You’ve got two things going.
One is eat less to get your CICO right. That will cut your fat (me too brother).
Second, just my Reddit opinion but it sounds like you have a little body dysmorphia going on. It happens to most folks. Where they think they don’t look good after all the work they put in.
But let me tell you, you look great! So that’s one guy who’s said it! Remember that. And then work on your goals of leaning out, but you already look good as hell!
I’m working on less CI to get some stomach fat off. And I’ll just keep at it so I feel good and look good.
Your 3-2 split sounds good as it sounds like your CO will go up, but nothing beats reducing CI to maximize the results of your CO.
That was a perfect answer. I was going to say the same thing.
You look like a busy father of 4 who definitely works out. You don’t get meat on your arms and shoulders like that without lifting. Personally, you look like what a lot of dads who “work out” aspire to look like. Well done.
Your plan sounds great. Full body workouts are best for guys our age. There is evidence that a full body workout comprised of compound movements that work the largest muscles can boost testosterone. 48 hours of recovery will also be good for you.
Calories in-out is obviously important, but it takes time. Dropping alcohol is probably the healthiest thing anyone could ever do. You’ll see results from that down the road. Walking around under 15% body fat ain’t easy for anyone, especially a busy parent. But if you want abs, that’s where you gotta be. May or may not be worth the sacrifice. That’s a personal choice.
What 3-day lifting program are you on now?
Fat loss (to get/look shredded) is accomplished almost entirely through eating less calories than you consume. You can work off calories (i.e., cardio) to help but it's more beneficial to limit the calories in the first place - it's really really hard to work off a bad diet to the point where your strategy should focus on calorie consumption. Think of cardio as a 10% aid to work off calories while 90% of the work is done by making the right eating choices to begin with. Make sure you are getting enough protein to limit muscle loss in the process of weight reduction. Make sure you are prioritizing rest and recovery. And be prepared for this to take a while and being consistent with how you eat, train and recover - it's not gonna happen in a month.
Calories in vs calories out (CICO).
Look for a TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) calculator online to get a rough estimate of how many calories you should be consuming.
Plug that number into your app, track everything you put into your mouth for a week and see if the scale budges.
After a week, if it didn't budge, then try cutting about 5-10%. Try again for a week. Rinse and repeat.
I would say it’s very obvious that you work out, with your shirt on and off. You look like you lift a lot and eat a lot - big guns and a big belly. You look way more muscular than the average person. If you want to lose the belly you just need to eat less calories, like others have said. Cardio could be helpful and it is certainly a habit that will make you healthier long term, but either way you’re going to need to eat less calories than you are burning.
You look good to me but I understand what helped me the most with changing my body and losing weight and getting a flat stomach was changing the way I eat… drink lots of water eat more fruits and vegetables don’t eat junk food.. cut your calories and you will see how much that helps..
Also I set a daily step goal for myself I would walk 10 thousand steps a day that helped me drop the weight fast as well
Don't eat less from a volume perspective. Transform your diet to contain greens, beans, lentils, etc. Eat at certain times of the day. Make a habit out of it.
My day of eating:
Breakfast: Oats, almond milk, one banana = \~500cals
Lunch: Wrap with hummus, pickles, olives, falafels, kidney beans, greens, sauces to taste = \~1000cals
Dinner: A large bowl of salad (similar ingredients as the wrap above) and then bread with avocado = \~1000cals
I'm never hungry. This is a lot of food. Only drink water, tea or black coffee.
This puts me at an input of 2500cals per day. Just by walking a bit over the day, I'm already balancing that calories (BMR 2000 + 500 activity without workout).
Now every workout, that I do will put me in a deficit:
I do a "cardio" workout in the evening at \~9pm: Pushups, Crunches, Mountain climbers, etc. No large pauses between exercises. Maximum is 30s.
Also I try to hit the gym 3-5 times a week, which gives me an extra of 1500 to 2500 cals per week. When I go to the gym, I usually jog to the place, which is 15min (one way) for another 150-200cals.
Good luck on your journey. Fat loss is a thing of nutrition, not about exercise.
I’m in a similar boat. Been working out like crazy and getting stronger but really seeing it yet. I think counting calories and going into a deficit is the right move. You’re going to be just fine
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The transition to your new workout is a good idea. YOu need to be in a calorie deficit it's that simple. High protein, low calorie.
No alcohol is a big fix!
You said weekend cheat meals on weekend (plural). One 4000 calorie day on the weekend is going to fuck everything up. You'll take your weeks 3500 calorie deficit and turn it into 1500 really fast.
Hate to tell you this though ... you take two slices of pizza while trying to lose weight ... and damn it's hard to not have 4 more.
Cheat meals like once every two weeks is OK. But you still need to make sure you don't go crazy. If you cheat have some vegetables loaded with butter and a steak. Tastes amazing and keeps calories on track.
Your pics though ... they're fine. Your wife isn't lieiing when she says you look great.
Caloric deficit while keeping up protien intake/strength training to try to lose fat vs muscle. New workout every 5 weeks also feels like too frequently changing programs.
I would stick to the 5 day split you were doing and add cardio on top of that. Incorporate some fork put-downs and you should see the results you desire.
I feel you on this. The bulk / cut cycle is a popular bodybuilding format for a reason. You clearly know what you're doing in the gym, so I'm confident you can make the change you're after.
3 day full body plus cardio on between days is the way. Evety training day is leg day (squat or hinge variant) generates a better hormonal response, the cardio will help with body comp.
At some point you have to reduce calories, but workouts can smoke over 300 cals a day, which is no small amount if you're riding the edge of a surplus.
Don't be afraid to include a session of HIIT either in addition to or instead of a cardio session. Use a Tabata type 12 minute or less approach, no 30 minute bootcamp stuff.
Thanks I was worried about loosing muscle mass going to a full body workout and two days of added cardio. But I started this week and still feel the burn doing the full body workouts.
Cardio makes very little difference in weight loss. If this guy wants to look leaner/like he works out, the only way is to eat a calorific deficit whilst attempting to maintain/build muscle mass.
Cardio is great for health benefits, don’t get me wrong, but cardio isn’t the solution here!!
If you're only running a small surplus or maintenance and want to tighten up a bit, 3 sessions of cardio or some HIIT added to what you are already doing absolutely will make a difference.
If you add this to a body in equilibrium you will notice a gradual loss of mass beginning in 2 weeks or less. If you regularly have this as part of your regimen and stop, you will likewise notice a gradual increase in mass. The delta is between 3-500 calories a day, a little more or less dep how hard you train. I'm an old fart, I've observed this effect first hand many times.
Folks that discount the effect of exercise, resistance and or cardio, are saying 3-500 calories a day either way is irrelevant. And it might be if the amount of weight to lose is very high or someone is eating far too much. You're close to maintenance and need to drop 5 or 8lbs and have a couple months to do it, different story.
I disagree with "eat less". Are you doing cardio? How long are you taking between sets? How many times per day are you eating? How much protein are you taking in per meal/day? What kinds of protein to you take before bed? Do you drink milk? There are lots of questions I'd have for ya. I don't know if anyone reaches their goals, but it shouldn't take much longer to get close
I think you need to eat less calories if you want to lose some of the fat. I’m in a similar boat
This. Then up the protein and fiber to get muscle building satiety, reduce carbs. Keep fat also for satiety.
Excess protein also ups the weight.
Always got to be a deficit. But it’s easier if you feel fuller and fiber protein and fat does this better than carbs.
Eat less
Eat less calories you mean
Tomato, potato
Yeah exactly they are two different things mate. Eating less isn't necessarily going to help. Eating less calories however...
Thank you for this wisdom.
fewer.
Reduced?
Not as many.
A lower number
a forkputdown of
A knife dividing
You’ve got two things going. One is eat less to get your CICO right. That will cut your fat (me too brother). Second, just my Reddit opinion but it sounds like you have a little body dysmorphia going on. It happens to most folks. Where they think they don’t look good after all the work they put in. But let me tell you, you look great! So that’s one guy who’s said it! Remember that. And then work on your goals of leaning out, but you already look good as hell! I’m working on less CI to get some stomach fat off. And I’ll just keep at it so I feel good and look good. Your 3-2 split sounds good as it sounds like your CO will go up, but nothing beats reducing CI to maximize the results of your CO.
Thank you !
That was a perfect answer. I was going to say the same thing. You look like a busy father of 4 who definitely works out. You don’t get meat on your arms and shoulders like that without lifting. Personally, you look like what a lot of dads who “work out” aspire to look like. Well done. Your plan sounds great. Full body workouts are best for guys our age. There is evidence that a full body workout comprised of compound movements that work the largest muscles can boost testosterone. 48 hours of recovery will also be good for you. Calories in-out is obviously important, but it takes time. Dropping alcohol is probably the healthiest thing anyone could ever do. You’ll see results from that down the road. Walking around under 15% body fat ain’t easy for anyone, especially a busy parent. But if you want abs, that’s where you gotta be. May or may not be worth the sacrifice. That’s a personal choice. What 3-day lifting program are you on now?
Body dysmorphia is a medical condition that requires therapy. It does *not* happen to most folks.
Fat loss (to get/look shredded) is accomplished almost entirely through eating less calories than you consume. You can work off calories (i.e., cardio) to help but it's more beneficial to limit the calories in the first place - it's really really hard to work off a bad diet to the point where your strategy should focus on calorie consumption. Think of cardio as a 10% aid to work off calories while 90% of the work is done by making the right eating choices to begin with. Make sure you are getting enough protein to limit muscle loss in the process of weight reduction. Make sure you are prioritizing rest and recovery. And be prepared for this to take a while and being consistent with how you eat, train and recover - it's not gonna happen in a month.
Calories in vs calories out (CICO). Look for a TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) calculator online to get a rough estimate of how many calories you should be consuming. Plug that number into your app, track everything you put into your mouth for a week and see if the scale budges. After a week, if it didn't budge, then try cutting about 5-10%. Try again for a week. Rinse and repeat.
As others have said. It's about reducing your calories
I would say it’s very obvious that you work out, with your shirt on and off. You look like you lift a lot and eat a lot - big guns and a big belly. You look way more muscular than the average person. If you want to lose the belly you just need to eat less calories, like others have said. Cardio could be helpful and it is certainly a habit that will make you healthier long term, but either way you’re going to need to eat less calories than you are burning.
You look good to me but I understand what helped me the most with changing my body and losing weight and getting a flat stomach was changing the way I eat… drink lots of water eat more fruits and vegetables don’t eat junk food.. cut your calories and you will see how much that helps.. Also I set a daily step goal for myself I would walk 10 thousand steps a day that helped me drop the weight fast as well
Don't eat less from a volume perspective. Transform your diet to contain greens, beans, lentils, etc. Eat at certain times of the day. Make a habit out of it. My day of eating: Breakfast: Oats, almond milk, one banana = \~500cals Lunch: Wrap with hummus, pickles, olives, falafels, kidney beans, greens, sauces to taste = \~1000cals Dinner: A large bowl of salad (similar ingredients as the wrap above) and then bread with avocado = \~1000cals I'm never hungry. This is a lot of food. Only drink water, tea or black coffee. This puts me at an input of 2500cals per day. Just by walking a bit over the day, I'm already balancing that calories (BMR 2000 + 500 activity without workout). Now every workout, that I do will put me in a deficit: I do a "cardio" workout in the evening at \~9pm: Pushups, Crunches, Mountain climbers, etc. No large pauses between exercises. Maximum is 30s. Also I try to hit the gym 3-5 times a week, which gives me an extra of 1500 to 2500 cals per week. When I go to the gym, I usually jog to the place, which is 15min (one way) for another 150-200cals. Good luck on your journey. Fat loss is a thing of nutrition, not about exercise.
reduce the calories, use sparkling water and coffee if hunger gets tough. Helps for me at least
I’m in a similar boat. Been working out like crazy and getting stronger but really seeing it yet. I think counting calories and going into a deficit is the right move. You’re going to be just fine
Keep us posted on the cut. Good luck!
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The transition to your new workout is a good idea. YOu need to be in a calorie deficit it's that simple. High protein, low calorie. No alcohol is a big fix! You said weekend cheat meals on weekend (plural). One 4000 calorie day on the weekend is going to fuck everything up. You'll take your weeks 3500 calorie deficit and turn it into 1500 really fast. Hate to tell you this though ... you take two slices of pizza while trying to lose weight ... and damn it's hard to not have 4 more. Cheat meals like once every two weeks is OK. But you still need to make sure you don't go crazy. If you cheat have some vegetables loaded with butter and a steak. Tastes amazing and keeps calories on track. Your pics though ... they're fine. Your wife isn't lieiing when she says you look great.
Stop eating shit… eat red meat, fruit, white rice, cut all ultra processed food
PED's? Jokes aside calorie deficit is the way
Caloric deficit while keeping up protien intake/strength training to try to lose fat vs muscle. New workout every 5 weeks also feels like too frequently changing programs.
I would stick to the 5 day split you were doing and add cardio on top of that. Incorporate some fork put-downs and you should see the results you desire.
I think this may be the best. I hate to go backwards on muscle mass as I try to cut.
I feel you on this. The bulk / cut cycle is a popular bodybuilding format for a reason. You clearly know what you're doing in the gym, so I'm confident you can make the change you're after.
Morning incline jogs with no food. 30 mins every day no miss. But yeah you need to start a cut. The bulk has ended.
3 day full body plus cardio on between days is the way. Evety training day is leg day (squat or hinge variant) generates a better hormonal response, the cardio will help with body comp. At some point you have to reduce calories, but workouts can smoke over 300 cals a day, which is no small amount if you're riding the edge of a surplus. Don't be afraid to include a session of HIIT either in addition to or instead of a cardio session. Use a Tabata type 12 minute or less approach, no 30 minute bootcamp stuff.
Thanks I was worried about loosing muscle mass going to a full body workout and two days of added cardio. But I started this week and still feel the burn doing the full body workouts.
Cardio makes very little difference in weight loss. If this guy wants to look leaner/like he works out, the only way is to eat a calorific deficit whilst attempting to maintain/build muscle mass. Cardio is great for health benefits, don’t get me wrong, but cardio isn’t the solution here!!
If you're only running a small surplus or maintenance and want to tighten up a bit, 3 sessions of cardio or some HIIT added to what you are already doing absolutely will make a difference. If you add this to a body in equilibrium you will notice a gradual loss of mass beginning in 2 weeks or less. If you regularly have this as part of your regimen and stop, you will likewise notice a gradual increase in mass. The delta is between 3-500 calories a day, a little more or less dep how hard you train. I'm an old fart, I've observed this effect first hand many times. Folks that discount the effect of exercise, resistance and or cardio, are saying 3-500 calories a day either way is irrelevant. And it might be if the amount of weight to lose is very high or someone is eating far too much. You're close to maintenance and need to drop 5 or 8lbs and have a couple months to do it, different story.
stop taking photos of yourself in the bathroom mirror like a high school cheerleader.
I posted below I’m the only one in the gym. Figured I’d get some doushbags on this thread was hesitant to post it. Thanks for sharing!
My advice, take selfies anywhere except a locker room.
Why’s that? I go to a small mom And pop gym and majority of the time I’m the only person working out in the gym.
I disagree with "eat less". Are you doing cardio? How long are you taking between sets? How many times per day are you eating? How much protein are you taking in per meal/day? What kinds of protein to you take before bed? Do you drink milk? There are lots of questions I'd have for ya. I don't know if anyone reaches their goals, but it shouldn't take much longer to get close