Bigger Badder Leaner

by: Pm - August 13th, 2008

Although it saddens me to admit it, Summer, and the warm sunny weather that accompanies it, is nearly over. The days are already noticeably shorter here in the Midwest. Just a few weeks back, the sun would be up by 5:30 am and burn bright until about 9:00 pm. Not the case anymore. Before you know it, the leaves will start changing color, and then eventually fall off the trees – at a rate just slightly faster than the temperature on my outdoor thermometer. Yes friends it’s true. The cooler months are a-comin’. While many go into stockpile and hibernation mode during the cooler months, I aim to get bigger (and leaner) through what remains of the Summer and the Fall.

Why now? There are a couple reasons actually. First, personal and professional obligations kept me from taking a Summer vacation this year, so I’m planning a late-Fall trip to some place tropical instead. Second, it’s difficult to add mass and get lean at the same time. The increasingly cooler weather tends to increase my focus (fewer outdoor distractions) and provides some cover (literally) in the form of heavier, long-sleeve/pant clothing – just in case.

What’s the plan, you ask?

Diet
A little background first. With a carb cycling plan (5 days low-carb, 2 days high-carb), I managed to shed over 20 lbs and more than 2” off the waistline between Memorial Day and the 4th of July. Because of the two high-carb days, I remained pretty strong throughout the week. I’ve since modified the number of low-carb days each week after some recent blood work though. Seems all those higher-fat, lower-carb foods weren’t so kind to my blood cholesterol levels (Total cholesterol levels were high and HDL levels were low.) Given that I’ve never had a problem in the past and high cholesterol doesn’t run in the family, it had to be all of the low carb dieting. I’ll confirm or disprove this theory in a few months when I go back for a follow-up test.

The new program is going to involve cycling of calories and macronutrients on training and non-training days. Up until now, I’ve kept calories, protein, carb, and fat levels pretty consistent on training and non-training days. Since the goal is to add size while limiting body fat accretion, the cycling will have me eating more on training days when needs are higher, and less food on non-training days when energy and nutrient needs are lower. This should help keep the metabolism humming along and the glycogen stores adequately fueled, but not to the point where they overflow and accumulate as body fat.

Here’s what weeks 1-4 of the plan look like (per lb bodyweight/day):
Training Days = 2 grams of carbs, 1 gram of protein, and 0.5 grams of fat
Non-Training Days = 1 gram of carbs, 1.25 grams of protein, and 0.25 grams of fat

Training
With my schedule and access to the gym, a full-body training regimen seems to work best for me. I have been following this type of routine all summer and continue to make great gains in terms of strength and size. There are a few reasons for it. Psychologically, it’s much easier to push yourself through one tough set per body part than 3-4 – especially on days when you don’t feel like training that body part (or training at all). Full body workouts also create more-modest systemic muscle soreness than body part specific or split routine workouts. Personally, I prefer having everything a little sore/fatigued all of the time than have near-paralyzing DOMS in a particular muscle group for 2-3 days. Lastly, with a full body workout 4 times per week, I’m able to hit every major body part, from a different angle, with 4 exercises (total of 12-16 sets/body part) weekly. This is enough to stimulate muscle growth, without overtraining.

I change-up the exercises/sets & repetitions frequently, but this is what a typical training week looks like:

Monday - Off

Tuesday
BB Bench Press – 4 sets (8-10 reps)
Lat Pulldowns – 4 sets (8-10 reps)
Squats or Leg Press – 4 sets (8-10 reps)
Upright Cable Rows – 4 sets (8-10 reps)
BB or EZ Bar Curls – 3 sets (8-10 reps)
Triceps Pushdowns – 3 sets (8-10 reps)
Standing Calf Raises – 4 sets (12-15 reps)
Crunches – 4 sets (12-15 reps)

Wednesday - Off

Thursday
DB Chest Press – 4 sets (8-10 reps)
Seated Cable Rows – 4 sets (8-10 reps)
Leg Curls – 4 sets (8-10 reps)
DB Lateral Raises – 4 sets (8-10 reps)
Superset – 3 sets
High Cable Curls (10-12 reps)
Machine Preacher Curls (8-10 reps)
Overhead Triceps Extension (cable) – 3 sets (8-10 reps)
Seated Calf Raises – 4 sets (12-15 reps)
Hanging Leg Raises – 4 sets (12-15 reps)

Friday - Off

Saturday
Superset – 4 sets
Decline Chest Press Machine (8-10 reps)
Chest Flye w/ DB or Cables (10-12 reps)
Romanian Deadlifts or Good Mornings – 4 sets (8-10 reps)
Seated DB Shoulder Press – 4 sets (8-10 reps)
Alternating DB Curls – 3 sets (8-10 reps)
Scull Crushers – 3 sets (8-10 reps)
Shrugs (Hammer or DB) – 4 sets (8-10 reps)
Hip Thrust – 4 sets (12-15 reps)

Sunday
Push-ups or Chest Dips – 4 sets (10-12 reps)
Straight-Arm Pushdowns (lats) – 4 sets (8-10 reps)
Leg Extensions or Hack Squats – 4 sets (8-10 reps)
Rear Delt Flyes – 4 sets (10-12 reps)
Hammer Curls – 3 sets (8-10 reps)
Triceps Kickbacks – 3 sets (10-12 reps)
Reverse Crunch – 4 sets (12-15 reps)

Supplements
Being a vegetarian, I’ve found that creatine, beta-alanine, and zinc are invaluable for strength and recovery. I also use a thermogenic drink (Speed Stack) 20-30 minutes before workouts on training days. And, a vegetarian multiple-vitamin (Solgar) and 2-3 protein shakes are part of my everyday supplement schedule.

Typical daily dosages:
Creatine – 5 grams (after workouts or before bed on non-training days)

Beta-alanine – 2 grams (before and after workouts)

Multiple Vitamin – once a day (with breakfast)

Thermo Drink – 1 bottle of Speed Stack (20-30 minutes before workouts)

Whey Protein – 2 scoops ON Whey or Pro Complex (1 scoop mixed with coffee first thing in the morning and a second scoop right after workouts)

Casein Protein – 1-2 scoops before bed

Zinc – 3 ZMA caps before bed

So that’s the plan. Like any other plan, this one will likely be revised along the way. But, as Jerry (a.k.a. Joliet Jerry) wisely mentioned in his earlier blog, we all need some sort of structure. It’s what helps us solidify our goals, what helps us get back on track when we stray, and what holds us accountable for our actions, or in this case, lack of.

…till next time

Happy Heaving,

PM

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