When to cut

[JMJ]

Hi all il try and keep this as short as possible.

Im 22, 6ft 2, not sure what i weigh as dont have scales at the moment but before i started bulking i was around 14st 6. Iv always had an interest in training and started at about 15 years old, but i always found it hard to commit properly at such a young age so didnt see the results and got bored.

Around 4 months ago i had a big turning point in my life, i left a very stressful job and quit smoking. I also decided i wanted to start training again. I started off the first week or two a tad sloppy as far as diet goes but sorted that out. Im now about 85-90% clean i eat alot and eat chicken, red meats, fish, fruits, oatcakes and rolled oats, nuts, veggies, brown rice etc. I work staggered night shifts, so my sleeping pattern is a bit messed up but i try to always get at least 9 hours in a 24 hour period.

I am happy with the mass and strength i have gained so far, i can see veins in my arms and shoulders when training but i have put on a bit more fat around the belly than i would have liked.

I train mon, wed and friday, seperate muscle groups each day and mainly compound movements. I started on 2 shakes a day with semi skimmed milk, and post training aswel as i really wanted to see some gains, however this is where the problem has come from i think. For the last 3 or 4 weeks iv had 1 shake per day with water, and 2 on training days. While that might be better, the fat already there is not going to go without cutting so my question is is it worth just putting up with the fat for a bit longer then cutting hard, or cut now and work harder to bulk again even cleaner?

The other options would be to chuck in a bit of cardio to try and burn a bit off, as i do very little to no cardio a week. Or to try CLA's to try and minimise future fat build up in the hope i would continue to get bigger and outgrow my belly then cut.

Thanks for taking the time to read and any comments would be appreciated :thumbsup:

 

[HazA]

First off, props on quitting smoking and taking charge of your health. Secondly, don't buy into the "bulking" and "cutting" phases people talk way too much about. You can do both at the same time. I would just make sure you're observing a few important rules.

As far as your diet goes, which is the most important factor, it seems that you're making health-conscious choices. Remember that your body is best able to utilize carbs after a workout, so if you time the meals with carbs properly, you will utilize them more in muscle-building instead of converting them to fat. I would suggest mixing your shakes with water and drinking milk in between shakes to supply your body with a slower, more steady supply of protein. Also, it would not hurt to consume an extra shake on both training and non-training days to balance out the carbs from the oats, rice, and other grains.

It also sounds like you are not doing enough cardio. Running or cycling for 30-45 minutes, three times a week, would drastically cut down your omentum fat.

Finally, try to get between 10-12 hours of sleep a night so you can take shorter naps (15-30 min) during the day and squeeze in more cardio. It will help you sleep better when you get the opportunity for longer rest periods.

Good luck!

 

[Ession]

TLDR;

 

[JMJ]

Thanks for the reply the smoking was suprisingly easy. Deciding to actually quit was harder than quitting itself.

Its hard to know what to do as you read so much conflicting stuff online! So its best to eat the higher carb meals of the day after working out?

Iv read alot about doing cardio and training. Some say as soon as you wake up, which i would probably agree with, some say straight after a workout is best and some say keep it minimal as it can affect the muscle growth. Either way i do plan on doing cardio, probably first thing in the morning, is it best to do non training days or before i train as i train mid morning?

As for the sleeping, thats going to be the hardest bit due to my working pattern, i can sometimes get a few hours at work, and then come home and have as much as i want, but does it matter that the sleep has been disturbed?

Thanks

 

[HazA]

It is best to consume carbs about an hour after working out. You don't need an insulin spike (caused by carbs) right after working out, but about an hour later you will find it helps keep your energy levels up.

Cardio first thing in the morning is a good idea as testosterone is higher in the morning and this will minimize muscle loss. Make sure you drink some water beforehand, though. If you do cardio AND lift during the same workout, lift first. During your cardio, try to keep your heart rate around 140-150 or lower to minimize the use of muscle stores for energy. On days when you don't lift, try going for a 1-2 hour walk or a light two mile jog. The lactic acid produced will ultimately be what gives you the "cut" look, and if you consume enough protein and time your carbs right, you will lose minimal muscle, if any, and not get fatter.

A full night's sleep is obviously best, but a full REM cycle (at the end of which the most human growth hormone is produced) is 90 mins, so I would recommend you either aim for short naps (no more than 30 minutes) OR try to get them in 90 minute intervals, like 1.5h, 3h, 4.5h, 6h, 7.6h, 9h, etc.

I have lost about 14% bodyfat since New Year's, and am a future ND, so feel confident that my advice is sound. Again, good luck! Let me know if you have any more questions.

 

[JMJ]

Thanks mate i appreciate the advice. Iv looked into the REM cycle and found that quite interesting!

I will be starting to do some jogging first thing in the morning on the days between training and see how it goes.

Im not following a specific diet but i only eat certain things. Would you recommend keeping carbs to a minimum except after a workout or cardio then? As i have oats for breakfast along with a shake with water which has 78g carbs and 34g prot in it so in total over 100g carbs for breakfast. I didnt realise the shake contained that many carbs until recently, hence why iv cut it down to one before bed except on training days.

Thanks again

 

[HazA]

I would recommend keeping carbs to a minimum and trying to consume them about one hour after a workout. You should opt for a 100% whey protein shake which should have 2 grams of carbs or less, to consume immediately after exercise.