Stats

1: 41 years old

2: 5’ 10.5”

3: 158lbs now (170 at bulk, 149 at cut)

4: 22%-30% BF (via DEXA scan)

5: Goal: 1) Muscle Gain 2) Strength Gain

6: Exercising for 3+ years

7: 1400 or lower on a cut, not sure on a bulk. (Gain .75lbs/week on a bulk. Lose 2.2lbs/week on a cut)

8: 150+grams of Protein per day. I do not count Fat/Carb but I eat a good diet and good variety of food with fat and carbs

9: No Injuries

Short background

*Adolescence

As a child I was very thin. As my friends all aged into our teens we joined football, worked out, and got active in sports. Some of my friends naturally got huge. I stayed pretty low-muscle despite working out as much (or more) as them. (All of our diets and routine were crap.) I graduated High School weighing 125lbs and benching 138lbs.

*20 years after High School

I stopped exercising after High School.

Over the next 20 years I got quite skinny fat. I lost muscle and wound up at 175lbs.

I looked like a pregnant man.

I had a bad back, and bad wrists. I hesitated to carry 50lb bags of rice or dog food, and even sprained my wrists lifting a gallon of milk too fast.

*It Begins

At 37 years old I discovered the keto diet technique and gave it a try. I dropped from 175lbs to 150lbs over 3+ months. I was no longer very skinny fat I was now just … really skinny and weak.

For 6 months a buddy ran me through a lovely “bro” routine with elastic bands and simple resistance exercises. This was a nice starter and got my ligaments and tendons strengthened.

For another 6 months I had a case of fuck-around-itis and tried some PPL with low success.

*Olympic Lifting

One day I saw someone doing snatches at the gym. I was hooked. I signed up for 6 months of Olympic lifting coaching. Being very limber and light, I got pretty decent at snatches and cleans. Weighing 150lbs I could snatch 100lbs and clean over 135lbs. But I was still pretty weak with low power.

*Power Lifting

I then got hooked on powerlifting for the next few years.

Brought my Bench/Squat/Deadlift to 175/225/350.

I follow strict routines such as the nSUNS AMRAP program (6 day a week cyclical powerlifting routine with as-many-as-possible finishing sets).

I am very strict. I never miss a day. I never miss a set or rep. I work out hard.

I got great success, but then plateaued. Recently I tried switching to Ben Pollacks UnF**K Your Program basic powerlifting routine.

I had moderate success. I stayed at very similar numbers.

*Diet

Over the past 3+ years I have cut and bulked many times. At first I bulked too hard and didn’t count calories. I am much better at it now.

Today my routine is this:

Rules for a Cut: Count and log all calories. Count and log all protein. Get 150g+ g of protein per day. Lose 2.2lbs per week. Get lots of different veggies. I don’t track fat/carbs, but I eat a balanced diet.

Typical lunch: Talapia (simple pan fry), 2 eggs, Brussel sprouts.  Or a Salmon burger patty on a bed of greens.

Typical Dinner foods: Homemade chicken soup, simple chicken, Salmon, pork loin, greens, etc.

Snacks: Epic Bars, Goat cheese, beets, hummus, salami, etc.

No simple sugars. No crappy snacks.

On a bulk: Similar type of food/macros. Eat more carbs. Aim to gain under .75 lbs per week.

Bottom line: Gain .75lbs / week on a bulk. Lose 2.2lbs per week on a Cut. Eat a variety of good food. Get 150g/day of protein.

*Supplements

Creatine, Leucine, Protein Shakes when needed.

*My Problem*

1: Despite my low powerlifting numbers B/S/D    175/225/350 @ 145 I have plateaued. I just don’t seem to hit impressive numbers. I wanted 225/310/410 or even 200/260/380. But I just can’t progress. I just don’t add much muscle anymore. Am I reaching my limits?

I follow a proven lifting routine for 2 months, gaining weight slowly along the way and I have little to show.

2: I cut down to really low body weights like 149lbs or even 145lbs, but I’m still skinny fat! I can deadlift 350lbs, weighing 145lbs but I look undefined. Honestly, I think I look similar to before I even started working out!

https://imgur.com/S5BOuuD

But under the skin and fat I see my strong oblique’s and abs. My back is kinda sexy and literally has gained inches of muscle.  I know that muscle is there all over.

*Body Fat

I get DEXA scans periodically. They always come back shockingly high. After a bulk I hit 175lbs and I was 30.4%. Jesus Christ! I was powerlifting, and you could see my ribs but I was over 30% BF at 175lbs!

I just don’t get it. Look at this commonly used avatar showing what a LEANER guy at 30-32% BF looks like compared to me!

https://imgur.com/TqCDNdx

Later I cut down to 155 and came in at 22.2% BF! I was skinny AF. I was hard into my lifting routine. You could count my ribs, and I could deadlift 350, but I was still a fatty.

*Today*

I’m sick of cutting down to 145lbs and having no definition and a 2” layer of fat covering my belly.

Last week I started the MS Bodybuilding program and I have started my cut.

Ideally I’d weigh 175lbs and be 15% BF but after years of trying to add muscle I don’t think packing on 30lbs of muscle is in the cards.

I intend to cut down to 135lbs. It sounds stupid-low, but my calculations show that only then will I get near 12% BF.

What do you think?

@HappyFitFun this was quite the read man! Lots of info to digest!

One of the first things I noticed was you tried keto - I just want to say I hope you're not still doing it? I have a friend who tried keto too, and there is no doubt it works for weight loss.. but in terms of fat loss to muscle loss, the ratios aren't good at all. Ideally you want to drop fat while maintaining as much muscle as possible, but from what you have said and what I saw in my friend, you just get skinny and barely retain much muscle at all. That's the problem with keto.

Anyway, I'll move onto your questions..

1. I don't think you're reaching your limits, it's probably just time to switch your routine around a little bit, or maybe it's even time for a deload depending on how long you have been at this. Have you tried different variations with your Bench, Squat and Deadlift? Doing pin pressing, box squats or rack pulls/deficit deadlifts, for example? Adding things like that in might help you blast past some plateuas, or even doing cheat reps to overload as well.

2. From your picture, it's hard to believe your scan came out and said you have 30% bodyfat.. I mean, it might be around 20-25% max but I wouldn't have said 30%. In your 145lb picture I would say you are in the teens for bf% most definitely. Honestly, I wouldn't worry about the numbers - just worry about how you look. I think if you stay in a lean mass phase and add some more quality muscle, that will make a big difference to the bodyfat distribution and will make you look leaner. That's the ideal solution if you're skinny fat but not obese - add more muscle.

If you get down to 135lbs you can still be strong at that size, sure, but that doesn't sound like what you want so there's no point doing it.

I would suggest you start tracking macros properly. If you're not seeing the results you want, you can't keep guessing. You need to, for at least a week probably, track everything daily - protein, carbs, fat and daily calories, so we can get a better idea of where you're at and where to go from here.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for taking the time to read and reply to my post. I appreciate it.

I'll take your advice into consideration and alter my routine.

Quick Question for today

You've seen my photos. And every time I cut to 145lbs I can feel and almost see pretty decent obliques, lats, etc. But I still have that nice layer of flesh covering everything.

I am switching my primary focus from strength towards body building.

Any comment on my plan to cut to 135lbs?

I am a small-framed guy with small wrists and ankles. But 135lbs seems so damn light!

I also have this shirtless event I am going to in a few months that I want to look good for it.

Just not sure if I'll end up looking like Bruce Lee, or like a Meth addict.... ha ha ...

@HappyFitFun well at 5'10, 135lbs would be quite light. At the end of the day you have to ask yourself.. would you be happy at 135lbs?

Personally I don't think your body fat percentage is that high, and you should just focus on adding more quality mass and that will alter your appearance quite a bit I would say. As long as you keep an eye on your macros and your bodyfat in the mirror, you should be able to gain some good lean muscle.

I would say take maybe 2 months before this event to start cutting.. until you get to two months out, try staying in a lean mass phase.

The event is 2 months away from today.

My plan is to cut until the event, with a goal of 135lbs.

I am going to do your Body Building program until the event.

We'll see how I look.

And then in 2 months I'll slow bulk on your Body Building program.

I'll post pictures in 2 months! Wish me luck!

Ah OK. Yeah I mean if you want to be lean.. it won't hurt to start cutting now. That gives you time to take it slow and maintain as much muscle as possible. Good luck man, I'm sure you will look great!! Keep us updated with your progress 💪 

Scott has given some good insights and advice in his response to your post. I will also chime in with some of my insights/advice:

1) When training specifically for strength and power, lower body fat is not necessarily part of the equation. The metabolic load of strength training is not as consistent as it is when training for hypertrophy. What this means is gains in strength will not always equate with loss of body fat. Strength and power are dependent on the following elements determined by your genes:

a) Muscle fiber dominance - white fiber (power) versus red fiber (endurance). People with higher white fiber ratios will be stronger pound-for-pound than red fiber dominant people.

b) Central nervous system (CNS) adaptations and efficiencies. Your CNS learns how to efficiently activate the most muscle fibers to create the most force.

c) Tendon and ligament placements. Basic physics here - some people have tendon and ligament attachment points better suited from a leverage perspective to make more powerful movements from the same muscle contraction than someone with less advantagous placements.

What this means is some people will just be naturally stronger and develop more strength with training than others - regardless of diet, time training, and routine. However, EVERYONE can improve their strength and power. To achieve your natural limits without drugs does take efforts in eating, training, and resting properly to maximze your own individual results.

You also need to remember your CNS takes a beating when training for power. If you were not working in de-load weeks or doing periodization in your program, it is almost guaranteed that your strength would plateau or be reduced over time even with diligent and hard training. Muscles and the CNS recover at different rates - especially as you age.

2) I agree with Scott. Using a keto-genic diet to lose weight works fine but is not optimal for building and/or maintaining muscle. The amount of protein eaten on these types of meal plans is too low since 70% of the calories must come from fat. If you want to lean out yet still maintain or build a bit of muscle, it is better to do things like Intermittent Fasting (www.leangains.com) or carb-cycling. It is also important you build a meal plan and track your macros diligently each day as Scott has pointed out.

3) As for DEXA scans, they are accurate but they still suffer from inconsistencies and inaccuracies. The amount of glycogen you have stored in your muscles as well as your hydration level at time of the scan can skew the results as much as +/- 5%. Outside of an autopsy, there really is no 100% assured way of determining body fat even when using water submersion (dunk tank) or DEXA. They both are more accurate than other methods but not 100% fool proof. I agree with Scott that in some of the pics you posted the body fat projection seems a tad high.

I am 54 and I weigh 156Lbs. I started lifting when I was 19 and have never stopped. I weighed as little as 150 Ibs (when I first started) to as high as 200Lbs (when I experimented with steroids) on a 5'8" frame. My body fat averaged around 14% and went as high as 19%. I am now at around 9-10% body fat (using a combination of intermittent fasting and carb cycling) and my training is much more intense and enjoyable now - like when I first started training. In relative terms, I am still as strong as I was when I was younger. In absolute terms, I am not lifting anywhere near the amount of weight I did in my 20-s and 30s. But then strength is relative as we age and my goals are not be huge and overly strong anymore but more to be lean, healthy, and be stronger and bigger than 99% of the guys my age, weight, height, and body fat level that don't use drugs. I am comfortable I have met that goal.

I only mention this in that you need to find a goal that will make you happy. If cutting down to 135 or 140 Lbs at 5' 10" tall is what you want, then go for it. But you need to understand you will not have size and power at that weight unless you want to use drugs. The human body can do amazing things but it is still limited naturally by age and genetics. The bottom line is following a healthy lifestyle and lifting weights consistently and effectively will give you a physique and strength levels better than 98% of the world population who don't. I think many of the strength gains you have made given your age, frame size, and history are admirable. Sometimes being at 6% body fat or having a 225Lb bench and a 300Lb squat and a big deadlift aren't in the genetic cards no matter how hard you try.

John

You should stop looking at the scale. I have the same problem I am 5'10 and 220 pounds. I have always been with fat. When I finished my marathon run I noticed that I was a skiny fat. I found a old numbers from 2014. There I was 220pounds chest 45.6 inches and waist 44 inches. Now still 220 pounds, chest 41.7 inches, waist 36.6 inches. It take long time but it is possible.

Wow jmboiardi Thanks for such a great response. I'll reply a bit.

1) I took powerlifting pretty seriously over hte past two years. At first I bulked too mcuh fast(2.5lbs per week) . Later I bulked properly and slow (.75lb per week). I did not expect powerlifting to help me lose weight, fat, or lower my BF %. My goal was to get that B/S/D numbers up without getting too fat.

a) According to 23 and Me I have the genes for power, not endurance. But it doesn't seem to help!

b) CNS adaptation. I hear ya. Still working on mind-muscle connection. I feel a great connection deadlifting. It's comfortable, and I feel connected. Not so much with bench. I'm sure I have room to grow.

c) Natural physical abilities. I agree. I try to tell myself that I'm only competing with myself. And I'm happy with my progress. I do not have a naturally athletic body. But that just means I need to work smarter even for fewer results and be happy.

Deloading and CNS.

Due to my low success I might be guilty of overtraining. But I strictly follow proven long periodization programs. And when I finished my last mezo cycle I waited 7 days before testing my squat.

Maybe I need longer deload periods between programs.

2) Keto.

I'm in no postion to argue and I am seriously considering this.

Normally, I keto on a cut, carb on a bulk. I sometimes do intermitant keto if low energy prevents a good workout. (Simply eat some complex carbs 30 minutes before a workout.)

I'm reconsidering my position. Thanks.

Setting Realistic Goals

I hear you. Good advice.

It's funny where we see ourselves. On one side I am the weakest guy in the powerlifting section of the gym. On the other side I am WAY more fit than any soccer dad I know - most of which are obese.

I have pretty much decided to slow down on trying ot hit powerlifting numbers. I'm just going to hurt myself.

3 plate deadlift and 2 plate squat @ 145lbs is better than any soccer dad I know.

I'll probably hover at 155lbs weight long-term. It seems a comfortable size.

But for ONCE in my life I want abs! ONCE! I'm going to cut down to it no matter what and see what happens.

My best friends are turning 50 and are throwing a Pirate Themed party. Big event, elaborate costumes. I need abs for one day...

That will likely be the last hard cut I ever do.

Thanks againg for your advice.

Glad it helped. I think you get the point that at the end of the day you are stronger and leaner than 98% of quinquagenarians. Many can't do a single pull-up or more than a couple push-ups let alone squat or deadlift any amount of weight.

As we age, having more weight - whether it be lean mass or fat - is not optimal as it is metabolically expensive. Our bodies aren't as efficient when older as when younger so it prefers to carry less weight and fat. Weight training helps in this regard as it keeps all systems working optimally and minimizes fat gain but it still takes a lot of work.

If you look and feel good at 155 Lbs or 145 Lbs, that should be your set point. I never thought I would ever be happy being under 180 Lbs and felt I would look and feel small at 156 Lbs as it is near my starting weight at 19. However, I have found my symmetry is much better and I am definitely a more muscular 156 Lbs now than when I was younger.

John