BulkBoy

For at least a year and a half, I have been training strictly for mass (I have been lifting for about 3 years, before that I was a total beginner and had really no clue on what I was doing). I feel it is now time for change, as I have put on at least 10 - 15lbs of just bodyfat during this time, on top of what was already a fair amount of bodyfat, even though eating fairly clean (most of the time). My problem mainly lies in calories and cardio work. I have made decent strength and mass gains, but I am tired of carrying around this extra fat. I should have used periodization, but I was too headstrong on gaining strength.

6'1'' 242lbs.
I had always wanted somewhat of the bulky powerlifter look, but instead, I just look fat ( I dont have like a big gut or anything, and you can tell I am somewhat muscular, but I still have too much fat for my liking).

Routine:
Split, Monday Tuesday, skip, Thursday Friday skip skip
I was trying to work all the muscles in the body every week, and only occasionally adding some extra cardio when I felt I needed it. Stuck to heavy weight low reps, almost never exceeding 8 reps on any exercise.

Diet: 2000-2500 cals per day

Breakfast: 1/2 creamy peanut butter sandwich or 1/2 bowl total cereal + skim
apple or bananna
cup grape juice, apple juice, or orange juice
Bottle of Water

School Lunch 12:40, usually use soy or other healthy things in food (always in small portions) 500+ cals
Main - 250+ calories
3 sides - 250+ calories fruit cup, salad, pudding, corn, peas, bananna, etc.
Chocolate or Skim Milk

Lunch is always early, so I am hungry by the time I get out of the gym. Get to gym about 3:30, leave about 4:10-4:30 The walk is about a half a mile, I walk/jog (only in bad weather) whether it is rain, shine, or snow.

Protein shake at gym, 1 pack UltraMet no flavoring (not sure on cals)

Eat early supper at about 4:45 (cant count as a snack), 500+ cals
Random protein or fruit around the house, meat or whatever I can find, usually

drink 2-3 bottles of water

Eat supper around 7:50 800+ calories, home cooked meal with some water, occasionally fast food, when I eat fast food I include a soda

9:30 - 11:30
I usually go to sleep around this time

That is how I eat and sleep during the week and on every other weekend.

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Now, for those weekends I'm at my dads, I eat horribly, while it is cold.

No structured eating or sleeping pattern, 3500+ cals a day, junkfood.
Junkfood consists of soda, pizza, starchy foods, sweets, etc.

[I am actually very glad for this, because living this way at my dads while it's cold has made me realize that I am not doing something right.]

No exercise. NONE! I basically eat, sleep, and play video games, at least while it is cold. When it is 55+ Farenheit, I do yard/gardenwork, hike (lives in wooded area), fish, etc. I also eat cleaner in warmer times, because I am not constantly surrounded by junkfood and videogames.

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I am ready and willing to change all aspects of my diet, training, and possibly sleeping habits (if you feel it will help) in order to lose about 40 lbs in around 12 weeks. There is only one area that has limited change, and that is school lunch. I could get only the healthy things in the line or give half away or something of that sort.

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My question is, what areas of my diet, exercise, and sleeping habits should I change in order to lose about 2-4 lbs. per week? Also, am I setting my weightloss goal too high (per week), or possibly, too low? And on cardio - what kind, how often, how intense, and how long per session?

Raz

Do you perform the full body program, mon/tues/thurs/fri then? I think the best for a total body approach is mon/wed/fri and you can change the variable's around each session or each week for example,

mon - med. intensity (70-80%) OF 1RM
wed - light intenisty (<70%)
fri - heavy intensity (90%+)

You could throw in some cardio on your off days, on a tuesday I would do some form of hit cardio, then on thurs you could do some steady state cardio, then friday you hit it heavy and give your body a 2 day rest!

As for the fat loss, fuck that for now IMO. Over the fiestive season and winter months, my goal, even if I was in your shoes would be to put on some lbm or be happy to maintain. 2-4pounds FUCK IT!! Put on the pounds and change your body comp. then come April time when the hot weather kicks in, start to cut. That's best idea IMHO.

Oh and SLEEP, just try your very hardest to stick to a sound schedule, as in, bed every night for 11:00PM, up every morning at 7:00AM. Aim for 8-10 hours sleep every night. Sleep is vital, to anybody and their goal!

Hope that helps, Raz

Cow Pimp - If you don't train your legs you're a dumbfuck. I'm not going to elaborate on why. If it isn't obvious to you, then you deserve the marginal results that you get and hideously unbalanced/injury prone physique that you will build.

BulkBoy

Sorry, I didn't word the routine right. I mean like I do Chest and Triceps monday, etc. And as for waiting for weightloss - I think I might take your advice. It will be much easier to just wait for the hotter months to come around to cut.

Raz

Yep, I'm guessing your young as you mentioned school in your schedule, so it should be easy for ya! Change your programme. Don't train bodyparts, train movemets. Check out the stickies dude and post your new approach here!

I always look at it an easy way:

total body workout - high frequency
upper/lower/upper - med. frequency
push/legs/pull - low frequency

Keep's it simple.

Cow Pimp - If you don't train your legs you're a dumbfuck. I'm not going to elaborate on why. If it isn't obvious to you, then you deserve the marginal results that you get and hideously unbalanced/injury prone physique that you will build.

BulkBoy

I will just change the way I eat at my dad's and maybe cut out fast food so I am eating healthy, do a little cardio on off days, and change up my routine so I can still lose weight but gain muscle at the same time.

Would this work as a push/legs/pull plan?
Push
Bench/Decline Bench/Behind The Neck Press/Arnold Press
Legs
Squats/Deadlift/Leg Press/Leg Curls/Glute Ham Raises/Calf Raises
Pull
Rack Deadlift (1/2 motion to eliminate legs)/Rows/Shrugs/Lateral Raises/Reverse Flies