Thread: am i sabotaging my efforts?

Originally Posted by saff

hi guys, my first post... i'm new to this particular forum and want to absorb as much quality information as i can to help me achieve my goals so here's the first question;

i'm 5' 6" and weigh 73.4kg. i've been lifting for 4 months and hit the gym 3 to 4 times a week concentrating on full body lifts to begin with then moving on to the chest, arms, abs, back on alternating days. i also have some weights at home and focus on my arms if i can't get to the gym. i also incorporate HIIT sessions into my regime as well as 30 to 50 lengths swimming (not all on the same day).

my aim is to bulk up enough to sculpt and define rather than seriously bulk up just for mass but i'm having trouble balancing my nutrition and training (eating on average 2000 calories a day including 2 lots of whey shakes, lots of protein, enough carbs and oils). i've been told it may not be enough but i fear eating too much more will defeat my goal of achieving a six pack and ripping my arms. i'm working on the basis that i'll get there when i get there and am thinking the longer it takes to come the better the achievement will feel. but the fact that it's taking so long sometimes makes me feel as if i'm sabotaging myself... i mean am i getting the balance right as i don't want to be wasting my time on the wrong track. your advice and views will be appreciated.

thanks, saf

5'6" and 160 is a nice build, you must be looking good! That being said, I LOSE weight on 2000 calories a day and I'm a middle-aged woman whom you outweigh buy at least 15 lbs.

Are you trying to get bigger right now, or cut up? If you're cutting up, then sure, 2000 cals a day will get some weight off you for sure. You won't bulk while you cut, though, you'll have to decide what you want first.

thanks for your rapid response built... you've made me blush with your flattery... i'm 41 years old... is that middle aged? lol

i look 'alright' but don't like my sometimes 'bloated' stomach region which i also want to address.

with regards to your question; i'm trying to get slightly bigger but the emphasis is mainly on cutting up for my summer hols. maybe i should pig out at the weekends and stick to the 2000 on week days?

saf

You aren't trying to get bigger if you're trying to get leaner. You can't bulk with an emphasis on getting leaner. You'll have to either gain weight, or lose weight.

Which one will it be for now? Summer coming - I'm thinking you want to cut up, right? And yes, post up some pix.

PS yep, you're middle-aged too.

lol, lol.

... i don't feel middle aged!

i don't have any pics and even if i did i'd be too shy

you're right of course... i think i'm trying to get leaner and make sure the muscles i do have are STRONG. i can bulk up properly after the vacation.

saf

In my country, life expectancy is 80; thus one's forties are middle-age.

And yes, stay strong while you lean out for the summer, old man.

Cheers!

I weight 180 and 2000cal i could stay in bed all day and loss weight.(no joke).I eat 3200cal and have to up my cal because of fatigue during day(morning kickboxing/eve weights 5 days a week.I'd say 2000cal would be fine if you sleep alot and are only lifting for 45min at a time .I lean out more by upping cals here and there.The trick is you have to find your sweet spot.Remember muscle burns more then fat =more muscle more fat is lost.

funnily enough, i've noticed that i feel quite tired most days and can't understand it seeing as i'm quite fit and eat quality foods... maybe it's because i'm not eating enough... man, his nutrition stuff is so complicated!

... fun though!

Thats what's going on with me.Scared to eat more then i do i feel better and end up gaining more muscle and lose some fat along with it.

Saff, Eat bro, Eat. It all depends on your ideal weight really. If your trying to hit 170 or 180 and be lean youll have to bulk up to 185-200 depending on the amount of fat you put on. Dont be afraid of putting on the fat while your bulking its something that we all have to do that are serious about getting good size on. Cutting the fat is easy my man, so dont be so scared of a little fat gain for awhile, is it worth getting fatter (but also bigger) for 6-12 months then cutting up for a couple months, when your going to be satisfied for maybe years after? 2000 cals a day is no where near where you should be eating if your trying to bulk up either. Id shoot minimum 3000-3200 and see where that takes you. But if your trying to get leaner as you said right now stay on your diet your on currently and go for broke on some cardio and lift heavy.

thanks control, and all you other cool dudes, i think i'm going to persist a while longer with what i'm doing because i'm keeping a daily record of my food intake, body fat percentage, and progress so it would be silly of me not to compare 'then and now'. in the mean time i'll keep reading and asking questions here!

saf

Like its been mentioned, you have to choose between gaining muscle (eating in surplus) or loosing fat (deficit). You can't do both and yes 2000 cals is way too low to gain weight for you. Also if you do alot of cardio you will have to compensate for that in your eating if you are trying to gain. Good luck.

You're on track but a bit all over the place. Firstly, from what you've wrote it appears that you're trying to bulk but maintain definition at the same time. You will have a very hard time doing this. A prudent approach is to do a bulk (completely throwing cuts/ six pack out the window) and then once you reach about 20 lbs over your goal cut weight is when you begin the cut to get the definition youre looking for while trying to maintain as much muscle mass as possible. Your body will not bulk and cut at the same time so bulk first then cut. Second, if you want your arms to grow you don't necessarily need to focus on much arm work. Isolation exercises rarely give you growth. Focus on compound lifts only as a beginner, worry about isolation a few months down the line. I use to 12 sets for biceps a week by means of isolation for 12 weeks and my arms grew by 1/4 inch. I sacrificed on compound lifts while doing that. However, when I went on a strictly compound routine for 12 week doing heavy rows, rack pulls, pull-ups with zero bicep isolation movements my arms exploded by over an inch.

thanks captain, more good advice... i'm absorbing it all. i've decided to stick to cutting till my vacation then i'll concentrate on bulking.

saf

Turkish men dont need to cut! We have the warrior gene! haha.

Good luck on your training.

lol,lol,lol... true dat!