One Month

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

For a while I’ve been trying to make minor dietary changes to lose some fat. When I saw Dan John say “Fat loss isn’t a long term goal,” I decided to take a month and see what I could do.

I began last Friday at 6’1", 218 pounds. Waist measurement: 40". Right bicep: 15.5", left bicep: 15.25".

After a week, I’m down to 214 pounds.
Measurements are the same except let bicep 15.5"

I’m on a low-carb diet with about 2100 calories a day. Two of my meals each day come in liquid form. Here’s a typical day:

Training Day:
6 am: 2 scoops Grow! Whey, 1/2 tsp creatine, 2 Flameout, 2 fiber, heaping tspn instant coffee, ice and water.

9 am – 1/2 pound chicken, two cups broccoli or cauliflower. 2 citrucel fiber caps, 2 (non-Flameout) fish oil caps.

I take 1 Max-strength HOT-ROX before lunch.

Noon – 2 scoops Grow! Whey shaken in water. 2 caps citrucel, 2 non-F fish oil, multivitamin

3 pm – 1/2 pound ground turkey, two cups broccoli or cauliflower

6 pm – same as 9 and 3

9 pm – 3-4 eggs.

On training days, everything is the same except one of my liquid meals is Surge. I shoot to start with 24 oz of liquid, and drink 2 oz just before, 6 oz. during, and 16 oz. after.

The first few days, I shot for 200 oz of water throughout the day, and came close to that. As a result, I rapidly dropped to 214#. Since then I’ve fluctuated.

Three evenings, I went out for dinner and got a chicken salad. As a result, I skipped both my six and 9 pm meals.

Routes to dietary improvement seem obvious: less days going out for dinner, and drink more water again. I respond well when I do those things. Anybody have any other advice?

In terms of training, I have done ABBH. First week went pretty well. The 5X10 with chins and dips was practically impossible for me with my 15RM. Almost every set, I stopped and changed the weight in the middle(used a chin/dip assist machine).

Even so, I’m feeling pretty good. A little sore, as expected, but the Surge helps a lot. Generally I’m more sore two days after a workout than that day or the day after. Not surprising that my body could use some more carbs.

Training changes this week: I think ABBH is doable. This morning will mark my first workout of the second week. I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep up with the progressions he recommends, but I’ll give it a shot.

I am doing the first two days of training in a row, so as to make the routine 7 days long.

This week, I will add in some type of sprinting workout on two of my off days. I think I’ll shoot for 4 400m sprints, with 2 minute rest intervals.

So, 2100 low-carb calories, much Flameout, much water, a little HOT-ROX, ABBH, and soon a small amount of 400m sprints.

I’d appreciate any advice.

2

More fat and cut back on the fiber supps a little bit, or at least check to make sure there isn’t much/any sugar in them. But mostly, up the fat content with some almonds, walnuts, and olive oil.

3

Thanks, Doug. I appreciate the feedback.

I am curious why you say more fat? I’m getting about 60 g, including eggs, Flameout, and other fish oil (taken with every meal). And since I’m low-carbing, increasing fat while keeping calories at the level I want means dropping protein. Still think I should do it?

About the fiber, citrucel doesn’t list the info, so I don’t know, but I figure since they’re swallowable and don’t list any nutritional information, the caloric content is probably low. I’ll keep an eye out for that next time I buy. Good tip.

4

I don’t know about you, but I can’t maintain a full on sprint for 400m (unless was being chased by an angry T-rex I suppose). I like to do shorter, more intense sprints. Really just a personal preference I guess, but here’s a few other ideas

Dan John’s Litvisprints workout:
KB/DB swings, squats, snatches, bb front squats, snatches, etc… whatever you like for say 8-15 reps, then drop the weight and sprint up a hill as hard as you can for time (start with like 5 or 10 seconds, you’d be surprised how long it feels). Just search for litvinov on here and you’ll find the article.

or a sort of fartlek on a track:
start midway on the straight part. sprint to the start of the turn, run the turn at 3/4 pace, jog halfway down the straight, drop and do a set of pushups, situps, squat jumps, burpees, etc… whatever you want, then repeat. These are fun if you’re getting bored of normal sprints because you can mix it up a bit. Sometimes I’ll only use half the track, and switch directions each time I stop. This way I’m doing the turn in both directions. Sometimes I’ll sprint the turn and jog the straights, etc… whatever you want to do, just keep going for the alotted time, say 10 or 15 minutes or what have you.

or, if I don’t feel like thinking or doing anything complex, I’ll just do 100m sprints, jog back, 30s rest, repeat. Same for 200m, but with a full minute rest after the jog back.

Just some ideas for ya, good luck man, I’m in the same boat, trying to low carb it and drop so fat for rugby season.

5

Thanks, Modd3r. Sorry I didn’t reply for awhile – went away for the beginning of the weekend.

Litvisprints are a very good idea. I’ve done it before – with DB snatches, and thought it was a great workout. I will keep that in mind for down the road, to use as a conditioning drill. I think the athletic benefits are great – first you have a muscular challenge, then a full sprint. That translates well to fighting for a rebound, then running the court, or blocking someone and going out for a pass, or a lot like that.

That said, I think I will stick with just running 400s. Keeps it simple, and the more decisions I get to make with my cardio, and the more equipment I need to take with me, the more of a hassle it is and less likely I am to do it.

TC wrote an article a long time ago about the benefits of running 50m. Sprints are great for body composition in general, but I’ll take Christian’s word about the 400s.