The new plan is to let myself recover then start  a new program. same as i was doing but stopping 1 rep before failure and try to eat at least 1.2g per lb of lean bodyweight but aim for 1.5lb.   and maybe  throw some  light days in like ross suggested to keep things moving.

calories is only thing i not sure on.     i think my maintenance seems to be 3500cal a day  well on a work day anyway lol!   so i add 500cal to gain muscle  or take in 500 less to lose fat.  and no carbs after 6pm and nothing after 9pm i think this is correct?

also read this thing where if you do 5 days on higher calories then 5 days on lower u can build muscle and lose fat, dunno if this works though?

i just gotta get my head around the not training to failure bit, i've got used to doing it. and i kinda like the feeling  as sick as that may sound, it just gets annoying with trying to do daily activities. 

Not sure if this atrophy but very bad muscle now, huh?

http://flickr.com/photos/socpunk/47419754/

awwwwww poor arnie...to be fair to him he did train and diet for so long, i personally think if he wants to don the speedos and 'rock out with his moobs out' fair play!! alot of athletes do the same, put on alot of weight once they retire....i guess they just become so bored of training and dieting

kev mate i was exactly the same...every set was to failure....(everyone does it) you just got to train smarter, not neccessarily harder : ) let us know how you get on with it anyway....and how the recovery goes buddy

ALSO kev mate.... i do believe in cycling calories and carbs.... just keeps the body guessing...loads and empty's muscle glycogen levels, helps boost the metabolism....etc but ive never tried 5 days high calories 5 days low....but maybe it will work since everyone is different. what i tend to do is high calories and carbs on my weight training days and lowish calories and carbs on my non weight training days (but still do cardio) ive always done this since i bulk up slowly but never really lose my sixpack : )

cheers Ross, i will try all this starting monday  for a month and see if i get good results, prob try your method though or some sort of zig zag. i have a site which has calculator on it (i don't think we sposed to post on here though so i have left the link out!) only thing it don't say about is the macro's so i just assuming i sposed to eat min 1g protein per lb of bodyweight wether it 2200cal or 3100cal lol!