Getting lean - intense cutting workout. Thoughts?

[Chocolat]

Hi Sivok,

 

Are you taking pictures? This is prbably the easiest way to measure progress. It's hard to see small changes over time by looking in the mirror, but pictures will do the trick.

 

You are right that, as a newbie, you are in a good position to do some body recomposition. I wouldn't rush it or you run the risk of losing muscle rather than fat. You'll hit your weight goal that way, but you won't have the look you want.

 

That said, if you want to help things along, I second tman's earlier suggestion of fasted walking. Can you get up early enough to allow for a 45 minute walk or so a couple of days a week?

[Chocolat]

Duplicate post I can't delete... Sorry.

[tman666]

Sivok, I really think you should reconsider piling on more high intensity interval training, unless you're already recovering very quickly from your other workouts. The thing about high intensity training is that if you overdo it, cortisol builds up in your body. Along with a host of associated negative side effects (fatigue, lack of motivation, weakness, no "oomph", poor sleep), it also slows fat loss. There are many people who think that running themselves into the ground is the answer to getting leaner, but their body comp stays the same and they're burning out for nothing.

 

In my opinion, if you've stalled, you should stay the course for another 2 weeks. If you don't see any changes by then, drop your caloric intake a bit and add some fasted, brisk walking, or bike riding, or whatever. The goal is to do some sort of activity that does not have you panting, but gets your heart rate up around 110 to 120 bpm for 30-45 minutes.

 

From my personal experiences, I've made much more progress paying attention to timing my carb intake, watching my fats, and doing fasted walking than I have after YEARS of doing sprints, plyos, bodyweight calisthenics, and other forms of HIIT exclusively as cardio. Doing this helped me get in good shape conditioning wise, but it also contributed to dealing with inflamed knees and stalled bodyfat levels for over a year and a half. I still do sprints, plyos, calisthenics, etc, but they are more of a once per week or maybe bi-weekly occurrence. I'm still in good shape for those activities, and my friggin knees don't kill me anymore (try making any progress while hobbling around like an old man going up and down stairs, and having to take about 8 sets to warm up for squatting 225 lbs). If I could rewind the clock 2-3 years, I would have done things differently.

[Sivok]

Thanks for the responses guys!

 

Choc - I haven't been taking progress pics yet, no. That's a good idea. I'll start doing that biweekly or so.

 

Tman - Good point. I have that mindset of faster and more intense is better - but your science just proved me wrong. Interms of my recovery rate - it is fairly quick. I make sure to get at the very least 7 hours of sleep every night - and the intra workout supp Xtend has been helping alot with soreness. There isn't a day where I go to the gym and still feel absolutely exhausted from the day before. Legs have the longest recovery time for me - which is why I leave it for my last lifting day.

 

I'm going to follow what you guys recommended. I'm going to take pictures and keep my current routine for the next two weeks. I'll be a bit stricter on my diet (I've had a habit of having a cheat day a week...), and if I'm not satisfied by then with my progress, I'll add biking during the weekends. Thanks, and I'll update with my progress

[Warnaulbarabin]

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[Sivok]

Update

 

Since I started this thread, I've kept a workout Journal. Over the past two weeks I tightened my diet and didn't change a thing like you guys recommended. During the weekend, I implemented one day of basketball for cardio. Here are my results for the past month.

 

Before/After

 

Weight - 236/225 (lost 3 pounds since my last update - down from 228)

Bench Press - 125/135

Shoulder Press - 65/65

Dips(with assists - lower weight the better) - 80/40

Deadlifts - 155/195

Seated Rows - 110/140

Bicep Barbell Curls - 40/50

Pullups(with assists) - 120/120

Squats - 165/185

Lunges (two dumbbells) - 90/110

 

Cardio - Given a 30 minute time frame, I went from jogging 5 minutes throughout to 13 minutes throughout - right after a workout.

 

I'm seeing great progress so far and it seems like I'm building muscle while losing fat. I began taking pictures as well, due to take my next one tonight. I've had drops in motivation, some discouragement realizing how much longer it'll take to reach my final goal, but I still kept myself going. I'd have a 100% chance of failure if I stop going period.

 

I've only missed 1 workout this month, and I'm going to keep pushing myself. If my results start stalling, I think I'm going to try and add another small clean meal a day.

 

My chest and shoulders aren't improving as quickly as I would like, so I'm going to add pushups and incline bench to my workout i think. I'm not sure why I'm still having such a tough time with pullups, do you guys have any suggestions?

[tman666]

Congrats so far on your progress! You'll have times where it seems that nothing is happening, and you'll have times that you'll feel down about your achievements. Everyone has days when everything seems off. As you noted, reaching goals can take a long time (years). Long terms goals are important, but it's important to set attainable short-term goals so that you can see progress. Small achievements add up to big achievements over time.

 

As to why you've stalled on some of your lifts-physiologically speaking it's impossible to build muscle while in a caloric deficit. That doesn't mean that you cannot make strength gains while cutting, but it makes it much more difficult to do so. Losing fat while building muscle is regarded as the "holy grail" of body recomposition. Doing so is not impossible, but it's very difficult. It's not something I've even mastered myself.

 

Depending on where your priorities lie, adding another meal in the day could help you out. If you're feeling unmotivated, "deflated", tired, etc., it might be help to get another carb/protein based meal in.

 

Your training is the other thing that you need to examine. You posted your split at the beginning of the thread, but I'd ask that you post your entire training regimen so we can see what you're doing.

[Chocolat]

Great job, Sivok!

 

I second tman's request to see your lifting schedule. I think you are still newbie enough to make significant gains even in a deficit, but the proof is in the pudding.

[Sivok]

Thanks for the words guys!

 

Here's my schedule right now

 

Mon - Rest

 

Tues - Flat Bench Press, Incline Bench, Shoulder Press, Assisted Dips, Pushups until exhaustion + 30 min cardio

 

Wed - Deadlifts, Seated Rows, Barbell Curls, Pull ups + 30 min cardio

 

Thurs - Abs + obliques for 30 + 30 min cardio

 

Fri - Squats, Lunges, Calf Raises (no cardio, too much stress on my legs)

 

Sat/Sun - One day I'll do basketball or another cardio activity, the other is rest

 

My general philosophy is to keep my last set as my fail set. I do 3 sets of 10-9-8 with increasing weight increments. If I can successfully complete my last set with no mid-set rests, it's time to go up next week

 

 

My diet right now -

 

Morning: Coffee + Oatmeal

 

Lunch: Rotisserie chicken breast with vegetables

 

Pre-workout: 2 scoopsNovem

 

Intra workout: 4 scoops Xtend

 

Post-workout: 2 scoops whey

 

Dinner: I try to prepare either a chicken or fish dish with vegetables

 

Snack: Cup of Chobani Greek yogurt

 

Pre-bed: 1 scoop whey (I'd use casein, but budget issues)

[tman666]

What you posted is your training split, which you gave us earlier in the thread. What we need is your actual workout regimen (each exercise, how many sets, reps, how much weight, etc.)

 

It should look something like this:

 

Day 1: Bench Press: Warm Up sets (3-4 sets)

125 x 5 ----------------> first working set

135 x 5

155 x 5

185 x 3

 

Barbell Bent-over Row:

 

185 x 12

185 x 12

185 x 10

225 x 6

225 x 8

Etc.

 

The weight you're using and the way you break it all down matters as to the kind of results you can expect to get. This way we can see exactly what you're doing in the gym, and it'll help us make recommendations on what you should change or keep doing.

 

Sorry about the confusion.

[tman666]

Ok, upon reading your post more carefully, I can see that you did mention how you're breaking down your exercises.

 

My bad!

 

My advice is this: you're not lifting heavy enough. 10-8 reps is great for hypertrophy, but it won't do much for making you stronger. To gain muscle, you need to get stronger. To become a better athlete, you need to get stronger. Basically: strength should be a paramount goal, even (especially) when trying to lose fat. A caloric deficit+high reps is a surefire way to get less muscular and weaker over time.

 

ABBH 1 by Chad Waterbury is an old program that I used for a couple of years my beginning stages. It completely transformed my progress. Not only was I in and out of the gym in less than an hour (before I had been dicking around for a couple hours each gym sessions) but I was getting massively stronger and growing like an SOB. Granted, at the time I was getting into this, I had access to unlimited dorm food and I wasn't concerned about losing fat, so that had a lot to do with it.

 

Looking at your diet, I would highly recommend that you eat more. If you switch to a lower rep, higher intensity style of lifting, the best changes you'll see to your body will be when you're feeding yourself what you need to grow your muscles. Your diet looks very clean, which is a great start. However, I think you need much more food. A word to the wise: the most ripped, jacked (and strong) guys I know are eating 3,000 to 4,000 cal per day. They eat very cleanly, and they train like demons. Consider this when looking at your training and diet.

 

If ABBH 1 isn't for you, there are plenty of other good, old school templates out there, such as 5x5, sets of 3, etc.

 

The weight you select should be difficult enough where by the end of the workout, you're beat. Your body can take a lot more of a beating then you might think. Remember to stick with good form, but beyond that, go in there and tear it up. You have to become the beast, even if it's only for that one hour.

 

I guarantee that if you focus on heavier lifting, lower reps, more explosiveness, "being diesel", and eating more (protein and carbs, primarily), you'll start seeing some major changes. Expect stretch marks.

[Chocolat]

Once again, tman nails it wrt training so I will make some nutrition notes. I'd add a protein to breakfast (maybe some eggs) and a complex carb to your pre-workout meal. Ah wait I see tman addressed the need to eat more, too...

 

Also, I have a spreadsheet of ~10 Waterbury programs, including ABBH and links to the articles describing each program in detail. pm me with your email address if you would like me to send it to you.

[Sivok]

Thanks much for your help guys. I think I'm going to keep from adding anymore food to my diet until I reach my ideal cutting weight. I feel I want to lose about 10-15 pounds before really bulking again. I'm getting antsy for sure to build again, but doing that will push my appearance to well overweight. I'm hoping to reach my goal by september. My goal is 1-2 pounds a week.

 

I've been reading through the Waterbury material that you sent me Chocolat and I think I'm going to switch to ABBH 1 starting August. I figure a program put together by a guy who knows what he's doing is better than making my own improvisations with my inexperience. I also talked to a guy at work who's well built and he reiterated everything you guys said about not lifting heavy enough.

 

I'll update you guys again in two weeks. Thanks for being so helpful

[Chocolat]

Take pictures and measurements on a regular basis. And have fun!

[Sivok]

So it's been about a month, and I realized something - I absolutely suck at cutting. I did realize something else though.

 

Over the past month, my results have EXPLODED. I don't know why or how, as my strength gains haven't been too significant, but I do not exaggerate when I say my lean muscle is twice as much if not more than where it was back in May. As such, I haven't changed my workout yet, but I've been studying and reading so much that I created a new one come my fall semester. Here is what I've come up with:

 

MONDAY

 

Bench Press 3 x 4-6

Bent Over Row 3 x 4-6

Military Press 3 x 4-6

Barbell Shrug 3 X 4-6

Close Grip Bench 3 X 4-6

Barbell Curl 3 X 4-6

30 min Low-Mid intensity cardio

 

TUESDAY

 

Squats 3 X 4-6

Standing Calf Raise 3 X 4-6

Stiff Leg Deadlift 3 X 4-6

Seated Calf Raise 3 X 4-6

Leg Extension 3 X 8-12

Leg Curl 3 X 8-12

30 min Low-Mid intensity cardio

 

WEDNESDAY

 

20 minutes high intensity cardio

 

THURSDAY

 

Bench Press 3 X 8-12

Bent Over Row 3 X 8-12

Military Press 3 X 8-12

Barbell Shrug 3 X 8-12

Close Grip Bench 3 X 8-12

Barbell Curl 3 X 8-12

30 min Low-Mid intensity cardio

 

FRIDAY

 

Deadlift 3 X 4-6

Seated Calf Raise 3 X 8-12

Leg Press 3 X 8-12

Leg Press Calf Raise 3 X 8-12

Walking DB Lunges 3 X 12

30 min Low-Mid intensity cardio

 

SATURDAY

 

20 minutes high intensity cardio

 

SUNDAY

 

Rest

 

Once I'm happy enough with my progress, I'm going to post before/after pics

[tman666]

You'll never know if it'll work for your goals until you try it.

 

I don't see anything terribly wrong with it, but I will make a few suggestions based on my personal experiences:

 

1) Focus on lifting more weight each week, so there is forward progression. Small incremental changes are the best. Also, you don't have to pile more weight on the bar each week (more reps at same previous weight count too).

 

2) I would ditch the close grip bench press/curl sets on Monday. Keep in mind that the shoulder joint has the most potential to become destabilized. Doing too much pushing and not enough pulling can land you in hot water. I would ditch the close grip bench/curl combo and replace it with some plyo pushups, dips, band push ups, or chain push ups coupled with chin ups. I think you'll gain a lot more balance, muscular development, and athletic ability doing this. I would also not do those movements with only 4-6 reps with the pushups/chins. I would do 3-4 sets on each to failure. The rest of the day looks fine, but I might suggest doing a couple more bent over row sets than your bench (5 or 6 sets with 4-6).

 

3) On Tuesday's workout, I would not bother messing around with 2 different calf exercises. I recommend picking one (either is fine) and blasting at the END of the workout. You will probably need to up the volume a lot to see growth in your calf muscles. Try 4-5 sets of 20-25 reps each. I would also recommend that for the RDLs (or stiff leg deadlift) after the squats that you go light. If you're squatting heavy, your lower back and hamstrings are already going to be pretty lit up. I would definitely not do the same protocol with the succeeding RDLs. In fact, I would recommend removing them altogether and simply doing another set or two or three of squats. However, if you really want them in there, I would go light and go for perfect form/high reps (like 12-15).

 

4) I'm not sure if you want/need Thursdays workout. It seems to me that that day would be better spent resting.

 

5) Friday looks fine, but again, I would stick the calf work at the very end of the workout.

 

Overall, I think it's got potential. Again, it really depends on what your goals are. Keep in mind that what you did to get from point A to point B might not be the right choice for getting from point B to point C, and so forth. If something isn't taking you where you want to go, then change is warranted. Another thing is that you don't want to end up being a "program hopper"-the guy/gal who tries every "new" fad workout and never makes much progress.

 

Once you've laid the groundwork for your goals with solid and applicable training/diet principles, the next step is hard work and time.

 

Over time, you'll discover for yourself what works and what doesn't. You'll also have a more clear sense of what you want out of your training, and you'll be able to adjust accordingly. I'd say that you're off to a great start.

[Sivok]

UPDATE

 

Wow. I forgot how badly a new schedule can affect your workout routine. When classes picked up again this fall, my diet and gym schedule went all out of wack.

 

Anyway, interms of cutting, I'm at 224 - much higher than I wanted to be at this point, but I'm still under 230 which is good.

 

I lessened my workout to 3 days a week. My prior one was a bit too much (as you had mentioned, tman), and I started taking it easier on the cardio. Instead of interval sprints, I started going on the bike for 20 minutes and power walking instead. Wish I listened to you from the start, but I was really into it and ignored the warnings - the interval sprinting almost daily after a workout caused my knee to start hurting and I got a swollen ligament on my right ankle - keeping me from working out for a week. Also, due to the crazy workout schedule beforehand, I got weightlifter's elbow for two weeks.

 

Anyway, I'm back on track now, and I'm hoping to lose 10 pounds in the next two months.

[tman666]

UPDATE

 

Wow. I forgot how badly a new schedule can affect your workout routine. When classes picked up again this fall, my diet and gym schedule went all out of wack.

 

Anyway, interms of cutting, I'm at 224 - much higher than I wanted to be at this point, but I'm still under 230 which is good.

 

I lessened my workout to 3 days a week. My prior one was a bit too much (as you had mentioned, tman), and I started taking it easier on the cardio. Instead of interval sprints, I started going on the bike for 20 minutes and power walking instead. Wish I listened to you from the start, but I was really into it and ignored the warnings - the interval sprinting almost daily after a workout caused my knee to start hurting and I got a swollen ligament on my right ankle - keeping me from working out for a week. Also, due to the crazy workout schedule beforehand, I got weightlifter's elbow for two weeks.

 

Anyway, I'm back on track now, and I'm hoping to lose 10 pounds in the next two months.

 

I have come to the conclusion that high intensity cardio is vastly overrated for fat loss, at least within the context of programming for a person who lifts heavy a few days per week. I mean, sprinting will definitely burn some serious calories off of you in a hurry, but the high impact on your CNS and joints makes it not especially feasible to do more than a couple of times per week. When your recovery is constantly being assaulted and undercut, it's very hard to make progress and very easy to get injured (which is absolutely the worst thing for progress).

 

If you're lifting heavy and explosively at least three times per week, you might want to consider 1 (maayybe 2 if your recovery is very good (i.e. you get a lot of sleep, you don't have a lot of stress, you eat well all the time, have plenty of sex, etc.)) sprinting session per week to train your explosiveness and help improve your conditioning. My favorite is a 100 yard sprint. I usually do no more than 5 or 6 (or whenever I'm losing speed). Shorter sprints (such as a 40 yard dash) are great for training explosiveness, but not as good as a longer distance for improving lung capacity. I figure if I need to be able to sprint more than 100 yards anywhere, I'm training for the wrong things, ya know?

 

I think that fasted morning walking is absolutely the best thing that I've found for losing fat. It's not a casual saunter down the street. What I'm talking about is brisk (but non-panting) walking. This can be accomplished either outside or indoors on a treadmill. Incline walking is even better. Yeah, it takes a little longer (I generally walk 35-45 minutes every day in the mornings) than sprinting, but it doesn't cut into your recovery. In fact, I believe it actually helps me recover better.

 

It's taken me a loooooong time to finally learn that more is not necessarily better. Yes, you need to train hard. Yes, you need to focus on making progress, whether it be in the amount of weight you lift, how many times you can lift it, how fast you can lift it, etc. Yes, there's no excuse for being out of shape. However, recovery is just as important as good training and a good diet. Being injured or too fatigued to get the most out of your training will annihilate your ability to make progress. It's a third of the puzzle. A + B + C = D. Good training + good diet + adequate recovery = optimal, sustainable results.

 

Also, life happens (class/work changes, relationship happenings, babies, moving, deaths, vacations, etc.). You're not always going to be able to train on schedule. It's good to be flexible and to know how to train around life instead of trying to schedule life around training (this get's old quickly). Jim Wendler recently made a post about running hills at around 10:00 at night because it's the only time he had to train (due to having a newborn). It's very freeing to know that you can get a lot done in a short amount of time when you add intensity and strip away the fat in your training (have a good reason to do assistance work).

[Sivok]

Update:

 

After switching to the bike and fasted walks on the treadmill, I've been making noticeable progress. I'm now down to 219 from 224 - I haven't been below the 220 mark in years! I've remained strict with my nutrition and maintained my strength progress. I feel like I've at last figured out a cutting method that works for me. 9 more pounds to go to reach my goal!

[tman666]

Update:

 

After switching to the bike and fasted walks on the treadmill, I've been making noticeable progress. I'm now down to 219 from 224 - I haven't been below the 220 mark in years! I've remained strict with my nutrition and maintained my strength progress. I feel like I've at last figured out a cutting method that works for me. 9 more pounds to go to reach my goal!

 

Good work brotha! It takes a awhile, but if you keep chipping away at it, you'll get where you want to be.

[Sivok]

I'm at 217 now! This weight is dropping fast all of a sudden, and my appetite has shrunk. I haven't lost much muscle mass either which is great. 7 more pounds until I reassess my goals

[Chocolat]

I'm at 217 now! This weight is dropping fast all of a sudden, and my appetite has shrunk. I haven't lost much muscle mass either which is great. 7 more pounds until I reassess my goals

 

Great job! Now just hang tight over the holidays!

[Sivok]

Update:

 

I fluctuated a bit over thanksgiving and the holidays, but I managed to recover my standing. Since I made this thread in June, I've lost 25 pounds - going from 236 to 211. I'm in the best shape of my life right now but however! I've plateaued. I need to hit about 200 until I can see those abs and I'm determined to get there!

 

Here's my current diet and workout schedule. I don't see anything wrong with either, so I'm looking for a second opinion!

 

NUTRITION

 

Morning - Packet of Maple & Brown Sugar, mug of coffee with no fat cream

 

Mid-Morning - Chobani greek yogurt

 

Lunch - 1st half (6 inch) turkey sub with lettuce, guacamole, hot sauce, onions

 

Mid Afternoon - 2nd half of above sandwhich

 

Pre Workout (30 min before) - small bag of beef jerky, N.O Explode 2.0

 

Intra Workout - Xtend

 

Post Workout - 2 scoops gold standard whey (0 carb)

 

Evening - can of sardines or tuna

 

Before Bed - 1 scoop gold standard whey

 

 

 

WORKOUT

 

Monday - Chest/Shoulders/Triceps (bench press, shoulder press, dips). 30 min of cardio

 

Tuesday - Abs/Obliques. 30 min of cardio

 

Wednesday - 30 min of cardio

 

Thursday - Back/Biceps (Deadlifts, seated rows, bicep curls, pull ups). 30 min of cardio

 

Friday - 30 min of cardio

 

Saturday - Legs (squats, dumbell lunges, calf raise).

 

Sunday - OFF

 

CHEAT DAY: Saturday

 

 

Is my body just being stubborn or do I need to push even harder now?

 

EDIT - Note: I leave out the pre-workout on days i only do cardio

Edited January 13, 2012 by Sivok

[tman666]

Update:

 

I fluctuated a bit over thanksgiving and the holidays, but I managed to recover my standing. Since I made this thread in June, I've lost 25 pounds - going from 236 to 211. I'm in the best shape of my life right now but however! I've plateaued. I need to hit about 200 until I can see those abs and I'm determined to get there!

 

Here's my current diet and workout schedule. I don't see anything wrong with either, so I'm looking for a second opinion!

 

NUTRITION

 

Morning - Packet of Maple & Brown Sugar, mug of coffee with no fat cream

 

Mid-Morning - Chobani greek yogurt

 

Lunch - 1st half (6 inch) turkey sub with lettuce, guacamole, hot sauce, onions

 

Mid Afternoon - 2nd half of above sandwhich

 

Pre Workout (30 min before) - small bag of beef jerky, N.O Explode 2.0

 

Intra Workout - Xtend

 

Post Workout - 2 scoops gold standard whey (0 carb)

 

Evening - can of sardines or tuna

 

Before Bed - 1 scoop gold standard whey

 

 

 

WORKOUT

 

Monday - Chest/Shoulders/Triceps (bench press, shoulder press, dips). 30 min of cardio

 

Tuesday - Abs/Obliques. 30 min of cardio

 

Wednesday - 30 min of cardio

 

Thursday - Back/Biceps (Deadlifts, seated rows, bicep curls, pull ups). 30 min of cardio

 

Friday - 30 min of cardio

 

Saturday - Legs (squats, dumbell lunges, calf raise).

 

Sunday - OFF

 

CHEAT DAY: Saturday

 

 

Is my body just being stubborn or do I need to push even harder now?

 

Hey Sivok, nice to see you around again. Finally gives me something to respond to.

 

First of all, there's are a lot of ways to skin a cat, and your goal of obtaining a sub 12 percent bodyfat percentage (about what you'll need to see abs) is no different. That being said, feel free to take my advice worth a grain of salt, since what works for you might be different than what works for myself or others.

 

Looking at your diet, I would say that cutting anything else out would be a very bad idea. In fact, to me at least, you appear to be already under-eating. Keep in mind that you should be getting at least 1 gram of protein per lb of desired body weight, which it looks like you're at least close to hitting (depending on how meaty that sub sandwich is). In the interest of retaining muscle, you might want to go a little higher even, and shoot for 220-250 grams of protein per day. Your carb and fat intake doesn't appear to be very high, but I'd advise that you re-arrange the timing of your intake with said nutrients (I'll explain more below). Again, I don't think that cutting more calories out of your diet will do you any favors.

 

The first possible tweak that I would recommend is that you concentrate your carb intake to right before (no more than 30 minutes before) and right after your weight training sessions, with the emphasis being on post training intake. Pre-training, you might want to have a "fast" carb such as a piece of fruit. Immediately post-training, you would also want to take in protein and "fast" carbs (fruit, juice, bread, etc.) and "fast" protein (whey), but limit fat intake immediately post workout. The simple carbs pre and post training will aid in the preservation of your muscle, give you energy for your workouts, and help you recover. For any meals following training (other than your immediately-post workout intake), shoot for "slow" protein (i.e. lean meats) and "slow" carbs, such as sweet potatoes.

 

For your meals before training, I would focus on getting proteins and healthy fats while limiting carbs. Good examples would be a meal of lean meat, leafy green veggies, and a some avocado. Animal fats (i.e. dairy fats, cheese, fatty meats) should be avoided. This would be a good place for those canned sardines.

 

Another technique that you can easily implement is carb cycling. The simplest way to do this, in my opinion, is to simply increase your carb intake and lower your fat intake on training days, while increasing fat intake and lowering carb intake on non-training days. Caloric intake should remain as level as possible day to day though.

 

What I've been doing for about 11 months now is Leangains style intermittent fasting. Basically, I implement all of the rules I mentioned above, except that I concentrate my caloric intake to an 8 hour window beginning around lunch time and ending in the evening. I generally don't take in any calories until around 12:30 p.m.-1:00 p.m., and I have my last meal of the day around 8:30 or 9:00 p.m. While it's not for everyone, it has definitely helped me lean out a bit while increasing my lifts/muscle mass. You can read more about it here: http://www.leangains.com/.

 

With regards to your training, I would recommend that you ditch the split that you have going on now. As it stands, you're only hitting each muscle group once per week, which is a fairly low frequency. You also don't need an "abs" day. You're also doing way too much cardio, IMO...

 

Instead, I would set up your schedule where you still lift 4 days per week, but arrange it so that you're hitting each muscle group twice per week.

 

For example:

 

Monday: Max Effort upper body: choose a pressing movement and work up to a heavy set of 2 or 3, drop back to 85% of that weight, and do sets of 5 until you're unable to get 5 reps anymore. This could be 1 set or 8 sets. It depends on how you're feeling that day. After your pressing movement is complete, pick 2 rowing movements (for example, 1 arm bent over row and pull up), and ramp the load up using sets of 6-8 until you're not able increase anymore. Hit your triceps heavy and hard as a finisher. Throw in some curls as well if you like.

 

Tusedsay: Max Effort lower body: choose a squat variation or deadlift variation and work up to a heavy triple, drop back down to around 70% of your triple, and do 2 sets of as many reps as you can (with good form). If you have access to a sled or prowler, push or pull the sled until you're good and battered. If you don't have access to a sled or prowler (or someone willing to steer a car in neutral while you push), a good option would be to create a circuit where you rotate some sort of lunge or lighter squat movement (such as a goblet squat) with some higher rep hamstring/glute work (dumbbell RDLs, glute ham raises, etc.).

 

Wednesday: 45 minutes of low intensity, steady state cardio such as long but brisk walk. I would avoid running or interval training on these days, since your recovery will likely be severely impacted. Outdoor walking is the best, in my opinion (far less boring), but this can be done on a treadmill. Incline treadmill walking is the best. If you can, do this walk while fasted (prior to your first meal of the day).

 

Thursday: Dynamic/Repeated Effort Upper Body: Choose a pressing movement (different than what you did on Max Effort day) and perform 10 sets of 3 reps as explosively and quickly as possible using a weight that is no more than 65-70% of your max on that lift. Afterwards, choose 1 rowing movement and load it so that you can get about 12 reps. Cycle sets of 12-15 with your rowing movement (fast, explosive) with sets of push ups (as many as you can get) while taking as little rest as possible in between each set. Finish your day with some sort of triceps work and curls (for the girls, yo).

 

Friday: Dynamic/Repeated Effort Lower Body: Using a box that allows you to squat just below parallel, perform box squats with 10 sets of 2 reps each, explosive and quickly, using no more than 50 percent of your max. Afterwards, perform 6 sets of 3 with some sort of deadlift variation, explosive and quickly, using no more than 50 percent of your max. Finish the day off with sled/prowler work (if you have access), or perform some sort of lower weight, higher rep compound leg work (avoid the leg extension/curl machine).

 

Saturday: 45 minutes of low intensity, steady state cardio (same as Wed.).

 

Sunday: Same as Wednesday or find some sort of activity to participate in, such as a game of ultimate frisbee, or go hiking, or go for a bike ride with your concubines.

 

There are a million ways you could set this up, but I would advise that no matter what you do, you shoot for training each muscle group twice per week and avoid having a pointless "arms" or "abs" day. That kind of thing is fine for pro-bodybuilders who are juicing and will grow just taking their morning ****, but for the rest of us mortals, it's largely a waste of your precious time and recovery efforts. Hit those muscles at the end of your other workouts and you'll be fine.

 

I truly believe that intermittent fasting is a secret weapon for some people, ESPECIALLY if you train partially fasted (never fully fasted-take 20 grams of BCAA's prior to training fasted). Experiment ith what works for you, but I think you're on the right track. Please feel free to PM me or post here with questions.

[Sivok]

Thanks for the in-depth advice, Tman! The idea of fasted cardio is something I may try. When you mentioned it in your previous posts, I thought you meant it as in walking fast/power walking, haha woops! I'll pop N.O Explode for that BCAA.

 

EDIT: What advice do you have for taking these walks in the cold? I see joggers out all the time in this weather, and I've thought about it, but im always a little worried i'll come down with something and halt my training altogether until it's through.

 

Regarding my weight lifting routine, yeah, the more I read - the more I realize it's an amateur's routine. Then again, you can say it was perfect for my inexperience at that point. I've been reading through tons of different workouts and up until this point I've been too focused on hypertrophy and the aesthetic appeal. However, each time I hit the bench I knew my gains were deceiving. I didn't feel strong, mostly because I wasn't.

 

When I started cutting and drastically improving my cardiovascular ability (I biked 18 miles in 65 minutes over hilly terrain last week), I felt more energetic and loved my new found endurance. I never had that 'true' satisfaction from my lifting routine, and I want to feel strong this time around - not look it.

 

I started researching alot of different strength training routines and I found a perfect fit: Eric Cressy's maxmimum strength workout. http://www.amazon.com/Maximum-Strength-Strongest-Ultimate-Weight-Training/dp/1600940579

 

In two weeks, I'm relocating for 4 months of job training. This routine is exactly 16 weeks, so it fits that time period perfectly. I'm hoping to come back with some killer strength gains and a beach bod to match

Edited January 17, 2012 by Sivok