Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below
yeah, yeah....whew. Things are just nuts around here. Onebreath and I went away for a few days to attend the 09' Alzheimer's Public Policy Forum. My mother suffers from the disease as did my grandmother.
I've been adjusting my workouts - I'll try to post up over the weekend and give you guys a peak at what I'm doing. Similar to below with just a few tweaks. I'm down 7lbs and 18% bf. My trunk tested 12% bf while my lower body was a whopping 30%!!!
Feeling a little stuck here lately so I'm lowering my cals just a bit starting today.
I am up way too late. I hope to spend some time on EF Friday
I miss you guys....
Time to post up. I'm on week 5 going on 6 of my cutting cycle. My weight has been stuck a bit lately (mostly water retention) but took my bf today and I'm sitting at 128lbs, 15% bf: 7% core, 14% arms, 26% lower body.
Apparently some recomp is happening as I have not lost enough "weight" for my bf to be that low. 7 more weeks until the photo shoot is tentatively planned. 6 weeks out I'll start a "peaking" diet and routine.
Here are the tweaks in my workouts that I mentioned in my last post:
4 strength days a week (push/pull split) alternating heavy, medium and light lifting. 45 minutes morning complexes and cardio followed by an afternoon strength session and 2 - 3 days conditioning as noted in a previous post. The conditioning sessions and complexes allow me to hold on to my muscle while still getting in tons of cardio. Some weeks I take the 7th day off if needed to recover. Some weeks I work right through it.
Strength 1 Supersets: First move is done at 6r heavy, 10r medium, or 15r light while the second move is done at 15 - 20 reps
Squat and walking lunges
Standing shoulder press, behind neck and DB front & rear delt pull combo
DB chest press at slight incline and cable flyes
Glute press and reverse hypers
Tricep pullover press combo and decline press
Strength 2 Supersets
Deadlifts and Plie squat to toes
Pullup and pushups
Plie Upright rows (olympic style) and DB swings
Hip extensions and step ups
Zottman curls to failure 3x
Now that my core bf% is down I have added abs back in 3 or 4 days a week.
Diet is going good. Reduced my cals a little again on non strength days and am timing carbs around natural insulin spikes (morning, before and after workouts). Next cut will be 5 even cal meals with macros in place.
I'm finalizing my peak now, I'll post up once I have it all concrete.
Hope everyone is well! Competition season is upon us - good luck to all you gals/guys competing this year.
Apparently some recomp is happening as I have not lost enough "weight" for my bf to be that low. 7 more weeks until the photo shoot is tentatively planned. 6 weeks out I'll start a "peaking" diet and routine.
Here are the tweaks in my workouts that I mentioned in my last post:
4 strength days a week (push/pull split) alternating heavy, medium and light lifting. 45 minutes morning complexes and cardio followed by an afternoon strength session and 2 - 3 days conditioning as noted in a previous post. The conditioning sessions and complexes allow me to hold on to my muscle while still getting in tons of cardio. Some weeks I take the 7th day off if needed to recover. Some weeks I work right through it.
Strength 1 Supersets: First move is done at 6r heavy, 10r medium, or 15r light while the second move is done at 15 - 20 reps
Squat and walking lunges
Standing shoulder press, behind neck and DB front & rear delt pull combo
DB chest press at slight incline and cable flyes
Glute press and reverse hypers
Tricep pullover press combo and decline press
Strength 2 Supersets
Deadlifts and Plie squat to toes
Pullup and pushups
Plie Upright rows (olympic style) and DB swings
Hip extensions and step ups
Zottman curls to failure 3x
Now that my core bf% is down I have added abs back in 3 or 4 days a week.
Diet is going good. Reduced my cals a little again on non strength days and am timing carbs around natural insulin spikes (morning, before and after workouts). Next cut will be 5 even cal meals with macros in place.
I'm finalizing my peak now, I'll post up once I have it all concrete.
Hope everyone is well! Competition season is upon us - good luck to all you gals/guys competing this year.
I couldn't be anymore frustrated. I'm back up to 132lbs (started at 135 7 weeks ago and was down to 126). Bodyfat is the same overall - 15% but has shifted. 5% core -, 12% arms -, 29% legs +. Gained 3lbs of muscle (which I AM NOT trying to do). My weight fluctuates daily.
I'm not able to recover from my workouts with the low calories so I have had to rethink my training. I'm now doing 1 upper and 1 lower body day with 2 body blast sessions (12 - 14 movements, high rep, light weight, full body, done as a circuit). 4 days of 45 minutes cardio. So far I am feeling much better.
I did up my calories over the weekend and it helped tremendously. I feel 100% better except my spirits. I'm utterly frustrated that I can't control this. I can't even fathom having to do this for another 7 weeks. I should know better - I coach people on this all the time. It is a little different when it is yourself that needs motivating! LOL. I have to take some time to really look back over the last 4 weeks. Something changed. The first 3 weeks were clock work as usual. Then, I started to fluctuate weight like crazy on a daily basis.
I'll hang in there - I'll update in another week.
I'm not able to recover from my workouts with the low calories so I have had to rethink my training. I'm now doing 1 upper and 1 lower body day with 2 body blast sessions (12 - 14 movements, high rep, light weight, full body, done as a circuit). 4 days of 45 minutes cardio. So far I am feeling much better.
I did up my calories over the weekend and it helped tremendously. I feel 100% better except my spirits. I'm utterly frustrated that I can't control this. I can't even fathom having to do this for another 7 weeks. I should know better - I coach people on this all the time. It is a little different when it is yourself that needs motivating! LOL. I have to take some time to really look back over the last 4 weeks. Something changed. The first 3 weeks were clock work as usual. Then, I started to fluctuate weight like crazy on a daily basis.
I'll hang in there - I'll update in another week.
mommalu
New member
Hang in there ironwings
[[hugs]] and don't be so hard on yourself(as you always tell me) My weight also fluctuates from day to day, but look at your progress. As one breath said...You look amazing. I think you need to post up so we can be the judge on how you look.
Damn, IW! I know how frustrating that can be. I don't think this is the time to up your calories. However, I don't know what your macros are, lol!
Can you tell me what your macros are? since you don't want to show me a pic..
Hang in there, this can be done. Don't stress too much over it. It distorts reality quite a bit. I want you to know this is what I go through at the end of comp. Stress, unsure, I feel I look terrible, etc. So, I'd say is kind of normal. That said your weight fluctuation is not making me happy.
You know what is funny? I think I wrote about this in Girl Talk "Body Image Disorders" by Nef. We become obsessed with our bodies and for me personally the more I focus on it the more obsessed I become. I was more confident at 145lbs and 20% bodyfat. Now, although I look completely different, I don't even like to take my shirt off. (for those of you that know me, I'd typically prefer to be naked all the time ;-)Hang in there ironwings
My frustration is completely associated with the activity of the mind. I can see that I look completely different. But, I look in the mirror and see a different picture of what I thought I would look like with the extreme effort I was putting into it. Instead of focusing on the now and following through my plan one step at a time, I'm consumed with the future and figuring out what is/isn't working. I have to disengage from my mind. I have to accept what my body is doing, learn from it, and adjust as necessary.
My weight fluctuation could be a million things. I think if nothing else my frustration for 3 weeks now is probably the main culprit. Perhaps my mind plays tricks on me. Perhaps my calorie deficit is too low. Perhaps my mind says "f#@* it" and unconsciuosly I eat more than I record.
Thanks mommalu for the motivation. Yes, I always tell you to not be hard on yourself. Loving yourself has to come first. I would just love a leaner person right now ;-) LOL
I'm staying on track. I'm raising my cals back up to 1800 and doing a little carb cycling (when I dropped them is when I started experiencing the fluctuations) and my training is geared towards not putting on muscle but rather preserving it and leaning out.
I'll keep you updated. My camera broke a couple months ago - I'll replace it soon and post some pics. Maybe that would help me too.
love you guys...
LOL
I'm working on macros now. I get overwhelmed completely when I track them so it has been the last thing on my mind. Being in calorie deficit typically gets me through the first 10lbs or so. I planned to be macro conscious my last 6 weeks as to not get too lean. Here are my planned macros as of current:
(I cycle for my activity for the day)
Upper body training
1/4gr fat/lb 32.5
1 gr carb/lb 130
1 gr pro/lb 130
Lower body training
1/4 g fat/lb 32.5
1/2gr carb/lb 65
1.5gr pro/lb 195
conditioning training days
1/4gr fat/lb 32.5
1.5gr carb/lb 195
1 gr pro/lb 130
This puts me around 1550 calories. I seemed to do best on 1800 (maintenance for me is 2100-2300). I'm burning on average between 450 ( 2x week) and 700 (4x week) calories 6 days/week during training. Over the weekend I ate at 1900 for two days and I feel MUCH better now (and my weight is down a lb). For the past 7 weeks I've been eating 130 - 150 carbs a day though (too high).
Thoughts Thandie? I'm thankful my body fat % has stayed the same during my weight gain but something has to give.
I'm working on macros now. I get overwhelmed completely when I track them so it has been the last thing on my mind. Being in calorie deficit typically gets me through the first 10lbs or so. I planned to be macro conscious my last 6 weeks as to not get too lean. Here are my planned macros as of current:
(I cycle for my activity for the day)
Upper body training
1/4gr fat/lb 32.5
1 gr carb/lb 130
1 gr pro/lb 130
Lower body training
1/4 g fat/lb 32.5
1/2gr carb/lb 65
1.5gr pro/lb 195
conditioning training days
1/4gr fat/lb 32.5
1.5gr carb/lb 195
1 gr pro/lb 130
This puts me around 1550 calories. I seemed to do best on 1800 (maintenance for me is 2100-2300). I'm burning on average between 450 ( 2x week) and 700 (4x week) calories 6 days/week during training. Over the weekend I ate at 1900 for two days and I feel MUCH better now (and my weight is down a lb). For the past 7 weeks I've been eating 130 - 150 carbs a day though (too high).
Thoughts Thandie? I'm thankful my body fat % has stayed the same during my weight gain but something has to give.
Do you brake your macros according to what body part you're training? Your body doesn't know where to go. You're sending different messages and directions. That's good for training, but not dieting.
The reason for the fluctuation is because you're fluctuating your macros too frequently.
You can stay with the 1500 calories or a bit lower since you are cutting. You need to burn fat at this point. However, stay consistent with your protein. Stay consistent with your fat and carbs increase it by anywhere from 25 to 50 ONCE PER WEEK. This alone is what's going to keep your metabolism high and fast. I'm hoping others are not trying to copy this. THIS is for YOU since I know what you're trying to achieve and know how hard you work.
Can you also let me know in a couple of days how is going. I usually need a week to figure out someone's metabolic rate. I also haven't seen you. So, I NEED feedback. From here I can adjust it, but let me know. Also, on your feedback, I need an exact count of macros. Pro/carbs/fat.
Are you drinking a gallon of water. The water will make you lean and hard.
Don't cut your salt out (some people do that) Not at this point.
Can you also tell me what you're eating?
Tatyana
Elite Mentor
When I ran high, mid and low carb days with similar amounts of carbs, it drove me absolutely bonkers.
I also found that on high carb days I craved fat and on low carb days I craved carbs.
I find that a more moderate approach to carb cycling, never going below 100 g/carbs day (and I count everything, even veg), moderate carbs of 150 g/day and high carbs of 200 g/day worked really well.
Really, with the natural variation in food, I think getting too technical/precise can be a really disempowering thing.
I am not dieting or full on training now. I might have to start a journal just as a more moderate balance thing, as we do seem to have hard core journals most of the time.
I also found that on high carb days I craved fat and on low carb days I craved carbs.
I find that a more moderate approach to carb cycling, never going below 100 g/carbs day (and I count everything, even veg), moderate carbs of 150 g/day and high carbs of 200 g/day worked really well.
Really, with the natural variation in food, I think getting too technical/precise can be a really disempowering thing.
I am not dieting or full on training now. I might have to start a journal just as a more moderate balance thing, as we do seem to have hard core journals most of the time.
