Diet question

[imported_henk8]

Hi guys, I'm at 19.9% bodyfat after a months lay-off. I started training this week but I'm in two minds as to what dietary approach to follow. I can't decide whether to keep on bulking (slowly this time ) or to first lose a couple of pounds and then start bulking? I want to ultimately up my lean mass and get down to about 10% again. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

 

[VIPER]

Hi Henk 8,

My bodyfat was up also after some bulking cycles so I decided to do a cutting cycle that lasted about 8 weeks which I am finishing up soon. I was almost going to do another buling cycle to gain some more muscle but I chose to lean up a bit because I was unhappy with my overall body-fat and I'm used to being pretty lean year round. The decision is really all up to you. I remember reading a post on here that said something like maybe trying a cutting cycle once your bodyfat reaches 15%. I actually think this is a good guideline for me to follow because I dont really like having more than 15% bodyfat, and it leaves less fat for me to shed off when I begin a cutting cycle. I hope I helped a little, and good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[imported_henk8]

Thanks VIPER, the decision to start cutting is always one I take with slow consideration,(I wonder why ).

Well I'm off to do some cardio...

 

[Techo]

I've gathered that 15% should be your max BF before bulk, 12% is recommended and 10% is ideal... But like Viper said, it really is a personal choice. You have to decide what looks acceptable and keep in mind you will most likely add fat on a bulk. I'm not going to start bulking until I at least hit 12% but might try for 10%.

By the way, since you indicated you will probably cut, is 10% still going to be your BF goal? How do you inted to go about it (cardio, yes, but what specifically? HIIT? Standard? How much?)?

 

[imported_henk8]

I'll start with about 20 min three times a week (on a stationary bike) between my HST workouts. I wont adjust my diet just yet (eating at maintenance cals), untill I see the progress slow down or stop, then I'll cut more cals and if need be increase cardio (maybe adding HIIT). I'll stop cutting when I reach about 12%. Then I''l bulk away...sensibly

 

[VIPER]

Quote[/b] (henk8 @ Feb. 03 2004,10:34)]I'll start with about 20 min three times a week (on a stationary bike) between my HST workouts. I wont adjust my diet just yet (eating at maintenance cals), untill I see the progress slow down or stop, then I'll cut more cals and if need be increase cardio (maybe adding HIIT). I'll stop cutting when I reach about 12%. Then I''l bulk away...sensibly

That sounds pretty good to me and very similar to what I did during my cutting cycle. I've read an article about lossing fat with cardio and the process of cutting calories, etc.. and it said something about 20(or so?) minutes of high intesity cardio (after warming up of course) is all thats needed to stimulate fat loss throughout the day instead of jogging quickly for an hour or so. I think this article was on bodybuilding.com but not completely sure. I hope Bryan, or any of you more knowlegable about this can chime in here with some scientific proof if this is somewhat true, and why?

Alright, I dont want get off on a tangent or anything, so good luck with the diet and routine!

 

[Guest]

Yeah, I read about high intensity aerobic work forever ago, and I've used it ever since. When's the last time you saw a well-built runner?

I've seen some who do ten miles a day and still have a belly. The idea is to do aerobic work at a higher intensity to raise Basal Metabolic Rate, but for short workouts (15-20 minutes), and if anything, to do them more often rather than longer. So, instead of jogging for a said distance, try running at a faster pace for the 15 minutes. I just walk the steepest hill I can find as fast as I can for 15, and try to go for greater distance in that span of time. It really works, and it's far less boring than 90 minutes of

pedalling. Give it a try sometime.