*** The 2012 Gym Rats Thread ***

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How do you set you cutting goals?

I've been bulking since July from the following starting point:

My weight was 11st 4lbs andd i was 20.7% BF (BF scales reading)

I set myself the following goals:

13st by new year, not going above 22% BF.

This has worked really well for me. I'm currently 12st 10 and 21.7% BF .

So now i'm wondering... in the new year i will begin cutting, how do i measure a succesfull cut, without measuring all my muscles etc ?

Obviously tracking the BF is number 1, and im thinking i should balance this by saying lifts shouldnt drop by X%.

Is this the best idea? any idea what percentage of strength loss is acceptable when cutting?

How do others set their cutting goals?
 
CocaCola said:
My main goal is to build muscle really, I'm expecting the fat to burn off over a period of time.
Would you say that diet is fine for bodybuilding then?
Cheers
Click to expand...

What he means is
to build muscle you need to have a calorie surplus
and
to burn fat you need to be in a calorie deficit.

So the 2 kind of work against each other.
 
TruffleShuffle said:
How do you set you cutting goals?

I've been bulking since July from the following starting point:

My weight was 11st 4lbs andd i was 20.7% BF (BF scales reading)

I set myself the following goals:

13st by new year, not going above 22% BF.

This has worked really well for me. I'm currently 12st 10 and 21.7% BF .

So now i'm wondering... in the new year i will begin cutting, how do i measure a succesfull cut, without measuring all my muscles etc ?

Obviously tracking the BF is number 1, and im thinking i should balance this by saying lifts shouldnt drop by X%.

Is this the best idea? any idea what percentage of strength loss is acceptable when cutting?

How do others set their cutting goals?
Click to expand...


Personally I just decided what I wanted my BF to be and accepted at that point that I would lose some weight off most of my lifts.

Truth be told 6 months into my cut I am strength wise either where I started or stronger on all lifts, so I am happy.

you can put down on paper all you like what weight you would like to lift but if you get to the gym that day and can't lift the weight then you can't lift it and no amount of calculations on paper will change that.
 
CocaCola said:
My main goal is to build muscle really, I'm expecting the fat to burn off over a period of time.
Would you say that diet is fine for bodybuilding then?
Cheers
Click to expand...

yes, its a by the numbers copy and paste bodybuilding diet. The key isnt the diet its the sticking to it, it worries me how you talk about 'variation' casually like its a good supportive statement. Id much rather hear about chicken only 3 times daily weighed and meticulously prepared, rather than, you know sometimes ill have steak or maybe tuna at lunch. It isnt me suggesting you cant train and gain on variety, its just the attitude is slack, you need to know exactly what you are and are not going to eat to really succeed
 
Can protein powder go "off" ?

I bought a 5kg tub last year (or longer, now that I think about it) and like a numpty opened and emptied the bags into the tub.

Half a tub of powder been sitting there for about 12-16mths..

Safe to use? :o
 
Last edited:
As above, just try it, if it tastes mining, contemplate using it and go from there :p

Squats went well tonight, pleased.
 
Ultra_Extreme said:
yes, its a by the numbers copy and paste bodybuilding diet. The key isnt the diet its the sticking to it, it worries me how you talk about 'variation' casually like its a good supportive statement. Id much rather hear about chicken only 3 times daily weighed and meticulously prepared, rather than, you know sometimes ill have steak or maybe tuna at lunch. It isnt me suggesting you cant train and gain on variety, its just the attitude is slack, you need to know exactly what you are and are not going to eat to really succeed
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Not really, a variety of choices for that specified meal can keep someone on track and maintain a positive mindset due to not eating the same foods in a row, it gives him the option of choice, and any protein sources like Chicken, Tuna, Turkey etc will give at least 20g+ from, and he'd succeed either way so long as he really wants to achieve his goal and his variety are good, healthy sources of food.
 
CocaCola said:
Is this a good meal plan for someone that's trying to build muscle?

Current Body: weight 12.2 Stone. About 15% Body fat. 5 ft 10.

Exercise: Cycling on Weekends for 30 mins to a hour. Then 4 day body building split in the week.

Breakfast:
Porridge Oats
Whey Protein Shake
Vitamin tablets

Mid Morning:
Half a Chicken breast w/ Wholeweat Pasta

Lunch:
Broccoli Florets
1 Chicken Breast
Brown Rice
Vitamin Tablets

Mid Evening:
Smooth peanut butter
Wholemeal Bread

Dinner:
Vitamin Tablets
Seasoned lean mince
broccoli Florets
Peppers
Tomatoes
Whole Wheat Pasta or rice.
Casein Protein shake before bed.

Snacks
Bananas, Strawberry's,Berrys

Diet Will also be changed throughout the week, such as Steak for dinner instead of chicken, Fish on curtain days, tuna for lunch instead etc.

Any advice will be great :)
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Needs more vitamin tablets tbh...

Not enough calories really, I'd throw in another meal in there rather than try and increase the size of the others. Maybe a meal an hour or so before bed
 
'Wes said:
Not really, a variety of choices for that specified meal can keep someone on track and maintain a positive mindset due to not eating the same foods in a row, it gives him the option of choice, and any protein sources like Chicken, Tuna, Turkey etc will give at least 20g+ from, and he'd succeed either way so long as he really wants to achieve his goal and his variety are good, healthy sources of food.
Click to expand...

yes in theory. in practice a lax attitude leads to "oh i need some protein that burger will do, hmm i better have some cheese you know for the bones.." etc etc we are talking about an inexperienced 12st guy 5'10" with minimal muscle so it probably doesnt matter much, probs more like 20%bf tho and id be looking to cut into that asap
 
Decided to do some log (as per normal on a monday) last night, thinking that i felt ok after the hard sat events session.
Only wanted to do some volume stuff, nothing too heavy....

Thought I would be on my own tonight as the other 3 are competing this coming weekend so should be resting up.

The unit was cold, the bars were freezing. Fire was put on full and the door shut :D

Well, sometimes you don't realise how much your body is hurting until you try and lift again!!

some warmups pressing 25s above my head. Triceps felt WEAK. Not a good start.

warmups on the log, cleans were slow and laboured, press felt horrible. This was only 70kg :(

70x7
70x7
70x5
80x5
80x5
90x5
At this point one of the lads came into the gym for some light work. Bonus. A little encouragement can go a long way.
90x5
95x5
95x5
100x4
100x4
105x3
105x2

triceps and shoulders were dead by this point. Had done all these within an hour (not inc warmup) which is fast compared to how we normally train.

my log cleaning was killing my biceps too, clearly too tired to be explosive so i was part curling it up to my shoulders. Not a good thing to be doing!

Happy though, did more than I wanted to and pressing 100 easily while tired and hurting is definitely a positive thing!
 
Steedie said:
Needs more vitamin tablets tbh...

Not enough calories really, I'd throw in another meal in there rather than try and increase the size of the others. Maybe a meal an hour or so before bed
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Steedie, i remember seeing somewhere you posting some example diets (i think) if im right, have you got a link because ive been searching and cant find anything..or maybe you didnt post them, in which case, that would be the reason why i cant find anything :p
 
I didn't post an example diet, I helped a number of people on here with their diets and I made a sticky thread about how much to eat, breaking up macros etc so it might be that you're thinking of?

Happy to help if you need it
 
Yea it must have been that and then me remembering you giving advice & mind melding the two

Im in two minds of what to do at the minute because ive been on my cut for a while now and starting to see some definition coming in around my abs and my legs which ive not had before, but then again i want to get bigger so... i think i better make my mind up then give you a shout:)
 
Delvis said:
Knackered today, no idea why. Downed a coffee, time for some chest.
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Same. Been feeling tired today, was actually lying down for just before the gym and almost nodded off. Had a coffee, got in the gym and smashed out a pause bench PB :)
 
While we're on the topic. Went to a very messy house party Saturday night, got home 9am Sunday morning after a shameful 5 mile walk back because there were no buses. Got sweet fa sleep Sunday because it was DAY TIME. Back at work yesterday and today, needless to say I've barely the energy to focus at work let alone squat some heavy ass weights.

Gonna try and go tomorrow morning anyway, but can't see it being very productive.
 
Chris1712 said:
While we're on the topic. Went to a very messy house party Saturday night, got home 9am Sunday morning after a shameful 5 mile walk back because there were no buses. Got sweet fa sleep Sunday because it was DAY TIME. Back at work yesterday and today, needless to say I've barely the energy to focus at work let alone squat some heavy ass weights.

Gonna try and go tomorrow morning anyway, but can't see it being very productive.
Click to expand...

So you drank Saturday, it is now Tuesday and your using it as an excuse! Shame on you man, shame! :o:p
 
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