Conditioning Plateu (Highly Detailed)

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

So I have finally decided to post on a forum. I decided I will only ask for other peopleâ??s time when I deserve it. Now training for almost 16 months around 10 months (properly â?? you know what I mean). So the problem: I am trying to get to a lean sub 10% body fat. Once I get there, I can maintain that whilst growing â?? albeit slowly (Iâ??m not for extreme bulk an cuts) BUT I seem to have hit a plateu. I just canâ??t lose that stubborn bit of belly fat. Below is what I am doing and have been now for many months.

Diet (Following Layne Nortonâ??s Ultimate Cutting Diet ratios)
7.30 - Breakfast (Porridge): 40g Oats, 50g Whey (P: 40, C: 35, F:4)
10.30 â?? Meal 2 (Chicken & Broccoli): 150g Chicken Breast, 100g Broc (P:40, C:6, F: 3)
13.30 â?? Meal 3 (Same as Above)
16.00 â?? Pre Workout (Chicken & Broc, banana, apple), (P:44, C: 60, F: 3)
18.00 - During Workout (40g Whey & 30g Maltodextrin), (P:35, C:37, F:1)
20.00- Post Workout (Chkn & Broc & Brown Rice) Same as above and 70g B.Rice (P:47, C:50,F:5)
Total:
Protein: 250g, Carbs:195g, Fats: 65g Total Cals 2200.

Training Below: (I follow this to the letter)

Monday Legs:
Squats (5 reps 3 sets), Leg Press (15x3), Quad Raises (15x3), Calf Raises (15 x 3), Ham Curls (15 x3).

Tuesday Shoulders & Core:
Arnold Press (15x 3), [Super Set x 3] Front Raise & Side Raise (15 x 3), Shrugs (15 x 3), [SSx3] Hanging Leg Raises (failure) & Med Ball Slams (20)

Wednesday Back & Biceps:
Deadlifts (5x3), [SS x 3] Pullups (Failure) & Bent over Barbell Row (15), [SS x 3] Low Row & Band Pull-Aparts. Twisting
Bicep Curls (15 x 3)

Thursday Cricket Training:
Consider this HIIT Training 2 hours elapsed time, about 30 min of actual effort.

Friday Chest & Tri

Bench Press (5x3) , [SSx3] Decline Dumbell Flys(15) & Press ups(Failure), Cable Crossovers (15 x 3), [SS x 3] Lying Tricep Extensions & Skull Crushers.

Saturday Match Day. Sunday Rest.

Supplements:
Fish Oil (Omega 3 & 9) - 1 pill twice daily.
CLAâ??s - 1 pill 3 times daily.
BCAAâ??s â?? 2 pills twice daily.
Iâ??ve tried pre workout supplement Jack3d and found just listening to the right music beforehand was more effective.

STATS:
Height 5ft 9, 176 pounds 12% BF
1 rep Max (Converted from Kilo to Pounds)
Bench: 192 (I F****d up my rotator cuff whilst â??noobishlyâ?? benching on the smiths machine.)
Squat : 264 (Below Parallel)
Deadlift: 375

For me this is not some short term fix, itâ??s a new lifestyle and one I am proud to say despite what others think.
So thatâ??s it, thanks in advance.

2

Anyone!..anything?

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if this is what you do to a “T”. You might want to ask yourself if this is how people generally drop below 10%BF.

I don’t see any real cardio. You still have tons of starches and carbs in your diet. And Cricket is not HIIT training.

Start reading some of the articles on this site by the gurus on how to drop BF.

4

How important is the need for cardio? i.e. does cardio have a unique quality towards burning fat over weight training?

I haven’t included cardio as my research so far suggests resistance training is better at burning fat and keeping it off. Therefore wouldn’t it be better to spend those extra 20min or whatever I am going to on cardio and just increase each exercise by a set?

Thanks for your response, I’ll keep reading & get back to the drawing board with nutrition.

P.S. Cricket, fast bowling in particular is HIIT. I challenge anyone to sprint 20-25 yards, then explode into your bowling action (propelling a cricket ball as fast as you possibly can), walk back to your mark and repeat…at least 60 times. If your not blowing after that session then you didn’t work hard enough :stuck_out_tongue:

5

I would say don’t follow that workout to a T anymore. Maybe you’ve adapted. Time to “deload” and change it up a bit.
I don’t see any “anti-core” area work. Do some Pallof presses, suitcase carries, farmer’s walks.
Try some work with the stability ball - ham curls, bridges, DB press off the ball instead of a bench.
Do some unilateral training - do some one arm cable rows or overhead presses.
Try some split stance variations, one leg work. Make your body work.

Find the 5 exercise you hate the most… and plan your workout around them.
Maybe you hate them because you suck at them? Or they exploit your weaknesses? Try some cardio?

To sum it up: Move inefficiently, do things you don’t do well, you’ll work harder, you burn kcal. In the process, you get stronger and set PRs as well.

6

@Powell - So your saying just up the cals burnout even more. About 2 months ago I did the above routine but without super setting exercises. Added the SS to make things a little tougher…I guess I need to go up one more.

Any comments on the diet, ‘Shibboleth’ mentioned removing the starchy carbs…does an apple and banana make a big difference, especially since it’s pre workout? Would i be better served replacing the fruits with a pre-workout supplements i.e. HOT-ROX, SuperPump?

Thanks again.

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NO. I mean replace a few lifts with some different exercises. Change, don’t add. Keep the major core lifts but switch up the accessory lifts. Use different equipment.
Also consider sprints…

[quote]Any comments on the diet, ‘Shibboleth’ mentioned removing the starchy carbs…does an apple and banana make a big difference, especially since it’s pre workout? Would i be better served replacing the fruits with a pre-workout supplements i.e. HOT-ROX, SuperPump?

Thanks again.[/quote]

The primary sugar in fruit is fructose, which is low on the glycemic index. This means it takes a while to break down. So it will keep your blood sugar a little more consistent. Maybe not the quick energy you’re looking for. However, you don’t want something that is going to spike and crash half way through the workout. Experiment with foods with some different types of sugars and supplements with different mixes, amino acids, etc.

Don’t cut out too many carbs, you need to restore that glycogen. Get some carbs with your protein post-workout; it will restore as well as help the protein processes.

And for the love of strength, stop eating chicken and broc all day, every day! Mix up the vegetables; you could be losing essential vitamins and minerals eating the same things over and over. You need variety.

8

Hey thanks for further breaking that down.

I do have the odd steak and or change broccoli for spinach. I could have added this info above but then I would need to give you a 7 day diet review and tbh no one wants to read that - but the bulk of the above is what I do approx 95%.

I’ve never really done sprinting…when do you advise I do it esp in my plan above? Thursday and Saturday are training/match days, leaving me just sunday off and rest is very important. Post workout cannot be right, therefore leaving me with early morning sprints or change to a 3/day split…how would you do it?

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You could do a few in the morning. Or consider putting it in a warm-up/pre-workout, just be careful with that pre-work meal. And avoid days when you might be sore (like possibly Tuesday). Not Monday since that’s a heavy leg day. Maybe a warm-up for Wednesday?
You don’t want to do a whole session. Try 3-5 20 m sprints.

10

Sprints actually would work very well after a leg day, heavy or not. Your legs will be as warmed up as they are going to get. Interval work is also a good option. Cardio is very useful toward fat loss. I was Bod Pod’d at 20% BF this past May, at a bodyweight of 212. I Bod Pod’d again today at 13% at 207. Difference? I was doing basically just lifting, no consistent conditioning and not eating very strict. Not horrible, but not strict. Took a few weeks off around my move (NOLA to VA), and then the last 2 months have been 3 days lifting, 3 days conditioning(mainly intervals) each week, while also cutting back on carbs.

5 pounds lighter, 7%BF lost, 10 pounds more fat-free mass(from the Bod Pod printout).

So yes, I would highly recommend more running/sprinting/cardio of some kind.

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Whatever, I have seen people play cricket before. It might get you winded, but it is NOT high intensity.

Lifting is the fun stuff. It is not as metabolically demanding as most people would have you think. Try some road work with sprints or plain cardio. Try max HR conditioning with a kettlebell. Try working barbell complexes as finishers. If you are trying to lose fat, and you aren’t sweating THAT much, you are doing it wrong.

12

Sprints after Leg Day, seriously? I struggle to walk up the stairs to for a nice stretch on the lovely mats!!

As a small update to you guys, I have taken one meal out (latest research suggests 3-4hr gaps between meals is better for you). And sporadically added a 20min cardio (Bike) before bed. Result: the weight is dropping off again and I look a little more ripped in the mirror.

*I’ll ignore the cricket comment; try playing it then comeback to me.

Thanks all for replying.

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Early morning walking on treadmill BEFORE eating breakfast… increase pace/ incline every 5 min
you could also do some tabata intervals with calithenics, jump rope, or kettlebell for say 5-10 min then do the walk…all before eating