Long story short; I got diagnosed with a nasty case of torticollis and a popped rib that has kept me from doing much in the way of upper body work with heavy weights. Actually, if you’re into compound squats and presses, it’s mighty painful, period; so other than some lighter resistance work, I’ve been following the Intermediate Program in the T-Nation article “Get Ripped. Get Walking” to keep myself as active as possible and work up a decent sweat.
My question is actually one of daily activity in relation to macronutrients, calories, and the program I’ve mentioned above. I use an IF calculator (I eat between noon and 8pm my time, and fast the rest of the time) to help approximate my macros and calories I should be getting in for fat loss, since I have a little on the old drum I want to get off before this limited activity makes matters any worse. That being said, your BMR, TDEE, etc., are based on the following activity levels:
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- Sedentary: little or no exercise, x1.2
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- Lightly Active: light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week, x1.375
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- Moderately Active: moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week, x1.55
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- Very Active: hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week, x1.725
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- Extra Active: very hard exercise/sports and physical job, x1.9
So in the context of the program, lets say I am doing the below as an example for the first two weeks:
Week 1
Day 1 - 3.5@2% 35’
Day 2 - 3.5@2% 35’
Day 3 - 3.5@2% 35’
Day 4 - 3.6@2% 35’
Week 2
Day 1 - 3.6@2.5% 37’
Day 2 - 3.6@3% 37’
Day 3 - 3.6@2.5% 37’
Day 4 - 3.7@2.5% 37’
I am doing each “Day” routine twice that day, since the article states that, at the Intermediate Level, you can “Perform cardio a minimum of four times a week with a maximum of eight times per week. It’s okay to perform cardio twice per day if necessary with a maximum of eight times per week.” I perform my 1st walk at 5:30 am, fasted. I perform my 2nd walk of the day during the 11am hour, fasted and immediately before I refeed for the day at noon.
This all being said, what would my activity level then be considered, by the walking routine alone? I don’t think I’d be quite at the sedentary level (although that’s what I’ve been using to be safe), but would I even be as high as, say, moderately active? Sorry if it seems like such an obvious question, but I’m probably reading into it too much. I look forward and am grateful for any insight from the forum. Thank you in advance.