So how’s it going?
Alright, so current progress. I am into week 5 of my regimen. Current overall gains and losses are roughly 10% body fat (roughly 33mm of fat density), and +6 lbs of lean body mass with an overall weight loss of 10 lbs.
I actually had greater gains in my LBM, but lost a pound due to less then ideal caloric intake the last week of January. I’ve since adjusted my caloric intake now and feel the difference in the gym and see it in the mirror.
So what am I eating?
Well, first my rule of thumb.
Clean calories (few indulgences)
Avoid sugars, natural or refined (occasional exceptions for glycogen levels post workout)
Little to No dairy
No additional fats
- 2 Egg White and Oatmeal Pancakes with Sugar Free syrup and 1 cup of cheerios dry with 12oz black coffee.
- 5oz Eye of round (steak) with green beans and onions and 1/2c dry oats (with a dash of Truvia)
- 4oz Turkey tenderloin on toasted wheat with mustard and pickles
- 5oz Pulled chicken breast with Texas Pete Buffalo sauce and pickles 12oz black coffee
- 1/2c oats with 1 scoop protein powder 8oz water
- 1 scoop protein powder 8oz water & 6oz with C4 workout days / 5oz Pulled chicken breast and brown rice mixed on off days
- 5oz Eye of round (steak) with green beans and onions
- 1 – 2 gallons of water during the course of the day
I’ve also swapped my breakfast a few times for an Acai Berry + Blue Berry + Banana + Protein Powder smoothie a few mornings when sugars were needed.
I will shuffle my meals around on occasion for variety, but largely stick to heavy digesting protein in the morning and night with lighter ones during the day and strong morning carb intake with 0 after my workout in the evenings. Currently my macros break down to:
Protein / Carbs / Fat
51 / 41 / 8
I don’t think these macro levels are sustainable, but I am attempting to cut while still developing clean muscle. So essentially I’m walking a fine line of keeping my carbs at a level they keep glycogen levels up and aid in muscle repair with plenty of protein for the repair and limiting fats in an attempt to promote stored fat usage in these processes.
I can generally tell when I’m firing off fat for energy because it’s a really short burst of power then just an overall dip in my lifts. Nights where I’ve felt it worse then others I’ve put some cheerios in my belly with my last meal.
What about the gym?
Well this is where it gets interesting. As I stated before, I am following Kris Gethin’s 12-week hardcore plan. Now I’m going to stop here for one second and kind of plug both bodybuilding.com and Kris Gethin. If you are interested in fitness, don’t know where to start, or are a fitness junkie and just want more and more information then Bodybuilding.com is one of the best resources I could recommend. As for Kris Gethin, there is something to be said for a personal trainer who takes the time to throw together such in depth material and post it for free. Does he profit from this stuff, sure, he’s a BB employee; but he has a passion for what he does, and WANTS to help others reach their goals.
With all that being said, I largely stick to his prescribed workouts for the day with little to no variation. If I’ve made variations it’s been to either:
- Increase intensity
- Equipment not available
- Focus on lagging areas
- Recovery dates have been shuffled as well
Generally speaking though it’s a 5 day split which simply means 2 on 1 off 3 on 1 off (or some variant). Kris shuffles that schedule a lot for multiple reasons and shuffles targeted muscle groups quite a bit as well.
Low intensity cardio in the morning, and evening even on off days (for me around 124 – 135 bpm) @ 20 – 30 minutes. Something I’m also doing that Kris has in his program I like is ending with 150 abdominal twists.
I think anyone starting out should really give this a go. I highly recommend following a structured plan like Kris’s initially to really glean useful information and discipline. With this plan he offers a video a day to give you little tid bits of information that will really help to educate you as much as motivate you. Also for women, there are plenty of free plans to follow as well such as Jamie Eason’s Live Fit.
I wish I had known about BB back when I really started. After spending the past 4 years dealing with my fitness and health I finally feel like I’ve learned to listen to what my body is telling me and respond in kind.
Sum it up?
- Keep excess calories and fat in check.
- Increase thermogenesis through constant eating and cardio
- Vary routines and resistance volume to force muscles to adapt and grow
Have a good one.