My picture + a few questions. Thanks in advance!

[aikon1]

Hi.
I have a few questions regarding my physique.
-If you where to take a guess at my bodyfat%, where would you put me?
-I do think I have somewhat puffy nipples, do any of you think I have a little gyno? (Have a small lump behind one nipple, I know that is a sign. But I don't care about a lump, I care about how it actually looks )
-If you were me, would you start your summercut now, or wait a month or two?

I do also have a feeling that when some people post their pictures, the pictures tend to "lie" (pump, flexing, holding in stomach, light/shades etc). With my picture that is not the case, and is taken in the middle of the day, and not right after a workout or something like that. I have not pinched my nipples to make them look tighter either, as many actually do, haha.
Some tanning wouldn't hurt though...

 

[EvieJakubowski]

Good, solid body, you can form your body like the body is shown in the video at home page here... you are the good path.

 

[aikon1]

Good, solid body, you can form your body like the body is shown in the video at home page here... you are the good path.

Hehe, looking for reps my man? ; )

 

[Labtec70]

Hi Aikon

I can only see the pic as it's posted...I can't enlarge it.

However, I reckon you're about 10%-12% bodyfat. It doesn't look like typical gyno to me, so I'd say you look okay.
Definately, no need to cut yet. If it was your plan to bulk up, then do that via a clean diet and an excess in calories to maintenance.
You could throw some cardio in to your off-days and cut rest between sets on training days, to boost fat loss while building lean mass. Okay, it is quite difficult to do over a short time span, but you are in effect, killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Regards,
Craig

 

[maddox2010]

Look skinny to me, outside of the fact it looks as though your athletic. If your talking about gyno, silly thing is, it looks as though u were never on.

Forget cutting, hit the weights.

Applaud your effort if your pic is close to ur goal however. Everyone's goals are different.

 

[aikon1]

Look skinny to me, outside of the fact it looks as though your athletic. If your talking about gyno, silly thing is, it looks as though u were never on.

Forget cutting, hit the weights.

Applaud your effort if your pic is close to ur goal however. Everyone's goals are different.

Hi Aikon

I can only see the pic as it's posted...I can't enlarge it.

However, I reckon you're about 10%-12% bodyfat. It doesn't look like typical gyno to me, so I'd say you look okay.
Definately, no need to cut yet. If it was your plan to bulk up, then do that via a clean diet and an excess in calories to maintenance.
You could throw some cardio in to your off-days and cut rest between sets on training days, to boost fat loss while building lean mass. Okay, it is quite difficult to do over a short time span, but you are in effect, killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Regards,
Craig

Thank you both for the replies.
I have never been on, but I was fat before, and still feel like there's some excess fat around my nipples. So that's why I asked, because I fear I've might developed natural gyno.

My pic isn't where I wanna be, but it's a step in the right direction, since I felt like I had to lose some fat before eating above maintenance ("bulking"). In the long run I would like to have a low bodyfat%, with some quality mass on it.
But you guys think I've lost enough fat now, and can start eating a little bit above maintenance?

Everyone's opinion is appreciated, so feel free to chime in!

 

[maddox2010]

If fat lose was ur goal I think ur there, good job. I have never cycled myself and I am 40.

Great base to work from! Compound movements being ur bread and butter and u will surely thicken up!

U can keep that tight look while doing so just don't be a glutton.

 

[Labtec70]

I'd definately echo everything Maddox said above.

Your bodyfat is low and you have a solid foundation of shape and definition to build upon. If you're a beginner or novice lifter then start/continue with the big compound lifts, and eat just enough to replenish muscle stores of energy, and consume adequate protein intake after training and recovery days. The more lean muscle you build, the more your body will burn fat to recover. Clean diet, not too many calories but a few hundred over maintenance, combined with the bench press, deadlifts, and squats, will see you growing like a Chuck Norris erection.

Kudos to you for having the guts to post a personal pic. Thanks for sparing us the 'mug'

All the best dude! Keep us up-to-date with your progress.

Craig

 

[tony125]

Look skinny man...

 

[aikon1]

I'd definately echo everything Maddox said above.

Your bodyfat is low and you have a solid foundation of shape and definition to build upon. If you're a beginner or novice lifter then start/continue with the big compound lifts, and eat just enough to replenish muscle stores of energy, and consume adequate protein intake after training and recovery days. The more lean muscle you build, the more your body will burn fat to recover. Clean diet, not too many calories but a few hundred over maintenance, combined with the bench press, deadlifts, and squats, will see you growing like a Chuck Norris erection.

Kudos to you for having the guts to post a personal pic. Thanks for sparing us the 'mug'

All the best dude! Keep us up-to-date with your progress.

Craig

If fat lose was ur goal I think ur there, good job. I have never cycled myself and I am 40.

Great base to work from! Compound movements being ur bread and butter and u will surely thicken up!

U can keep that tight look while doing so just don't be a glutton.

First off, I got to thank you guys for pushing me in the right direction.
(Jump down to next section if not interested in my progress the last month).
It has now been a month since I upped the calories, and I am already seeing some progress. My weight is up about 6 lbs, and I do not feel like most of it is fat. I thought about uploading another picture, but it's not that much progress yet!
My lifts are also improving,deadlifted about 340 lbs, and doing 5 reps at about 240 lbs on squats (which is good in my standards).

So, to the question:
This last month I've been experimenting with different macro's.
From what I've understood, a "text-book" bulk is when the most of your calories are from carbs. Well, I am certainly not "carbophobic" like some people, but I gotta tell you.. I just didn't like the feeling of consuming alot of carbs. It made me tired, sleepy, more hungry, and left me looking somewhat "bloated". So I decided to take another approach at it, which was to up my protein and fat intake, and decrease the carbs. I felt much better on this, and didn't get any of the "sides" mentioned above. I also had more energy in the gym.
But, I don't know the "science" behind it. Will a high-fat, high-protein and low-carb bulk hinder my gains? I also plan on "refeeding" once a week, with low-fat, mod-prot. and high-carb.
Typically my macro's can be something like this:
Kcal: 3000
Carbs: 150
Protein:265
Fat:140 (Satured is always under 25 grams).

Sorry for the long post.