My fitness plan for the next 4 months; 1 month bulk, 3 month shred

OP

Original post by ThisIsOurDecision

You should probably bulk for longer. It is hardly worth cutting with those lifts, you won't have a particularly large amount of muscle underneath. You could potentially lose the muscle you did gain in the 1 month anyway.

My aim is to lose 1 stone, and surely i'd do that and not lose muscle mass and shred to much leaner with maintaining the same lifts as my max?

I don't want to become a bodybuilder or anything, I just want to be 10% @ 75kg at 6 foot who has a lean six-pack.

^^^

Will I achieve the above goal if I pursue my plan for the following four months?

After these 4 months, I will re-bulk, this time for longer, and then increase my lifts further from 60 ---> 70 bench; 80 ---> 100 squat; 100 ---> 120 deadlift.

Reply 3

ThisIsOurDecision

8

Original post by NonBlackSprinter

My aim is to lose 1 stone, and surely i'd do that and not lose muscle mass and shred to much leaner with maintaining the same lifts as my max?

I don't want to become a bodybuilder or anything, I just want to be 10% @ 75kg at 6 foot who has a lean six-pack.

^^^

Will I achieve the above goal if I pursue my plan for the following four months?

After these 4 months, I will re-bulk, this time for longer, and then increase my lifts further from 60 ---> 70 bench; 80 ---> 100 squat; 100 ---> 120 deadlift.

With the cutting after 1 month thing you will probably lose most of your initial strength gains. I doubt you will hold onto them when your body isn't very used to lifting. Like I said, I think you should bulk for longer. Aim for decent lifts like BW bench/1.5x BW squat/ 2x BW DL, by then you will have more muscle and will look better after cutting.
If you cut now you will just become a hungry skeleton.

Otherwise, you can just cut now and get abs if that is your only goal.

Reply 4

TooEasy123

18

I thought you had a 2xBW deadlift and ran the 100m in 11.3s (according to the thread about deadlifts correlating to getting girls)

Good luck anyway. I'm pretty sure, considering your current level, that you will get stronger whilst cutting

Reply 5

OP

Original post by ThisIsOurDecision

With the cutting after 1 month thing you will probably lose most of your initial strength gains. I doubt you will hold onto them when your body isn't very used to lifting. Like I said, I think you should bulk for longer. Aim for decent lifts like BW bench/1.5x BW squat/ 2x BW DL, by then you will have more muscle and will look better after cutting.
If you cut now you will just become a hungry skeleton.

Otherwise, you can just cut now and get abs if that is your only goal.

It will take me several months to get BW bench 3 x 5. With my next academic year being as tough as bricks, I don't have that kind of time.

Plus my aim is to complete a triathlon and cycle many miles across countries - the plan I have will allow me to achieve that. Perhaps I should have mentioned that in the OP.

Reply 6

Riku

2

Dat Christmas shred?
I commend thee :P

Reply 7

OP

Original post by Riku

Dat Christmas shred?
I commend thee :P

Added a poll, please vote all.

Reply 8

I'm pretty sure nobody's BMR is 250 calories less than their maintenance.

Maintaining those lifts throughout your "cut" is just ridiculously unambitious,

Gaining 2 lbs per week with that strength progression, conversely, is hilariously ambitious.

Why even do this bulk and cut crap why not just lift and then after 4 months you will have at least enough experience not to have these kinds of ideas

Reply 9

tooosh

16

The only program that will get you those lifts is Starting Strength.

You probably won't even put on a pound eating 2500-3000cals at 82kg.

Reply 10

Original post by tooosh

The only program that will get you those lifts is Starting Strength.

You probably won't even put on a pound eating 2500-3000cals at 82kg.

First of all it's impossible to do the starting strength program on a month bulk and 3 months cut scheme. Second it's also impossible to have a deadlift 3x5 number on a program where you never deadlift for 3 sets. Thirdly the only program that will get you those lifts is every program because they are really low and easy.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 11

tooosh

16

Original post by The Troll Toll

First of all it's impossible to do the starting strength program on a month bulk and 3 months cut scheme. Second it's also impossible to have a deadlift 3x5 number on a program where you never deadlift for 3 sets. Thirdly the only program that will get you those lifts is every program because they are really low and easy.

So it's impossible to bench, row, ohp etc 1.5x a week and squat 3x a week for a month?

I missed that deadlift was 3x5 here but the gains would still carry over or he could switch to 1x5.

If he fails even one bench session on a once a week program like a split then he won't make his goals.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 12

Original post by tooosh

So it's impossible to bench, row, ohp etc 1.5x a week and squat 3x a week for a month?
That is possible, the starting strength program is not.

Reply 13

tooosh

16

Original post by The Troll Toll

That is possible, the starting strength program is not.

He might still be able to get away with saying "I'm doing SS the program" if his current lifts are actually easy for him and so he doesn't need to lower them. I don't know, I started with a 35kg bench at 55kg bw...

Reply 14

He can get away with saying a lot of things, but that doesn't make it true.

Reply 15

TooEasy123

18

Tbh, as a beginner training for strength, you could make good progress by doing not even doing a program. As long you randomly work up to some sets that happen to be close to your max before you decide to call it a day, you'll get stronger. You could make progress like this for a long time - probably for longer than SS or SL

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 16

OP

Original post by The Troll Toll

I'm pretty sure nobody's BMR is 250 calories less than their maintenance.

Maintaining those lifts throughout your "cut" is just ridiculously unambitious,

Why? If I can do it once, and then again, surely I will be used to it and be able to maintain it?

Reply 17

Riku

2

Original post by NonBlackSprinter

Added a poll, please vote all.

Basically you've just missed cutting season mate, summer's nearly over!
Imo (bearing in mind I'm a noob) would go with a longer bulk (4-6 months) until lifts go up and then maybe a 2-3 month cut. Cutting near Christmas and New Year would take some dedication bordering on being spartan, although you'd be ahead of all the New Year ressers by doing so :P

Having said that Christmas is about family (and Jesus if you're Christian but for most people now family) not food. So this could be done, although resisting all the temptation would be difficult. Personally I couldn't, I like food too much lol, however I'd be interested to see how you get on.

Reply 18

Old School

1

Original post by NonBlackSprinter

x

Don't bother with all this bulk/cut nonsense.

Unless you are a bodybuilder and you are prepping for a show there is no point in drastically cutting fat over a short period of time.

Just get on a program that will get you adding weight to the bar on a consistent basis. Eat lots of quality food. Forget calorie counting, it's pointless and stupid. Do this until it doesn't work any more. Do some form of cardio 2-4x/week but don't let it detract from your lifting. Walking is fine.

By this point you will be significantly stronger and leaner than you are now (provided you didn't stuff your face with crap). You should know what you're doing and won't need to ask questions on a forum full of sub 3 plate squatters.

Best of luck.

Sub'd BTW :smile:

Reply 19