4 day TM question

[Mark Rippetoe]

lol but I mean surely it's not a good idea to start a bulk at 18% bodyfat

What is your ideal bodyfat%?

[mrsquatboy]

What is your ideal bodyfat%?

probably 15-20%. I don't care about having visible abs, I just want to be lean enough to have a good bulk without getting a gut

[Mark Rippetoe]

Ah. Well, you should have no problems.

[Mitchell Smith]

probably 15-20%. I don't care about having visible abs, I just want to be lean enough to have a good bulk without getting a gut

I think basically taking the approach of bouncing back and forth between 15% and 20% (calorie surplus up to 20, then take a few weeks to diet back to 15) is really a great strategy for a lot of people POST NOVICE LP. There are a ton of reasons for this.

First, those short breaks from the caloric surplus (Mike Israetel PhD would call this a "Minicut") make muscle tissue more insulin sensitive, thus, when you introduce your surplus again, they are less resistant to growth.

Second, it keeps you looking and feeling decent (a big consideration that most people don't like to admit).

Third, 15-20% is a range most guys can maintain without having an eating disorder. It's a pretty normal range. Some guys will have to spend more time in surplus to stay here, and other guys (like me) will move from 15-20 quite quickly unless we are careful about calories.

Fourth, it's a range that doesn't take a ridiculous amount of time and effort to maintain. I think Mark would agree that going south of 15% regularly is going to take a lot of deliberate effort and time that will impede the process of getting stronger.

The reason I say post LP, is just simply because you need to be fully focused on 1 singular goal in LP. Just get it done. If you worry about cutting before doing LP you will have no muscle mass anyway is you won't look good and nothing matters. Just get strong first.

[mrsquatboy]

I think basically taking the approach of bouncing back and forth between 15% and 20% (calorie surplus up to 20, then take a few weeks to diet back to 15) is really a great strategy for a lot of people POST NOVICE LP. There are a ton of reasons for this.

First, those short breaks from the caloric surplus (Mike Israetel PhD would call this a "Minicut") make muscle tissue more insulin sensitive, thus, when you introduce your surplus again, they are less resistant to growth.

Second, it keeps you looking and feeling decent (a big consideration that most people don't like to admit).

Third, 15-20% is a range most guys can maintain without having an eating disorder. It's a pretty normal range. Some guys will have to spend more time in surplus to stay here, and other guys (like me) will move from 15-20 quite quickly unless we are careful about calories.

Fourth, it's a range that doesn't take a ridiculous amount of time and effort to maintain. I think Mark would agree that going south of 15% regularly is going to take a lot of deliberate effort and time that will impede the process of getting stronger.

The reason I say post LP, is just simply because you need to be fully focused on 1 singular goal in LP. Just get it done. If you worry about cutting before doing LP you will have no muscle mass anyway is you won't look good and nothing matters. Just get strong first.

Same I agree with this too, that was my plan going forward, I'm just cutting down to 15% atm. Btw I have finished the novice LP

[Mitchell Smith]

Same I agree with this too, that was my plan going forward, I'm just cutting down to 15% atm. Btw I have finished the novice LP

This is good information to have. Doing so during LP would not be productive.

Rip might disagree with me, but I think bouncing between 15-20% and having those guardrails is quite helpful. If you're training hard and eating right, you should be able to push your bodyweight quite a bit during those periods when you're moving from 15 to 20. On the flip side, dieting from 20 to 15 really isn't that big of a deal and only takes a couple months to do right, then you're set up well again.

I've done the big weight swings in the past myself and don't plan on doing so again. Typically, I got all fired up when I was already 18% or something and threw a whole bunch of milk in my diet and quickly moved up to 25% or so in no time flat. I would have been better served with a more conservative approach, as it would have allowed me more productive time growing muscle and strength before having to take breaks to diet.

[Mark Rippetoe]

How was your bodyfat% being measured during this time?

[mrsquatboy]

Hey guys, I had one more quick question (I cba to continue cutting I'm around 180lbs that will do).
What % should I start 4 day TM on for (5RM) and volume (5x5) lifts? Judging from the book I'm guessing around 80% and 70% of 1RM respectively.
Thanks

[Ramoo]

I'm regretting making my thread now. I had the exact same question as OP in regards to accessories. Admins, feel free to delete my thread. All has been answered here.