Lean Mass Retention on Cut Help

Hey there guys

First post, so yea, glad to be here.

I need some help with lean mass retention as I go into cut (actually been cutting for 2 months, lost 13% bf)

I essentially started at 120 kilos at 33% Bodyfat, which was terrible I know, but I had stopped training for about a year and a half, but prior to that had trained since high school.

Never Juiced, and not really keen on it at the moment. Been back in the gym for about 6 months, have quite a clean diet, so thats pretty solid.

I am looking for something to add or any advice on how to try keep more lean mass, as I think I am losing too much lean mass now.

At this point in time

24 years old
5'8
115 Kilos
20% Bodyfat

Supplements at the moment
ON Whey Protein
All the normal multi-vits and EFA's
Solal 7-keto 50mgs (taking 200mgs a day)
ECA stack (if someone can help me find some Yohimbine HCL for a good price, would be appreciated because i need to cycle off the Ephedrine!!)
Controlled Labs Blue Up (stim Free)

The goal is to get to 12% by end of August, with the pipe dream hope that i can be 110 kilos, or even better stay at 115 kilos.

Any help would be wicked.

thanks.

If you contact fitsquirrel he'll be able to sort you out with a proper diet. He's helping a couple of guys on the forum and he knows his stuff! You won't be disappointed.

If your losing too much lean mass you are probably eating too little and having too little protein.

Calculate you BMR and work out how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. You can stay in the region of 500 calories below this and comfortably lose weight and maintain muscle at the same time. Also make sure that of these calories you are eating in the region of 40% protein.
Limit your carb sources to low GI except after weight lifting. You need to include weight lifting and cardio into your routine.

Post up your current diet and training split and we will be happy to help.

Thanks guys.

My carb sources are low GI. I only tend to explore high GI sources on the weekend but for like 2 meals, as a cheat.

Training:

Monday: 1hr Cardio + stomach
Tuesday: 20mins Cardio + Shoulders
Wednesday: 1hr Cardio + Stomach
Thursday: Back
Friday: 30mins Cardio + Chest
Saturday: 1hr Cardio + Legs
Sunday: 30mins Cardio + Arms

Diet:
Morning: ON Whey shake 1 and a half servings with skim milk (add multivits and efa's)
Mid-morning: Either a Myoplex Shake or Chicken Salad (some olive oil dressing) (250g Chicken)
Afternoon: 250g Grilled Chicken Breasts
Pre-workout: ON Whey Shake 1 and a half servings with skim milk (ECA + Blue up tabs)
Post-workout: ON Whey shake 1 and a half servings with skim milk, and a tsp of Honey.
Evening: one of the following 300grams Grilled Chicken breasts, 300grams Steak, 300grams Lean Beef Mince (EFAs)

I know how to train and used to play provincial rugby.

Just would like to see if there is anything you guys would change to the above.

edit: Unless I am just expecting too much too quickly, and i think that might be it, super impatient person.

Maybe try cut down on the Cardio.

Another thing I would do not to do cardio before my main exercise.
You could be exhausting yourself and you body of nutrients/fuel before your actual exercise forcing you body to find other source of energy to burn = muscles .

Separate you cardio from you exersize. Or reduce leaving it for last.

Your diet does not look right to me. Looks like you only eating 4 times a day? 3-4 solid meals . Not nearly enough in my eyes.

I will try add some fat free cottage cheese for before i sleep. Cottage cheese and celery.lol.

Its quite tough for me to eat during the day as I am always on the road and in meetings, So the easiest thing are the shakes for me.

ok well first of all your diet and training schedule is far off track dude,u are not eating enough and to get a 8% body fat drop in a month is not gonna happen as u will eat into your muscle big time,your first plan of attack will be to put on muscle as the more muscle u hold the more fat u burn as your body needs more energy to sustain the muscle!! too much cardio,u are going to burn out very fast.... u have gone around the long way and its not gonna do wonders for u... if u need advice that works u can email me at EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED. i usually do the diets for a lot of the guys on this forum and i have even done diets for 2 of the guys who competed this last weekend.

thanks DJ.

Have e-mailed you.

I will cut some of the cardio, and move it to the end of the workout too.

Probably i am being terribly optimistic about dropping 8% in a month, but with regards to the "put more muscle on", I have quite a lot of muscle, its just not chiseled out.

Let DJ help you with your diet & trainning program.

IMO, you over training, you don't have any rest days then you should do your cardio & weights 8 hours apart.

Where are your carbs ?

I eat beans and brocolli with the chicken and steak i eat, its steamed.

I dont respond well to starchy carbs as I blow up quite a bit, So try not eat rice and other carbs.

Sounds like you are eating very little. Eating too little sends signals to the body that you are starving, and as a result your body tries to store food (as fat) not burn it.
Use a basic BMR calculator off the net and adjust the calories you require on a daily basis based on your activity. You don't wanna go too much lower than this but still stay below it (usually within 500cals).
If you put on muscle now you might appear fatter and this can be demotivational. After focusing on dropping a few more kilos I think you can begin to gradually switch your diet to more of a muscle building one by adding in more carb sources. As DJ squirrel man said this will help with the last of the fat by increasing overall metabolism.

Inja wrote:

Sounds like you are eating very little. Eating too little sends signals to the body that you are starving, and as a result your body tries to store food (as fat) not burn it.
Use a basic BMR calculator off the net and adjust the calories you require on a daily basis based on your activity. You don't wanna go too much lower than this but still stay below it (usually within 500cals).
If you put on muscle now you might appear fatter and this can be demotivational. After focusing on dropping a few more kilos I think you can begin to gradually switch your diet to more of a muscle building one by adding in more carb sources. As DJ squirrel man said this will help with the last of the fat by increasing overall metabolism.

the only problem is if he is to suddenly jump into a diet that meets his stats he is going to blow up like a balloon..


dude this not responding well to carbs is bullshit,u have restricted your body of carbs and thats why u blow up when eating them... your body will latch onto every last one seeing that its been starved of them for so long...

always just thought I had a bit of an insulin/thyroid problem with regards to carbohydrates.

I have added oats again to my morning meal.

Post workout....with my whey shake, what sort of simple carbs should i take in? When i was playing rugby i would have a slice of white bread with peanut butter to get the glycogen back into the muscles....good idea still?

Still eating veggies with every meal though

EDIT: I am going to take some pics tonight or tomorrow and post them. We can use them as a starting point so to speak. Good idea? bad idea?