Hello,

I am currently really lost on what step to take further and not sure what to do. Here is my problem; I have been cutting ever since the end of march. I went from 186lbs to 173lbs, I cut because I wanted a smaller waist and lose the belly, but mainly my main focus was on my abs. Now I still see no abs at all but I can feel some muscles building underneath.

I don't know like cutting because while cutting I also lost some muscle and am not making any other progress (eg. not reaching the reps I want to be able to) in other words, while cutting I am mainting or losing muscle little by little but not gaining any to make any progress.

I was thinking of starting to bulk, but Im really confused. I've been working on these stupid abs for months and still see nothing and I am really frustrated. Whats you guys' say?. Should I cut some more until I can see them or just go bulking?...

what did your cut diet and workout look like? I would bulk for 1 month to let your body rest then go back to cutting if you wish, but it is ultimately ur choice and ur body.

I wouldn't cut for longer than an 8-10 week period unless you're grossly overweight

Originally Posted by LoadedBats Yeah, you can never stop learning. As far as whether to still cut....i suppose you could stop your cut for like....a week or two....i wouldn't really go into a bulk, but more of a maintenance phase.......i've never done that myself, but it doesn't sound like a bad idea, and if your stuck at the moment, changing it up for a week or so might help switch gears a little.. who knows.

Yeah, switching up to maintenance for a couple of weeks while your metabolism ramps back up and then removing calories again can be beneficial. When you come back I would fine tune your diet more. That looks like it's not quite enough calories for someone your age, weight, and activity level. It is also lacking essentialy fatty acids, and it looks a little low on carbs to me as well. Protein isn't the only thing you need when you're bodybuilding.

Originally Posted by DiGiTaL I see, thanks. I'll be mainting weight for this week and the next week. A question about maintaining the weight, Do i gotta make sure i eat same amount of calories daily and with other nutrient included? As for for other requirments, What else should I be getting more of?. I get amino acids from the whey proteins and my shakes, potassium & calcium from some of my meals, including cholesterol, sugar. What should I add to it.

Estimate #1 based on height and weight Your "Ponderal Index" is 12.74 which gives an estimated body fat of 18.7% (32.4 pounds of fat) Estimate #2 based on waist size and weight Estimated body fat of 9.3% (16.0 pounds of fat)

You should really post your diet in the diet & nutrition section. My knowledge of diet is fairly rudimentary. As far as I can tell though, percentage wise you are getting plenty of protein, although you might need more total protein. It helps if you include calorie count and macro breakdown though.

Originally Posted by Duncans Donuts Crash diets aren't good. It's best to do a more meager caloric reduction; this will help reserve LBM (make sure you time your post workout nutrition carefully to avoid loss of muscle) and be more like to keep the weight off. When I diet, they usually span 2 - 3 months, at a 3-500 calorie a day reduction. Also pay attention to your genetics. I will never have a narrow waist because my hips are wide; at 245 pounds and 10-11 percent body fat I can see my abs but I still look hefty in the middle. Make sure you understand your limitations.

Originally Posted by Brutus_G Lol cowpimp you shame my massive eatting.