I've been on a slow cut to try to get down to 8% BF and increase my muscle mass. I have a banana body type so it's tough. Do you think these pictures show that I'm too skinny? The first one is me at 15.1% BF on 1/21. As of today 5/10 I am somewhere sub 11% b/c my bodyfat scale has been on the fritz lately. I am not flexing in the first one, although I dont think it would make much difference. The second one is a cold flex. Any tips on what I could do to get more mass while cutting or is it impossible? Let me know what you think! BTW I am 8 pounds lighter than when I started.... 173 down from 181... although according to my calculations, I've lost almost completely all fat.


Edit: I have now included a picture that I just took of me standing unflexed. I always wondered what I people with 7-8% look like unflexed. I'll know my exact BF tomm when I go get an electro test.

Edit2: This is also posted below, I just thought id throw it up here so people could see it easier.

Well the results are in! Not as low as I wanted to be, but some positives on my results of my bio impedance BF test.

............................4/08/04..........5/11/04
Weight:....................173.5...........174.5
Body Fat:.................11.2%..........10.6%
Fat Body Weight:.......19.4lbs.........18.5lbs
Lean Body Weight:.....154.1lbs........156.0lbs
Bioresistance:...........534 ohms.......520 ohms
Metabolic rate:.........2127 cal.........2153 cal

I had hoped to be lower in BF% but losing almost a pound of fat while gaining almost 2 pounds of lean mass in a month is nothing to sneeze at I suppose. I also went on a couple of days in a row of cheating after my test on 4/8 so that probably hurt my results as well. Just gotta make sure I stick to my guns, eat healthy and keep working out!

BTW if people want, I will post my excel spreadsheet where I keep track of all of my stats.

Since so many people have been interested, here is my fitness spreadsheet where I keep track of things. A couple of words about it. You can click the tabs on the bottom to see different graphs and things. My bodyfat really didn't come off that fast at the beginning as I now know I was over zealous with tape measure and bodyfat scale. My bodyfat scale has been on the fritz lately, so I had to guess what my fat % was at for about the last month after comparing the results of the above tests. There is also a week missing from march b/c I was out of the country and couldn't test anything, I cheated the whole time anyways. :o Without further ado, here it is. Workout Spreadsheet (http://www.chadwickcmeyer.com/fitness/workout.xls)

No, I don't think you're too skinny. Every person has a different body type, and I think the way you look in the second picture suits you.

i think you look great, maybe you could try to put on mass in chest and shoulders, but i envy your leaness, what kind of diet and cardio did you do

What is your height? And age?

I agree w/the previous poster, you could stand to add some mass to your upper body -- pecs, delts, and lats -- just to give yourself more of the "V" taper (if you want). Your arms and abs look great. Good work! :tu:

Great job !!

No, I don't think you're too skinny.

Please fill us in on what worked for you.

I guess it all depends on what will please you. I think you look great. that's what I want to look like: slim, strong, and lean. I don't care for the big bodybuilder look (no offense intended to anyone). it's up to you whether you want to add more muscle mass or not.

I envy you

I guess it all depends on what will please you. I think you look great. that's what I want to look like: slim, strong, and lean. I don't care for the big bodybuilder look (no offense intended to anyone). it's up to you whether you want to add more muscle mass or not.

Well as you can see, my pecs need some work. And I want to add some more mass in other areas. The big test for me tomorrow is when I go to get my bodyfat checked. I got checked a month ago and was at 11.2 and 173.5lbs. I am at 173 right now, I hope to be at 173.5 in the morning when I go get checked, so I can see if I replaced fat with muscle. If people are interested I will upload my diet tracker tomorrow so you can see my diet and measurements over time. It's just a basic excel spreadsheet with lots of graphs...

Edit: spreadsheet is in the first post above.

What is your height? And age?

I agree w/the previous poster, you could stand to add some mass to your upper body -- pecs, delts, and lats -- just to give yourself more of the "V" taper (if you want). Your arms and abs look great. Good work! :tu:

6'5" and 23

What do you recommend for pecs and delts? When I bench, the only place I can feel anything is in my arms. My grip is pretty wide as it is. What do you recommend for better pec growth?

6'5" and 23

What do you recommend for pecs and delts? When I bench, the only place I can feel anything is in my arms. My grip is pretty wide as it is. What do you recommend for better pec growth?Ah, so you are tall and young, as I thought. Another reason to envy you! :)

For chest, especially if the barbell bench doesn't feel like it's working for you (you're not the only one), I'd recommend:

Dumbbell flat bench
Dumbbell incline bench
Parallel bar dips (elbows slightly out, upper body leaning forward) -- eventually with weight

Focus on adding weight to each of these exercises.

:gl:

You look nowhere close to 15% in the first pic. More like 12%. For the second pic, i'd put you closer to 8% as you don't seem to have much fat left at all. What are you using to measure your BF?

I think I currently look a lot like you do in the first pic (maybe I have a tad bigger upper body, but not much). I'm 37 and 5' 11.5" and 166-170 depending on the day : ) I don't know what my bodyfat is but I was 234 pounds and ALL of it fat 4.5 years ago. I'd really love to hear what you did to get from the first pic to the second. It looks like great results to me in that time span. Way to go. Keep it up and be realistic about results. Compare yourself to yourself :)

You look great.

Actually, I would have called you skinny in the first picture. I couldn't describe you as anything but muscular in the second.

You look nowhere close to 15% in the first pic. More like 12%. For the second pic, i'd put you closer to 8% as you don't seem to have much fat left at all. What are you using to measure your BF?

I have been using a bodyfat scale. I started at 15.1% and a month ago when I went in to get a more accurate elecronic test it put me at 11.2%. I am going in tomorrow morning for another bodyfat test and well see where I'm at! Im only .5lbs lighter so hopefully my bf has gone down! :D

Like Guava said, in your first picture you look skinny; however, I can see how an uninformed person could call a "fully clothed" version of you "skinny", because you're a heck of a lot leaner than 85% of the rest of the population. Without your shirt and flexing, you're anything but skinny, you look very muscular. Like others have mentioned, hitting your chest and shoulders will help a lot to squelch those envious barstewards. :D

BTW- Great work!!!!

You look pretty good to me and a fantastic difference to the first pic. Well done.

The only reason that you may think that you appear 'skinny' is because you have a long body due of your height. You can counteract that by bulking up your shoulders to give you more width.

Keep up the good work :gl:

You look pretty good to me and a fantastic difference to the first pic. Well done.

The only reason that you may think that you appear 'skinny' is because you have a long body due of your height. You can counteract that by bulking up your shoulders to give you more width.

Keep up the good work :gl:


Thanks for the tips! Any suggestions on how to bulk up the shoulders better? I'm leaving to get my bodyfat tested shortly! I'm a pound heavier than last time, so hopefully that means good news!

I have pretty much the same body type as I'm 6 feet 1..and only weight 150...I'm cutting down even more to get lean....but I'm still waiting to bulk. Currently, I am to skinny, but I need to improve my physical condition/composition before I start the bulking phase. Most likely that will begin in mid-July.

Good job by the way.

Thanks for the tips! Any suggestions on how to bulk up the shoulders better? I'm leaving to get my bodyfat tested shortly! I'm a pound heavier than last time, so hopefully that means good news!
Compound exercises like straight bar military press and DB lateral raises on a Max-OT routine should do the trick with plenty of protein.

Well the results are in! Not as low as I wanted to be, but some positives on my results of my bio impedance BF test.

............................4/08/04..........5/11/04
Weight:....................173.5...........174.5
Body Fat:.................11.2%..........10.6%
Fat Body Weight:.......19.4lbs.........18.5lbs
Lean Body Weight:.....154.1lbs........156.0lbs
Bioresistance:...........534 ohms.......520 ohms
Metabolic rate:.........2127 cal.........2153 cal

I had hoped to be lower in BF% but losing almost a pound of fat while gaining almost 2 pounds of lean mass in a month is nothing to sneeze at I suppose. I also went on a couple of days in a row of cheating after my test on 4/8 so that probably hurt my results as well. Just gotta make sure I stick to my guns, eat healthy and keep working out!

BTW if people want, I will post my excel spreadsheet where I keep track of all of my stats.

Edit: spreadsheet is in the first post.

Personally, I think your build suits you very well. Excellent work.

You're built similarly to me, though taller. My only critique (pardon if I'm repeating, but I don't have time to read the whole thread) would be to build the upper body a bit more to make your waist seem smaller. The much sought after V-taper, I believe... your physique is impressive, but could use a tiny bit of upper body muscle.

Yeah post your diet spreadsheet you mentioned. Thanks!

Great work by the way. Wow, I can't believe you're 10.6%. You look 8% easy. What's with the Metabolic rate number? How do they test that?

Yeah post your diet spreadsheet you mentioned. Thanks!

Great work by the way. Wow, I can't believe you're 10.6%. You look 8% easy. What's with the Metabolic rate number? How do they test that?

They hook some electrodes up to my arms and legs, put in my weight height age and hours of exercise per week and then I get a printout of all of my stats. I am uploading my workout sheet right now. I'll post a link in my original post.

Hey man, you and I have similar physiques, and you look like I'm slowly beginning to look on my cutting phase. Actually, when I get to your current level is when I'll be very satisfied and stop cutting.

Great job! :D

Mid section is perfect, Chest and forearms could use some mass.

Have you tried the neck press? Use a wide grip, thumbs under the bar not around it and lower the bar to your neck (adams apple) under total controll. Keep your feet off the floor by bending at the waist and bend your knees and cross your ankels. That will isolate the pecs and you will know you worked them the next day. Use 50% of your max bench weight to start and do 8 sets of 8 2 seconds up and 4 seconds down. If you can finish 8 sets of 8 then next time add more weight. Let me know how you feel 2 days after that workout.

Also agree with the dips but make sure you are in total controll when you drop down and keep your chin down as far as you can.

Also agree with incline dumbell presses but on those keep your palms facing in instead of forward like with a bar.

To make room for the mass do heavy pullovers with a dumbell and also do flat bench flys use a lighter weight and let them stretch for a few seconds trying to touch the floor with the dumbells.

Widen the shoulders by working the outer deltoid, standing rows with the barbell at your hips pull up and out about 10 inches away from your chest with a shoulder width grip, that will give you a more V shape. The pressing movements work the front deltoid.


Make sure to work those forearms both curls and reverse curls holding the barball at the tips of your fingers and rolling it up with enough reps to make you drop the bar in excruciating pain then do it again.

:tu:

Mid section is perfect, Chest and forearms could use some mass.

Have you tried the neck press? Use a wide grip, thumbs under the bar not around it and lower the bar to your neck (adams apple) under total controll. Keep your feet off the floor by bending at the waist and bend your knees and cross your ankels. That will isolate the pecs and you will know you worked them the next day. Use 50% of your max bench weight to start and do 8 sets of 8 2 seconds up and 4 seconds down. If you can finish 8 sets of 8 then next time add more weight. Let me know how you feel 2 days after that workout.

Also agree with the dips but make sure you are in total controll when you drop down and keep your chin down as far as you can.

Also agree with incline dumbell presses but on those keep your palms facing in instead of forward like with a bar.

To make room for the mass do heavy pullovers with a dumbell and also do flat bench flys use a lighter weight and let them stretch for a few seconds trying to touch the floor with the dumbells.

Widen the shoulders by working the outer deltoid, standing rows with the barbell at your hips pull up and out about 10 inches away from your chest with a shoulder width grip, that will give you a more V shape. The pressing movements work the front deltoid.


Make sure to work those forearms both curls and reverse curls holding the barball at the tips of your fingers and rolling it up with enough reps to make you drop the bar in excruciating pain then do it again.

:tu:

Thanks for the tips. Yea I also need to work on my forearms. I guess all the masterbating I do is more of an aerobic rather then bulking exercise ;) I'll give your tips a shot tomm in the gym... its an arm day :D

so u gonna bulk now or what are ur future plans?

so u gonna bulk now or what are ur future plans?

No, I'm gonna keep my slow cut going. I want to get to 8% bf, then I'll work on adding mass while keeping the same bodyfat. If you look at my last two test results, I actually gained almost 2 pounds of lean mass while losing almost a pound of fat. Thats the kind of results I want. I want to replace the fat with muscle and maintain my current weight of around 174-175ish.

BTW if people want, I will post my excel spreadsheet where I keep track of all of my stats.

I would very much like to see this.

Okay just got it thanks

I would very much like to see this.

It's in the first post.

It's in the first post.

Thanks for the pics. You have inspired me to try harder at my at my eating/workout!!

They hook some electrodes up to my arms and legs, put in my weight height age and hours of exercise per week and then I get a printout of all of my stats. I am uploading my workout sheet right now. I'll post a link in my original post.

You mean to tell me you only burn around 2100 calories/day with all your exercise included? That's impossible considering your spreadhseet shows you averaged like 2200-2300 calories/day. I'm confused?

And how much cardio and what kind did you do over the past 4 months?

yea, but i'd imagine its his BMR, without the exercise?

hmm...you may be measured at 10.1%, but you LOOK more like 8%, and I guess that's what really matters. Seriously, I can't see any fat on you. :tu:

You mean to tell me you only burn around 2100 calories/day with all your exercise included? That's impossible considering your spreadhseet shows you averaged like 2200-2300 calories/day. I'm confused?

And how much cardio and what kind did you do over the past 4 months?

MWF i do weights, tthsat I do high intensity cardio... youhave hto sexcuse me as im rdrunka ritgh now s i just got odwn wtih exams

You mean to tell me you only burn around 2100 calories/day with all your exercise included? That's impossible considering your spreadhseet shows you averaged like 2200-2300 calories/day. I'm confused?

And how much cardio and what kind did you do over the past 4 months?

Ok, now that I'm a bit more sober, I can answer your message. No, the metabolic rate is how much I would burn everyday if I just sat in bed. Cardio days I make sure I burn at least 300 calories. The average calories per day is a little high as well, because until the beginning of april, I really didnt know what my metabolic rate was and I was consuming probably a little too many calories per day.

Yup, I figured 2100 was your BMR. With all the daily activities and working out, your true metabolic rate is probably closer to 2800~3000 calories/day.

Did you do the neck presses yet? I am wondering how you feel the second day. Just did them 2 days ago and my pecs are very sore.

Did you do the neck presses yet? I am wondering how you feel the second day. Just did them 2 days ago and my pecs are very sore.

I havent had time to work out as much as I have wanted lately. I had to improvise and use some weights around the house yesterday. I am getting ready to move to chicago for a summer internship so things are a bit disrupted at the moment.

Chad, I was checking out your website...that has to be one of the coolest personal websites I've ever seen! I spent forever checking out the Europe pictures...oh yea, and great job on the progress! lol

Chad, I was checking out your website...that has to be one of the coolest personal websites I've ever seen! I spent forever checking out the Europe pictures...oh yea, and great job on the progress! lol


Thanks :D Glad you like it! The widescreen one is my favorite version. The Germany page was my first attempt, then I made the Bond one towards the end of my time in Germany, and I made up the Widescreen one this spring. There are lots more Europe photos in the widescreen one from my spring break.