Ready to cut, Need some help

[SNS6]

Hi, I am new to the forums and am in need of some help.

I have been lifting weights since 7th grade and am now a senior at 18 years of age. I am 5'8" tall, 184 lbs. For the past 6 months I have been working out heavily 2 days a week using low reps with heavy weight. I am able to bench 205 at 4x5 and squat 305 at 4x5. I have come to the point to where I want to cut but am not sure how to go about it?

I have some fat around the stomach area and thighs that i would like to rid myself of and become more toned. I need some advice as to a diet plan and cardio plan if anyone is willing to offer. Im am clay....pleas mold me

[SNS6]

No one?? :confused:

[cursor]

Welcome to DiscussFitness.com.
What and how do you eat?
What does your workout flow now look like?

[SNS6]

On a normal day i eat a piece of toast before i head off to school. At 10 o'clock at school i will eat usually biscuits and gravy and a hashbrown. At lunch i will eat whatever is in the cafeteria. Then i work out after school. When i get home i might have a snack and then i will eat dinner around 6 or so. I have nothing specific i eat and am ready to start a nice diet plan so that i will have things in order and know what to eat when.

Lately I havent been doing lower body due to the fact i want to tone my upper body more.

Mondays:
Bench Press: 4x5
Either Dumbell Incline, Bar Decline, or Peck Deck heavy sets
Hammer Curls: 4x10
Barbell Shrugs: 4x10
Behind the back wrist curls w/barbell: 4x10
Front wrist curls w/barbell: 4x10
Followed by and intense ab work out

Wednesdays:
Dumbell Bench: 4x8
Dips: 4x10
Preacher Curls: 4x10
Behind the back wrist curls w/barbell: 4x10
Front wrist curls w/barbell: 4x10
Followed by and intense ab work out

I would like to be able to wake up a little bit earlier than i do now and go running. I am open to any suggestions!

[Dojomaster]

have you thought about doing sprints? do 6 50-60 yard sprints it'll take like 10 minutes to do, and you won't lose as much muscle as long distance running.

what you do is sprint full force, walk balk slowly to where you started, sprint as fast as you can again, walk back slowly, etc until 6 times. If you're new at it i would start at 3 or 4 and work yourself up over the next month or so. by the end of the workout you will be dead out of breath.

[Rats!]

"Whatever is in the cafeteria" and "a snack" and "dinner" really doesn't tell us anything. Can you give us a couple days worth of diet with exactly when and what you ate? Also if your lunch, snack and dinner look anything like your breakfast and mid-morning snack, don't waste your time in this thread, just read the sticky threads because all your questions have been answered in there.

[cursor]

Don't stop working your lower body!

Originally Posted by SNS6

I have some fat around the stomach area and thighs that i would like to rid myself of

If your intent is to lose fat, neglecting your lower body exercises is not the way to go about it. The idea is to create a controlled balance between your nutritional intake and your physical output. At this point in your exercise experience you've done well in creating a respectable amount of muscle mass, but clearly need to understand more with regard to your food intake. It's good that you're willing to learn.

First of all get that leg routine back in the exersize plan!

With respect to the food,

1. Create a plan that allows for 5-7 relatively small meals per day.
2. Make quality food choices, grouped to offer your body what it needs at any particular time of the day/night ... depending on your metabolism level at those times.
3. Reduce your starchy carbohydrates and eat more vegetables.
4. Include a complementary amount of lean protein.
5. Properly gauge your dietary fat intake ... and be particular about your fat sources.
6. Drink lots of water.

Creating a plan: workout & nutrition
Losing Fat ... and Keeping It Off

[cursor]

At what time of the day do you workout with weights? Is it done at school or elsewhere?

[SNS6]

Will doing these sprints will be enough cardio to burn off a decent amount of fat?

What i ate last week:

Monday:
Toast in the morning at 7:30
Biscuit and gravy and a hashbrown at 10:05
3 Chicken Strips at 12:10
Chicken Alfredo at 6:00

Tuesday:
Toast in the morning at 7:30
Biscuit and gravy and a hashbrown at 10:05
Nothin for lunch
Chicken Alfredo again at 6:00

Wednesday:
Toast in the morning at 7:30
Biscuit and gravy and a hashbrown at 10:05
Nachos and beef at 12:10
Parmasan Chicken with cream corn and roll at 6:00

Thats what i ate last week M-W

So should I do upper body Monday and lower body Wednesday?

Yes I work out at school, we have a very nice weight room with lots of machines but unfortunately no cardio machines.

[cursor]

I see almost no reference to vegetables, insufficient protein intake, and very irregular food timing. Metabolism control is what fat-loss is all about.

Are you in a position to create and control your eating habits?

Here is an indication of how I eat: 2000-calorie meal plan. The foods that you might pick for your meals certainly can be different. Additionally, the amount of food that your body optimally needs will more than likely be unique. The idea is to feed the intentionally manipulated metabolic flow. Keep the blood pumping (and keep nutrients in the blood)!

Originally Posted by SNS6

So should I do upper body Monday and lower body Wednesday?

That would be fine.

Again, at what time of the day do you workout at school?

[SNS6]

Sorry i forgot to post what time.... its every monday and wednesday at 2:30

[cursor]

Originally Posted by SNS6

I am 5'8" tall, 184 lbs

Can you estimate your body fat level?

[SNS6]

I have had no experience with body fat levels so it would be hard for me to judge how much i have..... maybe give me an example or something to go by??

*Edit* I just looked at your progress picture and i am definintly somewhere between 10% and 20% maybe around 14 or so

[cursor]

Consider doing something like this:

meal 1 – 6-meal plan
meal 1 – w o r k o u t . d a y . n u t r i t i o n

meal 1 – 38p - 39c - 16f = 466 calories
meal 1 – nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
meal 2 – 38p - 18c - 13f = 350 calories
meal 2 – nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
meal 3 – 38p - 84c - 10f = 583 calories
meal 3 – nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
meal 1 – |[__w o r k o u t__]|
meal 4 – 38p - 84c - 10f = 583 calories
meal 4 – nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
meal 5 – 38p - 54c - 10f = 466 calories
meal 5 – nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
meal 6 – 38p - 10c - 16f = 350 calories
meal 6 – nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
_____________________________________
Total :: 233p - 291c - 77f = 2800 calories
33% protein + 42% carbohydrate + 25% fat
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
values are rounded to integers at the 'meal' level
p=protein :: c=carbohydrate :: f=fat

[SNS6]

Wow that looks really helpful but im not sure how to break it down.... could you explain it?