My first "Cutting" Phase

[djrodimus]

Hey guys, not sure if this is the best place to post this or not so please let me know if it needs to be moved.

I'm just wrapping up a really long bulking phase and I'm pretty happy cuz I put on about 30 lbs this time. I'm 6'1 about 200lbs even and as soon as I can hit 205-210 range I'm going to switch to a toning / cutting phase.

Only problem is I've really only ever done bulking so I need some advice on a routine for cutting. As with most of us during bulking I put on about 10lbs (or so) of fat mostly around my gut and that needs to go before summer
(-:

Anyway, right now I'm on about 150-200 grams of protein a day and about 3-5 meals. I'm pretty much eating anything and everything I can get my hands on. I'm a hardgainer for sure so this was the only way for me to build. 3 years ago I was 158 lbs and I've gained way more muscle then fat so I think it worked for me.

As for gym nights I can make it at least 3 maybe 4 nights a week so if you guys have some good suggestions on how to cut without losing muscle mass I'd love to hear them.

Btw, I'm currently taking...

T-Bomb 2 (just started cycle last week)
Champ Nutrition Whey
Surge Recovery (during workout and after)
Creatine (on workout days only)

 

[The Dooeug]

Grats on the good bulk:
I myself am going to start a little cut for summer and this is what I am going to do.

Eat tons of green veggies

Eat lots of healthy fats like Steak, Flax Oil, E.V. Olive Oil, Salmon, Fish Oils
Get in enough Protein to preserve the muscle from my bulk

Drinkk 1-1.5 gallons of H20 a day.
I plan on lifting 5 days a week and cardio 4-7 days a week and switching from high intensity cardio to low.

Hope this helps!

 

[djrodimus]

ah good advice man. i was trying to work out my diet plan and i think thats it right there. i think im going to continue taking the same suplements im on but i was thinking about adding Animal Cuts in as well. I've read some good reviews on this and it seems like ppl are pleased with it.

Now as for my actual weight routine... currently im doing 4 sets of 6 and a little while ago i was doing 5 sets of 5 (max weight). I've had really good strength increases and size doing this but i'm thinking about doing higher reps lower weight for cutting... is this a good idea? i'm thinking about either 3 sets of 12 or 4 sets of 10 low-med weight.

What do you guys think...?

 

[djrodimus]

bump *

 

[The Dooeug]

ah good advice man. i was trying to work out my diet plan and i think thats it right there. i think im going to continue taking the same suplements im on but i was thinking about adding Animal Cuts in as well. I've read some good reviews on this and it seems like ppl are pleased with it.

Now as for my actual weight routine... currently im doing 4 sets of 6 and a little while ago i was doing 5 sets of 5 (max weight). I've had really good strength increases and size doing this but i'm thinking about doing higher reps lower weight for cutting... is this a good idea? i'm thinking about either 3 sets of 12 or 4 sets of 10 low-med weight.

What do you guys think...?

I would go with 3 sets of 12-15 reps with light wieght and warm up sets. I am kind of interested in Animal Cuts myself, might try them soon dunno yet

 

[nattydisaster]

I would use ALPHA-T2 at 2-3 caps per day, and keep your diet very clean as you have been.

I would also go with 3 sets of 12-15 reps with light weight and warm up sets. Not too much time in between sets either...keep that heart rate up!

 

[djrodimus]

thanks guys for the suggestions! natty have you personally used the ALPHA-T2 before?

 

[nattydisaster]

Yes I have, and I can vouch for it

Also, I would take creatine mono daily, not just workout days. Even if on off days if you only take a half dose...i would take it daily.

 

[djrodimus]

Yes I have, and I can vouch for it

Also, I would take creatine mono daily, not just workout days. Even if on off days if you only take a half dose...i would take it daily.

cool, i do take it on workout days now but i will switch to daily when i start cutting. im going to pickup a bottle of the t2 as well. thanks!

 

[fitnessbyalex]

Hey guys, not sure if this is the best place to post this or not so please let me know if it needs to be moved.

I'm just wrapping up a really long bulking phase and I'm pretty happy cuz I put on about 30 lbs this time. I'm 6'1 about 200lbs even and as soon as I can hit 205-210 range I'm going to switch to a toning / cutting phase.

Only problem is I've really only ever done bulking so I need some advice on a routine for cutting. As with most of us during bulking I put on about 10lbs (or so) of fat mostly around my gut and that needs to go before summer
(-:

Anyway, right now I'm on about 150-200 grams of protein a day and about 3-5 meals. I'm pretty much eating anything and everything I can get my hands on. I'm a hardgainer for sure so this was the only way for me to build. 3 years ago I was 158 lbs and I've gained way more muscle then fat so I think it worked for me.

As for gym nights I can make it at least 3 maybe 4 nights a week so if you guys have some good suggestions on how to cut without losing muscle mass I'd love to hear them.

Btw, I'm currently taking...

T-Bomb 2 (just started cycle last week)
Champ Nutrition Whey
Surge Recovery (during workout and after)
Creatine (on workout days only)

What does daily meal plan look like for you now? If you show me that I can help you re-organize your macro's to contribute to fat loss/muscle preservation.

-Alex

 

[djrodimus]

hey alex, pretty much my meal plan is this:

eat alot of everything as much as I can and lots of protein...lol

i eat 4-5 meals a day & 2-3 whey protein shakes.

i have a really hard time gaining so i've found that i have to overload with protien / carbs / cals to get anything gained.

i should add im a fast food junkie and i know that will make most on here cringe but for as much fast food as i eat (1-2 times a week) i've retained very little actul fat. i estimate that ive got about 8-10 lbs of actual fat that i want to get rid of and 85% of that is on my gut... ive got a sad 4 pack right now and id like a nice solid 6 pack at the end of my cutting phase.

 

[djrodimus]

so i started my cutting phase this week and so far so good. its a big change for me to switch to low weight high reps but i think im getting it.

anyway so I orderd some ALPHA-T2 and i should have it in a couple of days.

my new stack will look like this:

2 whey protien shakes a day (28 gr protien each)
creatine (even on off days)
T-Bomb 2 (test booster)
ALPHA-T2

Also, I've dropped to 3 clean means a day and no more fast food at least during this next 8 weeks.

Anything I should add / remove?


oh and I added some pics to my album to show my current state before cutting at 200lbs. you can see my problem area being my gut which is what im working on now...

anabolicminds.com/forum/album.php?albumid=395

 

[Dan 55]

for the weightlifting portion drop sets are really good while cutting, just gonna throw that in

 

[BigBen89]

I would go with 3 sets of 12-15 reps with light wieght and warm up sets. I am kind of interested in Animal Cuts myself, might try them soon dunno yet

Animal cuts is good stuff my friend just took a cycle of it, and it got him shredded. The only problem is that I would save it for around the last 3 weeks of your cutting cycle because it contains diueretics (in the blue pill), and you wont realy notice a difference until your bf is low enough for water loss to make a huge difference. I personally just started Gaspari Cytolean v2 and the stuff works great, ive already lost around 5 pounds.

 

[nattydisaster]

so i started my cutting phase this week and so far so good. its a big change for me to switch to low weight high reps but i think im getting it.

anyway so I orderd some ALPHA-T2 and i should have it in a couple of days.

my new stack will look like this:

2 whey protien shakes a day (28 gr protien each)
creatine (even on off days)
T-Bomb 2 (test booster)
ALPHA-T2

Also, I've dropped to 3 clean means a day and no more fast food at least during this next 8 weeks.

Anything I should add / remove?


oh and I added some pics to my album to show my current state before cutting at 200lbs. you can see my problem area being my gut which is what im working on now...

anabolicminds.com/forum/album.php?albumid=395

Good to go my man

 

[gainsvillian]

Cutting and fast food don't fit in the same sentence. That's awesome that you can eat everything in sight and not really put on fat, but if you're trying to cut, you're going to have to be a little more selective about what you eat. From the sounds of your metabolism, making the change to clean food will do wonders for you. Stick with lean protiens (chicken, fish, turkey), whole grains (brown rice, oats), good fats (natty pb, EVOO, almonds), and green veggies (green beans, broccoli) and stay away from sugar. Your protien intake is definitely low for your body weight. Try and get it up to about 1.5g per lb - ie: 200lbs = 300g protien daily.

 

[djrodimus]

Cutting and fast food don't fit in the same sentence. That's awesome that you can eat everything in sight and not really put on fat, but if you're trying to cut, you're going to have to be a little more selective about what you eat. From the sounds of your metabolism, making the change to clean food will do wonders for you. Stick with lean protiens (chicken, fish, turkey), whole grains (brown rice, oats), good fats (natty pb, EVOO, almonds), and green veggies (green beans, broccoli) and stay away from sugar. Your protien intake is definitely low for your body weight. Try and get it up to about 1.5g per lb - ie: 200lbs = 300g protien daily.

good advice, i think im gonna up it too 3 shakes a day (90 grams) and 2x Promax bars with 20gs in each. That will put me up to a solid 130 grams before meals come into play. an I forgot to mention on workout days I drink Biotest - Surge Recovery and I think that has 30 or so grams of protien too.

 

[gainsvillian]

good advice, i think im gonna up it too 3 shakes a day (90 grams) and 2x Promax bars with 20gs in each. That will put me up to a solid 130 grams before meals come into play. an I forgot to mention on workout days I drink Biotest - Surge Recovery and I think that has 30 or so grams of protien too.

Just be careful with protien bars, some have lots of sugar and other unnecessary ingredients. If you're eating them b/c you don't have an alternative or you're on the go, okay. But if you're doing it just for a source of protien, skip it and go with a natural source. There are some good recipes to make your own bars too. PM me if you're interested and I'll give you some of my favs.

You can up the protien in each shake as another option to adding more shakes. If you're only putting in one scoop, add another 1/2-1 scoop. I usually try and stick with the rule taking in no more than 50g protien at a time. I think after that it's a waste, and some people argue that it can actually be counterproductive.

 

[djrodimus]

Just be careful with protien bars, some have lots of sugar and other unnecessary ingredients. If you're eating them b/c you don't have an alternative or you're on the go, okay. But if you're doing it just for a source of protien, skip it and go with a natural source. There are some good recipes to make your own bars too. PM me if you're interested and I'll give you some of my favs.

You can up the protien in each shake as another option to adding more shakes. If you're only putting in one scoop, add another 1/2-1 scoop. I usually try and stick with the rule taking in no more than 50g protien at a time. I think after that it's a waste, and some people argue that it can actually be counterproductive.

lol thats exactly what i do (regarding the shakes). 1.5 servings per drink. as for my protien bars... here's the wrapper stats:

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 Bar (75g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 290 Calories from Fat 60
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 10%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 200mg 9%
Potassium 80mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 13%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Sugars 24g
Protein 20g 40%
Vitamin A 25%
Vitamin C 25%
Calcium 25%
Iron 35%
Vitamin E 30%
Thiamin 25%
Riboflavin 30%
Niacin 30%
Vitamin B6 25%
Folate 25%
Vitamin B12 25%
Biotin 25%
Pantothenic Acid 25%
Phosphorus 15%
Iodine 25%
Magnesium 25%
Zinc 30%
Copper 30%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

INGREDIENTS: PROMAX® protein blend (non GMO soy protein isolate, calcium caseinate, whey protein concentrate, hydrolyzed whey protein concentrate, l-glutamine, l-leucine, l-isoleucine, l-valine), corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, chocolate flavor coating (sugar, fractionated palm kernel oil, cocoa, whey powder, nonfat dry milk powder, soy lecithin, and natural vanilla flavor), chocolate chips (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, and natural vanilla flavor), natural peanut butter, canola oil, cocoa crisps (non GMO soy protein isolate, calcium carbonate, cocoa powder), guar gum, brown sugar, salt, non GMO soy fiber, oat fiber, and natural flavor. VITAMIN & MINERAL BLEND: Dicalcium phosphate, magnesium oxide, ascorbic acid, d-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, ferrous fumarate, niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, vitamin A palmitate, zinc oxide, copper gluconate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, thiamin hydrochloride, folic acid, biotin, potassium iodide, and cyanocobalamin.
Contains: peanuts, milk and soy. May contain: eggs, nuts and wheat.


What do you think? Should I keep these in my stack?

 

[gainsvillian]

I think you can defintiely do better. 290cals isn't bad, but 24g sugar is really high. Plus they have high fructose corn syrup = BAD. I can't rec a better one since I don't usually eat them, but if I'm travelling I'll make my own to have on the road with me. 280 cals, 28-22-8.5 (C-P-F) and most importantly, no sugar and no corn syrup. They taste awesome too.

Cereal Protein Bars


½ c. agave nectar
½ c. natural peanut butter
½ c. water
2 c. puffed brown rice (similar to rice krispies. Whole foods has them)
1.5c Oats (rolled)
1 tsp. vanilla
6 scoops vanilla protein


Bring the water and honey to a boil. Added the PB, and lower to a simmer. Throw the oats and cereal in a bowl. Take the liquid mixture off of the stove when the PB is melted into the mixture, and add the vanilla. Mix the liquid into the dry ingredients, press into a 9x13 baking tray and put under broiler for 1 minute. Cut into 8 bars and keep refrigerated to keep the bars firm.

 

[djrodimus]

so, I just got my Alpha-T2 this weekend in the mail and I've been taking it for the last few days and I have to say that after taking the 2 in the morning... I'm feeling pretty JACKED! Not in a bad way though... just about 200% energy level and I feel like my brain is running about twice as fast. Almost to the point of jitters but not quite.

Honestly, its not a bad feeling... (-:


But just curious if others have felt this too.

 

[nattydisaster]

so, I just got my Alpha-T2 this weekend in the mail and I've been taking it for the last few days and I have to say that after taking the 2 in the morning... I'm feeling pretty JACKED! Not in a bad way though... just about 200% energy level and I feel like my brain is running about twice as fast. Almost to the point of jitters but not quite.

Honestly, its not a bad feeling... (-:


But just curious if others have felt this too.

haha yea...2 caps at once will do that for sure

 

[lennoxchi]

why do most people recommend low weight and high reps?

i get the whole "keeping the heart rate up" thing but one doesn't grow muscles by doing high reps low weight, not usually. why not keep the weight heavy, maybe just a little lighter, somewhere in the 10 rep range. otherwise aren't you just exercising the slow twitch muscle fibers?

 

[BigBlackGuy]

why do most people recommend low weight and high reps?

i get the whole "keeping the heart rate up" thing but one doesn't grow muscles by doing high reps low weight, not usually. why not keep the weight heavy, maybe just a little lighter, somewhere in the 10 rep range. otherwise aren't you just exercising the slow twitch muscle fibers?

Agreed. Leave the calorie deficit up to cardio and diet.

 

[djrodimus]

ok so...10 reps then and increase weight?

 

[lennoxchi]

ok so...10 reps then and increase weight?

how were you lifting before? how did you put on 30lbs.

 

[djrodimus]

i was lifting heavy weight 4 sets of 6 reps. as soon as i could get 6 all 4 times i would increase weight by 5-10 lbs. worked really well for me.

just as an update ive been doing my cutting now for about 2.5 weeks and i notice some small changes in tone but nothing drastic. i'm really focusing on my core since its my worst by far. im doing about 1/2 hour of ab stuff each work out and ive changed my diet drastically... no carbs after 12:00 noon.

 

[djrodimus]

so update i just weighed myself for the first time in 3 weeks (all cutting phase) and aparently i've lost 10 lbs cuz im now 190. i would say i can notice some small changes in tone all around and small changes in gut but nothing like i was hoping id see in 10lbs. so it looks like im down for another 10...at this point i havent lost any muscle im just concered that if i drop to 180lbs i might...

 

[djrodimus]

hmm just took a bi-cep measurement and somehow...i increased each arm by .25 inches? (-:

not sure how that happened... but not complaining

 

[djrodimus]

ok guys end of week 7 and im happy to announce ive had great results. im down about 20lbs and i've gotten much more cut then i've ever been before. i'm posting new pics in the my album of my current progress.

btw...all i can say is I LOVE ALPHA T2! just about to finish the bottle tomorrow and take a break but i will be using this product again.