Cutting comp prep

[BasBoyy97]

Okay guys I've decided after posting a thread on running and epi/Tren cycle I've decided to take the advice given and keep it natural until I'm around 23-24

Anyway there's a natty comp 14 weeks away I was wondering what sort of diet is the best to use and training? Thanks

Stats 5ft9 90kg 16% bf

 

[cutandrun]

First, have you looked into your natural sanctioned comp about time lapse if any allowed after cycles?
Second, natural circuit is almost all diet. It would be my suggestion to find a competition coach to help you out if you don't have a solid foundation of dietrition. You will need to understand things like time lapse of and amounts of glycogen levels and there reverse coposition into lipids.
I completely support your choice to go natural and will help you complete goals if wanted. I will need to know many things like body comp, age, weight, height, and what you would like to compete in ie. Bodybuilding or physique.
And just fyi Natural circuit looks for different body makeup and composition than geared circuits.

 

[lifted67]

At 5'9" depending on how accurate your body fat estimate is and how much muscle you lose during your cut you could end up at about 145 pounds or less when you are at stage ready body fat %. I was at 150 on stage and lost a bunch of muscle my final 3-4 weeks during my cut. You may want to try an epi/laxo or xgels/triumph cycle basically any natural anabolics that can give you even the tiniest edge to keep/gain muscle during show prep. I did my prep completely natty and lost to a guy on Winny, he had at least 5+ pounds muscle on me because of gear.

But honestly, train to win, if you need to put on more quality muscle first do so, then allow yourself more time to cut fat slowly to keep that hard earned muscle as putting it on is only going to get harder the older you get. 14 weeks may be cutting it close even with a great prep coach, not trying to be a dick but if you're going to put in that kind of time/money/effort you're going to want to walk away with some hardware. Good luck to you either way!

 

[Woody]

Smart decision on staying natural until you're a bit older. No point in rushing now just to cause issues later.

Epi would be a great addition as lifted67 suggested. Also, for cutting you can't really beat EC or ECY. If you don't want to run bronkoid, Yohimbine and Caffeine is still a tried and true cutting stack. I'd also Reduce XT to help with cortisol control seek in a cut.

Is it a physique competition?

 

[lifted67]

Smart decision on staying natural until you're a bit older. No point in rushing now just to cause issues later.

Epi would be a great addition as lifted67 suggested. Also, for cutting you can't really beat EC or ECY. If you don't want to run bronkoid, Yohimbine and Caffeine is still a tried and true cutting stack. I'd also Reduce XT to help with cortisol control seek in a cut.

Is it a physique competition?

Great addition Woody forgot to add fat burner input, yohimbe+caffeine can be run dirt cheap and is great for fasted morning cardio. I would definitely add HMB or at least BCAAs to sip on as it'll help keep dem muscles.

 

[Woody]

Great addition Woody forgot to add fat burner input, yohimbe+caffeine can be run dirt cheap and is great for fasted morning cardio. I would definitely added HMB or at least BCAAs to sip on as it'll help keep dem muscles.

YC is super cheap and versatile. Fasted cardio + ECY/YC = stubborn fat torch.

OL Endure would be my BCAA of choice.

 

[james117]

Fasted cardio is useless and won't make you loose fat any faster. You will be at higher risk of muscle breakdown however. Fact is you can't cheat the laws of thermodynamics or "hack" the body. Eat under your maintainance calories by 100-400 calories per day. Get your weight in pounds and times it by 13-15. If your ecto times by 15 if your endo times by 13. The number you get will roughly be your maintainance calories. Eat under that. Track your calories EVERYDAY. If you want exact results you need
to be exact with your diet. You can't "guess" and be inconsistent with your calories and hitting your protein requirements and expect to be shredded. Keto, carb backloading, carb cycling etc will not get you shredded faster than any other "diet". It's all about thermodynamics. Burning more than you consume. Get electronic scales and a calorie counter app. Also no one food will make you store fat or lose it quicker. Your body can't tell the difference between a banana and a cookie. All it sees is glucose and fats and proteins. So track your calories, train hard, enjoy ice cream every night if you want (just be sure to track it into your daily calories) and above all else BE CONSISTENT!

As for your show if those stats you gave are right you won't be contest lean in 14 weeks. Sorry. But please start dieting, get lean and learn/have fun. Then once you know how to get lean by applying knowledge you can then choose a competition to compete. Hope this helps.

 

[cutandrun]

I agree with you james1117 except for the fact that your body can not differ from a banana and a cookie. Non-refined sugar comes in one of two sources; fructose and lactose. Refined sugar in a cookie comes in the form of sucrose. The body can differ from the two because when sucrose is broken down it turns into glucose and fructose. Glucose is used imeditially being stored and/or used for energy, while any extra fructose being metabolized at the same time will either be stored as well or what normally happens is the storage is full and it turns into a lipid for further use in fat cells. Your body will only stir so much glucosamine. There are other big differences such as the fiber in a fruit will keep the break down and dispersment of energy more steady allowing you to fell full longer and time to burn energy before your body lipids any excess.
I get what you are telling him and do agree always track everything you eat. , but I would recommend eating whole non processed foods that are enriched in vitamins and minerals. Not only will this keep you on track but will also help you stay healthy, which should be our goal and at your young age should be yours too.

 

[cutandrun]

Sorry, just read over my post. The statement of the body ready storage deposits is glycogyn not glucosamine. I should have gone over it before I submitted it. Was typing faster than my brain processes I guess.

 

[james117]

For sure. If you can go for clean whole foods you be better of from a health prospective. Plus clean foods will have more volume to them which will keep you fuller for longer. Example if you want some sugary cereal that's fine if you track it but something like oat flakes or wheat flakes would be better for keeping you fuller and delivering more nutrients.

 

[james117]

Also so don't rely on supplements bro. Don't use any thermogenic until you can see your abs clearly. Things like that will serve you better once your in single diget body fat. But nothing wrong with having a coffee everyday if that's your thing. Btw track coffee also. A large latte wil have about 160cals in it. That's enough to make or break fat loss.

 

[lifted67]

Do yourself a favor, just have black coffee lol

 

[Snow3y]

Some of these responses are so ignorant (smh) - black coffee? *sigh*

Listen bro, you need to diet with calorie restriction - i.e. Count your macros.

You'll need to adjust your macros weekly as your weight drops, there should be sites you can google which will let you calculate your macros.
Don't listen to nonsensical bro-science with regards to upping your caffeine intake, eating clean, etc.
I managed to cut down to about 7-8% last year which was stage ready, just by counting my macros and sticking to it for 16 weeks. I was also at around 16% like you mentioned...

 

[lifted67]

Some of these responses are so ignorant (smh) - black coffee? *sigh*

Yeah, black coffee instead of using up precious calories on some kind of latte drink is what I meant. I also told him to get a coach. The OP hasn't told us what show he specifies on doing yet meaning bodybuilding or physique neither of which do I think *your* stage ready 7-8% is going to mean dick for.

 

[cutandrun]

IIFYM is the "crossfit" of the nutrition side.

 

[Woody]

Some of these responses are so ignorant (smh) - black coffee? *sigh*

Listen bro, you need to diet with calorie restriction - i.e. Count your macros.

You'll need to adjust your macros weekly as your weight drops, there should be sites you can google which will let you calculate your macros.
Don't listen to nonsensical bro-science with regards to upping your caffeine intake, eating clean, etc.
I managed to cut down to about 7-8% last year which was stage ready, just by counting my macros and sticking to it for 16 weeks. I was also at around 16% like you mentioned...

What is ignorant about saying black coffee is better for you than a sugar laden Starbucks white girl frap?

If you don't like black coffee, you don't like coffee. You like sugar milk with a splash of coffee. If you don't like coffee, why are you drinking it?

 

[lifted67]

Wow Snow3y negative rep points for saying black coffee has no calories AND a competitor needs to be lower than 7-8% to get on stage. What a troll.

 

[cutandrun]

Snow3y it is great you were able to get down to 8% bf with tracking your macro nutrients, but tracking macros is just general knowledge. I would recommend to do some more research beyond general knowledge if you aspire to compete competitively. Anyone on here that has done it can back me up that going from 16% to 8% is easier than going from 8% to 5%. And even harder as you get bellow 5%. Your body reacts to micronutrients different. Below 7% Your body operates on necessities. Meaning it will give your body nutrients where it is needed to function which is normally not muscle growth, so maintaining muscle is a very complicated feat. Bellow 5% Your body will start entering a state of ketosis. No this is not a diet, it is the term that your body is placed in. Your brain function starts to slow down, the first thing to go is short term memory. I won't bore you with grave details. If you think that only tracking micronutrients will suffice, I'm sorry but that is broscience. Don't get so stubborn you refuse to progress your learning.

 

[Snow3y]

Yeah, black coffee instead of using up precious calories on some kind of latte drink is what I meant. I also told him to get a coach. The OP hasn't told us what show he specifies on doing yet meaning bodybuilding or physique neither of which do I think *your* stage ready 7-8% is going to mean dick for.

Fair enough on the point of coffee. I quite honestly didn't read the previous comments to have seen what you were talking about specifically - I assumed it was just a 'bro' comment being thrown out there LOL
I do disagree with your second statement though, because I've seen guys place top 3 with as much as 7-8% for mens physique as well as fitness..

 

[Snow3y]

cutandrun shot for that response, and I totally agree with you on that point (going lower, it gets more difficult) - I guess this is why people start to rely on a lot of chemicals in order to shred completely(?)

 

[lifted67]

Fair enough on the point of coffee. I quite honestly didn't read the previous comments to have seen what you were talking about specifically - I assumed it was just a 'bro' comment being thrown out there LOL
I do disagree with your second statement though, because I've seen guys place top 3 with as much as 7-8% for mens physique as well as fitness..

There's a Men's Fitness division? Do you any clue at all what you're talking about?

 

[Snow3y]

There's a Men's Fitness division? Do you any clue at all what you're talking about?

Yes, please be aware that not everyone on this forum is from the states. There are a variety of different divisions in other countries. Don't be so quick to talk down on a person.

 

[lifted67]

That's funny you tell me not to be quick to talk down to a person and you're giving me negative rep points for a comment that YOU admitted you read out of context.

 

[Snow3y]

That's funny you tell me not to be quick to talk down to a person and you're giving me negative rep points for a comment that YOU admitted you read out of context.

I gave negative rep to the last comment. You're going to have a hissy-fit for that now because you were in wrong?

 

[lifted67]

There is no point talking to you any further.

 

[cutandrun]

I think the WBFF actually has a mens fitness model category. Most of us on here wouldn't compete in that because if your like me, my face isn't my strong point, it's why I work on my body. Lol. As far as competing at 7%-8%, I suppose you can still place if you have great symmetry and proportionality. I mean not in the IFBB though. Another thing about bf percentage is that many people don't actually know what they are at. Say they are 7% and be 5% or vice versa. Few people go and get hydrostatic tested.(which is crazy to me because I only spend $30 on it, it has gotten very resonable) the thing about men's physique is that you don't want to come in looking soft, rather looking natural. There are ways to come in to comp at a very low bf and rapid hydrate your muscles to give them a rounded full look. This will allow you to keep lean and wow the judges and at the same time not look like a shriveled ball sack.

 

[lifted67]

I use Bod Pod at the university I use to attend. Can't beat free. The water cut left my face skeletal. I wasn't a big fan of that. Aiming for a 5-10 increase in stage weight next time and probably apply some kind of moisturizing product to my face so I don't look like The Mummy.

 

[cutandrun]

Yeah, my gf hasn't seen me cut yet and is laughing at my face being so skinny. I have a lot of native in me so really high check bones and it looks amazing. Lol. I'm sure you know that water goes along with carbohydrate storage. I think it's around 2-3 grams of water for every gram of glycogen storage(carbohydrate storage in muscles) and that's why our muscles are 70% water. I guess what I'm saying is that a lot of people want to up sodium to try and hydrate water storage and replenish the fullness of muscles prior to comp, but it works better with high glucose carbs. Now this is a very difficult process and can vary person to person. It's the main reason why comptitiors always say they looked better 1-2 weeks out than the day of. Something to play with and think about when doing competitions that you aren't needing to take the gold. Lol

 

[lifted67]

Hell dude I looked better after the comp when I filled my trophy cup with cookies, candy, and cake lol

 

[cutandrun]

Bahaha. Don't doubt it.
I would like to take a second to try and not address anyone specifically but maybe the younger crowd that find there way on this thread. This is something that will differentiate a good competitor from a great one. First off, understand that fitness is not a race it is a lifetime achievement. Unless you are a genetic freak of nature you will not be number one in your early 20s. now don't let that discourage you.

Step 1. After you compete take a minute to speak with your judges at an appropriate time. Start off by thanking them for taking their time and bringing their expertise to judging. Do not complain if you lost or brag if you won. Then ask them what it is you brought to stage that they enjoyed and one thing they would like to see from you to make you more competitive the next time.

After compiling this information, I want you to take a year off of competing. During this year you will bulk on the off season, using the information giving to correct any discrepancies the judges may have told you. For instance, the proportionality of the width of your lats are off in comparison to the peak of your bicep. Work on your peak.

when the on season comes you will start to cut again.This time you are going to cut very slowly. I want you to focus on learning how your body reacts to different carbs like starches and fructose. How your body feels at what percent. How your body looks at different bf. While cutting, track your strength. If you see that you are decreasing stregth at a rate that shows a loss of muscle(10%-15%) in a week. Then cease cutting for a minute, take a deep breath, reevaluate your diet, and continuing cutting learning the best way to maintain your muscle.

Use your own perception and the judges advice until you reach the best stage ready body for yourself. Then take the whole time until next season to pack some good muscle on, always remembering to keep proportional.

If you do this you will know your body so well that next season your stress will be minimum before comps and blow your competition away. I know what I told you takes an entire two years of work and dedication but it is the difference between wanting a medal and wanting the best body you can make.

 

[lifted67]

Anyone doing this natty older than mid 20s will need at least 2 years to add quality size and remove fat.