Hey all,

I'm new to this board, actually to any body building board, but after lurking here for awhile, I get the feel you all know quite a bit. Since I'm eager to learn, here goes.

Like my sig says, I'm in the home stretch of a really long cutting phase, which has been going OK so far. Right now, I'm 6'4", 231 lbs, and about about 14-14.5% BF. Thinking I need to get to 10 or 11 or so. Overall, my definition isnt terrible, with a good middle chest split, clearly defined and separated deltoids, etc etc etc. However, there is a fucking ugly ass roll of fat hanging on my abs.

My efforts are concentrated on dieting and excercise. I have a four day split (on hold now due to injury) and I do HIIT three days a week. My diet is very clean, consisting of 2000 kcals a day, with a 50/25/25 protein/carbs/healthy fat mix, split across 8 meals. Supps include multi vit, protein powders, glutamine (helps kill cravings, dunno why, haha). Also, I have one cheat meal once a week.

I have always been skeptical about weight loss supps. I figured, if you could sell skinny in a bottle, no one would be fat. However, a friend set me here, saying Avant kicks ass. I'll be open minded and ask: what you all could recommend regarding helping me lose the last few pounds or so, which seem very stubborn.

I've heard good things about ab-solved and lipoderm, but which woudl be right for me? Also, is leptigen necessary given that i never really have hunger pangs? Whats the deal with Sesathin? Does it replace a nutritive oil like Udo's? Finally, I'm kinda a sweaty guy already...would HEAT turn me into someone who is gross to hang out with?

I know its a long post, and probably most of the info is available elsewhere, I know. But i'd appreciate any hints, tips, reading links, etc etc etc.

Thanks,

I can't answer the whole question, but will throw a few things out there. Fatloss is going to slow down the lower your bf% goes, so what you're doing may still be working, though at a much slower rate. Granted, people do come to a halt at some point, probly not around 14% though. If you're weight training (this burns calories too) is currently on hold, I'd up the cardio, maybe adding some longer duration- low intensity cardio in addition to HIIT.

You might try playing with your diet- carb cycling, CKD, or something.

In terms of supps, there's nothing wrong with a good old EC stack. Sensithin is getting great feedback, though I haven't tried it.

If you're really stuck, and willing to go semi-legal, clen and/or T3 are options.

Hope this helps.

since you are already doing HIIT, you could try adding in some 45 minute low intensity cardio sessions 4-6 times per week and see how that helps.

and glutamine is killing your cravings b/c it can be converted to glucose in the liver and this helps increase the fed state signal. In other words... it is merely expensive glucose

Ultimate Diet 2.0 I have just bough the e-book from:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com

Learning lots so far and the results that people have gotten from the diet seem to be very nice.
Hope this helps,
Stormrider

Best advice IMHO would be, assuming you've been dieting for a while, to take a week or two off at maintenance calories, and then resume.

Two reasons.

A) This should help reset metabolism, increase T4->T3 conversion, bring leptin up, etc. In other words, fat loss will be faster after the break.
I highly suggest you do some reading here. You can learn a LOT. Check out the diet forum, Twin Peak's carb-cycling, and other posts here in the basics forum. You'd be surprised how much some of your beliefs and impressions might change.

I did 90 pounds all natural/no supps, then found myself at the same point as you are (maybe 14% or so). At that point my testosterone was so low I hadn't waxed the carrot for 3 months. If you are as hell bent on getting to 10% as I were, you might notice the classic long term starvation signals that I found. I don't know how it has gotten for you quite yet. I did the UD2.0 and I was able to cut off a few more pounds and ruin my endocrine state quite effectively.

Never give advice, the clever won't need it; the fool won't heed it.

First, congrats on the good work.

Second, I really agree w/the break at maint cals. It will be good both mentally and physically.

Third, remember the majority of the benefits you see will come from diet and exercise. Supps are great and I use tons of them, but at the end of the day I think the results I see are 90+ % diet oriented. EC is a great tried and true product thats really damn cheap. There are tons of testimonials for AL's products and the science is very strong.

Third, If you've been doing HIIT a while you might consider changing your training style up for a couple weeks since your body is likely adapting to the stress of HIIT well. There are a ton of great programs out there that you could use or modify slightly like GVT, MaxOT, etc.

Fourth, if you aren't doing cardio you should consider starting. I would suggest maybe extending your split where you are in the gym three days and running 3-4 different days. This will allow you more rest and recovery time between weight sessions as well as increase opportunities for GH release after working out. Start off easy and work from there. If you are already doing cardio consider adding an interval session once a week. I've read this can help.

These are all just my opinions and things that have worked for me. I'm sure there will be people here w/differing oppinions, but obviously they are all wrong

Good luck, and keep us posted!

Just two things to say in reply to this...

IIRC, the post-workout hormonal 'burst' (test, GH, etc.) is more or less irrelevant because its simply too temporary to have any kind of meaningful effect.

Also, steady-state cardio tends to be overrated. HIIT is excellent stuff -- it's good for the heart, much more effective than cardio, and takes less time. Plus it's not nearly as boring.

you said waxed the carrot

Given that you are happy with all but your abs, I would suggest LipoDerm Ultra.

Also, I hold a different opinion on glutamine than most of the people on this board.

While I do have some issues with the glutamine "establishment," I do agree that it can be beneficial-- in certain scenarios that is. Nonetheless, I've yet to see any glutamine research that has offered anything that I can say "excited me" in any way, shape, form.

Par, care to toss out an abstract or a pathway that might "sway my view(s)?"

Not any single abstract (except maybe a review that calls it as important as glucose as a nutirent signal -- should be referenced in the Leptigen write-up) -- it is mostly the body of literature, like with most everything I talk about.

I certainly do not think as highly of it as "the glutamine establishment", I just think it far from worthless.

<--- considering glutamine DNP experiment to satisfy curiosity

Hey all,

Thanks for the help. I guess I'll try to vary the cardio more. Soon my tendonitis in my knees will be better, and I can start squatting again. That should help a lot, I figure regarding mainting LBM, burning calories, etc. Upper body stuffy may be a ways away. Once I get done with shoulder surgery, I still have 6-8 weeks of rehab before seriously lifting again. Fucking A, haha.

Anyway, the advice sounds good. Regarding glutamine, I've read the research for and against, and in my view, the actual volume of subjects has not been substantial enough to produce an empirically precise result. Given that, and how my own anecdotal experience has been so positive, I'm going to keep it up. Plus, its cheap compared to other supps (ie, 1000 grams @ $24 = 100 days of dosing for only 24 cents a day). Not bad at all, I figure. By comparision, I personally have had zero positive effect from CLA, and that shit got expensive after awhile.

Anyway, thats my two cents, hardly the last word. Genetics can be tricky, I figure everybody gets different results from different supps. Thanks again for your help, I'll have veins in my stomach in no time (or not, haha).

Peace.