Gaining muscles while losing fat. HGP tries the impossible, watch me fail!

I'm not being sarcastic, it looks on your pictures that you have to cut to get definition sure but it also looks like you have big abs cause they are noticible even though you're not cut up.

I thought the same thing, I believe you are looking better than you think (or see) aka bigorexia !!

Maybe. I miss looking more massive. On the other hand, I enjoy how I look with clothing on -but would like more size on arms and traps.
Currently figuring out what way to go, what end result to pursue. I need to be more flexible and "sporty". I also need more stamina/endurance.

Is working out hard, in ketosis and in a slight deficit even a sound idea? I mean, I wont grow anyhow. Made a plan for essential (mainly BW) exercises I did 3 years ago to get in shape, like push ups, pull ups, dips, BW rows and lightweight squats with high resistance/high intensity bicycle.
Will definitely NOT go the heavy weight route, like deadlifts. I'm too old for that.
Decisions, decisions....
 
When I did keto, I trained hard. It eventually caught up to me over time. I hit a plateau on everything. Definitely wasn't gaining any muscle at all, was living off supps for energy.
You're right, decisions decisions decisions. I looked back at your gaining muscles log and I think there was a pic at the end of that log that I said DAM!! You still look good now, I think you just have too many ideas going on at once. Trust me hgp, I've been there and it sukks. But when you find it, you will have a motivation like ever before
 
When I did keto, I trained hard. It eventually caught up to me over time. I hit a plateau on everything. Definitely wasn't gaining any muscle at all, was living off supps for energy.
You're right, decisions decisions decisions. I looked back at your gaining muscles log and I think there was a pic at the end of that log that I said DAM!! You still look good now, I think you just have too many ideas going on at once. Trust me hgp, I've been there and it sukks. But when you find it, you will have a motivation like ever before

So, you would say the "gymnast" approach (BW exercises) while cutting is a good idea? Obviously paired with some auxillary exercises for shoulders and traps? I feel lighter, I feel more "gymnast like". I really think its what my body will respond to best now. I even got the urge to do push ups while taking a sunbath at home, did some crunches too. Can't explain it -but I'm driven.
 
Maybe. I miss looking more massive. On the other hand, I enjoy how I look with clothing on -but would like more size on arms and traps.
Currently figuring out what way to go, what end result to pursue. I need to be more flexible and "sporty". I also need more stamina/endurance.

Is working out hard, in ketosis and in a slight deficit even a sound idea? I mean, I wont grow anyhow. Made a plan for essential (mainly BW) exercises I did 3 years ago to get in shape, like push ups, pull ups, dips, BW rows and lightweight squats with high resistance/high intensity bicycle.
Will definitely NOT go the heavy weight route, like deadlifts. I'm to old for that.
Decisions, decisions....

No you won't grow on a deficit that's true, without carbs even less but you are on nandrolone so I'd expect you leaning out quite nicely with the right approach. I think you got enough androgens not to lose musclemass.

I actually do pretty much this when I cut and i do lose size obviously but I also get extremely lean doing so.
 
Maybe go 65% on weight, but high reps and hitt. That's what I did, with alot of cardio. I'm only about 5 months out of that routine now (meaning I just stopped all that back in oct 18).
Might loose a lil size....don't loose those boulder shoulders. Question, is this all because you want a crazy set of abs?
I'd be happy with the abs you have now.
 
Maybe go 65% on weight, but high reps and hitt. That's what I did, with alot of cardio. I'm only about 5 months out of that routine now (meaning I just stopped all that back in oct 18).
Might loose a lil size....don't loose those boulder shoulders. Question, is this all because you want a crazy set of abs?
I'd be happy with the abs you have now.

15% BF , 85kg -and stay like that. That is my goal. After that its tweaking everything to look balanced.
 
I will have to look up women from Paraguay. That just sounds sexy, always attracted to foreign women.

Believe me, they are hot. Not like the German feminists with short hair and saggy trousers. :)

They lack huge tits, but the butts are perfect!
 
So, you would say the "gymnast" approach (BW exercises) while cutting is a good idea? Obviously paired with some auxillary exercises for shoulders and traps? I feel lighter, I feel more "gymnast like". I really think its what my body will respond to best now. I even got the urge to do push ups while taking a sunbath at home, did some crunches too. Can't explain it -but I'm driven.

Just my thoughts but I’d definitely keep some heavier training in the program.....even though you won’t grow the goal (I assume) is not to lose muscle whilst cutting so you gotta give it a reason to stay. You gained it as the body responded to you lifting heavy by creating more muscle so if you stop it won’t percieve you still need it.....however, some variety is also a good thing. I would 100% keep some heavy stuff in there though HGP.

On the abs etc, I think I get you in that regard, mainly as I think I’m quite similar, you don’t feel you look good enough at the moment as you have a vision of where you want to be and YOU DO THE WORK TO GET THERE (I put it in capitals as this is the bit where most people fall down). Deep down you know your prepared to do what is needed so I think it’s right you have that goal. If you werent prepared to be doing the right things then you’d need a different goal but not the case here imo.

Keep on pushing for that 15% bf, abs on display brother.....
 
Just my thoughts but I’d definitely keep some heavier training in the program.....even though you won’t grow the goal (I assume) is not to lose muscle whilst cutting so you gotta give it a reason to stay. You gained it as the body responded to you lifting heavy by creating more muscle so if you stop it won’t percieve you still need it.....however, some variety is also a good thing. I would 100% keep some heavy stuff in there though HGP.

On the abs etc, I think I get you in that regard, mainly as I think I’m quite similar, you don’t feel you look good enough at the moment as you have a vision of where you want to be and YOU DO THE WORK TO GET THERE (I put it in capitals as this is the bit where most people fall down). Deep down you know your prepared to do what is needed so I think it’s right you have that goal. If you werent prepared to be doing the right things then you’d need a different goal but not the case here imo.

Keep on pushing for that 15% bf, abs on display brother.....

Okay, will lift heavy the day I backload, that makes sense, as strength get up. I see me everyday, not looking always like in the last pic. I have to look at least like that ALWAYS, even after eating, even after drinking, even when I sleep, even when nobody is watching. Its now complete makeover time. I swear I gonna succeed. I'm on fire baby, I'm on fire.

Invalid Link Removed
 
So, you would say the "gymnast" approach (BW exercises) while cutting is a good idea? Obviously paired with some auxillary exercises for shoulders and traps? I feel lighter, I feel more "gymnast like". I really think its what my body will respond to best now. I even got the urge to do push ups while taking a sunbath at home, did some crunches too. Can't explain it -but I'm driven.
I'm going through some kind of deload right now, basically messed up my left arm trying to lift the bar back over my head after squatting on my last cycle. Pretty much any heavy pressing exercise is very painful so I figured deload and do the bodyweight thing. Started doing 100 pushups every day when I get to work then have been doing 7.5kg dumbell sets of 50 lateral raises, 10kg sets of floor presses and floor flies and even holding two 10 kg dumbells at my shoulders and doing sets of 50 box squats. Not taxing in the strength department but persevering through the intense burn feels great. I wanna vomit mid set but the moment you hit target and drop the weights I feel phenomenal. Will be doing this for a couple of weeks until hopefully my arm gets better then its time for a new (natural) plan. I've also come to the conclusion that the older I get the worse all side effects of everything become.
 
I'm "all in" for volume > heavy azz weights. If something feels way to light, I just do it slow-mo, like 3 sec up, 3 sec down. I'm sure it yields benefits!

I wouldn't do anything every day -but eod sounds doable for me. We old farts have to play around until it fits.
 
I would add some carbs back in and do some high intensity functional movements.
(Crossfit).

If done safely this yields great physiques and a healthy body. And you will actually be in shape and not just look like it.
 
Maybe. I miss looking more massive. On the other hand, I enjoy how I look with clothing on -but would like more size on arms and traps.
Currently figuring out what way to go, what end result to pursue. I need to be more flexible and "sporty". I also need more stamina/endurance.

Is working out hard, in ketosis and in a slight deficit even a sound idea? I mean, I wont grow anyhow. Made a plan for essential (mainly BW) exercises I did 3 years ago to get in shape, like push ups, pull ups, dips, BW rows and lightweight squats with high resistance/high intensity bicycle.
Will definitely NOT go the heavy weight route, like deadlifts. I'm too old for that.
Decisions, decisions....
Ever tried pilates?

I started doing pilates with my wife - she was an elite ballet dancer 20yrs ago - and my ****ing abs have never been so sore.
 
Ever tried pilates?

I started doing pilates with my wife - she was an elite ballet dancer 20yrs ago - and my ****ing abs have never been so sore.

My wife does pilates too! Its for women only, she told me... so much for gender equality... :(
 
I would add some carbs back in and do some high intensity functional movements.
(Crossfit).

If done safely this yields great physiques and a healthy body. And you will actually be in shape and not just look like it.

Nah, go away with that blaspheme idea. Gonna keep grinding the way I do, as it feels right. Way later in, I gonna look at carbs again. Not now.
 
Let me weigh in. In ketosis, when at a deficit, albeit not competition deficit, one could gain lean mass, especially when one is taking anabolics, and their protein intake is geared to gain muscle. Muscle growth requires muscle stress, positive nitrogen balance, mTOR, anabolic hormones help, and protein (which is what causes the positive nitrogen balance). You can be surprised at what is possible, especially on steroids.
 
Fat loss=NASA
 
Lol I like it brother
 
I'm "all in" for volume > heavy azz weights. If something feels way to light, I just do it slow-mo, like 3 sec up, 3 sec down. I'm sure it yields benefits!

I wouldn't do anything every day -but eod sounds doable for me. We old farts have to play around until it fits.
Do you get doms from it? One thing I noticed recently was after switching to high rep sets I had intense doms in my chest, way more than I was getting beating my log book on cycle with heavier shorter sets. I know it's not exactly scientific proof that it's more anabolic for muscle building I believe it's still a sign that your body is like "what the f0ck is going on here?" and shocking the body one way or another will lead to improvements in conditioning (and hopefully a leaner appearance)
 
My wife does pilates too! Its for women only, she told me... so much for gender equality... :(

You should've said, my wife does pilates FOR me. Then you'd have both the excersise itself and you don't have to worry about how others think about gender equality.
 
Do you get doms from it? One thing I noticed recently was after switching to high rep sets I had intense doms in my chest, way more than I was getting beating my log book on cycle with heavier shorter sets. I know it's not exactly scientific proof that it's more anabolic for muscle building I believe it's still a sign that your body is like "what the f0ck is going on here?" and shocking the body one way or another will lead to improvements in conditioning (and hopefully a leaner appearance)

Nah, I guess its because I already do mostly volume- or partials -or TUT and BW exercises since day 1. Only when feeling great I do heavy azz weights, like weighted pull ups. I mix it all up, depending how I feel. No doms anymore -or very seldom, especially after doing slow-mo squats or something. Now starting ABS workouts, that will give me doms.
I could be thinking of someone else but didn’t you attend your wife’s Pilates classes for a bit last year??

That was ZUMBA, LOL. Fugg Zumba.

You should've said, my wife does pilates FOR me. Then you'd have both the excersise itself and you don't have to worry about how others think about gender equality.

Wife has a great body for her age, her pilates enables her to do the most outrageous positions, like the "German helicopter reverse looping".
 
All I can do is laugh.....you are a funny dude!! Laughing with you my friend, not at you.

Just do 100 dragons a day for 30 days straight, that will solve your personal ab issue.
 
Short update:

Weight holds at 94.5 kg (208 lbs) , meaning I have to lose ONLY 9.5 kg (21 lbs) to reach my goal of a lean 85 kg (187 lbs).
Today starts my new training approach. 3x week full body, gymnastic/BW focused with HIIT cardio at the end of every session.
Had yesterday WAY too many calories (3000). Did not break the keto -but way too much fat and meat, couldn't help it.
Today willpower is switched "on" again. One meal after gym, that's it.
 
All I can do is laugh.....you are a funny dude!! Laughing with you my friend, not at you.

Just do 100 dragons a day for 30 days straight, that will solve your personal ab issue.

GOOD idea, almost forgot about them!!! Will do!
 
Seriously? Its getting complicated. Fat loss = NASA. Test strips, blood tests, fecal taste test, seminal fluid light spectrum analysis ... Curbs the enthusiasm.
Not at all, it is only complicated if you make it complicated. Eating keto is ridiculously easy. Testing for keto is nice but not needed. Plenty ways to know you are in ketosis otherwise. Fruity breath, the fact you know you haven't ingested enough carbs. Just a lot of things, no need to test everything. However you can, and may gleen some great info but it isn't really going to effect the actual diet much. Plus if your body is using ketones extremely efficiently then less ketones will be urinated out. You can only measure wasted ketones in urine, not whether or not you are in ketosis. Certainly them being in urine means you you are in ketosis, but not really having them doesn't mean you are not.
Maybe. I miss looking more massive. On the other hand, I enjoy how I look with clothing on -but would like more size on arms and traps.
Currently figuring out what way to go, what end result to pursue. I need to be more flexible and "sporty". I also need more stamina/endurance.

Is working out hard, in ketosis and in a slight deficit even a sound idea? I mean, I wont grow anyhow. Made a plan for essential (mainly BW) exercises I did 3 years ago to get in shape, like push ups, pull ups, dips, BW rows and lightweight squats with high resistance/high intensity bicycle.
Will definitely NOT go the heavy weight route, like deadlifts. I'm too old for that.
Decisions, decisions....
If you want to be smaller as in smaller muscle then go with this method.

So, you would say the "gymnast" approach (BW exercises) while cutting is a good idea? Obviously paired with some auxillary exercises for shoulders and traps? I feel lighter, I feel more "gymnast like". I really think its what my body will respond to best now. I even got the urge to do push ups while taking a sunbath at home, did some crunches too. Can't explain it -but I'm driven.
It is a good idea if maximum muscle retention is not the goal.

Okay, will lift heavy the day I backload, that makes sense, as strength get up. I see me everyday, not looking always like in the last pic. I have to look at least like that ALWAYS, even after eating, even after drinking, even when I sleep, even when nobody is watching. Its now complete makeover time. I swear I gonna succeed. I'm on fire baby, I'm on fire.

Invalid Link Removed

Heavy weights before the back load is not ideal. You would do much better to do a higher volume more body builder type approach. You want to bring as much glut-4 to the muscle surface as possible. You will not do this through lower rep heavy lifting.

Ever tried pilates?

I started doing pilates with my wife - she was an elite ballet dancer 20yrs ago - and my ****ing abs have never been so sore.
It is awesome but they do not stretch the hip flexors enough. Make sure to add in a lot of hip flexor stretches because most movements in pilated contract and sorten them. I felt mine getting tight as the rest of me got more flexible then ended up spraining my hip flexors while sprinting due to the tightness.
My wife does pilates too! Its for women only, she told me... so much for gender equality... :(
Tell her that it was created by a man for mostly men at the time... Monay of which were soldiers. Joseph Pilates created Pilates while he was stuck in an internment camp in England, and insisted that everyone in his area did exercise to stay healthy in such horrible conditions. Some of the soldiers were to sick or injured to stand so he started using springs and other things from the beds to make apparatus that allowed them to exercise from bed. So not only is it not just for women, they weren't even a thought in the creation of it. SOme day when you don't want sex you can toss that back in her face. LMAO!!!
Short update:

Weight holds at 94.5 kg (208 lbs) , meaning I have to lose ONLY 9.5 kg (21 lbs) to reach my goal of a lean 85 kg (187 lbs).
Today starts my new training approach. 3x week full body, gymnastic/BW focused with HIIT cardio at the end of every session.
Had yesterday WAY too many calories (3000). Did not break the keto -but way too much fat and meat, couldn't help it.
Today willpower is switched "on" again. One meal after gym, that's it.

If your goal is to keep mass while leaning up I would actually look at something more along the lines of a 5x5 with 1 minute rest periods. If you lower the weights you are lifting while intentionally being in a deficit you are basically telling the body you no longer need all the extra muscle it has accrued in order to be able to lift your usual weights. Lifting heavier but at a much quicker pace is going to give you both the signal that says hey we are in a deficit but we simply can not afford to lose muscle mass we are still lifting this heavy crap all the time. You stop sending that signal and eat in a deficit well the muscle is the most costly thing you have going and if no longer pushing hard enough to tell the body you really need it that will be the first place the body goes in order to make itself more efficient. Moderate to light weight creating a deficit is not going to tell your body that you need to keep as much muscle as possible.

You might also try a full body workout going from 3x5 reps day 1, 3x10 reps day 3, 3x15 reps day 5 then carb reload after that workout... take a day off and hit the 5's again, something like that. Only listing work sets not warm up. Either way I would most definitely keep one good day of heavier lifting.
 
Short update:

Weight holds at 94.5 kg (208 lbs) , meaning I have to lose ONLY 9.5 kg (21 lbs) to reach my goal of a lean 85 kg (187 lbs).
Today starts my new training approach. 3x week full body, gymnastic/BW focused with HIIT cardio at the end of every session.
Had yesterday WAY too many calories (3000). Did not break the keto -but way too much fat and meat, couldn't help it.
Today willpower is switched "on" again. One meal after gym, that's it.

I am willing to bet that this was actually good for you Sir. Not going to be much of an effect on anything at all with just one day other than maybe making you feel better.
 
Sound advice, as always! Will mix my gymnast workouts with one heavier day per week. That will not be the carb up day -but the gym day after that. It will be an easy to follow regime. This way losing muscles only marginally , I guess, while getting the benefits from a more gymnast workout too. BTW, gaining muscle for me is not that hard -losing fat is. If I see muscles dwindling, I just switch exercises and diet around for awhile.
 
Sound advice, as always! Will mix my gymnast workouts with one heavier day per week. That will not be the carb up day -but the gym day after that. It will be an easy to follow regime. This way losing muscles only marginally , I guess, while getting the benefits from a more gymnast workout too. BTW, gaining muscle for me is not that hard -losing fat is. If I see muscles dwindling, I just switch exercises and diet around for awhile.

Now if you want the best performance on the day you are lifting heavy then I would do something like - Day 1 BW+Gymnastics workout, Day 3 or 4 BW+Gymnastics with a lot of explosive movements, then have carb load after this workout, and then follow the next day with the heavy lifts. That way your glycogen stores are nice and full for the heavier lifting day. The use repetition work for the BW+G workouts.
 
Nah, I guess its because I already do mostly volume- or partials -or TUT and BW exercises since day 1. Only when feeling great I do heavy azz weights, like weighted pull ups. I mix it all up, depending how I feel. No doms anymore -or very seldom, especially after doing slow-mo squats or something. Now starting ABS workouts, that will give me doms.


That was ZUMBA, LOL. Fugg Zumba.



Wife has a great body for her age, her pilates enables her to do the most outrageous positions, like the "German helicopter reverse looping".

Ahhh yeah the Zumba- that’s the one. Thought of it still makes me chuckle lol

Now in my head I’m trying to picture a German helicopter reverse looping (in my head it’s lots of fun) but what makes it German???
 
Ahhh yeah the Zumba- that’s the one. Thought of it still makes me chuckle lol

Now in my head I’m trying to picture a German helicopter reverse looping (in my head it’s lots of fun) but what makes it German???

Its the "GERMAN reverse helicopter" when she does that while spinning:

Invalid Link Removed
 
Friday was "carb backload day". Today first gym day after back loading.

Lots of BW exercises, always 2 sets. What came as a surprise was a lifetime PR doing pull ups:

BW pull ups x 20 at 208 lbs.

Everything else went well, all to failure, HIIT cardio for the last 10 minutes. Now I'm toast.
 
BOSSMAN shows some awesome food creations in his log.
Here my try:

Invalid Link Removed

Its called:

"Moist friendship".

400 gr Tilapia filet, baked with 6 eggs and 1 tomato.
 
That doesn’t sound very appetizing, but you get a like for the name

Haha! You nailed it!
Well, it was an emergency meal. Needed fat from eggs and had only tilapia for today, to cover protein needs. That is what came out. :) Can't recommend, honestly.
 
Still having sort of a internal celebration going about the 20 pull ups. For me, that is HUGE. Normally, if everything is in my favor, I could do AT MOST 15.
Now 20. With a 45lbs plate, I did 11-12 in the past. Will see next week how many weighted pull ups I can squeeze out.

Ah, got a compliment for "looking more lean"..... from my wife. Now, that is awesome, because she sees me every damn day -and any change should not be that apparent to her. She is always brutal in her statements. Some time ago, when asking her if I look like a bodybuilder, she said: No, but like a "19th century circus boxer".

Should give her a chance to evaluate some nudez from you guys. If you want the brutal truth, ask my wife. :)
 
Now you are seeing how diet and training manipulation can still grow muscle even in a calorie deficit.

Your mass isn’t going to blow up on this plan, but your density and strength (when you carb up) will. This is new muscle cell growth as opposed to just cell hypertrophy — analogous to the difference between Var and D-Bol.

Really try and stick to the 22/2 — all of that GH surging during that fasting window is very good.

I hope you are right (you most probably are). For now, I see it as a fluke -BUT your statement gives me a reason to train hard while on this diet. If you are right, it will not be in vain.
Thanks to you (and some others here) I finally found "enlightenment".
 
Is that 20 pull ups in one set ?
 
Friday was "carb backload day". Today first gym day after back loading.

Lots of BW exercises, always 2 sets. What came as a surprise was a lifetime PR doing pull ups:

BW pull ups x 20 at 208 lbs.

Everything else went well, all to failure, HIIT cardio for the last 10 minutes. Now I'm toast.
Do you dead hang between reps or stop just short of full arm lock out?
 
I just can't see you lose muscle on deca. I don't think you have to worry about that. Most likely youll look better and you just tone up.
 
Back
Top