Hey all,

I employed a friend of my wife to get my on-track. She had me eating macro-balanced meals (6x/day) and I truly LOVE eating this way. I'm also working out 4 days/week with the odd cardio day thrown in there for a change as well.

However, our schedules have been too busy lately and aside from a bi-weekly weigh-and-measure, I've reduced my commitment to her by $100/mo and am not paying for workout or meal programs anymore - just the weigh and measures - at least for the next 3 months.

Now, my typical workout is one muscle group (legs / chest / back / arms), once a week per group. Typically 1-2 exercises super-setted, then 2-4 different exercises supersetted. IE: Legs: Squats (6-8 reps), 10 sec rest, then lunges (8-10/leg). Repeat for 5 sets w/ 2 mins in between.
Chest: DB chest press, 4 sets, 2 mins btwn sets. Then followed with DB flyes (6-8 reps), 10 sec rest, followed by Scoops (8-10 reps). Rest 2 minutes, repeat for 4 supersets.

This workout plan (with modifications to exercises, sets, and reps every 4 weeks) has been AWESOME. However, my goals are shifting.

I have gone from 234.6lbs in July, to 202lbs at the beginning of October. I have lost MANY inches on my waist, legs, arms, hips, etc... and all of my skinfold measurements are down considerably. My body is so much leaner it's really incredible, and I feel friggin awesome.

But, as I said, my intentions are shifting -- I want to add mass but continue the leaning-out at the same time.

What general principles should I follow, with regards to eating clean (more protein? Less carb? ??), and workouts (fewer reps higher weight? More reps-to-failure? More "up the stack / down the rack" stuff?). My goal is to be 185-190lbs and considerably stronger by mid-January. I'm very compliant with my diet and getting to the gym 4 days/week (at minimum). I will NOT go to the gym if I'm there over an hour, so that's why the routine I described above has been working for me so well -- I can fit it in when I need to and not feel like I'm working myself to death.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

I really wish I had taken "before" pics... as the results have been pretty dramatic. Losing 32lbs on a 6'1.5" frame, while adding a fair amount of muscle in the right places, has produced a totally "new me". My wife loves it.

 

:ibdeathmetal:
your workout plan looks great.

lift heavier!

 

I should also mention that I am NOT taking any supplements aside from whey protein isolate, and fish oils (EPA 180, DHA 120, 5 pills x 3x/day = total of 15 pills / day). This is due to a kidney problem. The fish oils, as well as my general transformation to healthiness, have lowered my blood pressure from 140/95, to a steady 115/75. When I meet with my nephrologist (kidney specialist) next week, he will probably be floored that I've managed such change without putting too much strain, I hope, on my kidneys.

So in short, adding ANY other supplements isn't recommended for me. Protein and fish oils, that's it!

When you say lift heavier, obviously that's a requirement, but should I basically lower my reps (from 6-8, to 4-6, or from 8-10, to 6-8)? Then use that as an initial step to be able to lift heavier? IE: I currently squat 115lb x 8 reps x 5 sets (followed immediately by lunges after each set). If I went to say 140lbs x 6 reps x 5 sets... is that a good starting point? If I did that with all of my routines I'm sure it would work, but is it one of the best ways?

 

I have no advice (sorry) but just wanted to say Congrats on your recent loss! I hope you can ultimately achieve your goal!

 

you're lifting light with lots of sets and reps.
I bet with your new found muscles you could increase the weight.
can you list your meals?

Death Metal, can and will explain it better than I can.

 

Typical day:
Meal 1: 3-4 eggs or egg-whites, 3/4c low GI veggie (usually peppers).
Meal 2: 1c 0% greek yogurt, 1c berries, cinnamon.
Meal 3: 1/4lb of lean beef (inside round) stirfry. Contains about 1/2c broccoli, 1/8c white onion, 1/4c red pepper, low-sodium soya sauce, honey, orange juice, orange zest, and garlic for flavour. Eaten w/ 1/3c (uncooked measure) whole wheat couscous. YUMMMM. <--- I make this as a 4-day meal. Separated out and then make the couscous @ work with the kettle. So easy and I only have to cook once a week for lunches! Fridays are one of my 4 "cheat meals" per week but even then I'm guilty and usually get a chicken salad LOL).
Meal 4: Trail mix (1/4c each of walnuts, almonds, raisins. 1tsp unsweetened coconut.). Eaten w/ 1 granny smith apple.
Meal 5: Chicken breast + 3/4c veggies. Made however, using olive oil.
Meal 6: Protein smoothie (1c skim milk, 1c mixed frozen berries, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1tbsp organic natural peanut or almond butter).

Meals 2/4/6 are interchangeable but no trail mix @ night.

I also drink a protein shake (1 scoop + water) near the last 10 minutes of my workout.

 

No way that it is "balanced". Way too much proteins; excess of proteins accelerate aging. Stop doing that.

 

The way it was explained to me is that since I am trying to build muscle, increase metabolism, and burn fat, I need to feed my body more protein than someone who is not trying to gain any muscle mass.
(Also, my kids accelerate aging WAY faster than protein does, LOL. Instant grey-hairs!)

 

I'm sorry for your loss....

 

Congrats curls. I live in Ottawa too. Which protein do you buy. I just started working out again and I am following your recipes

 

The Kaizen 100% whey isolate from Costco in vanilla flavour is really good for the price and quality and still tastes great!

 

Then please, explain Asian women and their secret to aging...

 

Update:
Met with my nephrologist (kidney specialist), who has had me on Diovan to lower my BP and the pressure in my kidneys (a result of high blood pressure) for the past 8+ years. I was on 80mg daily for the longest time, last year was bumped to 160mg daily (about the same time I reached my peak weight of nearly 238lbs on a 6'1.5" frame).
Since I started working out on the 27th of May of this year, as mentioned before, my weight has dropped significantly and I've been eating very clean, almost 100% non-processed foods. A direct result of this + the fish oil pills has meant my BP dropped to almost below-normal levels. I spoke with my nephrologist about 6 weeks ago and he bumped me back down to 80mg Diovan / day and asked me to monitor my BP daily at the gym pre-workout until our appointment just this past week.

Well, the appointment on Wednesday was a resounding success! My doctor, for the first time in over 8 years, has taken me off the Diovan altogether, as my blood pressure is within perfectly normal ranges, so giving my body more chemicals (meds) for no good reason is pointless!
I'm to monitor my BP daily for the next 4 weeks and do one more urine test (to check kidney function changes) in 4 weeks, but if all stays consistent, then I'm well on my way to beating this! Its technically a non-curable kidney disease, but he did say that my latest test results would never reveal I even had this in the first place... so for all intents and purposes, "cured"!!

 

Congrats!

 

Awesome!

 

That's excellent. As a society we need to stop popping pills and get off of our asses.

 

should have left the weight and booted winstrol!

 

Ha, nope , I'll never do steroids thanks.

 

I for one loved winstrol. If only I could get my hands on some these days. It's not the standard testosterone type roid...

 

I'm now on a 'clean bulk' program from my fitness consultant, in order to add some muscle mass while remaining stable or lowering BF%. Eating like a horse, but VERY VERY clean. Chicken, Beef, Fish for 4 meals a day, each with a low-GI veg and greens. On workout days, there's also a starch such as brown rice, or sweet potato there as well. Breakfast is bigger, with oats and protein powder and a fruit -- more of each on workout days (since I workout 1hr after breakfast, before work). Last meal of the day, around 9pm, is 1c fat-free greek yogurt with 8 almonds and some cinnamon. Yes, the meals are more boring and bland, but, the workouts are WAY more intense with much higher weights (going with a ramp-up 5x5's system, where the last 3 sets of each exercise are at my 5 rep max). Its kicking my ass but in a good way - I feel great and have lost another 4mm on my skinfold in my suprilical (belly button) and 3mm on my subscap (shoulderblade?) in the past 2 weeks, while gaining muscle already in the past 1 week. I'm really looking forward to my 1-month measurements after this shift in paradigm!

 

^nice!
see, eat more and lift heavier!!

 

Congrats go to Curls.
32 pounds is great but note in 3 months is even greater.
Your slow loss method is heather than my quick loss method
and combined with varied workouts is the key to added muscle growth.
Stay Protein weighted and low in Carbs {Sugar}.
Stay "clean" and don't fall off the wagon.
You are getting there - it just takes longer for muscle than lossing fat.
I do same but more as a 2 week quick loss course correction
and would love to do it slower as a behavior change as you do.

That bit about Asian Women, Protein, and age ... LMAO !!
I am married to Asian and have dated many.
They age, wrinkel, shrivel, and eat way too much carb rice.
There is only one thing you can trully say about Asian Women ...
They are tight and small down there and thats why so many American men want in on the Asian Experience.

 

Asian women love it in the ass.

 

amen

 

Not only women.... Asians look younger for a longer period of time. It spells genetic and caloric restriction; "old-fashion" Asians tend to eat a lot less than us, westerners.

BTW, I have been on caloric restriction for 3 years. I weight less than I did at 14yo and my morning blood pressure is 109/73 for a 44 yo male.

 

asian women look 12 until they are 30, then they magically look 400

 

^not funny.

 

Program adjustment / re-work coming up this weekend. So far I've lost another few mm on all skinfolds we measure, weight is about the same (+/- 2lbs each measurement), but overall strength is WAY up. So simple logic tells me I'm burning pounds of fat and replacing it with muscle at a pretty good rate! Deadlifts went from 150x5x5 to 235x5x5! That's about 24lbs more than my body weight at this point!
With an eye on my upcoming trip to Mexico with my wife (Jan 22-29), the plan is to go into a cutting phase between Dec 26th and Jan 21. This will be REALLY hard over the holidays as my mom bakes and cooks so much delicious stuff (and is an enabler - she'd force-feed everyone her baking if she had her way!). But I am comitted to getting through that and looking, hopefully, pretty ripped by mid-late January!!

 

So after my consult with my fitness consultant, this is my overall progress since June:

Down almost 8" on my waist, 4" on my hips, 3" on my chest ALL WHILE building muscle! the mm loss is even more telling (skin folds) - 4mm on my chest and tricep, 8mm on my side, 17 mm on my suprilical (love handles) and 10mm on my back.

(copied/pasted, changed "your" to "my", from her Facebook message to me).

New phase of the program focuses on still building mass but more plyometrics to accelerate fat burning. Also, some targeted muscles to give a good pumped look for the trip to Cancun in mid-late January.

This past 2 weeks was my most significant drop in skinfold (fat) measurements so far! And, I only did cardio ONCE in two weeks - the rest was eating proper and lifting hard and heavy.