As in your too fat for 3 dimes. Try 2.5 for for a few months. 3+ dimes are for the lean, green, fighting machines. Like me.

Well, we all know my dream is to be just like you, so I will take your advice

What would you guess your bodyfat is at? I would guess 14-19%.
And where is this crossfit location? I may join a xfit one day. But I want a big one like San Francisco or something with lots of IELs.

I would guess it's at the upper limit of your estimate, but that's so I don't look silly if I say something low and am way off Before I worked out with a trainer, I was at 16% (four years ago?), then I was at something around 12% a year and a half ago when a trainer last estimated for me. But I'm sure things changed, especially in the last six months when I added weights and started shoveling calories in to curb hunger.

I'm happy with my strength gains but will want to reconfigure BF. Over the last couple of weeks I've cut to somewhere between 1800-2400 cals depending on if it's a workout day, and a couple of months ago I began doing a brief CF workout or cardio session post-weights on non-heavy CF days. Only diminished a couple of pounds on the scale, but I've also seen strength gains so would hesitate to point to weight as an accurate reflection of reducing BF.

What do you suggest as the best way to estimate BF? The trainer used a mixture of weight, height, and calipers.

My fitness center is in Florida, Georgia, and Puerto Rico, so nowhere close to San Francisco. And I would guess it is not the size you're looking for, tho the location I visit has plenty of IELs benching and squatting sick amounts of weight at 75% ROM. Not sure what more you'd be looking for

Just fyi - all bf% tests except for actual bodpod or whatever type tests are really suspect. This pisses me off to no end but it's the truth of the matter. Tbh the best test is really to post semi-nudes on H&F and average the CR/SM/loco triumvirate of guesstimates.

I don't do a caliper test but the scale I have (omron, other ppl use it and get more accurate results) has me at ~19% bf atm, which is probably where I was 15lbs ago. Why I keep measuring it, I dno, probably b/c my fatty fat tears are so delicious.

loco wanna lift with Cobra in SF imo. But, I imagine we all want to do that. Or lift with G4S....one time before we realize how painful it would be to continue given the intensity.

I heard the same thing about the calipers. My second trainer asked me about my workout and fitness results from the previous trainer. I mentioned calipers and he couldn't restrain his LOLs.

I am too modest to post noodz in the halls of H&F just yet, but I'm sure that if loco keeps posting pics one of these days I'll get too caught up in the moment and post one of my own. Meanwhile, there are dem vids.

Over/under on how long before loco shops himself into a pic with Cobra or G4S?

Was discussing changing up my nutrition and fitness routine to maintain/increase muscle mass while decreasing BF based off all I've learned (and loco calling me a fatty).

She said "Wtf, aren't you already like 8% body fat? You're already so thin."

I told her, "Not according to loco."

'Murica where 5'11 190, 17% is skinny.

But yeah you are in a tough spot. Stuck in nowhere land. Probably too fat to bulk and too DYEL to cut. Wish I had the answers bro.

Tough spot indeed. I think now is the time to experiment and find out what intake allows me to at worst maintain and at best increase strength while cutting BF. Perhaps I'll go back to three days CF and one day weights?

Also thinking I'll experiment with different cut ratios until I find one that allows me to at least maintain strength. Already in DYEL territory, but I'm also not trying to vacuum up everything YTF has discarded. Guess it just matters how much I value these strength increases. Am I comfortable lifting the same amount of weight over and over, or do I want to put the GOMAD folks to shame by drinking a gallon of chocolate milk a day?

Side note, pistols rapidly getting easier. I started doing them a couple of weeks ago and needed an assist. Now I'm banging out sets of seven. Pretty soon I'll need to start doing weighted pistols and will look forward to adding BW pistols into CF routines.

Looking into my diet, it seems that the only thing I will need to adjust to hit a decent cut is my daily (sometimes double) dose of protein shakes. Not cut them out entirely, but adjust the ingredients.

Right now the recipe calls for:

12oz almond milk (100)
2 tablespoons greek yogurt (100ish)
2 tablespoons peanut butter (380)
half a cup of blueberries (40ish)
1 scoop protein powder (100)

That's 700 cals per shake! More if I eat a tablespoon of peanut butter while I wait for the smoothie to blend And sometimes I add in a FiberOne brownie...

I'll come close to my cut if I eliminate the peanut butter. I'm thinking it would be better to add another scoop of powder, or eat more eggs. Less calls, more protein. No wonder BigPoppa ragged on me for gushing over peanut butter in another thread.

Well, from my only ~2 years of experience (so take it fwiw), always be bulking or cutting at least slowly. I spent too long maintaining or bulking at suboptimal times (like when my shoulder was injured) and it isn't helpful for the strength unless you want to be a super fatty at 25%+ bf. I was hoping I could just go to maintenance for several months and my body would recomp at some sort of reasonable rate. But it doesn't. Gotta do like 10lbs gain, 5lbs loss, 10lbs gain, 5lbs loss (this is my new plan once I reset my weight by losing a few more lbs).

At least, that's what I assume is the way to go if you don't want to be in that nebulous 15-20% territory but aren't getting much stronger, aren't that strong yet, and also don't want to keep eating b/c that 20%+ range starts to get a bit dicey.

Yugo,

Thanks for the tips. 10 lbs gain, 5 lbs loss sounds like an easily managed system. Do you have a website, book, set of videos, etc. you refer to for tips on bulking/cutting? I do have a slight injury on my right leg, but this has happened before and will take care of itself if I take it easy on stretching over the next week or so. It otherwise hasn't interfered with my ability to work out.

It seems like some of this will require me to experiment with varying calorie intakes to find out my true cut/maintenance/bulk levels. Except for my stupid squats, I like where my strength is at and wouldn't mind sticking at the same level for a while if it allows me to cut bf, then reset with this 10lbs gain, 5 lbs loss strategy.

Lol, I made up this system two months ago playing around with the IF calculator, http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/ (I don't do IF though lol @ me). I just was sick of making very little strength progress and while not being fat, not being ripped in any way either. Seemed like a huge lose/lose given that I go to the gym 4-6/week and have relatively good discpline eating. It seemed 10lbs gain, 5lbs loss seemed about right in terms of what it would do to my bf % once I get down to ~12-13% (not interested in the pain of getting to 10% now at least). That way the plan is to vacillate between ~12-15% by bulking slowly for ~8 weeks and then cutting slowishly for ~6 weeks or whatever.

I always ask SM or others for links on cutting and stuff, then don't bother studying them carefully. It seems most of the reputable sources are leangains and Alan Argon or whoever that guy is. Tbh though, I now firmly believe you have to cut/gain long-term to get the results one likely wants. Even Cha59 who always tells me to just eat more if I want to get stronger seems to go through periods of losing weight/gaining weight. Although it seems it has more to do with his life ebb and flow rather than a concerted effort to cycle calories or w/e.

I wish that worked for me but if left to my own devices I seem to get stuck maintain weight with occasional gains around vacations or holidays or whatever. So, typical USA#1ian probably except I understand how calories work.

Haha! That is a neat site for what it is, tho according to its admittedly very inaccurate BF calculator, I am currently at 10% BF Go me!

Stats:
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 185
Activity: Moderately active (hardcore workouts, but only go 4 times a week)
Sex: yes please
Waist: 32"

Site spat back these stats:
BF: 10.6%
Basic Metabolic Rate: 1976
Total Daily Energy Expenditure: 3063
Lean body mass: 163.6lbs
Fat body mass: 25.5lbs
BMI: 25.5
Waist-to-height ratio: 45.1
Maximum fat metabolism: 582
Minimum recommended daily calories: 2481

It says my rest day calories (2451) are less than my recommended daily allowance (2481)??? And that for standard recomp I should eat 3676 cals on workout days?! But that goes down to 3063 cals on workout days if I want weight loss #1.

Very interesting site. I'll continue to play around with it. I really like the pie graphs with macro breakdowns. Do you recommend I try out their recommendations, Yugo? Sounds as though you like the site but ain't got time for dat.

Where on your leg have you injured? Foam roll that **** is my advice.

EDIT

Just seen u added your weight bf etc

What body type are you? Quick google if your not sure. Would you say your a hardgainer?

Behind my right knee. I guess it's the left hamstring tendon? No clue about anatomy.

I've found that as I specify moderately active it gives me calories likely 200 above what my maintenance should be. Although I'm doing 5/3/1 where only a couple of sets are truly intense and then light cardio (for an hour though) on off days. I dno, when I used to play basketball once or twice a week for a couple of hours I'd say the moderate setting seemed more accurate but I'm not sure.

I don't use the bf % calculator on there, I don't think it's accurate. The most accurate online one is probably that army one if you give it accurate measurements. I think loco goes to that one if he wants to use a calculator vs. the eye test.

You can try any recommendations you want - the key is to track calories consistently and your weight consistently so that you can adjust properly for the future. Or you can wing it but I don't have good luck with that since as I've said, I end up maintaining lol.

The part that is most helpful for me is eating more calories on lift days and fewer on non-lift days. It's very easy for me to do the opposite, since I tend to go out to eat on days when I don't go to the gym (since I don't have time for the gym). So I used to probably do almost the opposite - eating less on lift days and more on non-lift days. I don't really know if this is a huge problem but it definitely seems like at least a small one.

Could you recommend a site for reference? I've never heard of this. I looked at muscleandstrength.com. According to them, I was ectomorph when only doing crossfit, but now am closer to mesomorph.

I like their advice to eat before bed for ectomorphs, but I'm still not sure what I should eat. I typically wake up a few hours after I fall asleep, not because I'm ready to wake up, but because I'm starving. I've tried eggs or protein shakes before bed. Still happens.

http://www.triggerpoints.net/hip-thigh-knee.htm - Identify the area that "hurts" then click on the appropriate link below and it will indicate a good place to start investigating with SMR to hit the areas that are likely junky.

I agree the first step is to investigate with a ball or roller to see where you may have muscle adhesions or soft tissue junkiness.

If your waist really is 32" then everything we have been talking about goes out the window.

At 5'11" 185 32" waist you would be an IEL and have one of the smallest waists in H&F. Are you measuring around navel, no sucking in?

I mean just to give you an example. Saw is 5'7" 176 around 14% bodyfat and his waist is 34-35". He has posted noodz.

So going back to your 32", these are my possible theories

1) your tape measure only goes to 32"
2) sucking in big time
3) the classic newb mistake and thinks waist size equals pant size
4) missing a rib
5) are jacked as fack but loco missed it because you are pasty whitey

I am hoping its 5) but doubt it. Going to go with 3) final answer. Get a $3 tape measurer at Walmart. It will say around 34 to 35" bro, which would coincide with size 32 waist pants.

<---newb

Good point, loco. Adjusted to 35, says BF is 17%. That sounds much more accurate. Will measure the non-newb way and report back in.

List delivers, especially #1 & #4. Think I may have a couple ribs removed so I can be 8% bf for a slam dunk Golden Loco™.

I was going to mention the waist measurement was probably wrong, but I'm never confident in my own waist measurement even though I know how to do it correctly due to user error when trying to wrap something around myself properly and accurately.