Workout, Supplement and Meal Plan

ickes and @winterland - it might be one of many factors of course but it's something I want to try for 3ish months I see if it matters. Caffeine has been linked to cortisol in many a study I read. I feel around the age of 21/22 ish when I started drinking coffee I gained belly fat. I'm not saying correlation equals causation quite yet.

Judging by my 4TSH reading my adrenals are a little out of wack and caffeine doesn't do the thyroid any favors at all. First thing I want to see if kicking caffeine will help reboot the thyroid and get back to normal.

Second caffeine has been shown to increase cortisol. Cortisol has been linked as well with stress to increase belly fat.

Gonna give it a shot.

Caffeine will increase testosterone levels if taken pre-exercise. But caffeine has also been linked in a boat load of studies to increasing the hormone cortisol spiking cortisol levels. Cortisol is also linked to belly fat.

From a 2008 international journal of sports nutrition.

" Conclusion: Caffeine has some potential to benefit training outcomes via the anabolic effects of the increase in testosterone concentration, but this benefit might be counteracted by the opposing catabolic effects of the increase in cortisol and resultant decline in the testosterone:cortisol ratio."

Basically it's worth the shot cutting coffee and only having green tea as a source of caffeine.

I don't think cutting caffeine is going to help much in cutting belly fat but hey, I could be wrong. Even the study that brentkuz quoted says in the conclusion that "....this benefit MIGHT be counteracted by the opposing catabolic effects...". It's not a definitive answer that it positively will. Most of the cutting (fat burning) supplements I've seen contain caffeine anhydrous in ample doses (200-300 mg range) because of it's ability to help with fat burning and
weight loss.

Odd enough my ex-roommate had a hyperactive thyroid and consumed around 7k calories a day while training. Nuts funny we had the exact opposite problems.

No clue but I'm up to 225lbs.

I haven't one rep maxed out in ages. Even flat barbell bench I haven't done since Christmas. Been doing a ton of dumbbell work in this 12wk plan.

I'm exactly the same way, the second phase is where the results take off.  It seems like the first phase is kind of a warm up for the second.  

I'm on my last week of my 6th go around no the Arnold Routine and I am changing it up after this.  Time for a new routine after doing Arnolds for a year.  

Diet is king.

Would that be low carbs I assume?

Keto is an Intresting diet. Currently trying lower carbs see if that helps.

Yes, some people do but it all depends on the type of carbohydrates you are eating and also when you are eating them.  There are good carbs (sweet potatos, yams, vegetables, couscous, black beans, etc..) and bad carbs.  

Well that also depends on the body fat %.  170 to 190 or so can look pretty damn good and big if you've got say 8% or below body fat and you're under 6 feet.  No, not massive like bodybuilder massive but you can definitely have some good size at those weight ranges if your body fat is low.