Routine to lower BF%

[and1_4ever]

Hey guys, I posted a similar message in the supplements forum, but I figure this would be a good place to try and get some input, and suggestion of how to lower my body fat percentage.

In the past year and a half I have gone down from 275lbs to 182lbs currently. I lost alot of weight, but also lost alot of muscle mass which I trying hard to gain back. For exercise, I lift 6 days a week doing chest and tri's on mon/thurs, biceps and back tues/fri, and shoulders and legs wed/sat. I work abs every other day, and run usually either 4 or 5 times a week for a half hour. Im tryin to get rid of that damn fat in my midsection which is the most annoying thing ever by running mostly and abs routine.

As for my diet, I try and eat about 200 grams of protein a day, including a protein shake after lifting. I take animal m-stak 45 minutes prior to lifting, and I also take cla 3 times a day with meals. Lastly Im taking Centrum Performance Multivitamin every morning. Ive heard that some of the things Im taking are good from some, and crap from others. Please leave your input in this thread as to any suggestions as to supplements I should take, foods to eat, exercise suggestions, or just suggestions in general. Mostly suggestions though on how to gain muscle, and lower the BF% though. Thanks again guys

Greg

 

[OceanDude]

Greg - just my 2 cents but you may be over working yourself.The body does not need that much stimulus to grow. In fact it may be more important to get enough rest. I'd back down the weigh training with no more than 2 consecutive days (3 max) before taking a day off to recover and grow. I'll be interested in hearing what others say.

-OD

 

[Arnold]

also, there is no special routine to lower bodyfat, getting lean is achieved thru proper diet & nutrition.

 

[Johnnny]

I agree with prince. You can still train with 4-6 reps a set & still get lean with a proper diet, & the right ammount of cardio. I do only 15mins of interval cardio on the treadmill only. I do it 4 times a week.

If you start cutting back on calories & complex carbo hydrates you will start losing size & strength which is something you don't want. You want to preserve as much size/strength as possible while dieting down.

You also don't want to over do the cardio. More than 20mins 4 or 5 times a week is too much. This will burn you out & too much cardio will begin to become counter productive.

Just keep a clean diet, if you want to cheat once or twice a week at most save it for the weekend. When i cheat I don't even have McDonald's or anything but I may have a bowl of ice cream. Sometimes it's good to have some fatty or greasy food as it gives your metabolism a big jolt & burn more fat. A lot of ppl believe this especially if you're strict for a long time without a break.

Put eat well, train hard & do interval cardio, but don't do more than 20mins 4 or 5 times a week. I only do 4 times a week for 15mins & it's enough & I keep my diet clean except for one or 2 cheat days & even my cheat meals aren't all that unhealthy.

 

[and1_4ever]

what kinds of calories and complex carbs type foods would you suggest? Im good with the routines now, but Im still lookin for what kinds of foods I should look for or snack on. Right now Im tryin to more but smaller meals with high protein content.

 

[Johnnny]

Well you still need your protein. Depending on your current body weight. If you are 180lbs you still need about 195grams of protein a day. Whatever body weight you are, I find you need 10-15 grams of protein more than your body weight.

As for complex carbs I suggest the bagged quaker oatmeal as it has no sugar like the flavored oatmeal in the packets. Brown or Wild rice steamed is way better than steamed white rice. Brown whole wheat pasta is better than regular pasta but don't eat too much as even whole wheat pasta I find causes bloating. Red potatoes are excellent compared to white & yellow potatoes which are more fatening. If you must eat bread, than eat either whole wheat bread or flax lin bread whit bread is the worst. That about does it for your complex carbs but don't forget your fruit & green vegetables & drink lots of water spread out through the day every day.