What to do

Hi guys, last time I posted pics up was probably about a year ago when I was doing a cut. Anyway I was advised to bulk instead so that is what I started to do, it went ok to start and ended up being a bit of a dirty bulk lol. I've put on just over 50lb and got a lot stronger on full body routines. I'm kind of unhappy about my bodyfat right now and it doesn't looks as though I've gained much muscle up top but I know it's there under the fat, I think the majority of my gainns are definately in my legs though they are much stronger.

After x-mas I'm planning on doing a cut for real this time, with a proper diet :P
Here's the pics, I'm guessing I won't change much over the next week or two and hoped it would give you guys a little more time to give your opinions . .  I'm probably not posing correctly either but hey lol . .

Ok, not that anyone took interest first time round. But I did start my cut after christmas, I started 2 weeks and 2 days ago to be precise lol. I've lost 6 or 7lb so far, can't see any reall change in definition but it's only two weeks and I had a lot of fat . . . . I think I've lost some "Bloatiness" though lol. Not really sure how much more I'm going to have to cut.

I'm standing at 5' 11" and 200lb now and don't know what my bf% is, I would like to get to 10-12%. So how much more do people think I've got to lose? Also I been a bit slack with my cardio, done 3 sessions over the 2 weeks :(

Here's the pics:




Also I'm thinking I've got a bit of gyno, I remember having a hard limp under the nipples when I was younger and the doctor said it would go away with age . . . Now it's just mushy tissue lol :( I'll do my cut and see how it looks after but I might have to look into getting rid of it!

good progress, keep with the diet and exercise, lose atleast another 10 lbs, your chest might be the last place it comes off, see what happens, and check your bodyfat before you do anything drastic.  I have more fat on my left chest that I hope is just that, fat.  It gets bigger as i weigh more and smaller as I am lighter, but for the most part other people don't notice it.  If you get really shredded and it's really noticeable you might have an issue.

http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/Seos-Log-2008-m442008.aspx

Thanks, yes I will and I will up my cardio too lol. Yea originally I thought I would cut from 210 to 180 cause I gained a lot of fat I think. I'll do 10 more and see what that is like but most likely I will have to do the 20.

Next time round I am definately going to clean bulk, that was my first real bulk when I realised I needed to eat. Got it into my head to eat whatever I wanted and I've paid the price :(

I definitely think you'll need to cut more than 10lbs, it seems that a lot of the time when people bulk they put on fat and not much muscle, I think Ibendbarbells said it once before, I've also read the same; you can only put so much lean muscle mass on in a year, the rest is fat/water etc. I'd say you got like 30lbs of extra fat from your bulk at least. So just take it easy, I guess good things come with time. Definitely cut, keep lifting heavy I think you'll do good. Your legs look thick, but I can't compare to what they were before?

Where in UK you from?

Yeah that is the figure I was thinking too, 30lb of fat. Next time round will definitely be a clean bulk! My legs have never been tiny but I've got that problem where if I buy trousers that fit my waist size they are too tight around my legs lol . . .
I'm from the south, Bournemouth why you ask?

Ha ha, when I bulked a few months back my ass and thighs were too big for my pants. My girl was seriously hating my big ass. I'm cutting now too. Started officially start of Jan. Clean bulk is definitely the way forward after cutting. Look at http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/Almost-2-years-and-15lbs-later-m437347.aspx a fine example of taking time to put on lean mass. He is very lean to begin with, so I guess we get cut and clean bulk, keeping calories quite tight, so to not gain excess. And get cardio in there. I'm planning on having a HIIT on mon/wed/fri after weights.

I'm from Uk, just figured I'd ask, never know you could be round the corner :-)

Yea I've seen that post, very impressive!
Where in UK you from?

Hmmm... cut about 20lbs off and you should be cool at 5'11, there really isn't that much muscle on your frame yet.  Don't rush it!  You have a good metabolism for putting on weight, that's a good thing ;)   I think you would look fairly solid around 185 or so.  Then clean bulk it back to 200 then cut back down to 185, stay in that range.   Could try clean bulking to 210 - 215 throw some cardio in there a couple times a week.   Just really got to find out what works best for you.   Your first 10lbs of the cut sucks,  Cause you look like a smaller version of your self.   I experienced this, it's emberassing.   Cut 15 - 20 more and you will see more definition.    I noticed about my self that first the vascularity comes out, second the obliques, third the abs, but everyone loses fat in different areas of their body faster then others. 

Keep hitting those weights hard and focus more on the diet.   The one thing that stands out about you that shows that there isn't all that much muscle on your body yet is your upper chest.  I can clearly see your collar bones sticking straight out of your upper chest and shoulders,  I had that showing for the first 2 years of my training.  The first time I got to 200lbs I had that sticking out.  I cut down then bulked again to 200lbs and it was covered by upper chest muscles and front deltoids. 
 
Yes it's true it's very hard to put on lean muscle, it takes years. so try not to rush it, if you wish to push it along faster take creatine, fishoil, BCAAS, glutamine etc..  You look very young and your muscles are still maturing so no worries you have plenty of time! 

 Ahh, thanks for clearing that up and elaborating on what I said! IBB what kind of carb ratio is good for cutting. I'm not sure if I've dropped mine a bit too much. At the mo I'm averaging at 150g a day w about 180g pro and 80-100g fat. Thoughts?

Cheers IBB, sound advice. I know my delts and chest is poor, I'm doing the full body routines like everyone is saying are great but all that seems to be growing is my legs lol :(
I'm gonna cut another 20lb and take your advice and do a seriously hardcore clean bulk!!!
I'm not sure what to do about exercising now though, if some parts of my body are growing and others aren't then surely it can't be my diet and it must be in training right?

My routine atm is HST:
Squats
DL
Bench
Pullups
One arm DB row
Shoulder Press
Shrug
Hammer curl
Tri pulldown

I haven't done this routine the whole time but it's been stuff similar to this, basically same exercises but different days like push/pull/legs or Upper/lower splits. What can I do to get my chest and shoulders up?

maybe your not going heavy enough for those? I'd like to hear what IBB has to say

I don't know, I never feel anything in my upper chest or delts from these "Full body compound exercise routines" . . . . I'm not sure I even have any delt muscles at all :(

 of course you have delts, you were built with them, I'd like to think anyway! You don't feel anything when working those muscles? I guess that'd be your form, maybe with chest press your hitting your triceps too much, try and bring your elbows in to your side when pressing, you should feel your chest more.

Upper chest, you havent got incline bench in your routine. You need that for upper chest.

Yea I feel the bench but not in upper chest, and I don't feel delts from any of those exercises :/

if it makes you feel any better my upper body definitely grew less than my lower body when i was doing HST. they'll catch up eventually.     

when you say you don't feel anything, do you mean like the day after? Like the burn?

Both the day after and when I'm actual at the gym . . .