Mertdawg 12 Weeks Program

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
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I posted my pics on the “Mertdawg Cutting” thread under “Physique and performance photos”

The consensus was that I needed to lose about 20 pounds (from 215-195) by eating more regularly, lowering carbs and junk food, and including energy system work: probably some version of interval training .

Also, most suggested that I need more in the upper traps, with differences of opinion about lats, erectors and arm flexors. I also considered working on calves and a little upper chest. It’s a lot to choose from, and I’ve got a week to plan the first stretch.

I plan to finish my current cycle next week and hit PRs in the 3 powerlifts 7 months after ACL replacement and just 12 weeks after starting to lift really heavy again. My PRs before surgery were 445, 345, 435 all legal (depth, pause) and no equipment. I should be right at or just above these next Saturday and then start my new program.

My Goals for 12 weeks are:

  1. Get bodyfat down to the 10-12% range. I’m not looking to get super ripped, but I want to get to a reasonable level that I can maintain long term. I want to look good and powerful.

  2. Get in real good shape. I have never done any real cardio, just 30 minutes fairly challenging on the upper/lower body exercise bike, and I used to run sprints of 40-100 yards (typically something like 15 50s) but am only getting back to running now after surgery. I’d like to be able to run a 60 second quarter mile, but don’t know if its reasonable. I want to be light on my feet.

  3. Maintain muscle. Give my shoulders, and triceps a rest from heavy pressing and REDUCE the frequency of heavy spinal loading of squats for a while, but I feel fine with Back Arching like goodmornings or even deadlifts. And build my weaknesses.

  4. I’d also like to get back some of my functional flexibility

I want to plan the first 4 weeks now.
For diet, I plan to eat at least 5 times a day and fluctuate my carbs between 60, 100 and 200 grams. I was basically going to eat about 5 cups of full fat cottage cheese over the course of the day (1200 cals, 130 grams of protein) mix up lots of new and different fresh vegetables in a mixer and eat of it over the course of the day, (kind of like a salsa) and add in fresh meat, fish and or eggs and walnuts to fill out 2000-2200 calories and about 200 grams of protein per day.

For the workouts, this is my current plan:

Day 1: There’s a 100 yard “hill” at the park with about a 10-15% grade. I will run up the hill and walk down. I’m gunning for 10 trips on week 1 and then trying to increase each weak over the first month. Stretching between runs, or maybe doing stretch/lunges on the way down the hill.

Day 2: Snatch grip deadlifts 4 x 6
Pullups: short sets until I total 30.
Shrugs: Same as pullups.
EZ preacher Curls with bands: 10 x 3 HEAVY

Day 3: Interval cycling: 1 minute hard, 3 minutes slow for 40 minutes

Day 4:
Incline cable crossovers supersetted with Incline dumbell presses 2 hard sets.
Strict cable rows with peak contraction 5 x 10

Day 5: Off or Brisk 30 minute walk

Day 6: Same as day 2, or heavier for fewer reps

Day 7: Off or Brisk walk

I know its a lot.

ANY Suggestions for the first 4 weeks?
Thanks all!

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And also shoulder horn and calf raises on day 4. And stretching “off” days. I meant its a lot to read through, not necessarily a lot of volume.

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if i was you i would do one of the bazillion programs in the archives.

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mertdawg, when you talk about giving yourself a rest from the heavy pressing I assume you mean mostly horizontal movements? if so, you may want to include some Dips as a good vertical movement on Day 4 to complement the pullups on Day 2.

Also, for weak points perhaps CW’s 100 reps as a complement to your energy system days.

After your first four weeks, I would recommend looking at a more balanced program like CW’s SOB,SFM, Waterbury Method, or CT’s Training for Fat Loss.

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Hey mertdawg, I wish u luck on ur cutting phase. I hope you will keep some type of log like CT’s V-diet.

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I will! It will force me to be honest. My biggest problems now are

  1. not eating enough early in the day
  2. not eating postworkout
  3. Waking up and eating in the early morning hours probably because of cortisol because I don’t eat properly post workout.

But I’m really scared about Cardio at this point. I have never run more that a 600 meters in my life. The only way I’ve ever “painlessly” gotten into shape before was to play pickup basketball, but 7 months post surgury, I think I need to run in a straight line first.

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[quote]mertdawg wrote:
I will! It will force me to be honest. My biggest problems now are

  1. not eating enough early in the day
  2. not eating postworkout
  3. Waking up and eating in the early morning hours probably because of cortisol because I don’t eat properly post workout.

But I’m really scared about Cardio at this point. I have never run more that a 600 meters in my life. The only way I’ve ever “painlessly” gotten into shape before was to play pickup basketball, but 7 months post surgury, I think I need to run in a straight line first.[/quote]

Your program looks extremely well-thought out and should meet your needs very well.
As far as not wanting to eat early in the day stopping the middle of the night eating should solve this. If you’re still not hungry talk a short, brisk walk right when you wake up. Post-workout nutrition should be a breeze–an apple juice and beef jerky from a convenience store may not be perfect but it is simple carbs and protein.
As far as never having run over 600 meters in your life, just add intervals at a sensible pace and you’ll be fine.

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[quote]Axel wrote:
mertdawg wrote:
Your program looks extremely well-thought out and should meet your needs very well.
As far as not wanting to eat early in the day stopping the middle of the night eating should solve this. If you’re still not hungry talk a short, brisk walk right when you wake up. Post-workout nutrition should be a breeze–an apple juice and beef jerky from a convenience store may not be perfect but it is simple carbs and protein.
As far as never having run over 600 meters in your life, just add intervals at a sensible pace and you’ll be fine.
[/quote]

Well, I won some Surge on the last “beat our caption.” It only took oh 20 or so entries. I’ll try that. Also, I think Surge is “basically” 25 grams of whey protein mixed with the equivalent of 2 servings of powdered Gatoraide in those little tubs, + minerals. I may try to mix up my own. I also think its real inportant for me to get AA’s into my bloodstream before a workout so I’m going to have 2 cups of cottage cheese about 90 minutes pre-workout so the insulin effect of the surge will pull-em in. Does this make sense to do this?

If I am really cutting, and considering that my diet was poor (except high in protein before) is the 50 grams of carbs post workout going to hurt my fat loss efforts? I really feel the the nutritional key for me is to get my muscles recovered as fast as possible from a workout before I go to sleep so that I don’t have a cortisol rush at night and need to eat. I probably have been eating 1000 cals every “night” at 1-2 AM just to help me get back to sleep. This can’t be good. I was going to buy Low-Carb Grow! but its out of stock, so I’ll stick with cottage cheese. I can get a 20 cup container for $5.99 from the bulk food store.

Any comments? I’m really open to suggestions and I want to hit it on all cyllinders come next sunday.

Thanks.

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If I am really cutting, and considering that my diet was poor (except high in protein before) is the 50 grams of carbs post workout going to hurt my fat loss efforts? I really feel the the nutritional key for me is to get my muscles recovered as fast as possible from a workout before I go to sleep so that I don’t have a cortisol rush at night and need to eat. I probably have been eating 1000 cals every “night” at 1-2 AM just to help me get back to sleep. This can’t be good. I was going to buy Low-Carb Grow! but its out of stock, so I’ll stick with cottage cheese. I can get a 20 cup container for $5.99 from the bulk food store.

Any comments? I’m really open to suggestions and I want to hit it on all cyllinders come next sunday.

Thanks.[/quote]

Have you been checking out Chris Shugart’s Velocity Diet? He lost a bunch of weight and he had post workout carbs so I can’t imagine it will hurt you.
For a guy getting 1,000 calories in the middle of the night you’re doing great–get rid of that, start hasving a good breakfast and a healthy snack/meal two hours or so after that and you should drop that 20 with a minumum of suffering.