How do I reach the next level, frustrated! Need serious advice.

Can I get some advice, I'm a serious lifter but I can't reach the more cut level. I have been lifting for 4 years now and have gotten big 23'' broad should to shoulder, 17 and a half'' arms bi to tri firm muscle, 19'' neck, 38'' waist, my chest (47'')is there I need to get a 'cut'' look and have been switching up my workout routines but I only go 4 times a week for a hour and a half to two hours each time. My days are back and bicep day, tri and chest day, cardio and leg day, abb and shoulders day.
I'm 5'10'' 240lbs, obliques are cut, still have that padded fat on top of bottom abb's
Is the cardio killing me, I have a cardio day where I rum 30 minutes at 5-6 mph doing wind sprints , I do it to make leggs bigger and I 'm pretty big so I try to run to get more cut, lifting days maybe 10 minutes of cardio. I eat good, ever fast food or sodas (I mean that) drink lots of water. I was eating bagels and cream cheese for breakfast most of the time but decided to cut out white breads and pastas. I do drink 2 days out of the week, have a few Coors Lights or whiskey.
Supplements are mega men sport vita-pack, stack creakic and leaukik pre-workout and post (and off days)  take Muscletech Halo anabolic activator.
This is basically my week at  a glance, I'm 27 and in good shape, could stand to loose more fat on front stomach. Bench 265 max. Currently doing shred arm routine with lots and reps and drop sets, continuous pumping through each set.
Need advice on how I should add, change or delete my current week lineup to get to next step.
 

5'10 240 and you have obliques and abs showing? I find that hard to believe sorry. Would love to see some pics because that is a serious technique, most natural guys your height in bodybuilding contests aren't even over 200.

With a 38" waist at 5'10", your obliques are not cut.

working on explosive phase
vertical: 35
weight: 206

Big 3: 300/440/515

Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.

Squats and deadlifts? I noticed you only posted your bench max so im not sure. Anyhow if you don't working out your full body is one way to take it to the "next level".
 
What does your lowerbody day consist of?

Well, I don't know about the presentation, but it seems to me like your cardio is just not enough.

It could be that you just aren't burning the calories you think you are just with running and wind sprints.

If I were in your spot, I'd be looking for as many ways as possible to hit total-body cardio activity, not just legs.  Alternate running and seated rowing, or cycling and rowing, or one of those mountain climber doohickeys.  Close the blinds, throw on some killer tracks and dance like that famous YouTube retard for three hours.  I'm not effing around -you gotta burn that sh1t off, and it won't come easy.  At least not with only one cardio day a week.

My home away from DBB

5'10 + 240lbs + cut up = lols

V,
    You're the Clipart Photoshop GOD!

 

So more cardio Vegeep, and mix it up? To other I'm not saying I'm cut up core wise, I do alot of Calisthenics and oblique high rep. exercises that have made it visible, my questions are how to change to get to next level, shold I burn more fat? More cardio, no reason to lie on here looking for good advice on cutting up. I already know I have fat at a 38'' waist, I did not say I was ripped.
I have never maxed squats, nor went ''heavy '' on dead lifts, I'll do hight rep.s light on deadlifts. I'm not on here for bragging rights here to find a better way to get the max out of my routine.

Does anyone here have helpful advie r just a bunch of pick apart ****got answers? I never said I was cut-up, just mentioning what was visible.
Anybody here over the age of 18 with common sense that can read

Well if you are wanting to cut then maybe you need to look at your diet first, make sure you are eating certain things at the right times, which can make a big difference, check what you should be cutting out aswell as check you are sticking to a certain amount of calories. As for training a heavy dose of cardio, specifically HIIT should do you good, and I wouldn't lack on the cardio either. Even give a good hour at least 2 days a week to it on top of your lifting, aswell as 20-30 minutes each day of your lifting. Also the drinking is going to slow you down massively.

V,
    You're the Clipart Photoshop GOD!

 

Virtuoso , you say 1 hour twice a week of cardio? Do it in addition to my workout routine? Would I end up burning any muscle first?

Well I'm saying an hour each day on the days you aren't lifting, I'd still do 20-30 min on each lifting day aswell. You are always going to lose muscle on a cut but by eating right and training right you can retain as much as possible whilst losing as much fat as possible. It all depends on how strict you want to be and how much willpower you have.

V,
    You're the Clipart Photoshop GOD!

 

I'll say now though that I've never had the misfortune (yet) of needing to cut, so you might want to check some advice from the people who have tried several cutting methods or who are currently on a cut and see what has worked best for them.

V,
    You're the Clipart Photoshop GOD!

 

I'm gonna add more cardio in then, it's very frustrating I guess I need to quit beer all together, I don't want to be super ripped, just more cut up , not just big.  I have a linebacker physique now. But I will implement more cardio then, I'm really pushing myself this year, I have cut alot of stuff out and have really become addicted to the weight lifting guess I need a workout partner.

look into the keto diet. There are a lot of posts on here about it and im doing something similar to it and its worked pretty well for me. Also I would go lower reps/heavier weight on deads. High rep deads tend to be done with bad form, harder to keep the spine correct.

I will check into it...my lower body days are not what they should be I'm sure...guess I should be more aware of complete body workout on legg days ..I hate legg days

its your diet...eat below caloric maintenance and cut some carbs out and you will see changes and drop BF...

The cardio is only icing on the cake and really you should be doing it at 2 times. As soon as you wake up and immediately after your workouts to take advantage of low glycogen levels.

I cant stress this enough, its not more cardio thats going to be the factor here, its your diet

6'3"  @213

Squat 1x20x275

press:200, Deadlift:475, Bench:300, P.clean:235, Squat:385

"The only failure that is final is to stop trying to improve"

N$ is right. Just don't starve yourself like a lot of people do, that's not going to be fat loss, it's going to be muscle loss. Eat enough so that you avoid catabolism, just make sure you're not eating in a surplus.

I came into a cut eating one meal per day (confession) and lost every ounce of muscle I had almost.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

Imprtfan


Can I get some advice, I'm a serious lifter but I can't reach the more cut level. I have been lifting for 4 years now and have gotten big 23'' broad should to shoulder, 17 and a half'' arms bi to tri firm muscle, 19'' neck, 38'' waist, my chest (47'')is there I need to get a 'cut'' look and have been switching up my workout routines but I only go 4 times a week for a hour and a half to two hours each time. My days are back and bicep day, tri and chest day, cardio and leg day, abb and shoulders day.
I'm 5'10'' 240lbs, obliques are cut, still have that padded fat on top of bottom abb's
Is the cardio killing me, I have a cardio day where I rum 30 minutes at 5-6 mph doing wind sprints , I do it to make leggs bigger and I 'm pretty big so I try to run to get more cut, lifting days maybe 10 minutes of cardio. I eat good, ever fast food or sodas (I mean that) drink lots of water. I was eating bagels and cream cheese for breakfast most of the time but decided to cut out white breads and pastas. I do drink 2 days out of the week, have a few Coors Lights or whiskey.
Supplements are mega men sport vita-pack, stack creakic and leaukik pre-workout and post (and off days)  take Muscletech Halo anabolic activator.
This is basically my week at  a glance, I'm 27 and in good shape, could stand to loose more fat on front stomach. Bench 265 max. Currently doing shred arm routine with lots and reps and drop sets, continuous pumping through each set.
Need advice on how I should add, change or delete my current week lineup to get to next step.
 

You said you run to make your legs bigger, I take it your fairly new to "serious lifting"?Forget most of the supplements, whey is fine for someone that is fairly new to lifting. Any routine that says arm in the routine isn't worth using. Forget lots of reps and drop sets if your trying to get stronger, what you need is heavy ass weight and continue to increase the weight. At 5'10" 240 I don't see you as being in good shape, or looking like a linebacker, maybe an offensive tackle. Look up starting strength, if I were you I would do a clean bulk for 6 months or so then cut down. You look like you have pretty good potential to get strong, just keep it simple and don't forget your lower body.

Goals by end of 2009:
Bench 205
Squat 255 ATG
Squat Clean 185

"There is no elevator to success, you must take the stairs."

This is me, trying to take a pic, 240 5'10''.... figured I'd try a pic see if it will upload. As I said I don't have a gut,  just want to cut this up  . Back is really defined well, I  know I'm no super cut guy as of now, but I use to be so scrawny 5 years ago and have lifted and worked out now I'm bigger just want to cut it up. Will hit lowerbody a little harder, and focus on cardio..

Attached Image(s)

No offense, Connelly, but besides keying in on the "running for bigger legs" comment, did you actually read the post?  Dude's asking about cutting.  What you suggested is a recipe for more bulking.

Potential Shmotential.  From the look of that pic, I'd say you're in a perfect position to mov everything over to cutting today.  Cut from here, not 6 months from now.  Freakin' everybody's advice on this board is always "do a clean bulk for 300 more pounds and then cut"   I'm sure they'd tell Dexter Jackson on stage at the Mr. O that he should "do a clean bulk for six more months and then cut."

Srsly, people.

My home away from DBB

i told him about keto; do i get brownie points?

Yeah, I was told wind sprints would make your calfs bigger, I mean imagine a guy my size running 5-6mph for 30 min on a .5 incline, I burn alot of calories and I have defined outside of calfs...I mean alot of people online read my height and weight and think I look like a complete slob but 4 years of heavy weight arm and back routines plus cardio has help mold me ..now I need to cut it up, I will pic my back..I have no love handles and it is pretty defined traps are pretty high, wings are visible.
Veggeep what would be my best bet as far as cardio euipment? I was a little leary on the previous comment, I do not want to bulk up anymore. I appreciate the advise alot of you gave, I will hit lower body harder and train in squat and deadlifts more seriously, and of course up my cardio to aat least 2 a week and change diet...again thanks I take advice seriously and put it to use.

I read up the Keto, downloaded a few menus. With my job I'm trying to figure what the best food to start the day would be as I get up so early for work. See if I can transform by Christmas this year..my goal.

PumaKrieg


i told him about keto; do i get brownie points?

No.  You know how I feel about keto.

Of course, I've never had to cut, so take that with a pound of salt, LOL.

My home away from DBB

Imprtfan


I read up the Keto, downloaded a few menus. With my job I'm trying to figure what the best food to start the day would be as I get up so early for work. See if I can transform by Christmas this year..my goal.

Do keto.

Buy a prowler.

Run hills.

Good luck.

i think u need to be a little more honest with yourself. your obliques are not cut up and u do have a pretty overwhelming gut dude

Current: 19, 5'11", 190@7%

bench:305 squat:370(atg) deadlift:475
Goals: 4plate squat, 5plate dead

"obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated"

Routine: DC or HST

Diet: Keto

Cardio Style: HIIT

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

Just gonna repeat what's already been said really but in order of importance:

1-Diet - make sure your under cal maintenence and try to target most of your carbs before and after training

2- Cradio - HIIT cardio but do it correctly, don't over-reach and burn yourself out.

3- Training - do FBR's with all the main compound movements with some isolation at the end if u have time.

Lift heavy, eat less, squat often.

"True genius, in many fields of human endeavor, is often revealed in elegant simplicity."

- A smart man

Journal: http://www.wannabebigforums.com/showthread.php?t=117358

veggeep


No offense, Connelly, but besides keying in on the "running for bigger legs" comment, did you actually read the post?  Dude's asking about cutting.  What you suggested is a recipe for more bulking.

EDIT: Actually, against my better judgement, i'm just going to leave this one alone, some people will just never get it.

Goals by end of 2009:
Bench 205
Squat 255 ATG
Squat Clean 185

"There is no elevator to success, you must take the stairs."