I have thought about switching it ups. Also admittedly I could do with more "healthy" fats from almonds and such.
I have these, I really need to go to the doctors and get it sorted, however I tend to just get on with things rather than going to doctors, especially as they're crap over here in the united kingdom.
5/3/1 Has been good, but I have stalled so I have took a step back (deload 10% as you said).
I COULD use some help with accessory work defiantly. In fact I have recently been chopping and changing to see if I notice any benefits.
I do DB press, lateral raises for shoulders.
I do Tbar rows, weighted chins, back extensions and shrugs
I do weighted dips, incline db and flyes for chest
I do front squats, leg press, Glute ham raise and extensions for legs.
I also do biceps with chest and triceps with shoulders. I used to do a bit more volume but as said, I've chopped some things to see if a less is more approach works? It's pretty annoying and I just wish I knew a direction that would work. With the accessory work I do either 3 or 4 sets and use progressive overload.
So example 4 sets of DB press. When I hit 4x12 I will up the weight.
I do cardio all day whilst working. I also do 5-10 min of running or jogging whilst at the gym each day.
Yeah I think maybe my cuts are bad, maybe bulks are too short. I always seem to be in the middle no matter how long I do things. Too skinny to cut, too fat to bulk. Perhaps a lot is to do with the difference in water and body composition giving me the impression that I am fatter than what I am sometimes.
With the calories, I just taper it down until I see progress. I was recently able to cut on 2800k a day. With some extra cardio on workout days.
What's your definition of healthy fats? I ask bc many ppl would t consider saturated fats healthy but they are very beneficial to hormonal function and other bodily processes. They shouldn't make up your whole fat macro but don't avoid them like the plague either. Almonds, any nuts or seeds really, avacados, whole eggs, dairy products, olive oil, fish oil, ground flax, fatty fish, fatty cuts of meat, etc are all good sources for dietary fat.
Doctors may be crap but so is having hormonal values out of balance or problems with pain associated with flat feet. You can pick your poison here: would you rather risk seeing a crap doctor and have a chance at some answers or solutions or would you rather stay with not knowing your hormonal values and/or experiencing pain in your feet?
You said you're a postal worker I believe so that means plenty of walking already, I would reduce your cardio in the gym to a fast walk/low intensity pace. You're already reaping the cardiovascular benefits, keeping fatty acid oxidative pathways open, and only lowering a caloric surplus unnecessarily. It may also be eating into your recovery and why you reached a plateau point. My recommendation is to cut back on the "extra" cardio in the gym to 2 or 3 5-10min sessions and keep the intensity low (don't go max heart rate).
Looking at the pics you posted, YOU'RE LOOKING GREAT FOR 146lbs. I seriously expected to see much less muscle mass than I did. You face the same problem everyone else faces: how to bulk without getting too fat. It's all a mental game with this. It's a risk:reward ratio you have to balance. When you bulk (especially if only doing 2lbs/month bulk) you will need to accept fat gains may be up to half of the weight you gain (maybe more), a good bulk of 5-10lbs of TRUE muscle mass (not lbm which is water, glycogen, tissue nd organ weight, etc) will take 6months or so natty and stick to the plan when you start to question things. It's much easier to cut fat than build muscle so worry about gaining muscle first. Stick to a calorie surplus for 6moths or more with good lifting and worry about cutting after. Assess your results with scale weight, tape measurements, mirror, how clothes feel on you, etc. don't jus rely on one thing bc it can be deceiving.
I your cutting macros are off it could def cut into the muscle mass you built when bulking. The slower the cut the raiser it is on recovery and maintaining lbm. Slightly increasing protein can help and so will reducing training volume while keeping intensity high.
Too many ppl spin their wheels with diet bc they bulk to short/ cut too hard and flip flop back and forth before fully maximizing each cycle. Commit to a true bulk then commit to a true cut, try and stay out of the grey area here.
As for training, I do strength training. That's my number one goal. Mass is an added bonus and I can say i can add mass prett easily when I'm bulking bc diet has more to do with mass than anything else. I personally don't do body part splits anymore and probably will never go back to them. My favorite training programs include Starting Strength, Texas Method, Bill Starr's 5x5, Madcow's 5x5, WS4SB, Westside conjugate method etc. I focus on slightly less volume but increasing intensity and my strength has shot up since I began lifting this way. I have used sTarting Strength to add 2 1/4in on my arms during a bulk. The ONLY direct arm work I ever did was 1day/wk I would do 3sets of BB curl and 3sets of CG Bench. 6total sets of arm work and I added over 2in, that tells me a lot of things lol
. If yore bulking natty the best you can really hope to accomplish at your level is to gain as much fat as anything else. It sucks but that's how the body works. You've got to deal with it until you build enough muscle to cut. And lbm is everything but fat so that includes glycogen stores, water, muscle, organs and tissue, connective ligaments, etc. if you gain 10lbs in lbm in a month 1-2lbs of that typically is muscle mass. And this is if everything goes perfect which it doesn't always. Wait until after your holiday and come back with a meal plan proposal and a workout routine and let us critique it for you. I think Westside is a great program but it is geared more towards a certain demographic. Other options are bill Starr's 5x5 and Rippetoe's Texas Method. Best of luck brother and keep us updated