I am getting a little anxious about my bike...actually, about both of my bikes. Following my race last weekend, I had to take my current bike in for some repairs above and beyond my capability. It was supposed to be finished today, but the last I heard, they had not even started on it yet. I am now five days behind schedule, and have not turned a wheel in week six of my training program. That is not good!
My other bike, being donated (for the most part) from Ellsworth Handcrafted Bikes, will be another 30-45 days! I just spoke with their marketing director this morning, and they are having a little trouble filling all of the orders. You see, this is a brand new bike...brand new for 2011, and it is in high demand!
I am a little disappointed to hear that it will be that long, but I am very happy that I will be getting such a great bike from them. Patience, patience, patience.
Today is Thursday, so let's look at some numbers...
I weighed in at 185 pounds, and pinched at 13.5% body fat. My initial goal was to reach 14% body fat in the first 12-weeks. If done perfectly, I would weigh 182 pounds at my target body fat percentage. I have dropped about 12-pounds of fat weight since my initial weigh-in. It appears that I have also gained just over 3-pounds of lean muscle mass. These numbers tell me that what I am doing is working. It is however time to establish a new goal, as I have reached my initial goal five weeks early. It's amazing what a good nutrition plan and some good exercise can do!
I'm aiming high...shooting for the moon, goin' for the gold...well you get the idea right? No messin' around...my next goal is 10% body fat, but here's the kicker...
Over the next 12-weeks I plan to increase my lean body mass, while simultaneously shredding off another 3.5% body fat...that's a lofty goal my friends! Are you with me? Are you ready to hold me accountable? I hope so, because believe me...it's gonna be rough!
Alright...let's take a look at the math behind my lofty goal (I probably should have figured it out before setting the goal huh?) I am currently 185-pounds, and I want to lose 3.5% body fat. That means that I need to lose roughly 5.5-pounds of fat. I don't want to drop below 182-pounds total because I don't think that I can sustain that weight, and this is all about sustainability. If I just lost the 5.5-pounds of fat, I would (theoretically) weigh in at 179.5-pounds (too light for me). This means I will have to pack on 2.5-pounds of lean muscle, at the same time, to reach my goal.
How the heck am I going to do that? If you have been following me since the beginning, you will remember that to lose weight it is necessary to create a caloric deficit (which is what I have done for the past 50 days), and to gain weight one must create a caloric surplus. So how do you think I am going to do this at the same time? This is the million dollar question among fitness professionals and strength coaches around the globe. There are many who say they have it figured out, and there are those who say it is impossible. Elite level bodybuilders are the 'pros' when it comes to leaning out or cutting just prior to a competition. Their training plan for months prior to the competition is all about getting bigger...creating that surplus of energy that will support the synthesis of lean muscle tissue. Their typical plan is relatively simple...gain size, then cut fat.
I am going to test out a theory of mine...why not try it on myself, right? I am going to call this method the Undulating Nutrition Plan. Remember when I told all of you that dropping your caloric intake by too much can end up depressing your basal metabolic rate (BMR)? Well, this method (in theory) should help to keep the body's BMR elevated, thus enabling greater fat oxidation, while simultaneously proving enough energy (kcal) to support the synthesis of new muscle tissue as well as support the repair and regeneration of damaged muscle tissue. Sounds interesting huh? Here's how I plan to put it into practice...
Each day I will undulate my caloric intake. For example, on Mondays I will consume a reduced number of calories, but the very next day I will consume an excess of calories. This undulation will continue throughout each day of the week. On heavy training (typically resistance training) days I will consume the higher 'dose' of calories, while on my lighter training days (cycling) I will consume the lower level of energy, thus creating a deficit at the end of the week, while still creating a surplus on the days that I will be hitting the weights.
Now I know what you are thinking right now...you're thinking Oh My God! He's a GENIUS! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am a man of integrity, so I must tell you that this is not totally my idea. A few years ago, in the mid nineties, a well known strength coach by the name of Fred Hatfield, a.k.a "Dr. Squat" introduced a diet known as the Zig Zag method of fat loss. This was intended to do just what I explained above...prevent the BMR from becoming depressed, and reducing the fat loss effect of a low(er) calorie nutrition plan. The Zig-ZagSo as you can see, I cannot take full credit for this creative manipulation of calorie consumption, as I simply tweaked someone else's ideas in a manner that I feel may be more effective for burning fat and building muscle simultaneously.
We'll see how it goes!
Oh...Sorry, for the length,again. What can I say...I love to write!
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