Hi, I have just finished bulking from 180 pounds to 220, I am happy with the muscle i have gained but my fitness has taken a big dive and it really shows when playing sports.
Goal number one is to get my fitness and speed back, Goal number two is to lean up a little now, prob about 15% bf up from 10, would like to get back to this figure.
Main question is should i just continue to eat exactly the same and add in some sprint work or do i need to eat differently to avoid losing muscle? Should I up my protein or just ensure I take carbs on before cardio? Anything else that may be beneficial?
Sprinting is great. That alone will have a big impact on your body comp and sports performance. Dont expect to magically shave seconds off your 40 time just by doing it. Excess fat will always hold back your speed potential. But adding in sprinting is a better route then dropping calories immediately or doing low intensity stuff IF your goal is atheletic performance improvement withouth a drastic drop in bodyweight.
I used to do 10 max sprints after a lot of warming up and other calisthenics. Started with a 30yd. 2 60s. 2 80s. 4 40s and 100yd. I didnt do 10 max sprints ont he first day, obviously.
Carb cycling is good. Main “rules” to keep in mind is take carbs medium-high around more active times (e.g. don’t take them when idle like in the evening, unless workouts are late, and on days off).
If you’re not after drastic cuts in fat, then I’d take in just over maintenance calories and do what you said; add in some interval training. You will have to cut calories a little bit, let alone increase them (LOL) - if you’ve been gaining on current intake, then a little cardio won’t outdo it.
If I want to recomp, I take in just over 3500 cals per day along with HIIT twice a week.
Reducing rest periods between sets is another good option…