"Final" Cutting Cycle

[nate36bus]

Hey everyone, I'm a new member to the forum, but a long time fan of this website. I love to read the interviews, and threads this site offers. There is lots of great information on here.

Here's a little about me, so the incoming advice is applicable. First of all, at my largest I weighed a little over 500 lbs. I started my journey in 2008, and am currently 218 lbs. I have had a hydrostatic body fat test that put me at 13.4% body fat.

Quick Stats:
6'2"
218 lbs
27 age
13.4% body fat
Diet is beyond perfect
Supplementation is if anything excessive
Cardio is frequent and balanced (some fat-burning only, some HIIT)
Workouts are consistent, and with a quality personal trainer to keep me motivated and on-track.

Previous cycle (Ended 12/31/2012):
GH, Tren, EQ (no test, and I didn't miss it or need it. This was by far the most drastic body recomposition I've ever seen. Lost major body fat, gained quality muscle. I changed so much during this cycle it was amazing.)I have lost little or no muscle mass since being off-cycle, as I have done everything "right" to prevent loss. My strength in lifts/reps has not dropped.

My next cycle (looking to start March 1st, 2013) will hopefully be my "final" cutting cycle. What I mean by this, is that it is the cycle that will assist me in reaching my single digit maintainable body fat. I don't have a body fat % number goal, but I know it will be somewhere between 6 and 8%. After this, I want to maintain single digit year-round. I understand the importance of diet over cycle, and believe me I have my mind and determination rock-solid for over 4 years straight now.

My cycle was going to be:
GH, Tren, Sust

However, my left knee (more like the tendons/ligaments around it) has been bothering me. I let it rest, but every leg day I re-injure it. I try different exercises, and try to work around it, but no matter what I seem to aggravate it. For this reason, my trainer is recommending we change to:
GH, Deca, Sust

I have read mixed reviews on Deca. Some say it doesn't heal anything, and just kills the pain. Some say it "lubricates your joints" which even if that is true, I'm not convinced it is my joint so much as a ligament or tendon (or something) around the knee. That being said, I am not sure what the right idea is. I really want this cycle to be the one that upon completion I have reached my goals, and can transition to my new maintenance lifestyle. What do you recommend for my "final" cycle.

PS: I don't say "final" cycle as in I will never cycle again, I just mean it is the last cycle on my 4-1/2 year journey to the lowest body fat % of my life prior to switching to a lifestyle maintenance.

 

[wclark316]

you have to post some before and after pics because that's unreal of a loss! good job! make sure you are in a calorie deficiency when cutting! min 500 from maintenance

 

[nate36bus]

I'm definitely at 500 from maintenance, honestly I'm probably too far below maintenance. My caloric base was at 2,852 based on my metabolic panel tests I took a couple weeks ago. I'm doing carb cycling right now with (3) low days, and (1) carb day. Low carb days are 2,000cal/day and my carb day is 2,500-3,000cal/day. I work out 4-5 times a week, and am doing cardio (bike - zone training) 5-6 times a week for 30-60 minutes. Honestly, I'm probably at far too much of a deficit based on activity level. I think my diet alone puts me at too much of a deficit. I'm only doing this for a bit longer, to see what happens... I'll get back on a balanced diet where I'm eating probably 2,500cal/day on my low days and 3,000-3,5000cal/day on my high days once I start my cycle, but for right now I wanted a 6 weeks of hardcore dieting just to get my mind straight. I like to kind of kick my ass a little bit, I know this is going to sound psycho, but when I am tired, and starving, and pissy, I'm kind of like "Yeah, that's right fatty. Too fucking bad if you're tired. Now you're going to do 60 minutes on the bike." Lol, I know. But it's good for me. Keeps me going.

 

[wclark316]

from experience carb cycling is shit. what got me where i wanted to be was one gram protein per lean body mass. fat intake .45 per pound of body weight rest carbs. noting wrong with being in a real low calorie deficiency as long as you hit your macro requirements. if i was you i would keep cutting till i got my bf 6-7% then start bulking.. and when u do only do 300 calories over maintenance. and get there slowly.. don't just go to that number after being in a deficiency, make sure you are counting calories i know so many people that thing they were under but wernt.

 

[nate36bus]

I continue to notice improvements in the mirror, and certainly everyone around me keeps saying how much I change week to week. I have to ignore the scale, because that honestly isn't showing much improvement at all. I was 218.5 10-14 days ago, and yesterday morning I was 218.5. It doesn't make sense to me, but there is absolutely no way I can't be losing something. I'm at a significant deficit diet only, but I'm also working out (hard, and always supersets) 4-5 times a week. I do cardio 5-7 times a week (anywhere from 30min to 60min depending on if it's post workout or stand-alone). So I really don't understand how the weight on the scale doesn't change. I can't imagine I'm building muscle to compensate for the fat loss (how could I be, at such a deficit?).

Either way... I guess I'll just keep plugging along until March 1st when I start my cycle, then maybe take a more balanced approach to dieting so I have a little better fuel for harder workouts. Some workouts can suck because of 3rd low carb day in a row. My low carb days aren't like 100g either, they are like under 40g, and 100% all from spinach or broccoli only. My fat can be as low as 25g some days. Protein as high as 400g some days. Low days 2000cal, high days 2500-3000cal (High days I add fruit, oatmeal, couple pieces of Ezekiel, carrots mostly).