Bodybuilding Forums

Hey guys,

First let me thank you for your time spent reading this post. I only just discovered musclehack this last Friday and have spent several hours reading over the various posts on the site. I decided to ditch my old workout routine/diet immediately and implemented the THT workout// MANS diet. It isn't too often that I make such quick decisions but I believe in results and I also believe in the sincerity of Mr. McManus. Having spent time browsing different articles and strategies/techniques etc, I have come across some information that has me in a slight need of direction. I am 5 feet 8 inches, Male, currently 200lbs and presumably 19-20%body fat. I had an employee measure me at the gym when I was 212 lbs and that reading was at 21%. This was all on a very low fat, relatively low calorie diet. Now, I have read that the purpose of MANS is to *maintain* your current fat % while building muscle. While this is what the program is designed to do, some people have reported both a loss in fat % and an increase in muscle mass at the same time. I then came across a comment Mr. Mcmanus made in response to a user comment on an article stating that, essentially, his personal approach was to get to a lower fat % with a strong base and then start building up muscle. However upon purchasing and reading TSPA, it has been stated that it is designed for people at 16% or lower fat% . It also states that if you are above that you can still use it however it should be implemented only in mini cycles until you get your fat % down.

So here are my questions:
1) Would it be advisable to switch over to TSPA and cut first? I know some of this may be personal preference but I am curious as to whether or not there is a biochemical advantage to this or not such as an easier transition for your body to start burning fat instead of glycogen and perhaps a higher rate of metabolism/muscle growth?

2) I have read a couple other "Help" posts in different sections of the forum and I have found redgiki's response most helpful in the following post personal-development/new-to-mans-diet-t2648.html
However it leaves me with another question, he states that he personally lost 50 lbs before he stalled on the MANS diet. Also, Redgiki states "Plain and simple, if you're male & above 19% body fat, you're too fat, and MANS will help you build muscle while losing fat." Do I fall in a gray area between MANS/THT and TSPA training? I think I am right on that threshold. I think ultimately my problem is that I want to look better "now" (don't we all?) but I also want to develop my muscles optimally and gain size/strength first. So do I have to carry around these extra few body fat % points while I do that? Or can I expect MANS to inevitably burn that, albeit a bit slower than TSPA would, and as a tradeoff to it being a bit slower I gain more muscle size / strength?

3) For those of you who are already well into your weightloss//building journey, what would you prefer and what is your logic behind it?


Thanks again for your time!


-Ray

That's a great and thorough set of questions.

I think for you right now, it really doesn't matter either way. My brother was well above 20% bfp when he started TSPA, and his results have been incredible. He just wanted to cut fat, so he immediately did TSPA. He hasn't stalled once, and he's lost over 50 pounds now. I'm sure if you started TSPA, you'd also see great results.

I have always heard that it is easier if you first bulk and then cut. Bulking is a much slower process. You'll probably gain maybe .5-1 pound of muscle per week max. When you cut, you can cut 1.5-2 pounds a week or more and never see a stall. It's just a faster process.

If I were you, I would bulk first (assuming you're in the US). It's the winter months, and you won't exactly spend much time on the beach or with your shirt off. Use this time to bulk and get a little bigger. Then once you're satisfied and the summer months start rolling around, give TSPA a shot and cut down. Just my opinion though.

I did TSPA and cut down really well, but now I'm eating like a rhino on MANS and I've inevitably gained a small amount of fat (I'm 140 lbs and eating 3500 calories, so I'm surprised I haven't gained way more than I have). I don't mind it though, because I'd rather gain some fat during the winter and then cut down for the summer.

All in all, I don't see that there's a major advantage to starting one over another.