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      10-07-2019, 07:42 AM   #1280
King Rudi
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rmtt View Post
I think you are doing everything correctly. Now this is just my opinion, but most people shouldn't even think about bulking until they get 15% and below....and have held it for awhile.

Once below 15%, your body partitions calories more efficiently. You tend to store any excess as muscle vs. fat. When really lean, almost all surplus calories go towards muscle if your training hard enough to stimulate growth.

Since vacation, I've gained roughly 16lbs and slightly over 1/2" on my arms. And my waist has stayed pretty much the same.

When you have time, look into reverse dieting. With your calories being where they are at, once you are ready to increase them I think you would like that principle.

I have a pretty fast metabolism, but it didn't happen quickly. It took years of getting to a certain intake and weight....holding it so it becomes the body's new setpoint....then adding more and doing it again.

Good things come to those who are patient. You are laying a foundation that won't just fade away if you have to stop training for a little while such as limited time, injury (hopefully none), etc.

It's much easier to regain muscle you already had then it is to build in the first place. Just to put things in perspective, I use to weigh close to 225lbs with my and still slightly visable.

Now that was 10 years ago, but my body remembers. I probably won't get to that level again, but I think being a fairly lean 200lbs at my height is good enough for my age!
My main reason for bulking back in August was it seemed like no matter what I did, I couldn't drop past 19% body fat. Considering percentages are based off of two numbers, I thought I would eat more, add some muscle then cut again to offset the numbers. Now that I've finally dropped the fat I gained, it worked....a little. My goal for the next few months was to continue to cut hard and try my damnedest to get to 10%. After cutting for 6 weeks now, I've decided that might be a bit too extreme. I'm going to get to around 14-15% (should happen in the next 6 weeks according to my math). Then I'll add 200 calories/day for a month, in order to try and add 2 pounds of lean muscle, then I'll cut again to try to get down to 13-12%. I'll keep doing this until I get to where I want to be.

Incorporated some creatine to my preworkout on Friday and trained hard Friday and Saturday. I ate really good & clean all last week while offsetting what little bit of calories I went over with cardio after my weight resistance to keep everything at 1350/day. Woke up this morning and couldn't believe my eyes at how my shoulders (front, mid and rear delts), chest and bi-ceps have filled out in a matter of days. Really starting to get excited about the results I'm seeing.

The people at the gym and a handful of friends that I discuss my regimen to, try to tell me I'm doing it backwards; that I should bulk and add as much muscle as I can. They tell me that it's easier to drop body fat when you're bigger. I keep trying to explain that everyone has different goals and that in order to get where I want, it's like rebuliding a home damaged in a fire; I can't just build on top of the damage that was left behind. I have clear everything down to the foundation and rebuild it from there.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rmtt View Post
Plus.....you started at one extreme and pulled yourself out of it. That's a feat that is few and far between.

You've done what 95% of the population couldn't, so I know you have no issues with dedication and being patient.
I appreciate that and the advice you've given me. I'm actually one the most impatient people on the planet, but this entire process is teaching me a lot. Forcing me to learn patience and being even more meticulous when it comes to what I eat, which is in turn teaching me more self control. Crazy experience all the way around. When I started I just wanted to lose some weight, I wasn't expecting to get quite so submerged into all this. I've learned you can't half-ass do it though, it's all or nothing.
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