Bigger Stronger

Training Logs
1

Hey been lifting for general fitness for some time. I’m in my late 30s and have lifted on again/off again since my 20s. I’ve currently been lifting 3 days a week for the last 3 years, with very few (less than 10) missed sessions.

That said, my current focus is leaning down before a clean bulk. I’m eating keto and have been for 4 weeks. I was eating low calorie below maintenance previously.

I want to stay Keto but my gains (losses) are flattening out and test strips are showing me out of Keto more than in. I don’t want to put the effort forward to not eating carbs and be out + my lifts are suffering.

Enter stage left this log - I’m hoping to log my eating/training and dial it in more specifically I think my flattening out of keto and weight loss has to do with an ill-tracked diet. I hope to iron that out here.

As the title says my goals are simple, get bigger, get stronger. However, life isn’t that simple nor is it that black and white. I want to keep a BF ideally that hovers around 10% which I’m currently (I’m guessing) about 15ish. So, right now the goal is to lean out, then clean bulk which I’ll expect will be a pattern. Currently I think because of my eating, my lifts are lighter and suffering some.

I weigh on Monday morning after the gym my weights have been as follows:

3/27 215.8
4/3 213.0
4/10 212.8
4/17 209.8

(4/20)

599×600 301 KB

4/19

Training

5min warm up run
Seated box jump holding 25# 6x3
Squats to 3 rep max, 3x 275
Bench up-to 3 rep max then back down to 75% 3x8
Chest supported rows (on machine) 75# 5x12
Hammer curls 3x15 25#
Rope pushdowns 80# 3x15

Eating

Pre-workout: (Advocare spark)
Breakfast: 4 whole eggs scrambled 1/2 cup sharp cheddar (whole) one table spoon sour cream (whole) 3 fish oil pills / multi vitamin Coffee x 3 with half/half
Lunch: one can tuna
Snack: half cup sharp cheddar (whole), 6oz chicken breast
Dinner: Salad 10oz steak, 1/2 avocado, oil sautéd fajita vegetables

Resting

9hours 20 minutes

2

4/20
Training:

Rest Day

Eating:
Breakfast: 4 eggs scrambled with cheese.
Lunch/snack: 2 cans of tuna
Snack: 2 oz cracker-barrel pepper jack cheese 4oz rotisserie chicken
Dinner: 6oz chicken, 1 table spoon sour cream, 1/2 cup salsa

Resting: 6 hours

4/21

Training

Bench to 3 rep max (crap crap crap bench) 185x3 - I’d expected 3x225
Decline bench 2x10 125
Lat Pull-down 80# 3x12
Pushup on ball 3x8 (4 right side 4 left side)
Cable push down 120# 2x4
Cable overhead pull 2x8
6 min treadmill cardio

Eating

Pre-workout: (Advocare spark)
Breakfast: 4 whole eggs scrambled 1/2 cup sharp cheddar (whole), 1/2 cup salsa (whole) 3 fish oil pills / multi vitamin Coffee x 3 with half/half
Lunch: one can tuna
Snack: one can tuna
Dinner: 2 cups kungpo chicken of and 1 cup of beef and broccoli

Resting 6 hours

3

I’m not 100% sure of what you are saying with that first sentence, but I’m assuming that your weight loss is slowing down. That might be just water fluctuation or it may be a weight loss plateau. It may be that your body is worn out from the long dieting process and training, having a lighter week and eating a bit more for a couple of day / having a refeed day on carbs may help you. (Or you could just continue dieting and your weight may start movinfg down again in a couple of days/weeks)

If it’s that you muscles look flat, it’s because of the lack if carbs. Your glycogen stores are empty and that makes your muscles look flat.

Now for the issue of being out of keto.
You may be eating too much protein to be in ketosis, so you could try to lower your protein intake and upping your fat intake. (Try to take 65-70& of your calories from fat)

Oh yeah, and green tea. Lot’s of it. Green tea increases the amount of energy that your body draws from fat compared to carbs.

Sorry if my post is a bit unclear, I’ve had a long day.
Hope this helps