1 Year Plan. Need Input

[Sully]

I've never had any desire to get on stage before, but lately I've started to get the urge to compete. Not because I feel like I have any chance at winning, because I already know I don't. I'm not being pessimistic or defeatist, just honest and realistic. I know who I am and where I am at in life.

The main thing is, I've never been really lean before. I was always a fat kid, a fat teen, and a fat adult. Less fat at certain times, but always fat just the same. As I'm approaching 35, I want to get lean and have a body that I'm not ashamed for anyone to see with my shirt off for the first time in my life.

Also, this seems like it would be a reasonable way to attempt to reset my metabolic set-point. Diet down and get stage lean, then slowly reverse diet myself to a look/bodyfat percentage that I like the look of and can maintain on a year round basis.

There's a good local show in my area next March, and I'm thinking about setting that as my goal. Put on some more size and slowly diet myself into stage condition over the next 11 months, roughly.

And after that long winded explanation, here's my stats and my question.
6'4"
260
25ish% BF

If I have 11 months to prep for a show, how would I make the best use of that time? Especially considering I've never competed, or even been below 15% BF.

Should I spend the next 2-4 months trying to put on some more muscle, then start a slow steady process of leaning out over a 7-9 month period? Bulk for 6 months then cut for 5? Spend the entire time cutting down slowly and focusing on conditioning?

I'm open to any and all input, whether from competitors or not. Let me hear what your thoughts guys.

 

[kubes]

It sounds like you already have plenty of size. I think you should get the body fat down before considering putting on more size

 

[lycan Venom]

by all means I am not a guru but maybe grim, magnus, atom and a few others here with tried and true history can give some suggestions.

I would think maybe focus on a strict diet and training to protocol and try to shed all the body fat you can... gives you more of a goal to strive for, see weekly results and gain more self confidence.. then work on weak areas and get symmetry.

just my idea.

 

[squatster]

Good for you man - after the first month - it is easy
First off you have the most important part of the plan done- you have a planned goal
NOW
Juice?
Peps?
HGH?
get the stuff stocked and ready-
now the work out
And most in important the diet.
I my self would just eat to gain muscle and loose fat at the same time your big man don't let that size go
How old are you now?

 

[Sully]

34. Birthday in a few months. I know how to lose weight, done it before successfully. I've been as heavy as 325 just a few years ago. I'm at 260, but was maintaining 240 for the last year pretty easily. I upped my callries recently and started blasting again to put on some size in my upper body, chest and shoulders specifically. The extra carbs I added to my diet put some fat on me pretty quickly.

Just to be clear, even though I do appreciate it, I'm not posting to get a pat on the back for wanting to lose weight or looking for moral support. It's not a matter of if I can do it, I know for sure that I can. I'm just trying to figure out the best way to schedule out the coming year. It'll definitely take longer than most people for me to get stage lean, and I'm trying to figure out how much of that time I should dedicate to adding some size vs trying to lean down.

 

[Sully]

It sounds like you already have plenty of size. I think you should get the body fat down before considering putting on more size

Not really. If u do the math, if I kept my muscle mass exactly where I'm at and stripped down to 10%, I'd be at about 215. And then to be stage lean at that point would put me somewhere in the 200-205 range. 205 at 6'4" is really small. And that's all figured at 25%BF. If I'm closer to 30%, the numbers are even worse.

I feel like I definitely need to add 15-20 lbs of muscle in the next year, while also dropping down to single digit BF%. Neither one of those things are easy alone, but trying to do them both within a year is going to require some serious planning.

 

[Sandpig]

Sul, I'd definitely concentrate on getting leaner now.

Once you get to say ten percent, then maybe up the cals again etc. if you have the time.

Then at the 12-16 week mark start a real contest prep.

 

[squatster]

I still say build the muscle and loose the fat st the same time from the beginning till the end
It is so much easyer and healthier then to bulk with fat then loose all that muscle and fat at the end
Break the year up into 1/3rd if you have a hard time with that long focus- break it up in quarters- or what a do month to month witch is harder- for at least me.
Start the first one building and leaning at the same time - it is easer to do in the long run- you must know what gets you fat-
don't have a clue what you do for food now
Try the 6 meals a day or more-high protein- fats that you won't store as fat but burn as energy- carbs that arn't stored as fats - but stored as glycogen in the muscle bellies
Try it for 1 quarter or even 1 month with out any junk or pasta or my favorite donuts - I am writing this from a donut shop now-
you do the diet and your drugs right you will not loose any muscle- just fat
Just my 2 cents for what it's worth

 

[chrisr116]

I am working with a diet coach for about 6 weeks now. His job is prepping bodybuilders for competing. I am not going to compete, but he is dieting me down just the same. I just want to see if I can do it, because a good friend just went through the whole contest prep thing with the same coach and won his first NPC show in November.

It is going to suck for the first few weeks, until you get used to eating very clean. Expect to eat the same meals day in and day out. It is very boring, 6 meals a day for me. Chicken, oatmeal, lots of sweetpotatos, brown rice., egg whites, etc. You get the idea. But the weight will fall off of you. I have dropped 20lbs in the past month (mid 240s to mid 220s), and none appears to be muscle. I am seeing veins I have never seen before He says once he gets me down where he wants me, then we will build back up. But diet is basically everything. If you want it bad enough, you can do it. It is doing to suck when you first start eating super clean, but you will get used to it. I am on my trt dose of 250mg of test once a week, and nothing else but hgh peps, which my diet coach is not thrilled about. He wants me as natural as possible so he can see how my body reacts to different tweaks in the diet.

I am just throwing out a little of my diet experience, because I think your going to be doing the very similar thing for a good while. Just mentally prepare yourself, and get ready for a good part of your life being devoted to meal prep...lol

 

[Manticore]

I would echo the sentiment already expressed in here, you should diet down at least to the teens in BF%. You could do that in 4 months.