So, I'm not positive that this is the right spot for this, but it seems like weight loss is the closest category available so here goes:
I'm 23, play college hockey Sept.-Feb., am fairly active all year and hit the gym 5 days a week on average (varying muscle groups and lifting/cardio). Since starting college I've gone from an athletic but not in great shape 5'9 160lbs to a pretty solid 5'9 190lbs. My arms have doubled in size, my legs are huge and overall I've become pretty thick muscularly. I've never neglected cardio and I've paid attention to core as well so that I've developed pretty evenly. Unfortunately, I lack definition, despite putting on a lot of muscle. I have some definition, but I know that I could look much better if I changed my routine to promote cutting rather than continuing to bulk at this stage. I definitely have a lower bf% than when I was 160lbs but I've never gotten my stomach completely flat. I'm not overweight at all... I just don't have the definition I desire (and I wouldn't mind finally getting my stomach flat).
The thing is, I never had a personal trainer or did much research when I started lifting. I went with buddies from my hockey team, picked up pointers here and there, and when I got comfortable in the weight room, improvised my own exercises and just took charge of my fitness routine by myself. I never did much online research or even used supplements much. I just went to the gym fairly religiously and worked hard.
The problem is, while I understand the theory of doing lower weights and higher reps to cut, it seems like there must be more to it, to be most efficient, than simply lowering my weight and doing more reps. I also have an unshakable habit of putting the weight up and trying to push myself rather than keeping it low and sticking to the higher reps. Basically though, I'm unsure of what I should do to switch my routine from bulking to cutting. I've decided that this is the summer that I'm going to switch my focus so now it's just about finding the best method and following it.
Also, on a completely unrelated note, the one area of my body that's seemed to develop slower than everything else is my forearms... any good exercises for jacking those up? It's not like they're disproportionate or anything, but I just figured I'd throw it out there since I feel like they've lagged behind no matter how much my arms have progressed.
Sorry for a really long first post. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
I'm 23, play college hockey Sept.-Feb., am fairly active all year and hit the gym 5 days a week on average (varying muscle groups and lifting/cardio). Since starting college I've gone from an athletic but not in great shape 5'9 160lbs to a pretty solid 5'9 190lbs. My arms have doubled in size, my legs are huge and overall I've become pretty thick muscularly. I've never neglected cardio and I've paid attention to core as well so that I've developed pretty evenly. Unfortunately, I lack definition, despite putting on a lot of muscle. I have some definition, but I know that I could look much better if I changed my routine to promote cutting rather than continuing to bulk at this stage. I definitely have a lower bf% than when I was 160lbs but I've never gotten my stomach completely flat. I'm not overweight at all... I just don't have the definition I desire (and I wouldn't mind finally getting my stomach flat).
The thing is, I never had a personal trainer or did much research when I started lifting. I went with buddies from my hockey team, picked up pointers here and there, and when I got comfortable in the weight room, improvised my own exercises and just took charge of my fitness routine by myself. I never did much online research or even used supplements much. I just went to the gym fairly religiously and worked hard.
The problem is, while I understand the theory of doing lower weights and higher reps to cut, it seems like there must be more to it, to be most efficient, than simply lowering my weight and doing more reps. I also have an unshakable habit of putting the weight up and trying to push myself rather than keeping it low and sticking to the higher reps. Basically though, I'm unsure of what I should do to switch my routine from bulking to cutting. I've decided that this is the summer that I'm going to switch my focus so now it's just about finding the best method and following it.
Also, on a completely unrelated note, the one area of my body that's seemed to develop slower than everything else is my forearms... any good exercises for jacking those up? It's not like they're disproportionate or anything, but I just figured I'd throw it out there since I feel like they've lagged behind no matter how much my arms have progressed.
Sorry for a really long first post. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.