approx. 15%BF at the time. Have been off cycle over a year and using IF two meals day 1:30 and 8:30 on non training days 160g Protein, 25g carbs, 65g Fat on training days 170g protein 150g carbs, 30g fat pretty much weighing out everything. I'm ready to go back on 500t week for 12 weeks with the goal of taking things to a new level. First, what do you think of IF? Should I change up the macros for a more even split? increase or decrease? I only use BCAA pre workout and fish oils other than that tight on the food intake and looking to get lean. Any help would be greatly appreciated
failed to mention bag work 3 hours week, lifting 4 days/week,

[gbrice75]

GB I have been gone as long as you I imagine hope all is well brother and glad I showed up and found you back at it cause I need some advice. 5'10 197 rolling approx. 15%BF at the time. Have been off cycle over a year and using IF two meals day 1:30 and 8:30 on non training days 160g Protein, 25g carbs, 65g Fat

Why are carbs so low? I understand this is your non-training day, but I don't really see a benefit in dropping them this low for a random day here and there. This is keto territory, except they won't be this low for long enough to achieve ketosis. If nothing else, I'd try and eat a bunch of veggies on these days.

on training days 170g protein 150g carbs, 30g fat pretty much weighing out everything.

Fats are way too low IMO. I wouldn't drop them past roughly 50g/day personally.

I'm ready to go back on 500t week for 12 weeks with the goal of taking things to a new level. First, what do you think of IF? Should I change up the macros for a more even split? increase or decrease?

I like IF, I think it's fine if you find it works well for you, you can stick with it, and it's convenient for your schedule/lifestyle. I'd probably stick with the same calories daily though.

I only use BCAA pre workout and fish oils other than that tight on the food intake and looking to get lean. Any help would be greatly appreciated
failed to mention bag work 3 hours week, lifting 4 days/week,

No secrets to share here ... just be consistent, exercise discipline, be smart and make adjustments as needed, and you'll achieve your goals.

[Fatburgler]

Why are carbs so low? I understand this is your non-training day, but I don't really see a benefit in dropping them this low for a random day here and there. This is keto territory, except they won't be this low for long enough to achieve ketosis. If nothing else, I'd try and eat a bunch of veggies on these days

I was lowering carbs on non training days to carb cycle- higher on training days and low on non training days. I wasn't accounting for the veggies on either day in my carb counts. Since writing and going back through the posts , and taking oyur advice I have come up with a split that may make more sense in order to cut. I have been taking in 1800 Cals a day on some days 1500. The new counts would be everyday no more cycling C-168,P-240, F-60 approx 2150 calories

Thanks

[gbrice75]

Hey all, yea ... I've been on hiatus for a bit but I'm alive and well ... and back to hopefully help out those who can use it.

Not sure how many (if any) of the questions about still need responses, since some were from nearly a year ago. Let me know and I'll get on them!

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

the good ole ask anything thread! good to see it back in action!

[24hoursppc24]

How to build a muscular body? Can you give me some tips about normal diet.

[qokal]

age24
weight 221
height 6'2
bf 10-12
goals.. be specific

Cutting phase. Get as shredded as possible with keeping as much muscle

I am currently carb cycling.

3 days 293 pro 129 fat 65 carbs <-- all from veggies and pb trace

1 day 200 protein , 55g fat , 350g carbs

Repeat each time ^

Meals on low carb days

4:15 am,

1cup of egg whites, 1 egg, 2 tb almond butter

7:30 am

7 oz top round london broil with half an avocado with veggies

11:00pm

6 oz chicken with half avocado with veggies

2:30pm

6oz salmon with brusell sprouts

5pm - Training

7:30 2 scoops hydrowhey with cup of frozen strawberries

10pm

1 1/2 cup cottage cheese with 2 scoops almond butter and half scoop of casein.



Workout 6 days a week, cardio 5x a week, intense workout short rest periods


Any changes you would recommend?

[qokal]

HIGH CARB DAY

High carb day

214g pro 292 g carbs 38g fat

4:15 am

cup of egg whites + 1.5 cup of old fashion oats

7:30am 3 oz chicken with sweet potatoe

11 3 oz chicken with sweet potatoe

2pm 3 oz chicken with sweet potatote

4pm 1.5 cup oatmeal with 1 tb almond butter

5:30 train

8 shake with 2 hydrowhey protein scoops

10

cup of cottage cheese with 1 tbsp almond butter

[gbrice75]

I was lowering carbs on non training days to carb cycle- higher on training days and low on non training days.

Ok, I must've missed that, sorry. I was thinking this was daily.

I wasn't accounting for the veggies on either day in my carb counts. Since writing and going back through the posts , and taking oyur advice I have come up with a split that may make more sense in order to cut. I have been taking in 1800 Cals a day on some days 1500. The new counts would be everyday no more cycling C-168,P-240, F-60 approx 2150 calories

Thanks

Looks decent. Stick with it and be consistent, adjust if you need to based on how your body is responding.

How to build a muscular body? Can you give me some tips about normal diet.

In a nutshell:
train hard
eat (relatively) big
rest
be consistent

I could elaborate on each ... but this site is already a wealth of resources. I suggest you stick around and do some reading.

age24
weight 221
height 6'2
bf 10-12
goals.. be specific

Cutting phase. Get as shredded as possible with keeping as much muscle

I am currently carb cycling.

3 days 293 pro 129 fat 65 carbs <-- all from veggies and pb trace

1 day 200 protein , 55g fat , 350g carbs

Repeat each time ^

Meals on low carb days

4:15 am,

1cup of egg whites, 1 egg, 2 tb almond butter

7:30 am

7 oz top round london broil with half an avocado with veggies

11:00pm

6 oz chicken with half avocado with veggies

2:30pm

6oz salmon with brusell sprouts

5pm - Training

7:30 2 scoops hydrowhey with cup of frozen strawberries

10pm

1 1/2 cup cottage cheese with 2 scoops almond butter and half scoop of casein.



Workout 6 days a week, cardio 5x a week, intense workout short rest periods


Any changes you would recommend?

Your diet looks good and clean, mainly quality food choices. (some would say this doesn't matter; maybe I'm old school, but I'm not buying it ... yet).

What's alarming though is your fat intake ... 129g? Super high IMO, totally unnecessary. Maybe if you were running a keto diet you'd be up in the 120's, but personally I'd drop it considerably. If you feel you need to 'make up' for lost calories, bump protein - it won't hurt.

HIGH CARB DAY

High carb day

214g pro 292 g carbs 38g fat

4:15 am

cup of egg whites + 1.5 cup of old fashion oats

7:30am 3 oz chicken with sweet potatoe

11 3 oz chicken with sweet potatoe

2pm 3 oz chicken with sweet potatote

4pm 1.5 cup oatmeal with 1 tb almond butter

5:30 train

8 shake with 2 hydrowhey protein scoops

10

cup of cottage cheese with 1 tbsp almond butter

This looks better. Personally, I'd probably UP fats here a bit, lol. 50g or so. At your stats, I wouldn't drop below 50g ever.

[.DeadPool.]

Hey All,

Could really use some help, my head feels like it's going to explode! I have been reading articles and doing calculations for 2 days and nothing is sounding right. Great articles by the way gbrice75, really enjoy reading your posts!

Age: 33
Height: 5'5/6
Weight: 127 lbs
LBW: 108 lbs
BF: approx. 15%
BMR: 1430 Cal/Day (iifymDOTCOM/tdee-calculator/]TDEE Calculator[/url])
TDEE: 2029 Cal/Day (iifymDOTCOM/tdee-calculator/]TDEE Calculator[/url])

Goal is to lean bulk before I start cutting for summer. The problem I am having is according to the calculations my total daily Cals should be 1,620 daily (LBW x15) which is far off from my TDEE (2029 Cal/Day + 300-500 surplus cals for bulking). I am going to possibly be doing the MI40 program just to give you an idea where the calculations/Meals plans are coming from.

To make it a little simpler lets say I rounded up to 2,000 cal/day my totals would look like this:

*Training Days: P 150g / C 250g / F 44g *Non Training Days: P 250g / C 125g / F 55g

Meal Plan/Training Days:

Meal 1 - Protein + Fat + Veg
Meal 2 - Protein + Carbs
Meal 3 - (3 hour PW) Protein + Carbs
Meal 4 - Protein + Veg or Protein Shake (PW)
30 minutes into 40 minute workout - High Glycemic Carb Powder (Vitargo)
Post Workout - Protein Shake
Meal 5 - (Within 2 hours of training) Protein + Carbs
Meal 6 - Protein + Fats + Veg
Before Bed - Protein Shake + Fats

Meal Plan/Non Training Days:

Meal 1 - P+F+v
Meal 2 - P+C
Meal 3 - P+C+V
Meal 4 - P SHAKE
Meal 5 - P SHAKE+C+V
Meal 6 - P+F+V
Before Bed - P SHAKE+F

Anyway what do you think? My total cals just sound to low to me, I think maybe I should be more in the range of 2,500 cal/day for bulking or am I wrong?

The meal plans seem legit but I am conflicted about no carbs in the morning!? As far as getting out of catabolic state in the morning without carbs seems a little iffy to me and training day meal plan maybe a little overboard?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide, Really will appreciate it

[gbrice75]

Hey All,

Could really use some help, my head feels like it's going to explode! I have been reading articles and doing calculations for 2 days and nothing is sounding right. Great articles by the way gbrice75, really enjoy reading your posts!

Thanks brother!

Age: 33
Height: 5'5/6
Weight: 127 lbs
LBW: 108 lbs
BF: approx. 15%
BMR: 1430 Cal/Day (iifymDOTCOM/tdee-calculator/]TDEE Calculator[/url])
TDEE: 2029 Cal/Day (iifymDOTCOM/tdee-calculator/]TDEE Calculator[/url])

Goal is to lean bulk before I start cutting for summer. The problem I am having is according to the calculations my total daily Cals should be 1,620 daily (LBW x15) which is far off from my TDEE (2029 Cal/Day + 300-500 surplus cals for bulking). I am going to possibly be doing the MI40 program just to give you an idea where the calculations/Meals plans are coming from.

To make it a little simpler lets say I rounded up to 2,000 cal/day my totals would look like this:

*Training Days: P 150g / C 250g / F 44g *Non Training Days: P 250g / C 125g / F 55g

Meal Plan/Training Days:

Meal 1 - Protein + Fat + Veg
Meal 2 - Protein + Carbs
Meal 3 - (3 hour PW) Protein + Carbs
Meal 4 - Protein + Veg or Protein Shake (PW)
30 minutes into 40 minute workout - High Glycemic Carb Powder (Vitargo)
Post Workout - Protein Shake
Meal 5 - (Within 2 hours of training) Protein + Carbs
Meal 6 - Protein + Fats + Veg
Before Bed - Protein Shake + Fats

Meal Plan/Non Training Days:

Meal 1 - P+F+v
Meal 2 - P+C
Meal 3 - P+C+V
Meal 4 - P SHAKE
Meal 5 - P SHAKE+C+V
Meal 6 - P+F+V
Before Bed - P SHAKE+F

Anyway what do you think? My total cals just sound to low to me, I think maybe I should be more in the range of 2,500 cal/day for bulking or am I wrong?

Here's the thing: no online calculator will ever be able to give any of us anything more than an estimate. As such, we all need to go with a modest, sensible starting point and monitor our progress closely. Make adjustments as needed, and continue dialing in your diet until you find your sweet spot. You'll know when you do. It may take a couple of months before you actually hit it, but this isn't a waste of time, because from that point on, you'll have a much better understanding of your body.

The meal plans seem legit but I am conflicted about no carbs in the morning!? As far as getting out of catabolic state in the morning without carbs seems a little iffy to me and training day meal plan maybe a little overboard?

Assuming you're making decent food choices, the diet looks fine, with the exception of Vitargo - I'm just not a fan personally, don't see the need. We're not competitive athletes, and don't have the same needs as they do. Supplement companies would like us to believe otherwise, but I digress...

If you're really uncertain, go somewhere in the middle - 2250 calories and see how you make out. I know I sound like a broken record, but I can't stress enough how important consistency is. Without it, you'll never really know what's working and what isn't. You have to stick to the plan in order to tweak said plan and find that sweet spot. Once you do, you'll be golden. Figuring out how to cut or 'bulk' will be easy as pie.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide, Really will appreciate it

Anytime.

[Rida5d]

Here is a question brother..
I stay at 200 lbs and tried to cut.. I estimate my tdee at 2500 cals per day..
At 2000 cals , no weight change
2000 cals+ cardio no weight change
1800 keto no weight change.
1800 keto + cardio , no weight change.
1600 I started to see some improvement and lost an inch but STARVING..

A great friend is helping me in my diet and I'm seeing some good results but I'm having a tough time..

If my tdee is 2500 , why I didn't lose at 2000, and 1800.. Cardio or no cardio?



Thyroid readings are ok .

[gbrice75]

Here is a question brother..
I stay at 200 lbs and tried to cut.. I estimate my tdee at 2500 cals per day..
At 2000 cals , no weight change
2000 cals+ cardio no weight change
1800 keto no weight change.
1800 keto + cardio , no weight change.
1600 I started to see some improvement and lost an inch but STARVING..

A great friend is helping me in my diet and I'm seeing some good results but I'm having a tough time..

If my tdee is 2500 , why I didn't lose at 2000, and 1800.. Cardio or no cardio?



Thyroid readings are ok .

How long did you run the supposed 500 calorie deficit? How consistent were you during that time frame? How about the other attempts to change (surplus, keto, etc.)?

If you're TDEE is truly 2500 and you weren't seeing changes at 2000 calories, then something is off. You either didn't give it enough time, weren't consistent in your approach, or some other factor(s) that we can hopefully figure out.

[Rida5d]

How long did you run the supposed 500 calorie deficit? How consistent were you during that time frame? How about the other attempts to change (surplus, keto, etc.)?

If you're TDEE is truly 2500 and you weren't seeing changes at 2000 calories, then something is off. You either didn't give it enough time, weren't consistent in your approach, or some other factor(s) that we can hopefully figure out.

The first stage (-500) cals lasted for 3 weeks..
Then each change I made like adding cardio or lowering my cals more was only one week..
I was counting every single calorie I was eating , weighing every gram I eat on a weight scale..

2 notes:
1- I approached ur cutting diet and lost lots of fat few months ago, but now I'm little stuck unless I go in severe caloric deficit as posted above.
2- I had my cortisol checked , and it's high , over the range .. As I'm screwed up at work.

[.DeadPool.]

Thanks for the advice and reply gbrice, much appreciated Bro!

I think I need to go back to basics, I am over complicating everything and as khazima said micro managing. What would you recommend for post workout carbs instead of vitargo?

[gbrice75]

Thanks for the advice and reply gbrice, much appreciated Bro!

I think I need to go back to basics, I am over complicating everything and as khazima said micro managing. What would you recommend for post workout carbs instead of vitargo?

I think most of us have done the same bro ... I know I have. At some point, you realize it doesn't have to be complicated. The problem is, today with the internet, social media, and SO much (sometimes conflicting) information at your fingertips, you just get overwhelmed.

The fact is, most of this BS we worry over won't make an appreciable difference for most people. Competitive bodybuilding, particularly during contest prep, is another animal. Too many 'regular' guys trying to apply all those principles to their everyday lifestyle unnecessarily.

Re: PWO carbs - for me, it's almost always oats. Sometimes oats and a piece of fruit if I feel like it. I was never a proponent of the 'fact acting carbs' and associated insulin spike. Again, totally unnecessary IMO.

Honestly though, any carb source will do. Rice, potatoes, oats, beans, whatever.

[VoRTeXO77]

hi, reverse diet really worth after a cut or is enough to increase the calories by 250(aka carbs) or so till you gain the amount of weight you want to gain. (3-4 months cut)

[gbrice75]

The first stage (-500) cals lasted for 3 weeks..
Then each change I made like adding cardio or lowering my cals more was only one week..
I was counting every single calorie I was eating , weighing every gram I eat on a weight scale..

Ok, well at least it sounds like you were doing things correctly/consistently. What did you do when you 'stopped' - how did you eat then, and how did your body respond? Did you simply put back on bodyfat?

2 notes:
1- I approached ur cutting diet and lost lots of fat few months ago, but now I'm little stuck unless I go in severe caloric deficit as posted above.

We definitely don't want you in a severe caloric deficit; it may help short term, but long term it'll fck you up. I've always been a fan of higher input/output vs. lower input/output. That is, eat more (i.e. no severe caloric deficit), and add more activity. I realize this isn't possible for some people due to time constraint, life, etc. What kind of cardio activity are you adding in?

2- I had my cortisol checked , and it's high , over the range .. As I'm screwed up at work.

Well, this is concerning. How high are we talking? What's your score?

hi, reverse diet really worth after a cut or is enough to increase the calories by 250(aka carbs) or so till you gain the amount of weight you want to gain. (3-4 months cut)

Personally, I think reverse dieting is a more cautious approach, but it depends on your stats post-cut, and what you're trying to accomplish. What were your stats at the beginning and end of your cut? Do you have pics?

[VoRTeXO77]

Personally, I think reverse dieting is a more cautious approach, but it depends on your stats post-cut, and what you're trying to accomplish. What were your stats at the beginning and end of your cut? Do you have pics?

171 pounds(on start), I try to get as lean as I can to start clean bulking with a surplus of 300-400 calories. I did not done my cut yet. Imo, it does not worth to bulk unless I get to a low body fat percentage, maybe I'm wrong. I wondered if after my cut I should go for 250 cal/week till I hit 300-400 calories surplus...or go for 100 cals every week as a reverse diet.

[Rida5d]

Ok, well at least it sounds like you were doing things correctly/consistently. What did you do when you 'stopped' - how did you eat then, and how did your body respond? Did you simply put back on bodyfat?

well I never stopped brother, I'm still on the diet but approaching a flexible way.. I never exceed 2000 cals , at least at the holidays, I take a free meal on Sunday as I'm not a big fan of structured refeeds , I crash on them..
Anyways , I got back to the 200 lbs , the point that I started with

We definitely don't want you in a severe caloric deficit; it may help short term, but long term it'll fck you up. I've always been a fan of higher input/output vs. lower input/output. That is, eat more (i.e. no severe caloric deficit), and add more activity. I realize this isn't possible for some people due to time constraint, life, etc. What kind of cardio activity are you adding in?

the only time I saw the results was when I went to 1600 cals on a keto without cardio , I function well on low carbs diets , but when I reached to the 1600 cals I had to drop the fat intake and that's when unfortunately my work outs started to suffer , I lost few reps and the weight on the bar went also down

When I do cardio it's : Light speed , vertical treadmill as I can , for 30 min , 3 times a week ,


Well, this is concerning. How high are we talking? What's your score?




High enough please check the attached blood work

Welcome back brother..

In bold , attached my blood work..

[Jay414]

Hi I'm looking to shred some body fat I'm Currently about 26 % bmi my goal is to get to 10-15 % bf i need some help with my diet supplements and training my stats are age 26 hight 5ft10 182.5 lbs 26% bmi I'd appreciate any help thanks

[Dukkit]

Can I eat cookie dough for post workout insulin spike? :-)

[17chester6]

I'm trying to slowly and steadily gain lean mass. I am carb sensitive so my diet tends to be protein and fat heavy and the carbs are mostly vegetables. I'm mostly paleo but will eat legumes and dairy (mostly Greek yogurt and cheese).

Is there a site where I can access a meal plan for the above assuming my normal calorie requirements are 2600 calories (so I would try for a 2800 calorie diet)? It seems so labour intensive to try and work out a weeks worth of meal plans and there probably is already a bunch of meal templates somewhere on the web that I can use. Most of the plans that I have seen are high in carbs and that would just cause abdominal fat to develop.

[gbrice75]

Can I eat cookie dough for post workout insulin spike? :-)

No. But only because you're too fat already. But, I like em' thick, you sexy fvcker.

I'm trying to slowly and steadily gain lean mass. I am carb sensitive so my diet tends to be protein and fat heavy and the carbs are mostly vegetables. I'm mostly paleo but will eat legumes and dairy (mostly Greek yogurt and cheese).

Is there a site where I can access a meal plan for the above assuming my normal calorie requirements are 2600 calories (so I would try for a 2800 calorie diet)? It seems so labour intensive to try and work out a weeks worth of meal plans and there probably is already a bunch of meal templates somewhere on the web that I can use. Most of the plans that I have seen are high in carbs and that would just cause abdominal fat to develop.

Not that I'm a huge fan, but for you, how about the Crossfit/Paleo approach? The diets/meal plans are pretty much already spelled out. Just a though.

[tice1212]

Good morning gbrice75

Stats:
190lbs
5'9
@10%bf
Weight train 5 days (weight train 70-80mins + cardio 65+ (low intensity elliptical)
Active rest days 2 (elliptical low intensity 90+ mins)

Goal: is to build muscle and burn fat (like everyone in the world lol)

Questions:
1: My TDEE is 2950 a day to maintain my weight at 190lbs. I'm meaning that number almost every day. Now I know I should be at least maintenance calories or in a calories surplus to build muscle right? Or only a calorie surplus will build muscle?

2: since I'm meeting my calorie goal i should be able to gain muscle but know my question is since I'm doing 65+mins of low intensity cardio a day am I in a deficiency to where my body won't grow?

3: since all I can do is low intensity cardio I understand the body uses 70%fat and 30%carbs for fuel. Would it be best to split my calories up like this.. 40% carbs/40% protein/20%fats because then I can burn more stored fat? What would be the best calorie split?

Thank you for ur time

[gbrice75]

Good morning gbrice75

Stats:
190lbs
5'9
@10%bf
Weight train 5 days (weight train 70-80mins + cardio 65+ (low intensity elliptical)
Active rest days 2 (elliptical low intensity 90+ mins)

Nice stats - is that you in your avy??

Goal: is to build muscle and burn fat (like everyone in the world lol)

Questions:
1: My TDEE is 2950 a day to maintain my weight at 190lbs. I'm meaning that number almost every day. Now I know I should be at least maintenance calories or in a calories surplus to build muscle right? Or only a calorie surplus will build muscle?

Generally speaking, input needs to be greater than output in order to grow, so yes - caloric surplus. That said, you don't need much (not as much as people often think) - 200-300 cals over maintenance is usually plenty. Any more could lead to 'spill over' (fat), but of course we're all different, so you'll have to play with the numbers until you find your optimal point.

2: since I'm meeting my calorie goal i should be able to gain muscle but know my question is since I'm doing 65+mins of low intensity cardio a day am I in a deficiency to where my body won't grow?

1 - why are you doing so much cardio? I mean, at 10% already - are you planning to complete and working to get really lean?

2 - TDEE should account for ALL activity, including added cardio. So, your TDEE is actually higher than you think.

3: since all I can do is low intensity cardio I understand the body uses 70%fat and 30%carbs for fuel. Would it be best to split my calories up like this.. 40% carbs/40% protein/20%fats because then I can burn more stored fat? What would be the best calorie split?

Thank you for ur time

The bolded is a HUGE generalization; I wouldn't pay any mind to blanket, absolute statements such as those. Our bodies are all different; some 'run' better on carbs, some better on fats. There is no right or wrong answer, only what is optimal for YOU as an individual. Unfortunately, the only way to really know is through trial and error. You'll learn plenty about your body in the process, though.

Personally, I'd say you're overthinking all of this. 40/40/20 is a good starting point for anybody. What you really need to do is monitor your progress meticulously and consistently, and make minor adjustments as you go along. That really is the only way. You'll eventually hit that groove, and you'll know when you do.

[bloodchoke]

Should a bulking diet with gear differ from a natty bulking diet?
If so, how?
Should I consume more protein on cycle or will my body just better use the protein I'm consuming? I'll be starting a test-e 500/wk, with a 30 mg dbol kicker (4 weeks) in a month or so. I'm planning 1.5 g protein/lb-LBM, 0.4 g fat/lb-LBM. I'm planning on eating 300-350 kcals over maintenance and maybe bumping it up after a few weeks. I put on fat easy and I want to avoid all of the excess fat gain I can.

[tice1212]

Nice stats - is that you in your avy??

Generally speaking, input needs to be greater than output in order to grow, so yes - caloric surplus. That said, you don't need much (not as much as people often think) - 200-300 cals over maintenance is usually plenty. Any more could lead to 'spill over' (fat), but of course we're all different, so you'll have to play with the numbers until you find your optimal point.

1 - why are you doing so much cardio? I mean, at 10% already - are you planning to complete and working to get really lean?

2 - TDEE should account for ALL activity, including added cardio. So, your TDEE is actually higher than you think.

The bolded is a HUGE generalization; I wouldn't pay any mind to blanket, absolute statements such as those. Our bodies are all different; some 'run' better on carbs, some better on fats. There is no right or wrong answer, only what is optimal for YOU as an individual. Unfortunately, the only way to really know is through trial and error. You'll learn plenty about your body in the process, though.

Personally, I'd say you're overthinking all of this. 40/40/20 is a good starting point for anybody. What you really need to do is monitor your progress meticulously and consistently, and make minor adjustments as you go along. That really is the only way. You'll eventually hit that groove, and you'll know when you do.

Thanks bro this is what I look like right now



Ok so maybe I'm over thinking that how thing.. So I did my tdee with training and cardio added in if I keep doing this route my new tdee i 3700. So for me to grow I would either have to cut down on the cardio of just eat 3800-3900 calories a day.

Also about the ratios ur right it's a bold statement I made. I guess it all depends on how ur body reacts to carbs or fats.

Thank you for ur help

[gbrice75]

cut down on the cardio

Bingo. You're already good and lean; stop killing the cardio and give your body a chance to grow.

[tice1212]

Bingo. You're already good and lean; stop killing the cardio and give your body a chance to grow.

Or I can eat 3800-3900 calories right? Lmao Thank you

[gbrice75]

Or I can eat 3800-3900 calories right? Lmao Thank you

lol, yea ... but caloric deficit should come mainly via diet IMO.

[ab037]

How many calories to consume for a cutting cycle? I haven't read anything on here in regards to that. Very curious as to how that works, my thoughts are when running gear, I would think you would want to maximize gains so would need to eat over TDEE by a small amount at least.. What do ya think GB?
thx

[gbrice75]

How many calories to consume for a cutting cycle? I haven't read anything on here in regards to that. Very curious as to how that works, my thoughts are when running gear, I would think you would want to maximize gains so would need to eat over TDEE by a small amount at least.. What do ya think GB?
thx

Re: the bold - I thought the same thing years back. It seems logical, right? Then a friend/mentor gave me a different perspective:

You specifically mentioned a cutting cycle. Not to state the obvious, but the goal here is to reduce bodyfat. IF you can make gains (with or without gear), that's a huge bonus. The focus should be on doing your best to maintain muscle tissue while slowly reducing bodyfat. SO ...

It was suggested that I actually reduce calories even further? WHAT!?!? Why would I do that?? I want to make the gear as efficient as possible, right??

Yes. You will be. To further reduce bodyfat - and maintain LBM. Because of the increased feed efficiency, protein synthesis, etc. that the cycle will produce, you should be able to get away with eating even less without negatively impacting LBM, while pushing fat loss even harder. I did it, and it worked out wonderfully.

In short - I'd suggest continuing to eat as if you weren't cycling - i.e. under maintenance, typical cutting diet, continue to train hard (a lot of people make the mistake of lowering training intensity/volume etc. under the false assumption not doing so will somehow hurt muscle retention) and get a lot of rest.

My .02. What does this cutting cycle consist of?

[ab037]

Thanks for response GB.
As far as compounds.. I am on TRT @ 150mg/week.. Have been cutting for a few months, it was something I was thinking about possibly in a few months. Just getting setup with a new Dr (although same protocol for last 2.5 yrs) but after everything is normalized and I drop another 3% or so BF I was thinking of doing a Blast.. just upping the Test Cyp dosage to 500/week.
It makes sense, been lifting heavy 5x5ish during my cut to retain as much LBM as possible, I guess the concept is the same with/without gear.. TY again

[gbrice75]

been lifting heavy 5x5ish during my cut to retain as much LBM as possible, I guess the concept is the same with/without gear.. TY again

Bingo. You can definitely train harder with gear, but no reason training intensity should be 'dialed down' when cutting (w/ or w/out gear). Also, don't be afraid to switch things up to a higher volume approach. There is plenty of muscle to be gained in the 12-15 rep range.

[Bertuzzi]

Where can I get the best pizza in all the land???

[gbrice75]

Where can I get the best pizza in all the land???

Without question, my home state!!!

[Bertuzzi]

Without question, my home state!!!

Well when I make a trip NY I'll stop by Jersey and be the official Judge!

[gbrice75]

Well when I make a trip NY I'll stop by Jersey and be the official Judge!

How could a Canadian EVER judge good pizza?

[gbrice75]

Well when I make a trip NY I'll stop by Jersey and be the official Judge!

Even New Yorkers know where to get the best pizza.