Wanted.......

[Tyson23]

some opinions on what you suggest i dont compete nor do i think i ever will but im very into working out and want to get all my potential out of me. Where do i go from here ive bulked up im 215 and roughly 16%bf.

[mark mcgwire]

It would be helpful if you told us what your goals are. What do you want you're body to become. Do you want to drop some BF or get ripped?

[rugbythug]

Pics are pretty dark hard to see much

[Tyson23]

well as far as goals ... i spent alot of time bulking and i kinda of got sloppy towards the end so bodyfat got alittle higher then i should of let it. I feel at this point i have no choice but to lean up and see what kinda of muscle i have if any lol and then re-bulk but the right way. Like i said im not a bodybuilder or nothing your guys pics are amazing so i dont care to any of that. But i just thought i might as well post some pics and get some honest feed back of what i should do.

p.s. and for the pics being dark im not sure why they are showing up like that they are lit up when i see them ill look into it.

[mark mcgwire]

Well here's my opinion for you. I believe you need to drop bodyfat before you add anymore weight. You should consider getting your diet cleaned up, increase the cardio, and keep hitting the weights.

The best way to make sure you're keeping a clean diet is by logging everything you eat every day. I know this sounds like a pain in the ass, and it is, but it will tell you what's working and what's not. Keep a training log as well.

There's so much you can do, I don't know how much nutrition/AAS knowledge you have. We'll try to help you, just tell us where you need direction.

[Tyson23]

Thanks for the post MM.... I have been eating clean last few months and slowly sheddding off the bodyfat just trying to keep as much muscle as possible. I dont want to go at it to hard and loose to much weight fast cuz i know it would be a good amount of muscle loss as well. Im totally natural and i will take AAS but not sure when im trying to max out my potential first. I know a good amount about nutrition and training but you can always learn more Im currently taking in 350gram protein a day along with 125grams carbs on training days and non training days im going high protein fats. roughly 120-130gram fat. I am doing refeeds about 2times a week but nothing crazy about 200-250grams of carbs. And along with this im doing 3-5sessions of low intensity carido for 45min a pieace. Tell me what you think

[homonunculus]

Hey Tyson,

I won't clutter the advice w/ my $.02. Mark's def. got ya on the right track.

I would add this. You said "im not a bodybuilder or nothing." I would say that you are a bodybuilder and you should set your sights higher. I definitely hear where you're coming from, but I have found that people with *relatively* modest goals actually tend to underestimate the effort that will go into achieving this. Compared to, say, someone who wants to compete on the national level, your committment will be much less.

BUT, to take your physique and give yourself one hell of a beach body will definitely take some work, which you know. Set your sights above what they are now and you will be sure to achieve one hell of a physique. ("Shoot for the starts and end up hitting the moon," or something like that...)

I take back what I said above and will offer this - set a goal in terms of body weight and approx. bodyfat. Also, find a pic of a guy who has a physique like the one you would like. A good plan needs a goal...

You have one VERY important hurdle out of the way - you are not afraid to bulk up. Guys who are 160 at 15%BF who want to be 185 at 8% don't realize that they will have to get to 210+ at 12+% to end up at their goals.

Good luck, Tyson, you're on the right track.

-Randy

[Tyson23]

Thanks man for the post i apprecaite the support. Yea i sure didnt mind bulking up I was very skinny about 2.5years ago about 170 and pretty dam lean about 9% year round. But thats before i decided to start eating like a man and get my training together. Yes i ended up kinda of drifting in my quest to bulk and put on more bodyfat then i needed to.

But i know alot more then i did year or two ago and i keep learning. I am ready to lean up and see exactly what im working with. I feel that even though im at 215 i think at 190 at a single digit bodyfat i will look bigger then i do now .... would you agree with that? I just was soo scared to lean up cuz i didnt want to look small after filling in a shirt you dont want to loose that feeling lolol.

p.s can you tell me what you think about my diet approach? i would love to hear your suggestions. and at what pace i should be looking at leaning up ive been stuck at the same bodyweight for some time but i feel im getting leaner but the scale hasnt moved in over a month

[homonunculus]

Tyson,

You'll definitely look better at 190 w/ single digit BF%. I would guess you're closer to 18% right now, which means you have about 175lb of fat-free mass. Keep ALL of that and weigh in at 190 (~7-8%) and you'll look great.

IF you're getting leaner, but the scale is not changing, I wouldn't change it. It sounds like you just started lifting, so it is possible, with supplements that y ou could be re-partitioning: losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time. (The HOLY GRAIL Of BODYBUILDING... LOL.)

I think your diet sounds like a sound approach. How is your strength in the gym?...

-R

[Tyson23]

thanks for the response man.... as for how long ive been training ive been at it for a few years......no im really feeling like shit if it looks like i just started lifting LOL jk But in january i have changed my approach to training big time i no longer do volume training on more of a low volume routine. 3day a week in the gym and i try to increase reps or weight each week mostly reps until im ready to add more weight. For my size my strenght is lower then it should be i do incline db presses with 90's hmm straight barbell curls with 110-120 just to give you a few examples. I know i shoudlnt judge the scale but i also feeling like me getting leaner as slowed down a bit in the lat month or as long as no weight change so im just dont want to be not progressing know what i mean. Well get back to me when you get a chance thanks man

[stormshadow]

I would go very high protein, moderate fat, and low carb. Continue to train heavy, but drop weight and drop bodyfat. You have a descent physique underneath all that fat. Since dieting down I will never go back to being "as big" and fat as I was. Even if you are a smaller guy, you will still get more recognition for being a bodybuilder being lean, then you will fat.

[Tyson23]

thats is very true...... i see alot of guys that weigh less then me by a good 20-30lbs that look bigger then me and dam is that depressing lol. I guess its just gonna be a matter of me leaning up and then bulking but putting more quality on instead of just overall weight. But that was my first time bulking and i can see that i dnt have the genetics to eat whatever i want.

[homonunculus]

Tyson,

I was wondering how well you've been able to keep your strength since you've started your approach to lean up.

Are you losing strength, gaining strength or staying the same?...

-Randy

[Tyson23]

i have been gaining strenght which i know sounds odd when dieting but its been working.... every week i add reps to my previous workout until i get to about 12reps and then i will go back to 6 and add more weight for example. I have hit alittle wall recently where a few of my lifts are kinda of stalling. But in general my energy levels feel pretty good. But strenght has stayed the same for a few weeks now which i am concerned about but hey how much can i except on doing a pretty much timed carb diet just around my workouts are the only times i get carbs and my 2 re feed days

[homonunculus]

Originally posted by Tyson23
i have been gaining strenght which i know sounds odd when dieting but its been working.... every week i add reps to my previous workout until i get to about 12reps and then i will go back to 6 and add more weight for example. I have hit alittle wall recently where a few of my lifts are kinda of stalling. But in general my energy levels feel pretty good. But strenght has stayed the same for a few weeks now which i am concerned about but hey how much can i except on doing a pretty much timed carb diet just around my workouts are the only times i get carbs and my 2 re feed days

Sounds like it ain't broke. I'd keep doing what you're doing.

Only other suggestion might be to get a skinfold caliper to have a more objective measurement of your BF. I wouldn't worry r.e. what the BF% is - just pick a spot that you can do a reliable measurement with and test it every couple weeks. (A spot on the abs, next to a freckle or other landmark that YOU can find it fine - some place where you carry body fat.) IF the skfd goes down, you're losing fat. If you're gaining strength, your most likely gaining muscle.

-R