• Keep up to date with Ausbb via Twitter and Facebook. Please add us!
  • Join the Ausbb - Australian BodyBuilding forum

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.

    The Ausbb - Australian BodyBuilding forum is dedicated to no nonsense muscle and strength building. If you need advice that works, you have come to the right place. This forum focuses on building strength and muscle using the basics. You will also find that the Ausbb- Australian Bodybuilding Forum stresses encouragement and respect. Trolls and name calling are not allowed here. No matter what your personal goals are, you will be given effective advice that produces results.

    Please consider registering. It takes 30 seconds, and will allow you to get the most out of the forum.

Recommend me an 8 wk program

dave said:
I have a question for you Pistachio. If you are not happy with your size whilst nearing the end of your current cut why don't you stop now and get back to work on getting that size. It is more of a long term idea but you know you can cut down and you know what you need to work on note the most.

Or do you just want da abz for da beach bro?
Click to expand...

Fair question dave.

I want to see this through to the end, I don't know for sure if I can cut down, and more importantly I don't know how much size I can keep when I do. I also want to know how I will look when I do cut down and see if I am happy with the outcome.

Also, I don't plan on getting as fat as I did this year (probably around 25% bf, maybe more). I want to stay lean most of next year, preferably sub 15%. In order to do that, it would be easiest to get as lean as possible now, hopefully close to or below 10% to give me a bit of a buffer to clean bulk next year.

I am a bit disappointed with my cut so far in the sense that while I have lost a lot of weight, I am still not THAT defined and still don't have the look I want. However, that may just be my body, rather than my bodyfat levels, so it is hard to tell. SoI guess I want to keep going to see if that changes or not. Maybe after losing another 3kgs or so I will look vastly different. If it don't however, then I probably won't aim to get to sub 10% long term if I'm not going to look that great anyway. If thats the case, I'll probably just try to look like a brick shithouse, and stay at around 15% or so and not worry about getting ripped.

The worst thing that could happen is my weight keeps going down but I don't look more defined (= muscle wastage in my mind). If I do lose muscle though, I'm sure it'll come back during my bulk next year.

Sorry bout the long answer lol
 
MaxBrenner said:
What are your macro's and how much of a calorie deficit are you in?
Click to expand...

Don't know and don't know.

I know everyone is going to jump on me and say I'll never get ripped etc without counting calories etc.

The reality is that I live at home, do not prepare any of my meals (study full time, work full time, girlfriend, second job and gym) and have to eat what my mum makes.

Excuses I know, and I plan on moving out very soon (pending the outcome of a job interview). Once I move out and control my dietary intake, I will be more rigorous with my diet. At the moment, it is one when I can only really control quantity rather than quality.

For example, every Monday night I have to have pasta for dinner. There is usually about 4-5 plates of leftovers which I have to finish. Usually there is inadequate meat in the pasta and little to no veggies. This is a horrible meal if you ask me, yet I have to eat at least 5 serves of it every week.

I have tried to have many a diplomatic discussions with my mum, but realistically, the only solution is to move out and make my own meals (I can't make my own meals at home because my mum is offended if I don't eat her cooking).

Anyway, the only way I am monitoring my diet at the moment is by instinct basically and just watching the scales daily. It is certainly not ideal.

I am really hoping I get this job, move out and can have a much better diet next year.
 
Here is an idea, go shopping with your mum if you can. That way you can have some input.

If you think you are losing muscle and have no control over what meals you have, why not purchase a protein powder to assist in increasing your protein intake?
 
MaxBrenner said:
Here is an idea, go shopping with your mum if you can. That way you can have some input.

If you think you are losing muscle and have no control over what meals you have, why not purchase a protein powder to assist in increasing your protein intake?
Click to expand...

I give her nutritional advice all the time, but nothing sinks in. It still astonishes me on a daily basis what she thinks is 'healthy', I could rattle off 100s of examples. Things like white bread and jam for breakfast, or a ridiculously calorie dense fruity bar etc. She basically buys into advertising, and never reads the nutritional label. You ever wondered who falls for the word 'lite' on packaging? My mum. I've told her 1000 times to READ THE NUTRITIONAL PANEL. Not for my sake, but for her own. She still buys things which are loaded in salt or sugar because she doesn't look. Like tinned soup, or 'lite' yoghurt with 20% sugar.

All that said, the food quality in my house HAS improved markedly over the last several years. It used to be hot dogs or pizza most nights. At least now it'll be a casserole or something.

Oh I just remembered a good one. My dad was making home made pizza with anchovies, capers, pepperoni and cheese. My mum thought that was healthy because it was home made. Seriously. And she thinks salamis are healthy.

I think my protein intake is adequate, I try to have meat with every meal and have the occasional protein shake. I have no idea how my calories overall are tracking though. My weight flatlined for a couple of weeks, but then I lost 1.5kgs last week... I don't think I'm looking much leaner either, but it could just be because I look at myself every day so it's hard to notice and changes...
 
If you diet is up and down like you say you could be having weight fluctuations that are simply due to water retention. So I wouldn't be weighing yourself weekly, go for fortnightly. It will give you a better indication and lessen the intangibles (water retention).

If you are getting leaner that is a good thing, if you think you are losing muscle just bump up your protein intake a little from your protein shakes (just an extra 50 grams per day).

Yes it is much harder to track your progress by the naked eye on a day to day basis or even week to week basis. Maybe take some photo's and then 2 weeks later do the same thing. It might give you a better indication on what is going on etc.

FYI, don't be too hard on yourself ;)
 
ceffo said:
In all honesty max your a great resource to spend the time to answer questions on this forum /thumbsup
keep up the good work bud.

his got my vote for mod?
Click to expand...

Good call, I agree. Maxy B the man!

I'd also like to see Liam and Callan be given a shot at being a mod. They're the future of the forum.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top